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.