The eastern sky glowed when I left my home. A mourning doves whistle sounded in the distance when I found myself on the outskirts of the desert. It was so cold out I could see my breath, I hugged myself to stay warm and it was then that I realized I was in my pajamas and barefoot.
As I began to walk I noticed in the distance a shape slowly come into view it appeared to alternate between solid and translucent, finally I could make out the features of a woman. I blinked, she was still there, and I blinked again she did not disappear.
She began to move gracefully towards me, it was as though she floated through the air the wind blew through her long blonde hair the strands flowed in the breeze. As she neared the first thing I noticed were her deep blue eyes and her ruby lips, her sweet smile was so wide, a bright glow grew out from her image I could not take my eyes from her.
An urge came over me to run and embrace her it was too strong to resist I moved forward at an excited pace. Her smile intensified and her outstretched arms begged me to approach. I grew anxious, I felt as though my breathing would stop I extended my arms out to touch her. As I came upon her she closed her eyes and her soft supple lips readied to kiss me, but just as I was about to give myself to her she opened her eyes with a look of horror on her face. Her mouth opened wide as though she screamed yet no sound came out, and then her body began to shake violently in mid air her arms at her side fingers pointing to the ground. I looked on in horror as her skin began to drop from her body like ice from an iceberg, as the patches fell I began to see veins and muscles then her eyeballs flew out of her head towards me. I looked to the ground and saw strips of dead skin float in a pool of blood at her feet. I watched as her body fell limp to the ground. Then a skeleton lay before me.
I turned to run from the site in horror but I couldn't move. I looked down and noticed I was sinking into the earth, and the harder I tried to move the faster I sank. I tried to scream but couldn’t, then the mud began to approach my mouth I tilted my head up knowing the end was near and my last thoughts were that my life could not end like this.
Then I was in darkness. Confused, I blinked, I looked to my right and saw my dresser drawers, on the walls were family photos, and next to me my wife was sound asleep and I realized I was back in my home in my bedroom, I blinked again.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
AS I WALK OUTSIDE AFTER A HEAVEY RAIN
A clap of thunder announced its arrival. With enthusiasm I walked toward my patio door and opened the drapes. The usual cloudless sky was replaced with ominous clouds. The horizon became brown, and white specs swirled in the air off in the distance I smiled as I finally would be able to witness an Arizona rainstorm and a monsoon no less.
I remember fondly when I was eight years old how I spent my youth in Wisconsin playing in the fields during a summer rainstorm. The smell of rain filled the air and the aroma of wild flowers and fresh cut wet grass surrounded me. I often spent time in the cornfields playing army in the rain. I would imagine the enemy surrounded me while I slithered on my stomach with my imaginary gun across my arms and I slowly made my way through the rows of corn and through the mud and broken stalks that littered the ground.
Once I would get home my mother would nearly have a heart attack as she looked at my dirty rain soaked clothes. With dried mud on my face I gave her my puppy eyes which never worked. She grabbed my arm and threw me into the bathroom. She ripped all my filthy clothes from my body and washed off the dirt and mud then took a large towel that enveloped me and began to dry me off. She would then put new clothes on me and throw me back out into the elements.
She would shout "this time stay out of trouble!" I never understood what she meant by that?
Another loud boom brought me back to the current storm, and I waited in anticipation for it to end. When the brown sky was replaced by aquamarine and the sun made its reappearance I walked outside after the heavy rain. Just before I slid open the door I thought back to the wonderful memories of the smells after a rain in my youth and I took a deep breath in as I stepped out. The aromas of a chemical factory and two large dairy farms that are adjacent to our subdivision filled my senses and I quickly covered my nose and ran back into the house.
I decided it is better to enjoy the Arizona summer after a rainstorm safe in my home.
I remember fondly when I was eight years old how I spent my youth in Wisconsin playing in the fields during a summer rainstorm. The smell of rain filled the air and the aroma of wild flowers and fresh cut wet grass surrounded me. I often spent time in the cornfields playing army in the rain. I would imagine the enemy surrounded me while I slithered on my stomach with my imaginary gun across my arms and I slowly made my way through the rows of corn and through the mud and broken stalks that littered the ground.
Once I would get home my mother would nearly have a heart attack as she looked at my dirty rain soaked clothes. With dried mud on my face I gave her my puppy eyes which never worked. She grabbed my arm and threw me into the bathroom. She ripped all my filthy clothes from my body and washed off the dirt and mud then took a large towel that enveloped me and began to dry me off. She would then put new clothes on me and throw me back out into the elements.
She would shout "this time stay out of trouble!" I never understood what she meant by that?
Another loud boom brought me back to the current storm, and I waited in anticipation for it to end. When the brown sky was replaced by aquamarine and the sun made its reappearance I walked outside after the heavy rain. Just before I slid open the door I thought back to the wonderful memories of the smells after a rain in my youth and I took a deep breath in as I stepped out. The aromas of a chemical factory and two large dairy farms that are adjacent to our subdivision filled my senses and I quickly covered my nose and ran back into the house.
I decided it is better to enjoy the Arizona summer after a rainstorm safe in my home.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Writing Prompt
I have received requests to see some of my work from family and friends so I will begin to post some writing prompts here for your enjoyment. If you are wondering what a writing prompt is, it is a word or a sentence that is given,and you need to write a short story about the word or sentence. It can be anywhere from one paragrph but no longer than a page.If you like what you see and would like to be able to read new ones when posted begin following my blog. I will attempt to post a new one each week. Also if you have any comments positive or negative feel free to post them here or send me a note on facebook.
My first prompt is: I looked out my window.
I walked to the front room and looked out my window; the sun was on its final descent for the day and the clouds floated by lazily. I noticed the many different formations in the sky, some were marshmallow shape, others looked like wisps of smoke, and off in the southwest a large mass of clouds that appeared to stretch for miles clung to the San Tan Mountains on their western journey. The setting sun had given the bottom of the formation the appearance it was ablaze.
I opened the window, happy that the days were cooling off and I could let natures welcomed sounds in. As I opened the window the multitude of birds that rested in my two trees were singing their songs. I sat on my glider chair and enjoyed the view of the setting sun and what passes for mountains here in the southwest, though in reality they are nothing more than dormant volcanoes. Every time I gaze at them I can’t help but think about the ancient Pompeii’s and Mt. Vesuvius and hope that never happens here.
Then the off in the distance I hear the roar of engines, they are not too loud at first but they soon close in and I realize it is the obnoxious and ever present local ATV riders. As they neared, the noise became so loud that I had to close the window, and then the birds that had been enjoying the day in my trees took off from their perch. I watched the intruders as they approached the Cul-De-Sac that I live next to and began to drive in circles revving their engines. I never could understand the enjoyment they get of driving in circles like that when the desert is a mere twenty yards away and they could drive as fast as they like out in the open. Yet they continue to drive in a circle for hours going nowhere but making life miserable for the homeowners.
Dejected I close the drapes, and turn towards the living room to sit and watch TV, isolated from the joyous sounds of nature and to miss another refreshing cool Arizona evening.
My first prompt is: I looked out my window.
I walked to the front room and looked out my window; the sun was on its final descent for the day and the clouds floated by lazily. I noticed the many different formations in the sky, some were marshmallow shape, others looked like wisps of smoke, and off in the southwest a large mass of clouds that appeared to stretch for miles clung to the San Tan Mountains on their western journey. The setting sun had given the bottom of the formation the appearance it was ablaze.
I opened the window, happy that the days were cooling off and I could let natures welcomed sounds in. As I opened the window the multitude of birds that rested in my two trees were singing their songs. I sat on my glider chair and enjoyed the view of the setting sun and what passes for mountains here in the southwest, though in reality they are nothing more than dormant volcanoes. Every time I gaze at them I can’t help but think about the ancient Pompeii’s and Mt. Vesuvius and hope that never happens here.
Then the off in the distance I hear the roar of engines, they are not too loud at first but they soon close in and I realize it is the obnoxious and ever present local ATV riders. As they neared, the noise became so loud that I had to close the window, and then the birds that had been enjoying the day in my trees took off from their perch. I watched the intruders as they approached the Cul-De-Sac that I live next to and began to drive in circles revving their engines. I never could understand the enjoyment they get of driving in circles like that when the desert is a mere twenty yards away and they could drive as fast as they like out in the open. Yet they continue to drive in a circle for hours going nowhere but making life miserable for the homeowners.
Dejected I close the drapes, and turn towards the living room to sit and watch TV, isolated from the joyous sounds of nature and to miss another refreshing cool Arizona evening.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year
Happy New Year one and all, I hope 2010 finds you all healthy.
It has been sometime since I have updated my blog, and I thought I would let you know how my writing is progressing.
First off let me say my Christmas was wonderful, we were blessed to have my parents stay over we attended Christmas Eve Service together, and then the next day shared a wonderful meal my wife prepared, and exchanged gifts. I got much more than I deserved, but it was a blessing to share it with my loved ones. The day after Christmas my wife and I met up with her Cousin, and her husband, we enjoyed dinner with them, and together we went to see Mannheim Steamrollers Christmas show. If you have never seen this group I would recommend that if you get a chance, go and see them. Even though their leader Chip Davis was not there they still did a magnificent job.
My resolution for the New Year is to begin to submit pieces of work for consideration in publications, and my first attempts will be with the Chicken Soup books. I am working on two pieces to submit and I hope to send them in the first quarter of 2010. One piece is about our two cats and the other is an inspirational piece, or at least I hope that someone may find inspiration in it.
Once I submit those I plan to continue to work on my novel. Also I will work on a fictional short story where I will show how my antagonist became so evil. I found as I wrote the history of him that I may have an interesting story here and have decided to see if I can put together a storyline, and submit this piece once ready as well. I still need to find a home for this work, I am aware of one site called Baines Universe that this may work in, but I will have to research other sites as well. If you have any sites you would think this piece would fit by all means please respond with the site address or publication name. As I said above it will be a fictional piece of work in a fantasy setting, so the site and or publication must accept this type of work.
I understand that we as writers will submit many pieces that will be rejected and I am not under the illusion that these will be accepted, but I will not know unless I submit my work, and that will be my intention this year. However I do know that the more I write the better my craft will become so I will continue to write and submit my work.
I will also continue to submit pieces to my writers group for critique’s and hope that they will give me honest feedback. I did submit the first two piece’s for the Chicken Soup books but unfortunately I did not get much feedback from them, so I am not sure of what they felt but hopefully that more of them will be willing to give me honest feedback on future pieces.
Well, that is all for now I thank you for taking the time to read this and any comments are always appreciated.
Once again Happy New Year one and all!
It has been sometime since I have updated my blog, and I thought I would let you know how my writing is progressing.
First off let me say my Christmas was wonderful, we were blessed to have my parents stay over we attended Christmas Eve Service together, and then the next day shared a wonderful meal my wife prepared, and exchanged gifts. I got much more than I deserved, but it was a blessing to share it with my loved ones. The day after Christmas my wife and I met up with her Cousin, and her husband, we enjoyed dinner with them, and together we went to see Mannheim Steamrollers Christmas show. If you have never seen this group I would recommend that if you get a chance, go and see them. Even though their leader Chip Davis was not there they still did a magnificent job.
My resolution for the New Year is to begin to submit pieces of work for consideration in publications, and my first attempts will be with the Chicken Soup books. I am working on two pieces to submit and I hope to send them in the first quarter of 2010. One piece is about our two cats and the other is an inspirational piece, or at least I hope that someone may find inspiration in it.
Once I submit those I plan to continue to work on my novel. Also I will work on a fictional short story where I will show how my antagonist became so evil. I found as I wrote the history of him that I may have an interesting story here and have decided to see if I can put together a storyline, and submit this piece once ready as well. I still need to find a home for this work, I am aware of one site called Baines Universe that this may work in, but I will have to research other sites as well. If you have any sites you would think this piece would fit by all means please respond with the site address or publication name. As I said above it will be a fictional piece of work in a fantasy setting, so the site and or publication must accept this type of work.
I understand that we as writers will submit many pieces that will be rejected and I am not under the illusion that these will be accepted, but I will not know unless I submit my work, and that will be my intention this year. However I do know that the more I write the better my craft will become so I will continue to write and submit my work.
I will also continue to submit pieces to my writers group for critique’s and hope that they will give me honest feedback. I did submit the first two piece’s for the Chicken Soup books but unfortunately I did not get much feedback from them, so I am not sure of what they felt but hopefully that more of them will be willing to give me honest feedback on future pieces.
Well, that is all for now I thank you for taking the time to read this and any comments are always appreciated.
Once again Happy New Year one and all!
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