book or blog? writing in the digital age.

well that seemed like the fastest year ever. the days just flew by and some of my work vanished in the wind. like journalspace just deleted everything that one year. so to has poetry.com and now blog.com vanished in a puff of smoke. dont think i had anything unique on either site but if i did its gone forever. just like bebo and xanga. some sites you just cant trust.

its better to write books than do blogs for your poetry or fiction or novels. at least there is a good chance that amazon wont go poof in the wind. save the blogs to be home pages to promote your books or art or just to keep followers up to date. 

never know if your inks will be available online next week or not. 

and if you start a blog pick a site that might be there still in eight or nine years. and keep backups if you can. 

i loved writing at journalspace but one day it just vanished.... 

keep the hard copies and keep dreaming. 

better to write in a notebook and then transfer to a word or google doc. and no one is going to buy your book if it is available for free online. maybe if theres just a teaser to get them hooked, but not a whole book. 

keep dreaming and reaching for the stars. 

c u

the true artist

turn your link list into a bookmarks list and keep your views

stop sending traffic away from your site with every click... turn that old link list into a blog list instead and every click on it will open a new tab. no more lost readers.... #tipoftheday 

The Book of Raymond

1. The poet paints pictures in your mind with words and phrases. 
2.  The writer writes from the head, but the poet writes from the soul.
3. The poet pictures images in his mind and then paints them in yours with words and phrases.
4. poetry is a view of the world from the point of view of the dreamer who transforms his visions to words and publishes them for the world to share. 
5. To know who you are you have to know where you came from.
6. The true artist paints from the soul and true beauty comes from within.   
7. poetry is a journey of the mind through the ink of a pen in the hand of storyteller with a vision read by a viewer and translated into the minds eye. 

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JAMES AND PEGGY: Family History Friday

My new ebook at amazon about my fourth great grandparents, James G Wright and Peggy Young...


 

finished a great new blogging tips course at udemy.

third business course completed at udemy

Write on

write on
no matter where the day
may take you
no matter how many
forsake you
be strong

write on
never let the hard times break you
tomorrow's a new day
and it can take you
to a place where you know
you belong

just write on

the words may come when you
least expect them
you may not write them down
and forget them
but the music's always their
in your mind
just give it time

write on
someday you may find
the brass ring
and life some day
may seem worth
living
just carry on
and write on.

free education

there are two really good tools you can use to learn about almost anything. i mean you cant learn to be a brain surgeon without college. at least, i dont think you can. please dont try.
but if you just need to learn something simple and you dont have any money... story of my life... then these two little tools can be very useful...

• youtube
• google 

and you can learn about a large variety of topics that you may want to learn. how to start a business. how to change a carburetor. how to draw a horse. how to cook an egg. whatever you are looking for. these two lifelines can be a great place to start. 

clean your desk b4 u look for more work

some people just piss you off big time, like the douche who yells for more work to do when they havent finished the work in front of them. its like the crybaby who yells for more food on their plate when they have not eaten the food they have yet.
i have other things to do besides wait on your stupid ass all day. there are others who actually need work to do right now. when you clean your plate i will bring you some more.
what are you twelve? grow up or stfu.

follow me on google plus

follow me on google plus for the latest rants and writings of yours truly. or lock yourself in a closet and curl up into the fetal position if you are a crybaby. your choice.

nsfw. no crybabies

this sight may not be safe for work. if you are a crybaby and cannot handle it, dont read it. if you are offended by things that you should not be, seek therapy.
if you think that this site is offensive, you are offensive to me. seek therapy.

Prejudice against people who wear glasses

yes. there is a word for it if you are prejudiced against people who are visually challenged. if you bully someone who has a handicap and has to wear glasses you can get out your label gun and proudly give yourself the label of asshole.
being near sighted or far sighted is not something that people just make up. it is a genetic medical condition that folks are born with. we dont wear glasses because we want to. or because it makes you a babe magnet and girls cant stay away from you.
people are born with myopia, just like some people are born with parkinson's or tremors or blue eyes. we cant help how we are born any more than you can. 
if you made fun of the kid in school who had to wear the coke bottle glasses. if you called them four eyes or kicked them on the bus or tripped them or looked down on them because you didnt have to wear specs, yes you are a cunt. kill yourself or teach others to not be jerks to people with disabilities. you dont deserve to be happy and you wont until you change.
if you proudly look down on others who are different than you then you are a prick. fact.
now get your "i am an asshole" shirt and wear it with pride, dick. you dont deserve anyone's respect.

How to Start a Startup Business course completed.

if you make it wrong tell somebody

some people think they are great chefs and they make food and do things to it without telling you then ask did you like it and tell you why its made wrong after you ate it. these are not great chefs for they are making food the wrong way. 
if you want to get creative dont be a dick. tell somebody whats wrong with the mashed potatoes before you serve them.
people have allergies and stuff and dont need to be surprised. if you make it wrong tell somebody.

halloween h20. the psycho is back. #review

he kills his older sis when she is 17. then he comes back in 15 years to kill his younger sister on her 17th, then he comes back twenty years later to kill his nephew for his 17th.

man his idea of a present sux.

halloween h20 from tony curtis' daughter and that guy from scream and vampire diaries. carpenter passed on it, but it turned out pretty good.

take the cutie from dawsons creek and the cutie from psycho add the cutie from halloween and a couple psycho references and some halloween references and an immortal creep who kills his family members on their 17th birthdays and you have a pretty thrilling movie ride. edge of your seat even.

now how do you kill an immortal?

there can be only one michael myers. or maybe two as it is on an alternate timeline where laurie's only child is now a boy.

of course, if it was made today by feminist ruled horrorwood he would be doomed.

all in all a good evenings entertainment. now off to bed with the light on of course.

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Collab on a whole new world.

Collab of shut up and dance with walk the moon

Collab on part of your world.

Collab w LeAnn Rimes- can't fight the moonlight

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Cover of the rose

artbyray.us

new address for my art page at facebook...
with the latest art news from the studio and the latest art pieces posted. like and follow me there...
https://www.facebook.com/artbyray/
http://artbyray.us

my Video Builder Agency

i have a video builder agency. lets call it a vba.
i make short digital videos with it and use them on youtube.
if you need a digital video ad [dva] for your business give me a holler.

now on canva

my new project is making logos on canva. logos are just one of the things you can make at canva and i hope to get lots more use out of it. check it out at the link below.
if you need a logo for your site or business maybe i can help. for a small donation of course.
https://www.canva.com/RayNichols

ray tv is now on facebook.

my youtube channel is now on a facebook page. this will hopefully get a few more views.
you can check it out on facebook and please like and share. also, i need more views and subscribers on yt.

fb https://www.facebook.com/RAY-TV-278459792882837
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raynichols.me

this site is now available at www.raynichols.me.
if you would like to help with the cost of the site, a donate button is on the side bar.
thank you for reading.

could all hel break lose in avengers 4?

could all hel break lose in avengers 4? #spoilers...

well at this point we know that hela is not only a superpowerful goddess but also the rightful heir to the throne of asgard. and one hell of a powerful warrior. the goddess of hel and executioner of odin was a powerful force in the conquest of the nine realms and basically odin's powerhouse back in the day.

of course i am talking about the mcu hela who took the throne after the death of odin. and one of the reasons that thanos did not come looking for the stones sooner. but once odin died, thanos saw the opportunity to go for it and he went.

now i am pretty sure that hela has finished her battle with surtur at this point as all she really had to do was take his crown off his big head, and she may have even started rebuilding asgard by now. but one place she ruled and no doubt, still does is hel.

as the goddess of death and ruler of hel, she pretty much has some amount of power over death itself. and who does thanos actually love? death.

in the comics, thanos and hel had a romance for some reason, but i dont see that happening in the mcu. if anything i suspect that thanos killing half of asgard, well more than half, will probably piss off their queen and just might send her on a quest to kill him.

or at the least, she might give loki his freedom for some reason or another and send him after thanos. or she might give him to thor to go after him as this dude is an enemy of asgard. and even though the refugees of asgard left the planet, she still basically considers herself its queen.

now while thanos definitely would have thought twice about coming to earth while it was under the protection of odin, he did not really see thor as a threat, but one of the main reasons he did not mess with odin was hela, his enforcer and executioner in the old days. so its highly likely that the master of war and death herself would be more than a match for thanos and his army.

so though the marvel crew may not have thought about hela joining the war against thanos, i dare say she would be one hell of a powerhouse for the avengers. alongside loki and thor, thanos just might have a problem on his hands.

i doubt that she will join the fight, but wouldnt it be a great battle. 

also, when you put three gods in a team against the titan and we know that captain marvel will be there and the hulk, and some cosmic beings that are more than likely not pleased with his genocide of their races, avengers 4 looks to be the biggest kick ass battle of all time.

time will tell how it all unfolds, but after the damage control from the snap is all over, i suspect that thanos is going to see very little peace on titan in the future.

well thats my thoughts for now on the upcoming finale to the thanos war.

will thanos survive the final battle? will anyone care if he doesnt? did loki go to hel? will thunderbolt ross realize that the earth without the avengers will cease to exist? will j jonah jameson write a wonderful eulogy for spiderman? could an army of dead vikings attack thanos' army? could groot grow from the stormbreaker and fight alongside rabbit? is tree groot's real name? isnt groot technically a plant anyway? did thanos kill half the bees?

probably not. but time will tell...

where to sell your books or start your business on the side

my personal book store is at gumroad... publish there and you get fifty percent of sales. they take half and you get the rest. and its easy to upload a pdf there and a cover....
dont have a product to launch there? i also have a wholesale store for books to resell called the reseller center. you can buy the plr rights with the product you want and start selling right away...
my thanks to you for reading...
also i love publishing at amazon. its the biggest company online and has the most potential sales...
if you are a writer looking to publish those sites are the way to go. no middle man to tell you no its not good enough or charge you an arm and a leg to get started. publishing at amazon and gumroad is free. and no fees are charged to authors.

amazon
gumroad
rayshire mall
ray mart mall and reseller center

this site does not collect info from its readers.

AS FAR AS I KNOW there are no third party cookies on this site. i have affiliate links but the companies they link to should be safe and you have to go to their site anyway to look so that is their responsibility.
 i do not collect info from anyone here or anywhere else on my site. all sales are off site on other sites. the only ads here are affiliate links like google ad sense. i also sell zazzle and amazon merc but on their platforms only. i provide some search engines but they link directly to the home sites.
companies that collect personal data are not welcome here. and that is all i have to say about that.
[insert gump memory here... ]
the best way to avoid cookies online is to not go online... also chromebooks are more reliable at avoiding spyware. i recommend chromebooks to all my friends.

RAYSHIRE MALL NOW OPEN

my affiliate site is open 24/7 and selling merc from amazon and zazzle and vida and more... more products added daily... and you can shop from home. on the couch. in your pajamas... check it out...
RAYSHIRE MALL

books available at amazon

hey guys, my ebooks are at amazon and you can read for free with a prime membership... or you could just buy it.
the fiction that was previously in my blogs is now in my books if you are looking for it...
as an amazon author, i not only get royalties from the sales but i also get royalties from prime readers too. the future of publishing is amazon.

books by ray at amazon...

• daydreamer by ray nichols 
• this is slim
• work is a four letter word
• three cross hill
• art by ray 
• advanced affirmations and attraction

Motel 666

10.31.10

I was traveling across country to do a job when my van, i noticed, was almost empty. I was on a back road and didnt know how far it would be to the next gas station so i stopped at the nearby station to fill er up.
The guy at the register gave me a dirty look when i went inside and nodded to him as a greeting. He was a large fellow in bib overalls with a wad of tobacco in his mouth. He had grey hair and a beard and his name tag read "JOSH". I grabbed some chips and gators for the trip and went to the front to pay.
As i was leaving i saw that the sun was about to rise and i was in need of a nap so i went to the motel nearby and got a room. As i walked to the room i heard the store clerk outside talking to his pals who had just pulled in.
Apparently he had taken a liking to my gold card but i had been driving all night so i had to take a nap before leaving. I locked up the van and went inside. Locked the door and turned up the air and hit the sack. In no time i was out for the day.
Later that evening i woke to find Josh and his friends and the motel manager in my room and going through my wallet. "hurry the hell up Bill. He's waking up." "i've got it. Ron shut 'im up," the motel manager said pulling out my gold card. Then one of the other guys walks up and hits me with a wrench.
This time i wake up wrapped in bloody plastic. Laying in the grass beside a lake. The wind blows and rattles the plastic and makes my splitting headache even worse. Josh's buddies are standing close by me and putting on plastic gloves.
"Damn Ron. You tore his head wide open."
"what was i post a do, Frank. Give him back his billfold." Ron walked over to me. "Damn. He's still kicking." Ron kneels beside me and puts the plastic over my face and pulls it tight. "Die boy. Just die." I felt the plastic over my face. He was pressing down hard.
Stupid man. You cant kill a dead man, I thought. I waved my arms in the air cause that is what they expected. I Grabbed Ron's arm and saw the other people he had killed. Saw him and Frank laughing at them as they struggled and begged for mercy. Men women and children. Murdered. Someone had to end this. Now. I reached his throat and pressed the pressure point. Until he passed out.
I lifted Ron up and off of me. Frank drew a gun so I let him empty it into Ron.
"Thanks. Oh dont worry, he had it coming." I take the gun from him and put another bullet in it. He tries to run but I am not through with him yet. I twist his arm around and pin him to the ground.
"I am going to ask you one time. Where is my wallet?" He was sniffling and tears were rolling down his cheeks.
"Josh," he said. And that was his last word. I vamped out and drained him dry. The blood restored my health and I had taken a hell of a beating. I needed it and they owed me.
With the vessel emptied i licked the wound to make it heal. All better. I stood up and thought for a moment.
"Frank shoots Ron then self." I put the gun in Frank's mouth. 2 down. 2 to go.
Josh was in the store looking at my card and smiling when i got there. Funny thing about vampyres- we cant be filmed unless we concentrate. Same with mirrors. we have to try to be seen. Otherwise, we are just a blur. A ghostly image in the film.
"You didnt use that yet did you?" I asked but I knew he wouldnt answer. He stared at me and his cigar fell on the counter.
"Arent you dead?" he asked.
"Well yes. But then I have been dead for decades." I took my card and put it in my pocket with my wallet. Then I picked up the lit cigar and took a drag from it.
"Not bad" I said. "Steal that too?"
He reaches for the alarm so I break his arm then as he is screaming I break the other one too just to be safe.
"This is for all the other people you killed Josh. Its judgement day and i am the reaper." I drain the creep dry and drop him on the floor.
Then i carry the empty vessel to the motel room and go to the office to fetch Bill.
"Boy did you guys pick the wrong guy to kill." I grab Bill by the arm. He struggles so I break his arm. Then I take his other arm and lead him to the room and drain him dry.
"Payback is a bitch." I tell him as his heart stops beating.
Time to leave. So I bring in the gas can from the van and paint them both with it. As i carry the empty can back to the van to leave I toss the lit cigar back to Josh. The light from the bonfire is nothing short of spectacular.
But the night is young and I have places to go. People to eat. So I start the van and drive into the dark night once more.

THE INVADERS

11.1.10

A lizard ran down the beam that was all that was left of a large section of the fence. The building was much like the fence, covered with slime and growth. The woods had almost claimed the house. The door was cracked; Lekers never knew how to use doors.

Inside, 4 Lekers had 2 Earthers captive.

"He hates Terrans anyway," the leader was saying. "If i give you to him; it'll be too bad for you."
"No please," the female begged. "Please don't!"
"I'm sorry, but if you don't talk, I simply can't help you," the Leker said.
"Drop dead," said the male. "Earth is going to slaughter you."
"Now such harsh language," the Leker said. The Leker motioned to one of his men. The soldier put a gun to the female's head. "And in front of a lady, too... Maybe you don't care about your mates like we had heard Terrans do."

"I'm ready to die for my country," she said proudly. "Don't tell them a thing, Don."
The Leker hit her with the gun."Shut up," he said.
The male jerked trying to free himself from his bonds.
"Kill her,"the Leker shouted!

A Leker aimed his ray gun at the female, then he fell on the floor dead, from a blaster burn. A blaster bolt struck the leader in the face next. A third blast hit the third alien, and the fourth was struck down next.

Don looked at the door. in it, with the sunlight shining thru from behind, stood a droid in battle armor.

"Thank God, you're here," the male said. His migraine was subsiding now. "Cut us loose; my arms aren't circulating anymore."
The Ranger stepped into the room; he walked over to the captives. He removed a survival knife from its holster on his side. He brought it to the man's chest, and he thrust it into Don's heart.The female screamed and struggled to get free. The ranger blasted her and took out his transmitter.

"Droid 3. Report 31. dead; 4 Lekers, 2 Terrans; continuing search," he said, and then he left the building.

Unwanted Embrace

Unwanted Embrace
11.2.10

I just stopped by for a drink
Like a dozen times before
I guess i was more thirsty than i thought
Once i got her on the floor
As i quenched my insatiable thirst
I came to realize
This girl that i was preying on
Was just about to die
As i came to my senses
I saw her in my arms
This vessel i called friend
A victim of my charms
And soon she would be gone
Because of my mistake
And the Prince would have my head
Did i deserve this fate?
I could not let her die
The regrets would never stop
And so i bit my lip
And let her taste a few drops
And soon she arose again
And walked the night with me
And tho we are no longer friends
She arose you see
And now she is Kindred
A creature of the night
Forever in the dark
And running from the light
We walk the world of darkness
The dark childe and i
Tho years come and go
The damned can never die

Billy Goat Gets Lost

11.2.10

Billy Goat was a playful fellow
He loved to play outside
One day when Nanny Goat looked away
Billy went to hide
He ran into the woods that day
And soon could not be found
He ran deep into the brush
As far as he could go,
Then he stopped to look back
When he couldnt run no mo--
He saw no one had followed him
And Billy Goat just smiled-
They'll never find me now he said
I lost em by a mile
Then Billy looked around and saw
Some tall grass growing near
So Billy started eating and
When he eats he has no peer
He ate and ate and ate some more
Until he got his fill
And then he fell fast asleep
From his enormous meal
He slept for, oh, an hour or two
Then woke up in the dark
And thats when Billy figured out
He was lost there in the park.
He called out to his Nanny Goat
And then to his friend Tom Cat
Then Billy realized that no one
Was there to lead him back
He tried to go back the way he came
But which way was that?
It was getting dark and cold
And Billy Goat was lost and fat
He searched the woods for trails
That might lead him safely home
But whatever way that Billy went
He still wound up alone
He sniffed the air for scents
That might show him the way
But never found a scent he knew
He'd not get home today
He heard coyotes howling
Somewhere down below
So he turned and ran the other way
As fast as he could go
Then he saw 2 bright and glowing lights
In the woods ahead
And he heard the farmer's voice and cried,
"Hooray, it's time for bed" the farmer took
Billy home to Nanny Goat that night
And Billy went straight to bed
He'd had an awful fright
The moral of this story is
Dont run too far away,
Cause coyotes hunt in packs my friend
Each and every day.

Lord of the Dark

Lord of the Dark
11.3.10

Night at last
The vicious sun has gone to sleep
The blue sky faded to black
The twinkling stars appear like angels watching the city
Feeding time again
I am the King of the Night
The Lord of the Dark
I rule the streets at night
Feeding on the evil
Here i am god
The people on the streets My cattle
They disappear
People scratch their heads but no one misses them much
My little meals on legs
Scum of the earth
The dealers and pimps
Thugs and thieves
No one will miss them
My cattle
Worthless wastes of space
Only good for one thing
Nourishment
Tonight i rule the streets
In the morning i will sleep
I am the night owl
God of the Dark
Master of the streets
Tonight i feed and tomorrow will be a brighter day
Thanks to me
The Lord of the Dark

The Lawman

The Lawman
11.3.10

He rode into town one hot summer day
Soaked with sweat from riding the range
His horse was white; a palomino
His gun was silver
His bullets gold
His hat ten gallons
His vest held a badge
"MARSHALL" it said
He lived on the edge
His draw was like lightning
His gun his best friend
When he found a villain
Its career would end
His name was Art Laws
He stood for the law
He protected the weak!
Did i mention his draw?
He came into town with a warrant in hand.
To arrest a villain who had killed 30 men
The man was a cad of this there's no doubt
He was really bad inside and out
Art tied up his horse by the sheriffs place
He entered the room to make a request
He asked where to look to find this bad man
The deputy shrugged and shook his hand
The marshall got a room at the nearby hotel
Then he went to the saloon to look for himself
He asked a few questions but got no replies
He noticed the fear in the bartender's eyes
He ordered a gin and he sat down to relax
The room slowly cleared except for 1 man in the back.
3 men entered and all wearing guns
The piano player then left on the run.
"Marshall," one called. "we've come for you.
If you want to take Billy you'll have to take us, too."
"Well if you insist," Art said with a smile.
By this time, he was facing them all.
One hit the floor. Art's gun smoked.
The other 2 drew, and both hit the floor.
Art turned about, his gun was still drawn.
There stood a man at the back of the saloon.
"Thanks," said the Marshall. The man sat back down.
"I hate unfair fights. not allowed in my town!"
The Deputy walked in "you got em i see!"
"Thanks to that citizen over there who helped me."
"Who?" asked the Deputy. "Theres no one back there."
Then Laws looked back and saw an empty chair.
The Deputy smiled,"Very funny.
Next thing you'll tell me the Sheriff was there.
Billy and his friends killed him right over there."
Marshall Laws left town the next day,
But he stopped to look back as he was moving away.
"Dont worry," said the Sheriff
Who was standing there.
"Long as im on the job, Their kind will be rare."

The Tiger

The Tiger
11.4.10

He sat and stared at the blank page before him. He was a pro who had never had a loss for words. and now..."If Andrews loses, the beast will just be hunted by another. If Saboo were to lose, I'd be out of a job..."

"Dr. Andrews had been waiting for this chance for years. At last, it had come. He was face to face with the biggest, meanest tiger in all of the jungle. The cat had crouched and was ready to pounce on him. He slowly cocked the gun and waited. His shot would have to be true. If he winged the beast, he would be its next victim."

He stopped."Maybe I should call it all off. Jerry did such a magnificent job with the drawings, but heck, people are tired of the tiger always winning. I've been doing the same old crap for years. Saboo always wins. It's not right."A long, mindless stare at the wall."Yes. thats what i'll do. i'll kill the tiger. The readers will devour it."He turns to the typewriter. Banging like a crazed madman. He hears a noise at the back door. He ignores it. He keeps typing. another noise louder. He keeps typing...

The next day, the inspectors stand over the body."No sign of forced entry. must be a suicide."

"Looks like he was attacked by a large animal to me."

"But the doors were all locked. and the house is empty.

"How could he have torn himself apart like that alone?"

The inspectors scratch their heads as fresh blood drips from the top of the desk.

ZAN, THE DRAGON SLAYER

ZAN, THE DRAGON SLAYER
11.5.10

The great Duke Zan Was in his land
With a sword in his hand
The sun did shine
A light so fine
It brightened the whole land
The prince of Zeth
Quite out of breath
Rushed into the room
Thru pants of strife
His very life
He feared He soon would lose
"O mighty Zan," he strained to say
"The king requests your sword today
A dragon roams my father's land
Who makes a mouse of every man
My father said at last night's feast
You were the one to destroy the beast."
"Say words no more," sir Zan thus cried.
"For my homeland I'd give my life."
Duke Zan was told by Zac, his page
Dracul, the dragon, was seen in Dage
The prior day where he retired
The king's best men when he breathed fire
So Zan and Zac tracked down Dracul
Zan rode a steed and Zac a mule
Zan donned his shield his sword held high
The beast he swore would surely die
His charger shied from the breath so hot
Zan kicked its rib.
It then did trot
A harder kick
The charger ran
Zan's sharpest lance firm in his hand
A gopher hole was in his path
The charger tripped
Zan threw the lance
Straight and true the lance did fly
As Dracul's fire shot thru the sky
And in his heart the lance does rest
Thru mighty scales that cover his chest
A single place had been open
As the monster breathed out and in
Duke Zan today wears a mask
To cover the scars of his greatest task
His face was burned as fire seaped thru
Holes in the visor he once could see thru
Now the prince is king as fate would give
And blind Duke Zan
Now forgotten does live
People ask, "Did dragons ever live?"
But noble Duke Zan
No answer does he give
A hero's life is a lonely one,
Especially when the work is done

Root for Jackson

ROOT FOR JACKSON
11.5.10

The gnarled roots were very unusual; Jackson had never seen anything like them. They were packed in a wooden box imprinted with foreign names. It was odd that they should be left in the alley.

Reaching down, Jackson touched one of them; he then picked it up. It was much heavier and softer than he expected. In fact, it felt a little like dead flesh. He smoothed its bumps and ridges with his thumb; then he put it back and felt vaguely uneasy. Its sweet odor was strange and unfamiliar to him. He wondered why the roots had been left in the deserted alley.

His mouth felt dry as he reached into the box again, and he picked up another one; it was smaller. It too was pulpy, and it had the same pungent smell. Using a handkerchief, he wrapped up the root, and he put it in his windbreaker. He glanced over his shoulder as he did this, because he suddenly had a strong, unmistakable feeling he was being watched.

When he got home, he put the root in his bedroom. He went into the living room; he wanted to grab a drink from the kitchen refrigerator. Suddenly, a blinding light shone through the window. A dark shape appeared in it, and Jackson felt as tho his head was held in a giant hand. The light died down, and the shape became visible.

It had the same unfamiliar odor coming from it, and its skin was the same as the roots'. It raised its odd arm and pointed its twig-like finger at Jackson. Jackson could not move. tho he could still use his senses. Five creatures, nearly the same size as the first, came from Jackson's bedroom.

"Daddy," said one, who moved beside the creature. The others followed it, and then the creature lowered his arm after listening to their senseless chatter.

"Thank you," said the father, "for taking care of my sons." He held up the box. "Our spaceship was stranded on your planet, and the children were ready to leave the larval stage and sprout from their egg when i left to find food. I left their mother in charge of them, but she was afraid of your enormous size, so she didnt attack you. I will take care to scold her for not telling you of our dilemma."

He then was engulfed, with his sons, into the light again, and they disappeared with it.

Jackson decided to tell no one of this, yet he did not feel it was over. He saw a seventh creature appear at the door, and he laughed when it asked to "phone home?"

Doctor E. Doom: The Doctor's office.

Doctor E. Doom: The Doctor's office.: Doctor's orders. more of a suggestion really... natural remedies for common ailments....  *this post is not intended to diagnose, tr...

A Close Encounter

A CLOSE ENCOUNTER
11.6.10

Yesterday I lay down, just as I had lain down everyday before. I heard a crash, and I jumped to my feet. I ran to the nearby window, and I looked out. I saw absolutely nothing; I decided to try the window in the next room that looks out on the street. it was an awful pile-up. I rushed to the phone, and I called for the fire department. I laid down the phone.

I went outside to see if everyone was alright. I reached the cars. there were three of them. I looked inside one, and it was empty. I saw a leak at the back of the car. the car behind it was on fire. I ran from the cars, and I turned and looked at the cars again. I saw a funny-looking alien beside of the burning car. he pointed what appeared to be a ray gun at two people inside the car.

I realized the cars had crashed because of him, and he was vaporizing all of them. these were the last two. he shot them, proving me right. I decided to call the police, and I ran for the phone. the creature was following me slowly.

I grabbed the door knob. Oh no!!! Locked! I fumbled for the key. The creature was in front of me. He raised his gun,... aimed.

"Lay down the gun," I screamed. "and we'll be friends!"

"Okay," said the creature. "Let's play tag; you're it."

I clicked my heels together 3 times, and I said, "there's no place like home," repeatedly...

"There's your story, now I'm going to bed," I said. "Good night, dada," she said. "Good night," said I.

Drake, the Gold Dragon

Drake, the Gold Dragon
11.7.10

He was a gold dragon
A shape shifter
Drake was his name
He could raise the temperature
And generate heat
And cause things to burst into flames
He was born a dragon
But as everyone knows
The gold ones can look like us
He used his gifts to protect the weak
He didnt have to
He felt he must
One day, he was walking thru town
And in the alley he heard a scream
3 low-life thugs were robbing some girl
And harming people was their thing
Without hesitation the dragon went in
Shooting flames at the three jerks
They were not getting away from him,
Cause justice was his work
2 creeps ran for cover and tried to shoot Drake
From over there
But the heat that he was generating dissolved their bullets in mid-air
On the other side of the alley
The meanest thug had his victim and a blade
"Get out of here and let us go, or this bitch will die" he said
Well, that was a really stupid move
It just pissed Drake off
And suddenly, the thug dropped the knife cause it was so burning hot
In a split second, a stream of light knocked the villain outta the way
Then a wall of heat surrounded him and took the oxygen away
Then all 3 hoods passed out and fell to the street
When the cops arrived and found them, they had a tan that could not be beat.
The crime rate started dropping then
And i wouldnt call it braggin'
To say that the city owed a lot of thanks
To Drake, the gold dragon

Captain Blaze and the Spitfire

Captain Blaze and the SPITFIRE
11.8.10

Long range scans proved I was right.
The outpost sent word they were coming.
They were there alright.
As we came in upon 'em, I could
See the name on her side.
SPITFIRE it said.
She was big and wide.
She had already destroyed the outpost.
She was still firing on it when we arrived.
"Shields up," I said from reflex.
"Phasers set on high."
We got her captain on screen.
I looked him in the eye.
"You've crossed our border and destroyed 3 outposts," I said.
"So what?" he asked, sneering,
And then, I heard him boast.
"Your puny starship can't defeat Captain Blaze."
"Surrender quickly," i said.
"Or you will die today."
They broke communication, and fired and hit our shields.
I thought of all the people those savages had killed.
"Torpedoes launch," I shouted!
"Phasers, open fire!"
By the time the fight was over
There was only dust left from the Spitfire.

I called HQ.
"They broke the treaty," I said.
"No, they were rogues," the admiral said.
I went to bed that night with a medal for my honor.
But i couldnt sleep, thinking of the families,
Who lost their sons and daughters.

roll the tape

videotape your family and friends. you never know when life will take them away from you. so get the video now. tape their smile and their jokes. their tears and their joy. their friends and their pets and their cooking and their hobbies. someday you will want to see them and they wont be there any more. even if the films seem trivial now someday they will be gold.

even if someone borrowed your camera and broke it. get another. use a cell phone. whatever it takes and as often as you can. tape them. because someday you will want to hear their laugh again. hear their voice again. remember the good times. because sometimes memories are all we have. and sometimes memory is not enough.

peace.

Tomas

TOMAS
1.1.13

Silently he watches from the shadows
As she gets out of her car
As she locks the door and closes it
And she walks toward the bar

The beast within Tomas is thirsty
It will be satisfied
He cannot control its rages
This pretty young thing has caught its eye

He looks around the parking garage
To see that they are alone
Then he runs up behind her
As she is walking and talking on the phone

He bears his fangs and reaches for her
But his hand never connects
For another has witnessed his actions
And this plan he chose to wreck

Nick has grabbed this monster
And pulled him into the dark
And watched him gasp and struggle
To remove the stake that's in his heart

But Nicodemus is stronger
And Tomas has no chance
He ages and turns to dust
In Nicodemus' hands

The dancer does not notice
As she walks away
How death came knocking
And a vampire saved her day

Zak, the Giant Slayer

8.5.13

Once upon a time a long time ago in a land far, far away, as many stories start out, there lived a young boy named Zak, who was known far and wide as the giant slayer. People often told the tales of his heroics by the campfire after supper and the children would listen quietly so as not to miss a single detail.

Zak was a young shepherd boy who often sang songs while watching his flock, and occasionally he would have to run off a wolf or two, he often watched the flock until supper time and made up fantastic stories about people and things he imagined seeing in the stars, and many was the night that the other children in the village would gather around to listen to his tall tales. 

The children would ask him to tell them a story and he would scratch his head and think about it for a spell, and then something would come to him and off they all went to imaginary lands in his mind.

One night, the children gathered around and begged him for a story and although he did not feel well that night, their pleads inspired him to tell them the story of another shepherd boy who cried wolf just for fun, and when the people came to his rescue as they often did, he would laugh and laugh at them. After several pranks from the boy, the villagers vowed they would not be tricked by him again, and so the next time, when he cried out wolf, they ignored him and went on about their business.

"Oh my, what happened?" asked Hera, a bright eyed little girl in the group with long silky hair and big brown eyes.

"Wolf ate him up," Zak said proudly. "And that is why you should never tell a lie." he pointed at the children to emphasize his point, and they all shook their heads terrified.

Suddenly the dinner bell rang and all the little children jumped up to run to dinner, but they could not get down the trail to the village because a big mean looking Cyclops was in the way and he looked hungry. The children had always heard that Cyclopes ate children and so they screamed and ran behind Zak.

"It's okay," he told them, "I will distract him and then you all run home."

Zak walked up to the Cyclops who looked at him and the children hungrily and raised his club, which was as big as a tree in the forest almost, and swung it at him with a mighty swing. Zak took a dagger from his belt holster and stabbed the giant in the foot. The giant Cyclops roared and tried to smash Zak with his club but he missed, then Zak ran out into the meadow with the Cyclops close behind. The giant had much longer legs than Zak so he had no trouble catching up with him quickly, but that was what Zak wanted because as soon as the giant chased him into the meadow, the children ran home to safety and now that they were safe and he and the giant were alone, Zak was going to teach that no good monster a lesson and how.

Zak grabbed his sling shot and a nearby pebble and he wound up a shot and hit the Cyclops right square between the eyes as fast as he could. Now the giant had been in the process of raising his heavy club to smash Zak  at the time and had both his hands high above his head and so he was totally defenseless against his assault.  The small pebble hit the giant like a bullet and knocked him flat on his back. As he fell, his head hit a rock behind him and killed him.

About this time the villagers came running with pitchforks and clubs and saw the giant Cyclops fall to his death and they cheered and ran to Zak and carried him victoriously home chanting "Long live the giant slayer" all the way. 

That night the village listened to the tale of Zak the giant slayer for the first of many nights to come, and soon his legend spread all across the land, to the farthest reaches of the kingdom and beyond.

Return to Sunnydale

Nothing was left but a huge crater. A canyon they called Sunnydale Canyon. The

township of Sunnydale was gone.

Thirteen days passed and then the trucks
came. And the workers. A foundation was laid at the bottom of the
canyon.

Thirteen months passed and the new facility was almost done. The new
lab was creating hundreds of jobs even before it opened.     

Police were
concerned about the alarming reports of bat, wolf, and Racoon attacks. And
workers were plagued by flies and mosquitoes.  

The Raccoons were going through
the garbage every night and soon the workers were calling the plant Raccoon city.
The name stuck.
There were record high accident rates and mysterious
disappearances. Some workers were torn apart at night by wolves.

The first
buildings in the city were designed to be underground to conserve energy and
protect the people from bad weather.

Once the underground city was complete
the canyon was filled with dirt to keep the city cooler.

The umbrella
corporation was one of the most successful companies in the industry. They drew
many people to Raccoon city.
Now any city with a lot of people is going to
have some demons and vampires among other things.

I met Mic and Gabe in
a club in Santa Monica called The Asylum. Seemed an appropriate name as it was
full of vampires.
The elder vamps wanted to explore the ruins of Sunnydale
and take what treasure was left behind. Seeing as i had nothing planned for the
next hundred years or so i thought what the hell and went along.  

The new
city was growing fast above ground. People were moving in and starting new lives
unaware that the ghost town below them was a gateway to hell.

The only way
to get to the ruins now was via the new sewers. Place smelled like bloody hell
but the demons had dug out a tunnel to get to the surface.      

Michael had
compelled a demon to lead us to the city. The entrance was well hidden but the
demon knew where it was. Small chap name of L'Tiangle. I like to call 'im T. T
was a greedy lil prat so we had to watch 'im and our wallets closely.


T led us to the door but it was big and heavy and he couldnt move it.

Gabriel and Uriel helped Mic and me open the door and Gabe went in first.

The houses and shops had been pillaged by demons til there was almost
nothing left. Also the place was crawling with vamps during the day hiding from
the sunlight.

Sunny d had become the city of the undead i thought. And
about that time a vamp attacked T and tried to bleed him dry. Mic drew his sword
and beheaded the beast.
Mic and his friends weren't your average daemons.
They were elder demons and high up on the food chain; most demons knew better
than to mess with them. Stupid bugger, i thought as i passed by the vamp, who
was turning to dust.
Someone had rigged the cities lights to the new city
above and the street was lit up like bloody christmas.

As we passed the
Magic Box I heard a scream and a huge man eating bunny rabbit ran out of the
building as a fire ball hit it and burnt its fur. A vengeance demon came to the
door to throw another fireball but the bunny was gone around the corner. It was
Anyanka. "DAM BUNNIES" She said. " I hate rabbits"
Anya looked at me and
smiled. 

"Hi Spike" she hugged me. 
 "An youre alive." 
"Well, they gave me a choice.
Vengeance demon or the bunny cage. and I hate bunnies."
"And now i know why luv," I told her. I looked for the eight foot bunny but it was gone.
"O it will come back. They always come back. dam rabbit. What you doing here Spike?"

"Looking for buried treasure" I told her.
"Oh, you're a pirate now." 
T looked in the door of the magic shop.
"What are you doing?" An asked him
closing the door.
"That's T. He led us here."
"I see. Well pleased to
meet you mister. . . T" An smiled.
"God its been thirteen years now. How the bloody hell are you luv?"
"busy busy busy you know. Vengeance never
rests." she smiled and looked at the door. I come back here to use the safe
sometimes you know."         

"You in town for long luv?" I asked. 
"I have a lot of business in the middle east but I will be back soon." she smiled. 
"K well i will see you then"
An went inside and closed the door as we continued
towards the bank. A man screamed in agony from inside the shop.

It was good to see a familiar face again, but I almost felt sorry for the poor bugger
in the shop. What kind of agony was she putting him through I wondered?
A couple of blocks later we came to the richest building in town, the Sunnydale
Bank. It was not surprising that it was surrounded by goblins. They love
treasure you know.
A couple of them charged us, but Michael compelled them to
defend us and soon half the army was killing the other half for us. I hardly had
to lift my sword...

Once the fight was over, we left our bodyguards
outside and strolled inside the bank. Sitting on a golden throne in front of the
vault was none other than Mammon himself. Daemon of Greed and god of the greedy.
I chuckled to myself as I recalled encountering him before and dubbing him
Mammorys as his body fat count was terribly high and he had a large set of man
boobs on him.
" Get out," Mammon growled at us and sent his bodyguards
toward us. The large hulking Fyarl daemons came towards us and Mic cut the first
one up into little pieces.
"The leader of the Fyarl daemons ordered the
others to attack, but i asked him why he was defending Mammon and he looked at
me...
"You speak Fyarl?" he asked me in disbelief.
"Well yes" i told him.
"Uganda too, long story. Anyway, why are you protecting this lowlife scum?"

I pointed to Mammon.
"He promised us a portion of the loot, " the Fyarl
replied.
"Oh I see,.. well, if you help us, you will get an equal share each
AND live to tell about it, yeah?"
The Fyarl looked at each other and then
turned and charged Mammon, who promptly screamed and vanished in a puff of
smoke...
Then the Fyarl turned and looked at us. Mic looked in the leaders
eyes for a moment then told him to kill the others.  

"Hey, not cool," I told
him.
"What you want to share the booty with all of them?" Michael asked.

At the moment all i could think about was cutting off his head, but i
decided to let it slide as the Fyarl would have probably killed us in our sleep
anyway...

We loaded up our bags with treasure and then Mic told the
Fyarl to stay and guard the rest until we got back. Then we left Sunnydale and
headed for home.
I peaked in the Magic Box on the way out, but all that was
there were some torture instruments covered in blood.
It would be good to see
my flat in Santa Monica again I thought... 

Dark Reaper

1/24/15

Albert had sent out for pizzas earlier. He was in the mood to celebrate his new promotion with his girlfriends, Diana and Christina, in his new 13th floor apartment. As the new CEO, he had cut no expense to impress his two favorite secretaries.

Albert had pulled a few strings to get the job, but that was just business. Anyone else could have done the same. The former CEO, Bill, thought he must have been dreaming when Diana and Christina flirted with him at the bar, drunk and frisky. He was just having a little fun, that was all.

He didn't know about the webcams they had hidden around the office. He didn't know that they were helping Albert set him up. He was surprised as hell, when he went into work that day and lost his job to Al. Very surprised.

Albert was never going to forget that look on his face. He was never going to forget that day as long as he lived. The shock in Bill's eyes. He thought of that image as a trophy. An award that he earned on his climb to the top.

Yes, Bill was surprised when he lost his job. Almost as surprised as Al was when he opened the door and saw a tall robed figure standing there. He didnt see his face. It was covered by the hood. The black robe covered all of his features in fact, very well. But Albert could tell the stranger before him was very strong as it picked him up like a toy and tossed him off the balcony of his new apartment.

He stood beside him and saw the figure toss him off the balcony. He looked over the edge and watched his own body hit the concrete below. He heard the girls scream and run out of the apartment.

He couldnt look away as he saw the blood streaming from his head below. He could tell that the reaper was leaving, but he couldnt look away just yet.

As the reaper walked through the door, Albert called to him. "Why? Why me?"

The reaper disappeared into the hall as Albert watched him leave. He couldnt leave the room to see where the reaper had gone. He couldnt turn on the TV and see if his death had made the news. He was trapped in his new apartment forever.

Cops came after a while to dust the room and check for clues, but they couldnt see him or hear him. He heard them talking amongst themselves. They didnt know who had done it and he couldnt tell them. No one even knew he was there.


They called his murder a suicide and took some pictures of the place. Eventually, they left him alone in his new apartment. They roped off the room and sealed the door, but he thought there was no need as he could not leave anyway.

Albert sat on the balcony all evening, staring at the stars. He wondered who would have done such a thing to him. He was just having a little fun, that was all.

"Hmm, are you dead?" asked a young girl who walked onto the balcony.

"You can see me?" asked Al.

"Well, yeah. It comes with the job," the girl looked off the balcony at the spot below. "Yeech, messy suicide. Lucky for you, you werent inside."

"No, it wasnt a suicide tho. Someone threw me off there. Big guy. Strong. Black robe and hood."

"Really? They said you jumped. They usually know these things you know." The young girl pointed to the clouds and shrugged. Then another hooded figure walked on to the balcony. He was somewhat shorter than the guy who had killed Al, but dressed the same. Al shuddered and backed against the wall.

"Hey, Leo, Al here says he was thrown off the balcony."

"Really?" asked Leo. "By whom?" Leo and the girl look at Al.

"Big tall guy. Really strong. Dressed just like you." Al points at Leo, and Leo looks at his robe.

"Black robe? and really strong. hmm. I didnt wear mine today. No time to change. Name's Cassie by the way." Cassie reaches for Al's hand and shakes it. Al is still trembling from the sight of the black robe Leo is wearing.

"Relax, Al, youre dead. Cant die again you know." Cass sits on the patio chair nearby. "So, this killer was a reaper, you say?"

"A what? And how do you know my name?" Al is freaked out pretty good by now. Leo sits on another chair behind Cassie and listens carefully for deets.

"We're reapers sweetie. We were sent for you when the guys upstairs found out you were dead. You know you weren't scheduled to die yet? We had no clue you were here at first."

"Okay, well, I was thrown off the balcony by a big guy dressed in a black robe and then he left through the door." Al looked at the locked door inside. "He just walked through the door. Did not even open it."
"Could be a reaper," said Leo, "but Al was not on the schedule for months yet."

"Wha- Wait - months?" asked Albert.

"Well, after a fall like that he ain't getting back in," whispered Cassie.

"We better take him to Ryan. See what he thinks. Remember that socialite in L. A.? Sounds like the same story." said Leo.

"Yeah, Ryan, should hear this one." said Cassie.

"What's going on here?" asked Albert.

"You sure he didn't ride down and hit his head?" asked Leo.

"Its okay Albert. We'll explain on the way." said Cassie as she lead him into the room. "You know, you're lucky you made the news or we might never have found you."

"Lucky?" asked Albert. Albert barely noticed that the reapers were walking through walls like him, but he was not interested in asking why at the time. Leo followed them into the room and looked around.

"Say Albert was this guy who attacked you transparent like us?" asked Leo.

"Uh, yes. He was," said Albert.

And then the three of them walked up to the mirror on the dresser and walked through to the other side...  
***to be continued---

Lance and the Ghost Ship

Lance and the Ghost Ship
2014

Doctor Eli Zeus was not your average scientist and his team was certainly not your average team. Jinx was a master of magic and mystic arts and Dexter AKA Hack was a tech wiz of the highest order, and with our new team mate KB at the com, we thought there was nothing we could not handle....

Lance was sitting at the helm staring off into space when Jinx walked up to him and asked what's wrong. Dex was in the co-pilot's seat and flying to our destination. A distress call had come from somewhere behind Sirius and the team had been sent to investigate it. As we came closer and closer to our POI, Lance was becoming more and more distant I noticed.

"Oh, nothing," said Lance. "I guess I am just a little jet-lagged."

"You were tired, yes, but i sensed something more." said Jinx.

Jinx had this long black hair that went down to her waist and she kept it tied back on missions. Her skills with magicks were only topped by her mental abilities which included empathy and she always felt what we felt to some degree.

"Sometimes I have visions that could not possibly come true," said Lance. "It's nothing. Really."

But was it nothing? Lance focused on the flight path and began to watch the sensor sweeps carefully. He turned up the scanner so everyone could hear any radio transmissions from outside the ship clearly. Mostly, all we heard was static.

As we approached the Sirius 3 space station, something came over the scanner...

"SOS! SOS! Mayday!" The transmission from earlier was being sent again.

"Scan for lifeforms," said Lance.

I turned on every scanner at my reach and watched for green lights, but there were none.

"No signs," I told the Captain.

"I don't feel anyone alive either," said Jinx sadly.

"There were 12 crew members on that post before," said Lance. "Take us into orbit by the Sirius, Zan. I am going in to look around." Lance donned his ghost armor and he and Dex flew to the ship. It always fascinated me how those armored suits could literally fly through walls and turn the user invisible.

"Aye, Captain," I said as I brought the ship into orbit by the station.

Jinx took the con next to me and watched the monitors closely. "Locking transporter beams on them, Zan," she told me as she pushed buttons on the con panel.

"Standby to beam them out on the Captain's order only," I told her.

"Standing by," she replied.

The monitor was dark but the landing team could see much better than us. As they flew through the wall of the station. I heard Dex comment on how it was dark as a tomb inside.

"I don't know where the lights are here," said the Captain. "Activate night mode."

"I have the light controls," said KB from the back of the command center. "Switching on now."

I glanced at the monitor of the bridge and saw KB in her station. "Nice work, K."

"Thanks Zan," she replied.

"Be careful." said Doc over the monitor. He and his team were watching from home base.   

Once the lights came on everyone could clearly see the dead bodies floating around inside the space station. 

"No life signs," said KB sadly.  

"Lance turn on the ships com and get out of there," said Doc Zeus. "We can review there records from here." 

"Should we transport the corpses to home base, Doc?" Lance asked the question but barely noticed the answer.   

"Negative, not until we determine cause of death and scan ship for viruses."  Doctor Zeus was not wanting to bring any dangerous diseases back to the ship or to home base. 

"I have been running scans since we got in range, Doc. There are no detectable parasites or viruses on the station from our files," said KB. 

Thank you Kay," said the Doc. "Begin monitoring video feeds and broadcast all files from the ship at once. And Lance get your team out of there."    

"On the way back now, Doc. Looks like the crew was eaten alive by something big and mean... and carnivorous."  Lance motioned to Dexter to go back and turned to the door. "Lets go Casper."   

Jinx gasped and shouted,"Get out! Abort!" 

Dex phased through the door and flew back to the ship, but before Lance could leave, he was hit by a large alien beast that looked about like a dragon, at least seven feet tall. Lance was no small fellow himself and once he saw that beast facing him and snarling, he pulled a blaster from his side and fired heavily at it. As the beast fell back, Lance phased through the wall and flew to the ship. Everyone on board, sighed, except Jinx who was suiting up in an armor of her own. As Lance reached the ship, he saw Dex passing by him and firing, he turned to see the beast had busted through the door of the station and was in pursuit. Lance fired at the beast, knocking some of its protective scales loose and taking out one of its eyes. 

"Fall back, Casper," ordered the Captain. " Been a while since I fought one of these." Lance stood on the top of the ship with his magnetic boots holding him in place and he chanted as he reached behind his back. As the dragon came closer, it charged Lance and roared as it spread its wings wide. Lance pulled a large silver sword from behind him with a gold hilt and swung hard at the beast, cutting its jaw in two and then he quickly swung again taking off one wing. 

"Inside Dex! He shouted as he took the dragons head off on its return trip. The dragon's decapitated corpse floated off into space as Lance watched it go away. "Thank you, Excalibur." He said as he sent the sword back to its resting place with a Welsh chant. "No life signs..." Lance and Dexter phased inside the ship and sat down.  

"What the hell was that?" Dexter asked. 

"A dragon," said the Captain. "Zan, set course for home base. You have the com." 

"Aye, Captain," I said, changing the flight plan accordingly.  

"Are there more of those things?" KB asked. 

"Where there is one, there are more." Lance took his seat in the Captain's command center as the ship turned for home. As the Space Station faded into view, an uneasy feeling came over me that we were being watched. There was nothing showing on the sensor sweeps, but the sensors had not detected the dragon that attacked us either.

Jinx was still in armor and watching the monitors as we went into hyper drive. It seemed like she and the Captain knew something we did not... As the system faded from view, I could have sworn I heard a roar behind us, or maybe that was just the wind....

9.27.14

Lil Oprah Annie

LITTLE OPRAH ANNIE GOES TRICK OR TREATING
10/30/2014


Little Oprah Annie 
Went out for tricks or treats 

She was a witch again this year 

With pointy shoes on her feet 

Her little friend Nancy was a butterfly 

As they walked down the street that night 

A big house caught their eye 

It was large and spooky 

With cobwebs all about 

And a big old jack-o-lantern 

On the steps with eyes and mouth carved out 

As Annie walked the sidewalk 

Nancy fell behind  

Annie told her to come along 

And she heard a kitty whine 

In the distance a wolf howled 

Or maybe it was a dog 

Nancy turned and ran away 

As an evil laugh was heard in the fog 

Little Oprah Annie walked up to the door 

The call of all that candy 

She just would not ignore 

Her little hands trembled 

As she rang the glowing doorbell 

What would come to the door 

She really couldnt tell           

As the door swang wide 

She heard a growling dog 

And turned to see two glowing eyes 

In the distance by a log  

Screams came from inside 

And a shadow crossed the wall 

As a large witch with a pointy hat 

And green face came down the hall 

A little girl with a small dog ran out 

Annie did not know what to do 

As the witch came to the door 

And shouted "and your little doggie too/ 

Well, hello my pretty," 

Said the witch with a glare 

"Dont you look lovely tonight my dear 

Tell me who undoes your hair?" 

The witch reached behind the door 

And Annie thought to run 

Then the witch brought out a candy bowl 

And asked," are you having fun?"  

The candy bowl was full of treats 

Like candy corn and gum 

And the witch handed the girl an apple 

And said,"you look so very sweet"   

The witch invited her in for supper 

"The stove" she said,"is piping hot." 

Then Annie turned and ran away 

As far as her feet could be got 

She never looked back as she ran away 

But she heard the old witch cackle 

"Come back my dear!" the old crone shouted, 

"You forgot your apple!" 

Annie ran straight back home 

With Nancy right behind 

And they ran inside and locked the door 

Scared out of their minds! 

they only come for you in the darkness

10.31.10

It was a cold Halloween night, not long ago. and a young girl strolled into the woods. the moon was full and the stars were twinkling and she could hear the sound of the campfire crackling in the distance. kids playing and her friends laughing and telling jokes around the fire.

As she stepped into the woods, she heard crickets chirping and an owl hooting nearby. another step, and she couldnt hear the children or the campfire or her friends anymore. the moon was full and the shapes of the trees stood out in the moonlight. she stepped a little further in, and she heard the owl again and she felt the wind blowing her coat and hair. she thought she heard voices whispering in the woods, but all she saw was trees. she took another step and she listened for sounds. she heard the wind blowing and she thought she heard a young girl weeping in the woods for just a second. she heard whispers in the dark, and she felt something stroke her back, or maybe it was just the wind.

Another step, and she saw the foliage on the trees nearby. the woods were darker now, and she heard voices whispering something in the darkness around her. she looked back, and saw the light from the campfire. she felt the wind blowing on her face. she heard a girl crying up ahead. she heard someone whisper her name and she felt someone grab her foot. she looked down and saw that she had stepped into a vine with thorns. she heard a young girl crying up ahead, and she heard whispers in the wind. she saw three glowing figures in the darkness up ahead, for just a second. then she realized that she was just seeing headlights on the trees,... or was she?

The little girl stopped crying and called for help. she heard wolves growling near the child. the child screamed and called for help. she felt someone pull her hair back and whisper in her ear, "Join us, Lisa." she turned to see who it was and she saw a skeleton standing beside her, smiling, and reaching for her. "Join us," the skeleton whispered, its gold tooth twinkling in the moonlight. the wolves growled in the darkness now, and the small child screamed.

Lisa ran into the woods to get the child. into the darkness. to the weeping child. she ran to where the sounds were coming from and she saw a child's blue coat in front of a tree. she grabbed the coat, but it was empty. she saw ghosts and skeletons coming toward her. the woods were pitch black now. all she could see was the glowing ghosts and the white skeletons and, nearby, glowing red eyes. she heard growling, and then she saw a were wolf come to her. its glowing red eyes, and its bloody fangs stood out. it reached for her, and the ghosts chanted slowly, "Join us; join us; join us..."

Lisa gripped the coat tightly and ran back to the campfire. she couldnt see the fire anymore, and her fingers and toes were freezing. she ran for what seemed like an eternity. she could hear the wolves and ghosts following her. she couldnt see anything but darkness. she wondered if she would ever get out alive. then she felt something grab her head. her toboggan came off, but she kept running.

Suddenly, something grabbed her foot. she tripped and fell and lost her shoe. she heard the ghosts coming closer. and she felt the wolves breath on her cold cheek. "join us! join us!" the spirits called to her. she felt bony fingers grab her legs and arms. she saw red glowing eyes all around her. she heard laughter as she felt the hands pull her. dragging her into the darkness.

She kicked and screamed and shoved at the ghouls. she struggled until she was on her knees. then crawled for the clearing, screaming and kicking the hands off of her. at last, she made it out of the woods.

She ran to the campfire and went home. She couldnt turn off the light all night....

The next morning, she went back to the woods with her friends to look for her shoe. at the edge of the woods, they saw her shoe, stuck on a thorny vine. and a little further back was her toboggan stuck on a tree branch. they went inside and got the toboggan, but Lisa wanted to leave right away. as they turned to walk out, she heard the little girl scream behind her.

She turned around and saw the bloody blue coat lying at the foot of a tree, and beside it was a gold tooth. She turned to leave and she heard the skeleton laugh from the darkness. now everytime she turns off the lights, they come for her in the darkness. chanting her name, and beckoning her to "join us." but she will safe enough, for you see, they only come for you in the darkness....

the true artist

Valentine's Day 2018 #wordsmith

Valentine
Your day is near
When people shake and quake
with fear.
They hope to pick a gift thats right 
and not end up in the dog house
that night.

This valentines day spend time with those who matter and forget spending money on things that dont. retailers dont want you to see this poem.

Britney canvas #ArtByRay #tbt

throwback thursday to
britney-canvas by ray nichols.   

poetry is...