Session: December 29, 2012

http://www.strangecosmos.com/content/item/156953.html

"Even though she didn't care anymore, she still had to tell him."
by CC

Bert was jealous of everyone that Arlene loved, but none more than Ardath the silkie. Arlene would run from their house to the shore on moonlit nights to visit with Ardath, who came out of the sea just to sit with Arlene and drink tea from an old thermos. Oh, how they joked about Bert! Bert sat in the house at his telescope and watched. He knew all the stories - the silkie wasn't interested in Arlene at all. She was for him, Bert! But as the moons passed, Arlene stood as gatekeeper with her old thermos. She was growing tired of the seal woman, who stank of kelp and had little pointed teeth. One night as she set out for the shore, a huge bolt of lightning went straight for the silkie. Arlene could hear her little bark as the bolt hit home. Poor Bert. Even though she didn't care anymore, she still had to tell him.

http://www.dilsedesi.co/forums/index.php?showtopic=29060

"No one could possibly suspect them, he thought."
by TT

No one could possibly suspect them, he thought as he dropped the piano from the floor above on top of Barbie and Ken's convertible. But it was not his problem anyway. They deserved it. Lydia used them as models for her new toys.




http://warships1discussionboards.yuku.com/reply/280220/Re-Big-turrets

 "To navigate the end of history, he became a galactic shaman."
by GS

The war had become the longest ever recorded at 130 years! Though active fighting only occurred sporadically, the news was dominated by reports of negotiations, retreats, new weapons, and double-crosses. Cedric had grown old in the Army but never rose above the rank of corporal for reasons he could not fathom. His boots were always polished and his dress uniform pressed. Someone had it in for him, he was sure. Finally he had had enough when the news reports bottomed out with imminent destruction from the new nuclear weapons now ready to use. To navigate he end of history, he became a galactic shaman driving around in his home-made cardboard tank which he propelled by walking behind the front wheel. His sanity had finally retired!

http://tak-rang.blogspot.com/2011/03/coolfashioncafe-unusual-things.html

"They become more severe in times of emotional stress."
by PV

His name was Mongli - but wait! Wasn't Mongli a nice brown Tamil boy cavorting with Baloo - a renovated Disneyesque Kipling bear - and Ka - what sort of a name was that? Lulls one into dangerous assumptions, defnitely curls one's tail opposite tucked in abject fear between one's legs. Now these paroxysms of fancy, they become more severe during times of emotional stress - so we all know what to do - calm out, immerse yourself in a wonderful misasmic cloud of enlightening burning smoke from prized vegetation.

http://www.fanpop.com/spots/winter/images/2368964/title/winter-wallpaper

"Marlene told the Masked Man, Let me go, I don't have what you want."
by RMF

The pair of deer found some auditable entertainment ou in the dreary, snow-covered forest - an electronic talking snow statue with blinking eyes.

http://people.zozo.jp/kanfuruya/diary?p=5

"He was starving but still could not bring himself to eat it."
by LD

He was starving but still could not bring himself to eat more of the 'homemade brownies' his sister made for the most dreaded "Darce Family Reunion." Not an ounce of love had ever been expressed amongst his less than favorite so called 'family members.' But thanks to Sistah this reunion was all about laugher and knee-slapping reflections. Kudos to my future brother in law, he thought. You can deal up "good times" with me any time!

Session: December 15, 2012

http://www.joecrazy.com/9-weird-places-earth/

"Trouble, big trouble."
by PV

They were relieved, crossing the glacial flow. The storm clouds were scudding away and the night promised to be clear, crisp and bone-chilling cold. It was an outrageous, mad escape, scuttling between watchtowers, painfully arranging and cutting the barbed wire with stolen, almost useless pliers. His hands were a bloody mess. Zi tried to slow the flow of blood with scraps ripped from the hem of her skirt.

They needed to find shelter soon before the planes came buzzing in an angry waspish pursuit. But it was too late. Even as they ran forward, the roaring of a massive jet increased. They were forced to the rim of a crevasse - trouble, big trouble. The sound was disappearing, as if it came from beneath them. Incredibly, it did! There was a tremendous cataract roaring across the gap of the crevasse from one inner ice channel to another 30 feet away. They still had time.

Image Source Page: http://www.barnorama.com/wtf-pictures-collection-vol-2/

"My secret collection"
By CC

Arlo the Catfish had an evolutionary growth spurt one afternoon when a North Korean satellite crashed into his bayou. The radiation spewed into his brain, creating a prefrontal cortex and a big appetite. Arlo crawled up onto shore and thought, Phew! This place stinks. I want out. He saw an Escalade parked nearby, belonging to a oil executive who was speaking with an engineer nearby about the potentials of fracking. Arlo slipped behind the wheel and took off. He needed protein, and something in him wanted to hunt.  People walking up and down the street started to look pretty juicy to Arlo. He conceived an exciting new desire for trophies. Pretty soon he pulled into a drive-through and gurgled through the squawk box that he needed a drink. When he pulled up to the counter, the man held out the drink but gave Arlo a very funny look. Arlo could tell he thought it was all a big joke. Well, Arlo thought, he'll be the first in my secret collection.

Image Source Page: http://atomicfinger.com/author/corey/

"We climbed to the top."
by GS

The new religion had caught on quickly. Everyone was bowing to their chosen flowers seven times a day. It was considered a big improvement over the outdated religions which had withered from their original significance. Some chose bushes with flowers, some chose single stem bulbs and some chose flowering trees. My husband and I chose the cherry blossoms as our personal gods. The tree we had planted grew quickly into the tallest in the state, and we were very proud. On National Prayer Day, we climbed to the top and inhaled deeply, reaching nirvana.

http://cats.about.com/u/sty/catpictures/funniestcatpictures/May-I-Help-You.htm

"Everyone was staring at me"
by TT

The day had begun badly. There was no help for it. I missed the bus and had to walk five blocks before I could get to the next appointment and I was already late. I threw my ice-cream wrapper at the trash can and missed so I bent down to pick it up. I didn't expect to block the sidewalk in the crowded street with bustling commuters pushing me. I lost my balance and fell. I grabbed at the trash can and it tipped over on top of me. By now, everyone had stopped and were staring at me. Someone said, "Here, pussy-pussy." Another guy almost stepped on my tail.

Session: December 1, 2012



http://floppingaces.net/2010/09/20/midterms-palin-tea-party-and-conservatives-gamble-all-for-the-heart-soul-of-america/

 "Never again"
by CC

Frank hated being an orangutan. But he did his best to live a normal life. He signed up as swim coach at the Sunnyside Pool. They tried to give him some baloney about excessive body hair, but he just smiled at them with his big teeth showing, and they gave him the vest. The real test came when he saw Rusty, the dog next door. That loudmouthed hound kept him up all night- and now he was supposed to teach him how to swim? As Frank held Rusty in the pool, and Rusty pretended to dogpaddle, he kept thinking about just letting go. Rusty could sink or swim on his own. It was an appealling idea. Frank pondered for a few moments, then said "never again," and let Rusty sink like a stone.

http://quietpaths.com/?cat=77

"She looked down at her feet in amazement."
by GS

It had taken hours to walk all the way to the shrine, but she was determined to reach it so she could honor the memory of her dead dog. The shrine had been erected many years ago to provide a peaceful sanctuary for bereaved mourners, and her pain was so intense she had chosen to make the trip to seek relief. Her beloved German Shepard, Max, had died suddenly at age 7, and she felt she wanted to die with him. They loved each other immensely, and his loss was more painful than the loss of her human partner two years earlier. Also, her youngest child was now 18, and she felt useless and lost. As she walked, she stumbled over something in the grass while staring intently straight ahead. She looked down at her feet in amazement, seeing a very young German Shepard puppy gazing up at her. All of a sudden, she knew she still wanted to live.

http://photocompetition.upclive.com/seo/photo/572298/roodborstje_in_de_sneeuw/vogels

"Everyone else was laughing."
by AD

I was a powerful CEO, the big cheese who stands proudly, victoriously..on the backs of my employees, of course. I was rich, too; I had to be, in order to buy all the cars I have - Mustangs, trucks and enough to put on a 3 hour car show daily. A different woman every day on one hand, a different bottle of fine wine or sherry in the other. I walked into my meeting with an oil company about to go out of business which would benefit my checking account. I walked in and everyone else was laughing at me. Since when did the room and everyone else get so big? Why did I want to take a bath in the water pitcher? As I got close I could see I was now a tiny bird! Everyone in the room was dying of laughter. Let's see how funny it is when I poop on all their new cars.

Session: November 17, 2012



most-mysterious-places-in-the-world-18.jpg

"Last summer, Sarah was still driving." by BG

These days visitors to the state forest are not as plentiful. People still travel the two hours up from town to have a look but not nearly as many as before. Last summer, Sarah was still driving Uncle Ebert up there early every morning. His daily routine was what attracted so many folks' attention. He spent all day, every day up there, methodically accomplishing his all of his procedures. Sarah would arrive for him just before dark. The visitors would disperse. Children would come up on school buses from summer camp and day school. Of course, there were all sorts of families and summer vacationers coming in cars and motorhomes and Harleys. The adult groups though, were amazing. They would actually rent out big tour buses and arrive in twos and threes. The Chamber of Commerce put together tour packages. All sorts of church groups came.The Rotary and the Kiwanas and the Elks came. The VFW  ran multiple excursions to accommodate members that made the trip in from all their different chapters around the state and many neighboring ones. I'll never forget the huge caravan that came when the Japanese visitors bureau got wind of our anomaly. There were hundreds of Japanese camera bugs here all at once. They ooo'd and ah'd evert time Uncle Ebert made a move. Uncle was never particularly perturbed by any the goings on. He never usually even reacted when they made a fuss. Most of the time, he went about his business and did not acknowledge they were there. No questions answered. No poses for the camera. He would not even crack a smile when they tried to coax him to cooperate with their snapshots or short videos.

The only major concern he had was when folks closed in too close. As the area is state land, he didn't have authority to rope off the area to keep people at distance, so he spent time growling at them when his comfort zone was encroached upon. Unfortunately, this made him infinitely more entertaning to him.By the time the media from down in the city finally decided we had  a newsworthy situation, it was over.

One morning in the early fall, just before the temperatures dipped and the leaves started turning, Sarah and Uncle Ebert pulled off the road into their usual spot in the clearing, and Sarah let out a gasp! There were shards all over. It had happened overnight.....

It had hatched!

And it had flown away.

 And, no one saw...... Not even Uncle Ebert.

Source Page: http://dogbreedgallery.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html

"There were signs of trouble."
By RMAF

There were signs of trouble when the two little pupplies Devillio and Angellia, fell off the old wooden cart in Mexico in front of the taco stand. They were so hungry they followed the scent of cooking meat and ran behind the counter, where they scarfed up the morsels of dropped meat. The cook backed up and tripped over the two little puppies, and grabbed onto the hot pot. The pot tipped over and the taco fixings fell all over the cook and the pupplies. The cook was screaming from the hot sauce all over him. The puppies were yipping from the hot sauce also and ran away yipping. The potential customer said "Eyeyiya, maldita perra,

No hay tacos para mí hoy."

http://visboo.com/strange-trees-growing-in-strange-places.html

"What I've always wanted."

by TT

I keep a Kraken in a jar. He can't get out but if he did he'd grow into a giant squid and take over the apartment, then the whole building, then the whole block, and the gas station. He'd devour the large supermarket. Pretty soon, the whole town. So I keep him in a small jar behind the door. He can't get out. But if my brother found him - he'd be curious and open the lid. The Kraken would jump out and gobble him up. Then crawl across the floor to the sofa and sit there waiting, watching TV re-runs of "It Came from Outer Space," until the rest of my family came home. He'd gobble them up quick. I'd be horrified of course but it's what I always wanted - a pet Kraken to take over the world. I'd still be his friend.

Image Source Page: http://www.figurerealm.com/viewcustomfigures.php?ns=18600&op=2

"It wasn't really stealing."

By CC

It wasn't really stealing. But Roger didn't care. The man was ready for any slimy, weasel-bellied thief that might come his way. Every day he suited up and practiced menacing stances in front of the mirror. One day little Teddie Williams came into Rogers's yard. Teddy was a daydreamer, and everyone in the neighborhood knew he was a little slow. He saw a flowering bush near Roger's porch and went over to pick a blossom, which he held blissfully to his nose. Suddenly Roger charged through the door, brandishing his cudgel and rope, while the bomb dispensing unit ticked on his belt. Timmy jumped backwards and cried, I wasn't really stealing! Roger flung the rope towards him but Timmy dodged it and ran. Roger fired his spear gun into the fence as Timmy raced through the gate, clutching the purloined blossom.

http://www.funfani.com/places/rare-pictures-of-unusual-places-t21385.36.html

"I knew how it felt to be an outsider."

by PV

What was below the fog was anybody's guess. At the lower building levels it was thick, miasmic jelly that quivered with thumping sounds. As I quietly floated from one building to another, a jellyfish of mythical origins, I was watched by scores of faces, almost frightening in their immobility. What did they see? Did I represent some long-forgotten childhood excursion to an unclammy world? Even though the sun poured through my pellucid fleshy envelopes - warming my soul - I still hoped for breakages in their features. I knew how it felt to be an outsider amongst towers of petrified ghosts.

Session: November 3, 2012



 http://villageofjoy.com/20-unusual-churches-part-i/

 "It was a stupid thing to say."
by A.D.

It was a stupid thing to say. To talk badly about the Baron was bad enough but to tell a secret of his in the hub was worse, and to think that I, the Baron's most trusted knight - who helped build his castle on the side of this mountain in my youth, and brought peace with other lands - was to be banished or executed later for what I said. I knew I had way too many spirits and a little too much ale at the fall festival. But to anger the Baron was worse. I told my family, who lived in the castle, that I loved them and went up to the roof to see what my fate would be. He was up at the edge of the castle, looking over the village.

"So, my dear friend, I must admit that you have angered me about what you told the poeple in the hub about my private life." His voice was calm but you couldn't miss the angry hiss in his tone. "I'm afraid that I must banish you for a year though I have one question."

"Yes my lord," I answered.

"How did you know about my incident with that haca-haca danger on the night of the falfl festival?"

I looked at him and grinned and laughed. I couldn't hold it back.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, that haca-haca dancer bearing your child is my little sister."

http://www.safetgallery.com/BrightandShining/Brightwriteup.html

"Ralph pulled a hundred dollar bill out of his wallet and ate it."
by CC

She sat in the chair holding Ralph's cat Boris in her arms. Her defiant look said it all. He'd been a fool to think she was just an ordinary kid.

"What did you do with his ...fur?" sputtered Ralph.

"Removed it," said the girl.

He rummaged in his pocket for his wallet. "I hired you to give him a bath, not skin him alive," he said angrily. "I'm not going to pay you the full amount."

"Oh?" she asked. "He's clean. That's what you wanted. That's what you got."

He thrust a dollar bill at her. She pulled out a small pocketknife and snapped it open. "Don't insult me," she said quietly, and brought the knife to the cat's neck. "I just see a little spot I missed," she said under her breath.

Boris looked ar Ralph with an inscrutable expression."What do you want," he stammered. "Just tell me."

"I want you to eat your money. That's how I feel about it. That's what I want." She jiggled the knife at the cat's neck.

Ralph pulled a hundred dollar bill out of his wallet and ate it. The girl lowered the knife and said, "Purrfect."

"Of course it was illegal."
by PV

It had taken a long time and countless letters which - thank God - are still private. He must have had thousands of excited, tight-lipped volunteers. The postman staggered under the load of daily envelopes. The stock of the educational company rose daily in response to the requests from all over the country.  In the basement, the snick-snick of letter openers was constant, akin to rushing train wheels over the rail joints.

And then they were ready for this statement of reflective absurdity and outrage. It was amazing what it took to get Washington to listen. He'd miss that gull-dropping-spotted island.

Of course it was illegal.

http://www.egreenway.com/druids/st8p.htm

"It was time to change schools again."
by TT

"Pomona, are your ready?" Mother always said this as she handed me my satchel. The answer was ceremonial and had no bearing on wether I was or not. "I walk the edges of the world and represent the Divine Goddess as her human reflection."

"Very well, daughter - you may go out and live the life of a human teenager, but do not forget yourself, your immortal, mutable soul incarnate."

"Thank you, Mother. I am ready. Bless me that I will be worthy of this duty."

"Go, daughter, with my blessings."

I would swing my books over my shoulder and run for the bus. The other children glared at me. They pushed me out of my seat, pinched me black and blue. I did not cry. I am a Goddess inside. Outside, when I look in the window at my reflection, I see a fat nerd with glasses, unruly hair, crooked teeth and big ears. These kids will be sorry. Next week the bus will crash and they will all die. Good.

It's time to change schools again.




http://stories-2-tell.blogspot.com/2012/01/strange.html

"Some might say it's a weakness."
by GS

I pondered the meaning of love as I sat on my simple, monastic bed with my boon companion's large paw on my shoulder. We had been together since childhood, and he was definitely aging much faster than I. Our love has been intense and all-important. Will I be able to live without him? I cannot imagine how I may spend my time not including his participation.

My parents are hoping I can turn to more human compansionship once he is gone. Some might say it's a weakness to depend entirely on a four-legged companion, but I have always felt I had all the love I needed and thus shunned the company of humans.

I will either have to adapt to a different world, or take my own life when Hammer no longer breathes. My father has even consulted a psychiatrist to develop a plan to keep me alive after the inevitable demise. Hammer has already lived longer than normal, but he is showing signs of aging beyond the ability of medical science to counteract. To be, or not to be, that is my question as well.

http://www.jaffamood.com/weird-people-in-the-past/

"If I could do it over again."
by BG

If I could do it over again, I would not have antagonized my Mother's great uncle Ebert whenver he showed up to visit on family gathering holidays. Understandably, he was a hard person to get along with. His sensitivity to people's reactions to his appearance always had him on the defensive. It should  never have been that way. We should have encouraged him to embrace the other side of his heritage instead of trying to get him to confirm to the norms of our side of the family. Looking back, I now realize that it would have been a great learning experience for us if we 'd all gotten to know his perspective on being the son of a human mom and a dad that was a wookie.

Next Meeting Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 10:30 a.m.

Bring your writing materials and a snack if so inclined. Also, bring a page from a project you are working on, or a little fresh creative work (a paragraph even), or a short essay starting with the words "I don't like writing about..."

New members are always welcome. Call 619-478-5945 for information about attending one of our sessions at the Campo-Morena Village Branch Library (a branch of the San Diego County Library - 2012 Library of the Year!)  in Campo, California.

Session: October 6, 2012



http://creoflick.net/creo/Vertabrata-1117

Jack found it at the bottom of the well, and it changed his life.
by PV

Those Pharaohs! It seemed they had thought of everything. Here a chance digging for what he felt was a minor fragment of a bucket in the dry depths of a well in the Sinai had resulted in a whirlpool, a maelstrom of sand what carried him down into this dusty chamber guarded by the dessicated remains of a decapitated Cerebus, trimmed back to just an ordinary temple dog.

They ran fast through the back yard, hoping to escape.
by GS

The tour had reached the Palace on the other side. No one seemed to be around, so they landed at the small hidden dock and climbed up the ladder to the palace tower. There was opulence everywhere, and not a guard in sight! Carl couldn't resist one small masterpiece so he snagged it and covered it with his shirt. It was an exquisite sculpture of a perfectly formed wolf. Suddenly there were shouts and foot-stomps behind them. They ran fast through the yard, hoping to escape since they knew they had been seen trespassing and pilfering. Unfortunately the back fence could not be scaled, and they all died in a hail of arrows from the guards.




http://www.cloob.com/club/article/show/clubname/lobby/articleid/4937748

What if?
by CC

What if you were a scarecrow, planted in a field with several other scarecrows? What if you were a particularly busty scarecrow in a grass skirt? Would not you be filled with longings, memories, and dreams, piling up inside you in your forced immobility? Would the incongruity of your dress and upswept hair-do fill you with irony, or make you the ultimate cynic? What if you were a busty scarecrow in a floozy outfit, and someone came by with a blowtorch  – or, maybe, a magic wand? Would you rather burn or transform? And isn’t that a universal question, so to speak?

Next Meeting Saturday, October 6th, at 10:30 a.m.

Bring your writing materials and an open mind.

New members are always welcome. Call 619-478-5945 for information about attending one of our sessions at the Campo-Morena Village Branch Library (a branch of the San Diego County Library - 2012 Library of the Year!)  in Campo, California.

Autumnal Equinox Session: September 22, 2012

Here we have yet another selection of our off-the-cuff, unedited, spontaneous outbursts....

http://ritemail.blogspot.com/2012/03/10-most-fantastic-places-on-planet.html

"Let me tell you why I had to buy that ostrich."
by PV

Let me tell you why I had to buy that ostrich - that I took this picture from. I have only a few moments to enter this in my journal since the irate Thai police are hot on my trail, as well as the disgruntled bird handler from whom I appropriated this bird. I needed an escape and prayed to the Gods the handler wouldn't see me as a complete cad, after all I did leave him the police rickshaw which had providentially fallen into my nimble hands and strong legs. I only wanted a closer look at the ruby in the Buddha's forehead and my discovery that it was paste would not endear me to any of the faithful no matter my protestations.

http://www.realitymod.com/forum/f11-off-topic-discussion/98430-strange-events-places-thread.html

"It may not be worth anything."
by BG

It may not be worth anything but we have got to get out there and find out what the source of this milk spill is. Eventually, if we let it go, the milk could blanket the whole ocean and all the fish and plants and coral reefs, and then what would happen? Will they be affected like when they kept having oil spills down on earth during the time they were pumping it out of the ground to use for fuel to run machines of that time period? Can this be the start of that kind of crisis?




http://www.mysteampunkcostume.com/photographs-of-vintage-deep-sea-divers/


"Vicky flung the coffee dregs in Jack's face."
by TT

One day Vicky, the hair stylist, flung coffee dregs in her husband Jack's face. He took offense and next time he came he wore a deep sea divers outfit. Here's a picture of Vicky and her husband before the divorce.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=702858&page=42

"Describe the yellow bird. What did the yellow bird do? What did he say about it? What did she say about it? Then what happened?
by GS

The flooding was unexpected. The old town had been there 800 years and hadn't been immersed for over 100 years. The large yellow bird had been nesting near the steeple, and became disoriented as the waters rose since its usual feeding grounds disappeared. It flew in larger circles with its magnificent strong wings, looking for a new source of nutrition. Old Man Macintyre thought the bird would move to a new home. His wife pulled out the shotgun and took a wild shot with a load of birdshot, apparently missing the yellow bird which continued its hunt for food. The Macintyres went back to their kitchen to continue their feud, having lost interest in the yellow bird.

http://www.aquiziam.com/strange-places-people-live.html

"On Saturday Betty watched as one of her daughter's invisible friends stole her ipod."
by CC

On Saturday Betty watched as one of her daughter's invisible friends stole her ipod. She leaned her head against the refrigerator and listened to it hum while the scene replayed itself in her mind: A little girl with a red topknot, almost transparent, walking by with a sneer as she brandished the blue ipod abover her head. She had seen her twice before, plus the chipmunk, too. It wasn't just childhood fantasy. But then, she thought, leaving the refrigerator to walk to the kitchen window, there might be something wrong with her. The awful headaches she had been experiencing since moving to this blasted place, perhaps that was part of the problem. And no wonder she was feeling them. The giant boulders hove into view on either side of the window, pressing in relentlessly, af it trying to squash the house to smithereens. They had tried to make it sound desireable, a cottage on the rocky heath, a romantic kind of place. She would never rent a house sight unseen again.

Next Meeting Saturday, September 22, at 10:30 a.m.

Bring writing materials, and whatever you've been working on.

Session: September 8, 2012

http://strange-games.blogspot.com/2006/12/shoe-wild-mare-strange-christmas-games.html

"Follow these rules and we'll get along fine."
by TT

A photographer was there during my pedicure by the groom. He didn't get a photograph when I leaned my head down and nipped the groom in the ass. His pants fell down. The photographer left in a hurry for some reason. Follow these rules and we'll get along fine, I thought to myself.

http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/10/strange_and_quirky_photos_of_toronto/

"The door slammed shut in a gust of wind, startling everyone."
by GS

The party invitation came at the last minute, giving the date (tomorrow), the time (8 PM) and the address: 88 Strange Street. It also said "Come with no expectations." For the past year I had been socializing with a group of non-traditionalists who often concocted elaborate scenarios for our get-togethers, so the invitation was not a complete surprise. I had never heard of Strange Street, but Google knew all about it, so I biked over. The home appeared to be abandoned with an overgrown yard of derelict weeds, broken steps, and a rusting car hulk in the driveway. I entered cautiously but with 'no expectations' since I can follow directions. About a dozen others were there, chatting in the front room, all as mystified as I was. There was no hint of what would come next. Suddenly the lights went out, and the door slammed shut in a gust of wind, startling everyone. The sound of clanking chains from the basement became louder as we huddled in amazement. The floor collapsed suddenly and we all fell into the basement where our host had prepared refreshments. Strange Street was named appropriately!

http://2pep.com/funny%20pics/worlds%20funniest%20weird%20pics%20cool%20images/strange%20weird%20funny%20pictures%20of_hover-cat.jpg

"She leaned around the corner to see if the man with the gun was still in the lobby."
by PV

Puss and her shadow confirmed it. The gunman's toady at the side displayed a stoicism as if he was accustomed to these strange arrangements. Obviously the nervous host for this Feline Fancier Fanfare had not anticipated this variation of catnapping. Me, I'm a mouse of a journalist charged with conveying my own unvarnished account of momentous events. Millicent would applaud him for once again a magnificent mighty mouse scoop. 

"Late again."
by CC

Phyllis hated herself. No, that was too strong. She was disappointed in herself. Life had handed her lemons, sure, but she hadn’t made lemonade. She looked at herself in the mirror:  Frumpy. Her life seemed to have come to an end, and all she could do was mess things up. Case in point: She had to be downtown to pay that traffic ticket in two hours. Late again.

Her daughter had bought her the silly little car – she had told Phyllis that she didn’t need the Ford anymore, and parking would be so much easier. Phyllis walked out to the curb and kicked its little tire. Hard to believe you could get a ticket in this thing. It was too embarrassing. And if her daughter found out about it, she might take the car back and give her a bus pass next time.

Suddenly everything came to the boiling point. Phyllis strode back into the house and rummaged around in the closet for an old bedspread and a football helmet that one of the kids had stashed there years ago. She grabbed her suitcase and threw some clothes into it.

She was an outlaw, that was it. And proud of it. She was even a superhero outlaw. Climbing in the little car she threw open the sun roof, and floored the car – breaking the speed limit all the way.