Category Archives: Personal

The Quest

I’m having a twitchy, can’t think of anything, don’t like it if I do week.  This is for a pile of prompts including One Word Shallow, Sunday Scribbling, Where in the world, Carry On Tuesday, and Three Word Wednesday.

Every inch of the back wall in the little room was tiled.  Thousands upon thousands of little bits of multicolored pieces of glass and pottery.  A mountain of rainbow chaos where someone had reached in, swirled their hand about, and caused a fantasy of ethereal beauty.  There was no way this was done by human, it had to be fae and even so over a long period of time.  There was power in it and a history before time was counted.  How I had even managed to get to this room had to be accidental and now that I was here I wanted to back away before they became aware that I had seen it.  It would not be something they would want me to know about.  I wanted to back away, but couldn’t.  The magic in the color held me spellbound and I felt as though I were falling into it.

A jerk on my arm brought me back to my senses.  I shook my head and turned to see Fin pulling me backwards shading his eyes.. “Come on Nissa, don’t look!”  I pulled my self away with no small effort, back into the darkness outside the doorway.  “What was that?” I asked Fin.

“I don’t know but as soon as you stepped inside I could almost feel a hum in the air.  Made the hair on the back of my neck stand up!  There is strong magic in there.”  He said.

The picture was still in my mind though many details were missing. I could still feel it’s powerful hold, though it weakened when out of view. It was too much to take in all at once.  The flowers were colors not seen in nature and words were swirled through the design “Love is a flower that grows in color” in purple and gold.   When I stepped inside it seemed at though lights bounced from a place far above and reflected the mosaic in a shallow pool in front of the wall. Even now I was drawn to it.

“Nissa, you have to control yourself.”  Fin said.

“Don’t patronize me.  I’m in control and you know it.  I feel the pull but I know it’s the magic.”  I pulled away from him, rubbing my arm where he had gripped it.  He was tall and wiry with dark red hair and he forgot how strong he was sometimes.  I was glad in this instance but I’m damned if I would let him know.  He grinned at me as if he read my mind which he nearly could.  “Lets find a safer place to sit and see if we can figure out where this is on the map.”

Some of the corridors in the caverns were in complete darkness and others were dimly lit from skylights.  There was a main room off to the left that we had traveled through to get here that contained illuminats left by mages.  Illuminats were spelled rocks that held light from the sun for years.  At least I hoped it was years. I had no desire to run into a mage.  We sat down on a rock and Fin pulled the map out of his pack.  “That room doesn’t show up anywhere on the map!” He said.

“Well then where in the world were we?”

“I don’t know” Fin said, “But it must be important to have so much magic.  The Fae have protected it so well that it doesn’t show up on the map.  I bet if anyone has found it before, their bones are in that pool at the base.”

“That’s it!”  The artifact is in that pool!” I was sure that was the answer.  We had been searching for so long.  “Now we just have to figure out how to get to it!”

“Is that all?  Nissa, if we go back in that room we might never leave it!”  Fin said.

“You know  the Fae like riddles and puzzles!  We just have to unravel this.  Simon sent us on this quest for a reason.  Think back to his exact words.  Maybe there was a clue in them somewhere.” I told him.

“He said for us to stick together no matter what.” Fin remembered.  “and to not be afraid of darkness, it is just a mirror of the light, then there was something else.”

“Something about using what we have to get what we need. So lets take stock.  We have rope in your pack.  What if we tie it outside the door to anchor us.  We can tear blindfolds. If we can’t see the mosaic it won’t have as much power.”  I said.

“It’s got to work.  It fits.  You hold me and I will go to the pool.”

“Fin, I’ve already been close to the wall – you haven’t been under it’s spell and besides, you are stronger.  I will need you to pull me out.”  I knew he was going to argue but he also would have to admit that my way made the most sense.

We tore strips of cloth for blindfolds and some more to bind our wrists together in case I tried to let go.  Fin tied one end of the rope to an outcropping of stone outside the door.  He wound some of it around his waist, giving himself slack.  We tied the blindfolds on, leaving them down til we were ready.  Fin tied his wrist to mine and I felt a tingle of fear.  What if I ended up nothing but bones at the bottom of the pool?  Simon wouldn’t have sent us here if it wasn’t important.  Whatever was at the bottom of that pool could help everyone in our valley so we would get it for Simon!

Fin grinned at me, fearless. “Ready?”

I smiled back at him. “Let’s go.”

We pulled the blindfolds down and entered the doorway.  We moved slowly with our eyes covered.  I tried to remember what the floor of this cavern room was like but I had been so mesmerized by the tiled wall that I didn’t pay it any attention.

“Are you okay Nissa?”  Fin called to me.

“I’m fine.  Just easing forward.  There is something on the ground here. I’m going to pick it up.”

I reached down and picked up a piece of glass about the size of my hand.  “ouch!”  I cried. I had cut my hand.  “It’s okay Fin, I just cut myself a little on a piece of glass.”  I moved forward some more.  My toe edged ahead and felt the beginning of the pool.  “I’m going to wade in slowly.” I told Fin.

“Just take it easy, I’ve got you.” He said.  “Just go slow!”

I was a little nervous walking in to the water.  What if there was a trap or a deep hole?  I just had to trust that Fin would get me out.  “I don’t feel anything, Fin.  I’ve gone all the way across and there’s nothing!”  Now what?  We had to be right.  Maybe we were doing things wrong.

“I’m going to take off the blindfold, Fin.” I told him.  I was already pulling it down, I knew he would say no but I couldn’t stand coming this far and then leaving and maybe what we needed was right there – I just couldn’t see it.

Fin was yelling at me to leave it on.  “It’s already off Fin – just make sure that you get me out of here!”  I felt his grip on my wrist binding tighten as he braced and I felt my eyes being pulled to the wall.  Instead I looked at the piece of glass in my hand.  It was a piece of mirror and now there was blood all over it from my cut.  Without thinking, I bent to wash it and as I got close to the surface of the water, the mirror picked up the light from the opening somewhere above and was bent and flashing from a million tiny tile surfaces reflecting the light from the mirror.  It lit up the pool and I could see something at the bottom.  It was a stone but not like any I had ever seen.  I picked it up and Fin started yelling.  “I’m all right!”  I said. “I’ve found something and as long as I only look at the wall’s reflection it has no power.  As I picked up the stone, a drop of blood from my cut fell on it and it began to glow and pulse.  I nearly dropped it.  I was warm as though alive.  “Hurry Fin!  Let’s go.  We’ve got to get back to Simon!”

Outside the room we removed rope and blindfolds and wrapped the stone and put it inside Fin’s pack.  We stared at each other for a moment and then headed back the way we came, map in hand.  Simon would be waiting for us.  As we crossed the great room, the room we had just left, lit up as daylight and then the door disappeared as though it had never been.

Ten Things For Tuesday

1. I learned how to install a new hard drive in a laptop (my son’s)

2. I learned how to use a new toy that lets you get data off the old hard drive and put it on the new one  (Thanks Tony!)

3. I learned that if you look for hard answers then you will get nothing but hard answers

4. I learned that pressing F12 to get your laptop to boot from the cd drive may not be all you need to do – you may have to change the boot order in the bios to make the cd drive priority (Thanks Eddie)

5. I learned that if you have to do all these things in a hurry that it will be stressful and not go as smoothly as you wish

6. I learned that if you think you are done, something else will happen (like your daughter’s car will fall apart)

7. I learned that if you help your son and his roommate move, the roommate will have a lot more to move than you think and everything will be on the second floor

8. I learned if you wait til the last minute to do everything – a last minute is all you will have.

9.  A mustang does not hold very much if you are moving with it

10.  I learned that the term summer vacation is relative…

Flotsam

I”m starting to feel the summer circling the drain and it will be time for school to start before I can blink.  I’m looking forward to getting back to work and at the same time, dreading the end of summer vacation.  I get to used to staying up, sleeping later if I want, not worrying what day of the week it is.

This week we will move number one son into his apartment and number one daughter will go for freshman orientation and get her classes scheduled so the sign is on the wall.  Fall is around the corner.

Son’s laptop has major problems and I’m ordering a new hard drive for it in the morning.  I googled how to install a new hard drive and I think I can do it myself.

I’ve committed to being involved with the church webpage so I am working on getting up to speed with Joomla, the content management system they use.  Today the host migrated it to a new server and upgraded to a newer version of Joomla which means that for now the original site is still in place while we choose a new template and do some rearranging on the new site before we go live with it.  It will be a bit of work at first but once it is set up the way they want it it will be easy to update.

My quote of the night from Big Bang Theory (yes it was a repeat, but a good one.  I am sooo ready for the new episodes!)

Shelton: No you can’t go on a quest to the Black castle – you’re only a level 25. Those Hungarians are just using you for dragon fodder!

Penny: Boy you think you can trust a horde of Hungarian barbarians.

It has been a hectic day and I am curling up with my book and going to sleep.  Currently reading “Finder”  by Emma Bull.

Goodnight blogosphere 🙂

On Break

Just for a day :)  Hubby and I are heading to Gladewater to hang out in antique stores, eat, and generally do absolutely nothing productive.  Got my book, a notebook, snacks and a cd of road trip worthy tunes so I’ll see you on the flipside world!

Peace, out.

Post Five Hundred

Carry On Tuesday #8 on a Thursday and Sunday Scribbling #171 Indulgence

I re-worked this a bit.  One paragraph had the word listen in it six times – that’s what happens when I write late at night 🙂

This is my FIVE HUNDREDTH post.  I have lived here in the blogosphere since March 2006.  That’s  40 months, or 160 weeks, or 1120 days, or approximately a post every other day.  Who knew I had that much to say.

This little place has changed since the beginning.  I’ve had several themes (getting bored with this one so a change is imminent) , and the focus has changed depending on where my eyes happened to be pointing at the moment.  I’ve written about my opinions on whatever.  Thought out loud, which can be a bit dangerous!  There were the dark times when Dale was so sick and I poured it all out here and held on by my fingernails.

I’ve posted little computer notes on things I’ve learned, I’ve talked about my faith, chronicled “The Great Kidney Transplant”, recipes, pictures,  thoughts about books I have read, whatever sparkled and caught my eye – it landed here.  Thanks Tony, for setting up the blog, for encouraging me to write, and for always patiently answering my unending questions.  This one is for you.

Tomorrow Light #2

It’s been a month since I crept up to the barn and saw the computer under the floor.   If it gets weird here, I’m gone. These days things are crazy.  You just never know.    Glenna and Tom had been kind and I help with  chores.  Glenna has been teaching me how to knit and a little cooking.  This week she  started teaching me how to play the piano.

There was  no lesson today though.  The house was clean from top to bottom and I was helping Glenna in the kitchen.  There were people coming and they would be hungry she said.  I thought it was crazy for others to know where we lived but Glenna smiled and said sometimes we have to trust folks or we might be safe but there won’t be much point to being alive.  I’m not sure what I think about that. I saw some pretty bad stuff happen before I came here and I’m not jumping in and trusting anyone.

Tom has been out in the barn all day putting benches out. Some, he built this morning out of logs.  He set up some sawhorses and boards to make a table to set food on.  Glenna says some folks will bring food.  I’ve been chopping and peeling all day.  We are using fresh vegetable out of the garden that won’t keep anyway.  That at least makes sense to me.

Most everything is done and Glenna said I should take a nap.  People won’t get here till after dark.  I’m not a baby for Pete’s sake.  I climb up to the loft just to make her happy.  I like it up here.  There’s a little window to let in some sunlight and a quilt that has reds and yellows in it.  Tom let me have some blocks and boards up here for a shelf, and Glenna gave me some books.  Ain’t. (I mean ‘I haven’t’, Glenna says I need to stop saying ain’t) had books for awhile and when I did they were mostly hunting and fishing books belonging to Pa.  My favorite right now is Jane Eyre.  She is a poor kid staying with rich family and they are mean to her but she has this whole other life going on in her head.  The rich kids are hateful and think they are so much better than her because she doesn’t have money.  I like her a lot more than her stupid cousins.  I laid down with my book and the sun is warm coming  through the little window.  Next thing I know, I’m waking up and the lanterns are lit downstairs.

I climb down the ladder and see Glenna setting out the bowls of food to take to the barn.

“Well hello, sleepyhead!” She says.  I’m glad you got some rest.  Do you want to help me take these out to the barn?”  Before we start loading up the bowls there is a sound at the door.

“Is there anybody there?” said the traveler, knocking on the moonlit door.

My heart’s pounding and I am ready to run out the back but Glenna smiles and says “I’d recognize that voice anywhere!”  She opens the door and hugs the stranger as he steps inside.  “Come in Tony. It’s been too long!”

He has dark shoulder length hair, pulled back in a pony tail and he’s carrying a guitar case.  Glenna had told me he came when they gathered and he would play his guitar and sing. Tthe music was important.  “Hi there.” He said to me, smiling.  He had a kind smile.

“Was your trip hard?” Glenna asked?  He looked a little tired.

“I had to stay off the roads during the day.  North of here there was a group of people on foot that looked like they hadn’t eaten in awhile.  I hid out in the woods until they passed.  They didn’t look friendly.”

Glenna looked concerned. “Which way were they heading?” She asked.

They were on the east road that heads out of town. Soldiers passed in a truck and I didn’t see them any more after that.” He said.

A look passed between them and then they looked at me and got that look grownups get when they remember I’m in the room.

“If you want to clean up a bit, you know where everything is.  We are going to take these to the barn and we’ll be back for more.” Glenna told him.

“Sounds good! I’m hungry and those look like vegetables from your garden.” He said.

“There is plenty. We’ll see you in a minute.” Glenna said as we went out the door towards the barn with bowls and serving spoons.

The barn was transformed! There were lanterns hung around the walls and people were all smiling and hugging and talking at one time.  There were already plates and bowls on the makeshift table.  People took the bowls from us and put them on the table and there were kids giggling up in the hayloft. They were all hugging and greeting each other.  Finally we headed back to the house for the rest of the food.

“Do you remember everything I told you about tonight?” she asked me.

I nodded.  She had told me that we didn’t ever mention the computer but that tonight was important because we would get a new password.  I had heard about the internet and how before everything changed, anyone could talk to anyone else and pass information back and forth.  Now the N.U.S.A. had control and when people can’t talk to each other, they have no way of knowing if what the government tells them is true. No one says it out loud but everyone knows they lie.  You don’t need a computer to figure that out.

Glenna told me that now they had small groups of people that could only talk to each other and then only if they had the password.  There were a bunch of these ‘darknets’, she called them and each group could only talk to the people in their network.  When I asked her how they could connect to each other she smiled and called me ‘one smart cookie’.  She said before the world lost it’s mind, cables were laid all over the place.  If you had to dig a hole and put one cable in, it wasn’t much extra trouble to put in several cables.  There were thousands of fiber cables that were never used and mostly forgotten. They were being used now.

We went back to the house and got the rest of the food and Tony walked back to the barn with us.  When we set the food on the table, Glenna smiled at Tom and he put his fingers to his mouth and whistled.  Everyone stopped chattering and Tom said a blessing, thanking God for letting everyone get there safe, for providing food, and good friends, and asking Him to keep blessing us.  Everyone said Amen and started filling plates and passing them around.  I got me a plate and found a seat on a box back in a corner so I could watch.

The flickering lantern light threw shadows around the barn and reflected in smiling eyes. Men talked about weather and traveling. Women talked about their kids and food and health as they ate.  Kids finished eating first and ran around the barn or hid behind mothers who fussed at them to settle down It wasn’t mad kind of fussing because they would smile indulgently. I didn’t run with them but it was nice to see them having fun  Kind of made me sad about my own mama.  Silly, how can I miss someone I don’t even remember.

Empty bowls and plates were stacked in a metal washtub for later and Tony pulled out his guitar and started to tune it.  Everyone settled down and got quiet as he strummed a few chords.  He played a few songs that some of the older folks must have known, because they sang along.  They asked him to play one of his own songs. I watched Glenna sit quietly as  he began to play.

He picked out the first chords and I heard the word ‘dark’ and my ears perked up.  Glenna sat quietly with her head leaned toward the music and  as he sang the chorus  the second time through she sang it with him.  She had  explained how  the password would be in the music.  I was just beginning to learn but I knew there were eight notes in an octave.  At some point the lyrics would mention the word  ‘dark” and those who knew what to listen for would memorize the chorus and later transcribe the notes in the chorus as numbers.

Just a group of folks getting together, eating and enjoying some music. No law against that.  Tony played a few  more songs after that as families loaded up and started  home.  I helped Glenna start cleaning up and Tony packed up his guitar.  I was walking next to him going back to the house.  I looked up at him and said “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure” He said.

“How did you figure all this stuff out?” I asked.

He smiled. “Music is just math out loud.” He said.

Glenna asked him if he could stay but he said he had to move on.  There were others to sing for and miles to go. He looked at me and grinned. “I think I’ll be seeing you again.”

I hoped so.  I wanted to learn more.
To go back to the beginning : Part One

One Word Prompt: Spun

burning man

One Word prompt :Spun

His head spun with all he had heard and seen in the last hour.  How could so little completely change the way he thought, felt, believed.  He had heard but now he really saw.  It was all real.  He wanted to understand more, learn more, be more.  All because this tiny person had come into his life.  A son.  He was not the person he was an hour ago. He never would be again.  He was DAD.

***

The thread was light and barely visible but she had spun it so finely.  It would hold and they grasped it hand to thread each so that the circle was complete and the magic flowed through the thread to each and joined them in the spell.

***

He mashed the button on top of the brightly colored plastic and it spun across the floor playing music and moving all the colors into one.  He clapped and crawled to do it again and again.  Simple and beautiful, gold curls bouncing. The light and colors created a spell that flowed into the sunlit dust motes.

***

Photo from Flickr Burnblue

Stealing Time #7

It’s dark,  fog brained, pitch.  What is that sound??  Where am I?  Kell struggled up from sleep, trying to make sense of the messages his brain was sending him.  He felt around the bedside table next to him and found the  lamp and turned it on.  “Wha….Cassie, baby, what is it?” Cassie was standing in front of the window, arms wrapped around herself, eyes wide open, staring at nothing.  The sound coming from her made goosebumps on Kell’s arms.

He jump. stumbled to her and tried to put his arms around her but it was like hugging an ice sculpture.  He spun her around so he could see her face.  “Cassie, talk to me!  I’m right here.  It’s ok!”  Kell rubbed her arms and touched her face and she slowly closed her eyes and leaned against him, shaking and limp.

“Give me a minute” she said.  She was ice cold and pale.  Kell pulled her over to the bed and sat down, still holding her.  Tears were streaming down her face now.

“Was it him again?”  Kell asked.

“Yes and you too.  You looked so…I don’t know, bereft!  I couldn’t stand it.  And he  was smiling, happy.”  Cassie cried.  “I hate him!  He’s there when I’m awake and shows up when I’m sleeping.  This time my mother was there too.  I wish I knew what it means, what he wants!”

“I know.  So do I.” Kell was rocking her like a child now, holding on to her, warming her.  Her robe had slipped down off her shoulder and he pulled it back around her.  The shaking had stopped and her color was coming back.  He bent his head down to kiss her on the forehead and as he did she turned her face up to him.  She had stopped crying.

“Do you think you can go back to sleep?  It’s too early to get up.”  Kell asked her.

“I think so.  I’ll try anyway.”  Cassie answered. “Could you get me a drink of water?”

“Sure, be right back.” Kell said.

Kell went to the kitchen to get her a glass and when he came back, Cassie was already in bed.  He realized the robe was on the floor.  She sat up with the sheet wrapped around her and took the glass from him.  He got in the bed and waited.  They had been through so much lately, he didn’t want to misunderstand.  She set the glass on the nightstand and scooted down in the bed till she was laying down face to face with him.  “I love you”  she told him.  “I’m sorry about, well everything.  I feel like it’s all my fault somehow.”

Kell reached for her and folded her in his arms.  “If it hadn’t been for you I would have been killed.  You didn’t ask for this.  It’s happening to both of us.” He said.

“But maybe if I hadn’t come looking for you, you wouldn’t have been in danger to begin with.” She whispered.

“You can’t know that.  Maybe the man would have come looking for me and you wouldn’t have been there to warn me. I’m glad you found me .  We are going to figure this out.”  he said.  “Whatever happens we will face it together and someday we will be looking back at all of this and it will be nothing more than a great story to tell.”

As he finished talking, Cassie smiled and kissed him.  “I want somedays and I’m glad I found you.

This time Kell kissed her and the kiss, at first tentative, grew to more, and they held on to each other and to the love that had come with them through time. For a little while they left  the fear behind and time stopped for them.

Later they talked quietly.  Kell remembered he meant to ask Cassie about her medallion.  “You never take it off.  Where did you get it?”

“It belonged to my mother. Before she died she took it off and gave it to me.  She had worn it as long as I could remember and she told me to never take it off.”  she told him.

“It looks familiar to me. I think I’ve seen that symbol before.  Maybe we could stop by that coffee shop with the internet cafe and search for it tomorrow.  It feels important somehow. It looks a little like a figure eight”  he said.

“I never thought about the symbol meaning something.” she told him, shrugging her shoulders.

“What happened to your mother?  Did she get sick?” Kell asked her.

“No, it was a car accident. She was called in to work on a Saturday and someone ran her off the road.  I called her job when she didn’t come home and they said they hadn’t seen her.  I got a neighbor to give me a ride and retraced her regular route.  If I hadn’t been looking, I wouldn’t have seen her car.  It was a big drainage ditch and the trees and shrubs around it hadn’t been cleaned out in awhile.”  she told him. The driver of the other car never stopped.  She was still conscious when I got to her but she was hurt so bad….. I still miss her.”  She said.  “I was seventeen.”

“Cassie, when did you start uh, ‘time traveling’?” Kell asked.

“Not long after that.” she said.

Stealing Time Part 6

No prompt – just story.

Kell and Cassie quickly scanned the article under the picture of the man.  Kell flipped back to where it was continued and they read on.  “This says he is a businessman from New Orleans and he’s planning on investing in this community where he now has some of his interests.” Kell said.  “It makes him sound like he’s a saint!” Said Cassie shivering.

“I know” Kell was yawning now.  “I am too tired to think .  The last few days are catching up with me, I guess.”

“Me too.  I feel like it’s been weeks since I’ve slept.”  Cassie said.  “I’m tired, but I’m not sure I’m going to be able to sleep.  It worries me that he is out there and  knows where we are.”

“I bolted the door from the inside.  If he was going to hurt us,  he has had opportunities.  I think he is waiting for something, though  I can’t think what.  Maybe if we get some rest we can make some sense of this in the morning.  Do you want to shower first?” Kell was folding up the paper and picking up the sack of toiletries.

“Sounds good.” Cassie got up tiredly and took the sack with shampoo and toothpaste.  A hot shower is sounding pretty good.”

“Cassie headed for the shower and Kell turned down the bed and looked in the closet.  There was her robe.  Now what should he do?  This was weird, to find they were married.  They hadn’t talked about it at all and now….well, with everything they had been through, they would face this too, he hoped.  Listen to me, thinking this is something we have to face.  This had always been easy before, as though they had always known each other. He took the robe off the hanger and knocked on the bathroom door.

Cassie opened the door a little and he could see she was in her underwear. He held out the robe to her and she smiled and said thanks and then froze.  I’m standing here in the door in my underwear like it’s nothing, she thought.  Why was this is so awkward? Now she was nervous.  How did he feel?  The whole marriage thing, they really hadn’t had time to talk about it, to get used to the idea.  She looked at his face and his eyes caught hers and she knew it would be okay.  She trusted him, and he believed in her.  He had the funniest look on his face.  She smiled and he grinned as though he had been waiting for her reaction.  Yes, it would be more than okay.  “Thanks!”  She said and closed the door.  She clapped her hand over her mouth as she felt the uncontrollable giggling start.  It’s the stress, she thought.  She stepped into the shower and let the hot water rush over her, calming her.  She was tired, full, and now clean.  Heaven, she thought.

She turned off the water when she was through and dried off.  Using the same towel to wipe off the mirror, she combed her hair out and brushed her teeth.  She hung the towel up to dry and then stopped and got a clean towel out for Kell and put it over the towel rack.  She pulled on her robe and stepped out into the bedroom.  Kell was sitting on the edge of the bed reading the rest of the newspaper.

“Learn anything helpful?”  She asked him.  “Ask me in the morning when my brain is working again.”  He said. “I’m way to tired to think.”

“Your turn. I even left a little hot water for you.”  She said.  She saw he had turned the bed down, and that he had a clean tee shirt and boxers with him.  She grinned at him as he gave a little shake and closed the bathroom door.  She turned on a lamp by the bed and turned off the big ceiling light.  She checked the lock on the window and shuddered a bit before pulling down the shade and making sure the curtains were pulled shut.  She wandered around the room, looking at their things and wondering what it had been like, picking them out together.  She yawned again and went to the bed and curled up on the pillows.  She could hear the water running and Kell humming in the shower.

Kell came out of the bathroom drying his hair.  He looked up and saw Cassie, sound asleep on the bed.  He sighed,  hung up his towel, combed his hair,and lay down on the bed beside her.  He reached out and touched her face and then picked up the little medallion she wore on the chain around her neck.  She never took it off and now he had the weirdest feeling.  It looked familiar, like he had seen it somewhere else.  He would ask her about it in the morning. He pulled the covers up over both of them and reached over to turn out the light.  Cassie turned onto her side and he curled up next to her, pulling her up against him.  Cassie snuggled a little closer.  Kell put his arm around her and she pulled the arm closer and in minutes, Kell was fast asleep as well.

Outside in the dark, the man in the leather coat frowned.  He stared up at the window where the light had been a few moments ago with hate and determination, turned on his heel and headed back down the street, whistling.

this truly is a bit rough.  I need an English teacher smacking my hand with a ruler on a regular basis.  I’ll go back over it later to fix it,  just had to get it down before it went out of my head.

Remodelling Psycho Style

Had to give this a go – I liked this prompt Paschal.  It wrote itself.

She was radiant as she came through the door.  She was finally going to leave him.  Things had been good at the start, but they changed over time and lately she didn’t know what to make of it.  He scared her a little bit.  He was always nice.  Treated her with respect.  He was patient and he seemed happy.  At least he smiled all the time.  Trouble was, the smile never moved up to his eyes.  He was too controlled and she had known for some time that she was going to have to get out.  Now that she had met someone, the time had come. She would tell him tonight after supper.  Her bags were already packed and in the trunk of her car.  Supper was cooked and on the table.  They would eat, she would get through it somehow. Then she would tell him and she would be free.

He carefully pulled the screed across the last of the concrete and looked back at the new patio.  It was going to be a great place to barbecue.  Neil Youngs’ After The Gold Rush was playing on the stereo and and he was sweating a bit but it was all good.  He was tired but he sang quietly “I was lyin’ in a burned out basement with a full moon in my eyes”.  He had stayed up late to do the prep work.  It took a deep hole to get her and a good sand base in before daylight.  Once he had that part done he could work during the day and it was now afternoon and he was nearly finished.  He was ready for a cool lemonade and a shower.  He was going to enjoy this new patio.  The house would go back to the way he liked it.  Everything in it’s place.  No one to wonder what he did in the basement at night.  He might even extend this patio some more before the summer’s end.

Return Of The Reluctant Wizard

Carry On Tuesday Prompt # 7 and Sunday Scribbling # 169 Toys

“Our year is up” she said. “Will you go then?”

“I cannot stay and cannot go” He said.  His eyes filled at the thought of leaving her but he missed his home and he knew he was needed.  Could he deny himself and go?  There was nothing but pain in this decision but he would do what he must.

He smiled at Nuala and held out his arms to her.  The music was playing and they began to dance slowly, swaying with it.  She laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.  “You will be old again and in pain.  I can’t bear it.”  She sighed.  “I know” He said softly.  “You know my heart.” He hummed softly and began to sing with the music.  “The red rose whispers of passion and the white rose breathes of love.  None can compare with the beauty, of my lady and the moon above…” As he sang the last words she found her arms empty and wept.

He was in the cave again and his body that had been young and healthy for his too short time with Nuala had aged and the feelings, the aches and pains, hunger, thirst, all came upon him in waves.  He slowly opened his eyes and looked around.  The wall was covered with runes of protection.  He knew that the cave would have been hidden by magic and so undisturbed until he returned.  There was no fire and he was cold but more he needed nourishment.  There would be nothing til he made his way down to the valley, to his home.

He slowly got up, saw his pack and staff, laying where they fell a year ago.  He opened the pack and sprinkled the herbs that were left on the floor of the cave in gratitude for the gift of the last year and for returning him safely. He pulled on his cloak and once again took up staff and pack and set off.  He had forgotten how painful each step was and he carefully and slowly climbed down from the cave, wishing for the path to be easier, but knowing that everything has it’s price and the cost for a year with Nuala would be great.  His breath became labored and he was shaking from weakness but he kept going.  Holding to branches, and clutching his staff he continued, nearly weeping from the struggle.

At last the ground evened out a bit and the going was not as tedious. The sun was coming up higher.  He had been traveling in the half light of early dawn and was grateful for the light and the warmth.  How he had missed the sun!  The morning birds were waking and singing in the trees and the sounds of earth animals coming out of their burrows to greet the day.  He walked on, weariness slowing him and yearning for home moving him forward.  He finally reached the edge of his beloved valley and smiled as he walked just a tiny bit faster.  Home was waiting.

Finally he reached the path that led to his house and as he stumbled forward, the sun was kind to him and warmed his bones, the same old bones that had dreamed of a lady in the moon.  He staggered to his door and with barely enough strength to push it open, thankfully entered the home he had missed.  He dropped the pack and staff and loosened his cloak.  He drew some water from the old pump and drank thirstily.  He toyed with the idea of eating but it would have to wait.  He all but fell on his bed and slept til the sun set, knowing nothing for those hours.  He woke with the moon and stepped outside his door to gaze up at the glowing iridescent orb that held his heart.  It might have been his imagination, but he could have sworn that Nuala wept a tear that became a shooting star.  It lit up the night sky over his valley for just a second and then as quickly as it appeared, was gone.

shhh – I’m back…

This post brought to you by the music of John Mayer:

Down to the wire
I wanted water
but I’ll walk through the fire
if this is what it takes
to take me even higher
then I’ll come through, like I do
when the world keeps testing me, testing me, testing me…

There is a storm coming in and it meant cloud cover at the track this morning so I got an extra lap in and then came home and helped finish mowing the lawn.  Perspiration seems to equal inspiration 🙂 Come on sweet rain!

Like the reluctant wizard, we are never completely happy.  We want and wish, and when we get, it doesn’t satisfy.  We think if only…

Sunday Scribbling: Toys

My toys are all laid out to see
A list of prompts to inspire me
Computer lit up – keyboard in wait
Paper and pens’ appetite to sate

But the most important “toy” of all
The muse that keeps me in it’s thrall
My brain is dead, a dry lump of clay
No one, it seems, want to come out and play

Cassie and Kell won’t answer the door
Katie is mad at Mary Sue, once more
Glenna and John and the girl are asleep
The wizard and his lady are making out – I peeped

Do I force, ignor, make it a chore
Or let it alone, let it marinate more
Is it gone or just refusing to speak
Did it break, hide away, spring a leak?

I’m not in a panic but frustration looms
I hope that it finds its way home soon
I’ll finish this rhyme and hope for the best
I’m afraid I’m failing if this is a test

Early Morning Track Ponderings

One Word this week was track

I try to go to a local walking track at least three days a week. I go at 7 and the Texas summer is telling me I may need to go earlier.  I started this morning with Spirit In The Sky playing in my ears, setting the beat, the cadence as I move around the track even though muscles are complaining.  Thinking about spirit. The human spirit.

A minute isn’t long enough for two miles of thinking.  I have to come back and revisit this.

Okay, where was I.  Spirit In The Sky, warm day.  I’m walking along, swinging my arms.  Twice around is two miles. The song starts me thinking about the human spirit – isn’t that a misnomer?  Human equals flesh – spirit, God.  My misbehaving, undisciplined, flesh, complaining, moaning, whining it’s way around the track, down the path, on the journey.

I start out moving to the song, the music keeping the speed until my body settles and muscles loosen and I fall into rhythm with comfortable ease.  About halfway through the walk the comfort isn’t quite as comfortable and I look at the shoe prints in the sand ahead of me and just follow those footprints still listening to the music knowing the goal is worth it. The killing the flesh, struggle to be stronger, healthier.  Can’t get there without some pain.  There’s pain – arthritic feet but you walk through it, past it.

Sometimes there is shade and a cool breeze.  The walking is pleasant.  I’m on the path and the path is smooth and easy on my feet.  Other times the shade is gone and the sun beats down and I’m sweating and wishing I was somewhere else and I could be, it’s a choice after all.  Sometimes I choose wrong but the path is always there and I come back.  There is some ugly trash along the path but also beautiful flowering trees.  Others walk the path as well.  We nod and speak and all keep walking.

The track is not far from where I live but it isn’t exactly at my home.  I have to act to get to it.  I have to choose to get in my car and drive there.  I choose to listen to the music and keep walking, putting one foot in front of the other, finish the race, claim the prize, complete the walk.

The spirit moves us, not our spirit.  We move along the path, track, onward on the journey, wherever the spirit takes us, flesh dying, spirit moving, til we can go home.  Trials on the way and joys too.  Never alone, spirit always with us, nudging, prodding, waiting, speaking if we listen.  Waiting for us to choose, listen, move, obey, and then come home.

Sunday Scribbling Vision and Carry On Tuesday #5

The italicized text in the first sentence is the prompt for Carry On Tuesday. and Sunday Scribbling prompt #168 is Vision

Tomorrow Light #1

A lantern light from deep in the barn shone on a man and woman in the door.  I shrunk deep as I could into the shadows.  I couldn’t hear everything they were saying because of the wind.  Then the wind let up and their words were carried through the night mist.

“Think its late enough?” The woman asked.

“Hope so, we have to chance it anyway.”  The man pulled a key from his pocket and they moved deeper into the barn.  The woman had a broom and swept straw from a place on the floor.  She helped the man lift a piece of plywood that had been covered with the straw and together they set it aside.  He knelt down and did something outside of my vision.  They pulled something and a part of the floor came up.  There was a trapdoor in the barn!

They both disappeared into the hole.  Now what?  Do I get closer?  What if they catch me?  Since the “New United States” had been formed people were suspicious of everyone.  There were whispers of people snooping around and next thing you know, nobody is speaking about them and everything about them is just gone.

You never heard about them on the news.  No sir.  All the news has to say is that things are getting better everywhere since the new president.  They say poverty is being eradicated, whatever that means.  Seems to me that everyone I know is poor.  Maybe that’s what they mean.  No one is any poorer than anyone else.

Ain’t no insurance anymore either.  The government news talks about medical care for all but it don’t mention nothing about having to wait so long to see a doctor that you die of old age if whatever you got don’t kill you.

I should know.  That’s what landed me here in the first place.  Pa got a cough that just kept getting worse and by the time he got to see a doc it was too late.  Guess he knew all along because he taught me stuff about taking care of myself.  I grew up in the country so I knew a lot of stuff already.  Ma died when I was little so it had been me and him long as I could remember so I knew how to cook and do chores.  Knew a little first aid.  He showed me plants you could eat in the woods, and stuff you could use for medicine.

He’s been gone two weeks and I found this farm a few days ago.  I’ve been hiding at night in the woods behind and slipping up just before dawn and stealing a little from the garden.  They have fresh tomatoes, I haven’t had anything so good in awhile.  Tonight I had been heading to my hiding spot when I heard the man and woman talking and eased back up closer to see what I could find out.  He spoke nice to her and she smiled at him a lot.

I crawl closer til I’m just outside the door.  I can hear muffled voices coming from under the floor.  I’m sweating and shaking but I can’t stand not knowing.  I get closer and closer trying to be silent.

I am right there now and peep over the edge.  I bite my lip so no sound comes out.  There in that hole is a computer.  My pa told me about them.  Everyone used to have one and they could read stuff and talk to each other.  I always wanted to see a real one but the government had shut down the internet for regular folks.  Only people that had it now were government or a group of folks the government called Downloaders.  They hunted them and rounded them up.  Sometimes there would be a news story about them and according to the news, they were the root of everything wrong these days.  Sucking up all the fossil fuel and something they called bandwidth.  They were accused of stirring up trouble and they would be taken for relocation and rehabilitation. Pa would always snort and say “Never thought the country would come to this.”  Then he’d turn off the tv and refuse to watch it for days.

Sometimes when we were fishing he would talk about the old days.  He never talked about ma though.  I guess it still made him sad.  I’m laying here just thinking and watching and the man and woman are huddled together in front of the screen.  I can’t see it but there must be someone there because a voice is coming from speakers next to it.

“Good to see you, Tom.  Hasn’t been much news from the south lately.  Looks like you’re almost completely cut off.” The voice said.

“We’re having to be more careful.  There’s been a lot of New United States Army trucks on the roads lately. No one is saying much and we’re all staying off the roads.  Don’t want to attract their notice when we have no idea what they are up to. “  The man said.

“How’s Lani and the boys?” The woman asked.

“Doing ok, Glenna. Thanks for asking.” The voice said.  “Our littlest has a cough, but now that spring is here he seems better. Lani misses you”

“Glad to hear they are ok.  You give them my love, Wes.”  The woman named Glenna told him.

“What about you and Tom?” He asked. “You holding up ok?  How’s the garden?”

“Wish we could send you some fresh vegetables.” John  told him. “Glenna canned some vegetable soup for next winter.”

“Lani would love that.  She craves salad and she always loved Glenna’s cooking.  She worries the boys aren’t getting enough healthy food but no one is these days. You stay safe and try to get word to us if you learn anymore about those N.U.S.A. trucks.”

“Will do,”  John said. “Same to you and Lani and the boys.”

The screen glow changed colors so voice man must be gone.  Time for me to move.  I start to inch back and  a loose piece of straw falls and lands next to the keyboard.  The man was shutting the thing down and he and Glenna both looked up at the same time.  Forget being sneaky.  I jumped up and ran for it but I guess all the sleeping in the woods and eating stolen scraps hadn’t done me any favors, because fast as I was, the man was much faster.  I was almost to the edge of the circle of light outside the barn when he grabbed hold of a fistful of my shirt and backpack and I went down.

I wasn’t taking any chances on how nice they were. I came up kicking and scratching and he just wrapped huge arms around me and lifted me all the way off the ground.  I still fought but there wasn’t much I could do.  I didn’t yell. because who was going to come?  No help that’s for sure.  I f anyone did come they might be worse than what I had gotten myself into with these two.

I kicked out and he let out a little yelp of pain and backed into the barn door.  Soon as we were inside, Glenna shut the door and stood in front of it holding the broom like a weapon.  “Don’t try it.” She said, shaking her head.  My escape cut off, I settled down.  Guess I was going to have to play like I was scared (which wasn’t to hard to do) and watch for my moment.

“Why Tom – it’s a little girl!  What are we going to do now?”

He asked me if I was going to be quiet and not try to run.  Said he would let me loose if I promised.  I nodded my head and he turned loose of me.  I dashed off a few feet, rubbing my arms where he had nearly squashed me.  I stood there looking at them with my arms crossed.

The man asked me “What’s your name?”
“Where’d you come from?”  Silence.

I just stared at him.  What difference did my name make?  The woman was looking at me, eyes all full of pity.  I knew I had lost weight and I needed a bath.
“Tom, she looks like she’s starving.  We have to feed her” She said softly.  Tom  frowned and sighed.  “Let’s get you in the house and I’ll draw some bath water.  You’re covered in mosquito bites and if you don’t get clean you’ll get an infection and I don’t want some dead kid on my conscience.”  The thought of food and a bath!  I can always take off later.  I nodded and said thanks.  Glenna opened the door and the man kept his hand on me like I might take off if he turned loose and I followed them inside.

A look passed between them and I couldn’t tell what they were thinking.  Tom had a helpless look on his face and Glenna was smiling at him like she had just gotten a present.  Maybe they aren’t so bad and they DO have a computer.

Cassie and Kell are telling me their new story right now – they will be back soon 🙂

Stealing Time #5 Sunday Scribbling

Sunday Scribbling prompt was absurd.

Cassie and Kell walked down the street.  The street was familiar and yet it wasn’t.  Subtle differences caused by time. “Look!  The Community Center is still there!” Kell exclaimed.

“Maybe we shouldn’t get too close until we know a little bit more about this time.”  Cassie said thoughtfully.

“You’re probably right.”  said Kell as he glanced around and behind him uneasily

They turned down a side street and headed toward a line of shops.  There were people strolling down the sidewalk.  Some were looking in windows, some talking, and some sharing a cone from the ice cream shop.  About halfway down the street they spied tables and chairs at an outdoor cafe.

“There!  Let’s see if they have pizza.  I know I could think more clearly if my stomach wasn’t growling!”  Cassie said. Cassie and Kell walked down to the cafe and went to the window to place their order.  There was a chalkboard menu to the left of the window and thank goodness, pizza was listed.  Cassie looked at Kell and he grinned and turned to the tattooed, pierced, and bored looking teenager behind the counter. “Two slices of Pineapple and Canadian Bacon Thin Crust and two bottled waters please.” he said.

After he had paid, they found a table and chairs in the shadows and sat down to eat.  Neither one spoke for a few minutes, too busy chewing and licking melted cheese from their fingers..  Cassie reached out and stole a piece of bacon from Kell’s pizza,  “Hey!” he laughed.  The smile kind of died on his face.  It seemed so absurd to be sitting here eating pizza as if all were normal.

“Maybe we need to figure out what we know and then work on what we don’t” Kell wiped his mouth with a napkin and took a swig of water.  We know we are in the future, but we don’t know when.”

“And we know you are supposed to do something – but we don’t know what.” Cassie added. There has to be a reason for my dreams and my uh, ability.”

They finished their water and bundled up their trash and threw it in the can by the counter.  “Come on, lets get a newspaper and some supplies and head back.” Kell grabbed Cassie’s hand and they headed down the street to the drugstore.  They picked up a paper, and some toiletries, coffee and breakfast bars for in the morning.  Kell paid for their purchases and they headed back towards the apartment.

The sun was getting lower and more people were out walking.  Cassie and Kell strolled with the crowd, taking their time.  As they neared the apartment, Cassie glanced in a window as they passed and saw a face reflected that stopped her in her tracks.  Kell stopped and turned to her and saw where she was looking.  As he peered at the window he too saw a face in the crowd that was looking directly at them.  It was there for a second and by the time Kell whipped around to see the real person, the face was gone.  Cassie still stood frozen in place.  Kell grabbed her ice cold hand and rubbed it.  One look at her pale face told him that the face was the one from her dreams.  “Come on Cassie, lets get inside!”  Cassie stumbled blindly, as Kell pulled her along.  He unlocked the door and then relocked it once they were inside.  He flipped on the light and dropped the shopping bags on the table.  “Cassie, talk to me baby!  Sit down here, come on, are you ok?  We are safe now.  We’re inside and he’s gone!”

Cassie slowly sat down and sat at the table shaking. “It was him.  He is here and he terrifies me.  I don’t even know why, Kell!”  She looked up at him.  “I’ve only dreamed of his face.  How can a dream face scare me so badly?”

“Cassie, I’ve never even dreamed of him and it scared me.  There was something about those eyes. They were so cold, even though he was smiling. We can’t let him freak us out though.  You got us this far Cassie.  You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met.  We can get through this!”  Kell, held onto her hands as he spoke.

“That’s the longest speech I’ve ever heard you make, Kell.”  Cassie let out a long sigh. “Ok, we can do this.  I’ll try not to freak out too often.”  As she spoke, Kell picked up the newspaper that was rolled up in the bag and laid it on the table.  They both looked at the paper and there on the front was a picture of the man they had just seen on the street.

One Word

Another blogger mentioned this site in a post so I went to play.  It’s called One Word.  You click go and a word appears at the top of the page and your cursor appears in a space where you write on the prompt for a minute.  When the minute is up you get a message telling you to finish your sentence and click submit.  You enter your email and your entry will show up on the site.  Don’t enter your email and it will be deleted when you click submit.  New word everyday.  Fun.  Here is mine for today

Raft

they floated down the river and the sun was nice and warm. Too bad she would never know. She was laid out in the bow with a bullet through her pretty head. She would never tell him how to paddle again. She would never tell him that he didn’t know how to load the car right. She would never again tell him every single thing that came into her mind that said he was not good enough – would never be.

Saturday Blessings

Perfect Saturday morning. I got to the walking track at seven o’clock and the sun was already out but there was a cool breeze. Walked two miles listening to music 🙂

Playlist:

Guardian Angel – Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Give Me Your Eyes – Brandon Heath

Vultures – John Mayer

Scientist – Coldplay

The Hardest Part – Coldplay

Follow That Sound – Sharon Little

Into The Ocean – Blue October

All Eternal Things – Trembling Blue Stars

Here With Me – Dido

Living In Twilight – Weepies

Only Hope – Switchfoot

Came home, drank a bottle of water and pulled weeds out of the flower bed, showered and had a shopping, library, hastings move rental day with number one daughter.

Veggies for supper and now I am going to watch a movie, curl up with a book and sleep like a baby.  Doesn’t get much better than that 🙂

I wish these kind of blessing on everyone!

The strength to get up and walk.

Flowers in the yard and a yard to have them in.

Indoor plumbing 🙂

A little money in your pocket

Healthy children to enjoy.

A love for reading.

A family to enjoy a movie with.

Healthy food to eat.

A warm bed to sleep in.

I am blessed.

The Reluctant Wizard

This is long and I’m sorry but it was just fun.  It combines the Sunday Scribbling prompt Soul Mate and the Carry On Tuesday Prompts #3 and #4

I had also used the prompt “intersect” but couldn’t find the link to the site – here it is.  One Single Impression.

Simon finally gave up on sleeping.  He rose and stoked up the fire.  The night air was warm but he felt a chill in his bones anyway.  He put water on to boil and made himself tea.  The fire threw shadows on the old wood walls and made his white hair glow like it was on fire too.  He sighed as he drank his tea.  His bones told him that he was too old to be about this kind of business but the dreams didn’t care about old bones.  They came every night now.  It had been so long since he slept through the night he wasn’t even sure he was asleep when they came.  He knew he was at an intersection.  He could stay on his life path and be comfortable, healing the people who lived in the valley; or follow the dreams.  He knew if he chose to stay that there would be terrible consequences for more than just him.

When he had drunk most of the tea he swirled the dregs and stared into the leaves hoping for answers.  As usual, none came.

Morning would fall over the valley soon and if he got an early start he might make the mountains before nightfall.  He packed some hard bread and cheese and filled a skin with water.  He gathered some herbs and wrapped them with the food in an extra cloak and got out a piece of parchment and some ink and a pen.  He wrote a note saying he had gone on a journey and would return when he could.  Whoever found the note was welcome to shelter and any vegetables that might be left in the garden.  He knew it might be awhile before he returned to his valley and his hut.  It made him sad to think about but when the dreams called, they didn’t take any notice of creature comforts.  Simon hoped that in his absence the warm little hut would hold the spirit of hospitality and kindness would still be dwelling here waiting for him.

He threw some of the ground herbs and dried flowers on the fire. Sweetpea for friendship, rosemary for blessing, and anise for protection and purification.  He said a prayer as the herbs burned and then doused the fire with water from the stream that flowed nearby.

Simon tied his white hair with a leather thong and hooked the clasp on his cloak.  He grabbed his bundle and his carved walnut staff.  He slid his knife into his boot not because he wanted to but because the dream told him to.  He didn’t relish the thought of hurting another living creature but he could if he had to.

He took one last longing look around and opened the door. The darkness wrapped it self around him like another cloak but he didn’t need light to start on this part of the trip.  The path from his door was so well worn, his feet knew the way even if his eyes hadn’t been able to see shadows that hinted at approaching dawn.  He heard a mourning dove cry and an owl in the old walnut that shaded his hut, complained.  The smell of spring was all around and he wondered if he would ever see his home again.  Maybe it was better leaving in the darkness.  His heart might turn him around otherwise.

Simon headed east and crossed fields and a brook.  As the night slowly gave way to early purple morning he continued walking.  No one saw him leave, there were no close neighbors and it could be days before anyone knew he had gone.  He had taught Avery all he could about his herbs and healing.  Avery was a good lad and would help his friends if need be.  He would miss them all.

The purple gave way to grey mist and that slowly lightened to blue.  He could see the mountains in the distance now and though the path was gone, he knew the way as clearly as though the land itself was drawing him further and further from home.  The grass became sparser and the path now led upward as he entered the foothills.  Simon saw a rabbit out for his breakfast and then watched as a hawk swooped down and grabbed him.  He shivered, wondering if this was an omen.

He felt his muscles protest as the climb grew steeper.  The sun was climbing as well and he knew that before long the heat would be unpleasant.  Still he climbed.  He could turn and look over the whole valley now.  He spared one look and then squared his shoulders and turned away, climbing over rocks and around trees.

He knew from the dream visions that he was getting close to his destination.  As he clutched a tree branch to help himself over the next outcropping he spied the opening in the cliff above.  It was dark against the sun drenched rock and he felt a chill even though his cloak seemed to be holding in the heat now.

He finally climbed over the last rise and stood at the entrance to a small cave.  Simon sat down under the shade of a tree nearby and opened his bundle.  He took out a water skin and his bread and cheese.  He poured a few drops of water out for the local gods and ate his meager feast.  He left a few crumbs for the squirrel that was watching from up in the tree and tied his pack up again.  He rested for a few moments and then sighing, he rose and entered the cave.  There was a torch just inside and next to it in a little hollow in the rock was a piece of flint and some steel.  He took it out and struck sparks to light the torch and when it caught, he replaced the flint and took the torch and carefully moved deeper into the cave.  Near the back wall was a pile of skins and a fire ring.  There was a snake coiled on the skins and he chased it away with his staff.  He moved the top skins back and underneath was a book.  The book was thick and black and covered with dust.  He wasn’t surprised.  Everything he had seen in the dream had come to pass.

He carefully picked up the book and replaced the skins.  He sat down on the pile of skins and using the torch, he lit the tinder in the fire ring.  It was cooler in the cave and the fire would keep the snakes away. He sat the book on his lap and slowly opened the front cover.  It was made of wood and the boards were bowed and creaking.  It had an old smell to it, like something ancient and unknowable.

The pages were cracked and yellowed.  He took his pouch of herbs from his pack and as he turned the pages the flames leapt up and a face began to appear.  To the flames he added Bay for protection and Lambs Ears to guard against harm, Borage for courage, Sage for wisdom, Camphor to help see and remember, and Lavender for love.  As he added the herbs the flames changes colors and slowly the face became clearer.  It was a face he knew nearly as well as he knew his own, though it had been years since he’s seen her.  She was his soul mate and he had grieved her death his entire solitary life.  As he looked upon the face in the flames a single tear made it’s way down the creases in his sun baked, furrowed cheeks to rest in his snowy beard.

How could this be?  How could she have lived all this time and he not know it?  Yet here she was calling from the dreams.  He turned the page in the book and spoke the words on the page in the language of the old ones.  Her face became clearer still and she looked back at him with such love that was brighter even than the fire.  He turned the page again and traced the runes with his gnarled fingers.  As he did, she became more solid, less ethereal.  He looked down at his own hands and could almost see the page through them.  It was more difficult to hold the book now but he strained to turn the page again. Once again he spoke the words on the page and as he completed them the book dropped back to the skins and the fire winked out.

Hours had passed without notice and the sun had set once again. A dove mourned and a snake hurried out of the cave, no longer interested in curling up on the still warm skins.  Then night sounds returned and a light rain began to fall, erasing the tracks to the cave.  As quickly as it began, the rain ceased and the clouds evaporated as the moon reflected not one, but two faces, forever smiling down on the dark as stars sang to the reluctant wizard and his lady.

Stealing time #4

I’m not happy with this and I’m not sure why.  I’m going to live with it a bit and revise later if I need to.  Made a few minor changes. A few of the sentences were driving me crazy.

For now this is for prompts from Sunday Scribbling – soul mate and Carry On Tuesday #3 There are waking dreams and sleeping dreams.

Kell bent to pick up the letter at the same time Cassie reached for it.  They bumped heads and they both jerked back.  Cassie rubbed her forehead and laughed nervously.  Kell reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.  “You okay?” He asked.

“I’m fine” she said. “Read the letter, Kell!  The suspense is killing me!!”

He picked it up and carefully unfolded the letter.  The paper was thin at the creases, where it had been folded for a long time.

“It’s my handwriting!” He exclaimed.  He sank down on the couch by Cassie and they read the letter.

“If you are reading this and you’re me – you aren’t crazy and this IS real.

I don’t have a lot of time.  Cassie will be back soon and I don’t want to worry her.  I think we will be moving on soon.

Just a couple of things that might help down the line.  Trust Cassie, but don’t leave it all on her.  She is your soul mate. Time to start carrying your part, dude. Cassie is only part of it – you are key.

Trust the dreams – waking and sleeping.  Be careful because as you now know, things aren’t always what they seem.

The guy with the eyes is real.  He’ll come through time to stop you.

P.S. There’s cash in our hiding place.”

Me

Kell dropped the letter on the couch next to Cassie and started pacing, running his fingers through his hair.  Cassie picked up the letter and reread it hoping for more.

“Stop us from what?” Kell had stopped pacing and stared at Cassie. “What does it mean – I’m key?” He asked.  Cassie shook her head, suddenly unable to speak.  There were tears in her eyes and Kell sat down next to her and hugged her.  “It’s ok.  At least it will be.  We will figure this out together.  From now on it’s both of us.”  He told her as he smoothed her hair.

“I wish I knew.  The only thing I know for sure right now is..”

“Is what?”  Kell asked.

“I’m hungry!”  Cassie said.

Kell grinned. “Let’s go check the hiding place and see what we have.  Hopefully this future still has pizza! Come on.”  Kell pulled Cassie up from the couch and started towards the bedroom.  Cassie followed, curious.  Kell opened the closet and moved some clothes out of the way and knelt down.  He reached to the side and pulled the molding away from the floor.  There, in a plastic bag was some folded up money and cards.  He took the cards and some of the money out and replaced the bag and molding.

“You’ve done this before?”  She asked.  Kell smiled.  “Yes.  Ever since I was a kid.  I had a stepdad that would take anything we had to buy booze so I learned early to hide anything valuable.  The letter really must have been from me.  Let’s go find something to eat.”

They headed out the door and down the street.    They didn’t see the man in the leather coat across the street.  He was  standing in the shadow of a doorway across the street.  The man  smiled and threw his cigarette at a cat that ran by him.  He headed off in the same direction, whistling.

For the previous Stealing Time stories click the Stealing Time tag at the top of this post.