The creature was lurking in a black lagoon that was part of the Louisiana swamps which are holding numerous secrets that will send chills down your spine and wake you up in the middle of the night screaming from your sleep. It raised its hand out of the water, but it will probably remain hidden until darkness reigns. These creatures are so terrifying because they have been known to hack people up into chunks and eat them just to create panic and instill more fear. This monstrous swamp thing was born from a fungal virus infection that came into contact with radiation. It takes on a humanoid/plant form and a group of scientists has been sent after it to try to capture the animal, bring it back to their lab so they can study what makes it tick.
Written for Sue Vincent’s September 5, 2019 Thursday Photo Prompt – Poised to ascend.
In 1969, Robert Hunter the Grateful Dead song lyricist was living with Jerry Garcia in a house on Madrone Canyon Road in Larkspur. Their house was in a redwood grove sitting on an acre of land, with a creek running behind it, tall trees surrounding it, and the morning light would shine through the branches. Hunter was impressed with the Band and the songwriting of Robbie Robertson after listening to Big Pink and he wanted to take the Grateful Dead in that direction for their next album Workingman’s Dead. Hunter was inspired to write the song ‘Dire Wolf’ after watching The Hound of the Baskervilles on TV with Garcia.
This song is a dire story set in the middle of winter told by a man that sees a six hundred pound monster “the dire wolf” outside his window. This guy had nothing to eat, so red whisky became his supper. He says his prayers and goes to bed, but he was awakened by the dire wolf grinning outside his window. He tells the wolf to come in, and they start playing cards. The cards are cut to the queen of spades, which is the death card, and all the cards are death at this point. That was the last anyone ever saw of him. He begs the wolf not to murder him, but in the backwash of Fennario, the black and bloody mire the dire wolf is running round and he is hungry as wolves usually are. This winter was particularly hard and cold, and being in this frozen environment, everyone was hungry all the time. The Dire Wolf collects his due, as the other boys wait their turn singing round the fire “don’t murder me”.
That wolf outside my window is a real beast
He is probably real hungry and wants to feast
I don’t think he will be satisfied with whisky
I could invite him in, but that would be risky
I am up now, so maybe I could talk him into playing a game of cards
At six hundred pounds, he would go through all my bodyguards
Oh no not the queen of spades
I wish I had some Rolaids
That card will be the death of me
I should beg down on my knee
Please don’t murder me, I don’t even taste good
But the wolf was hungry and the man understood
In the timbers to Fennario, the wolves are running round,
The winter was so hard and cold, froze ten feet ‘neath the ground.
Don’t murder me, I beg of you, don’t murder me. Please, don’t murder me.
I sat down to my supper, ‘twas a bottle of red whisky,
I said my prayers and went to bed, that’s the last they saw of me.
Don’t murder me, I beg of you, don’t murder me. Please, don’t murder me.
When I awoke, the Dire Wolf, six hundred pounds of sin,
Was grinning at my window, all I said was “Come on in”.
Don’t murder me, I beg of you, don’t murder me. Please, don’t murder me.
The Wolf came in, I got my cards, we sat down for a game.
I cut my deck to the Queen of Spades, but the cards were all the same.
Don’t murder me, I beg of you, don’t murder me. Please, don’t murder me.
In the backwash of Fennario, the black and bloody mire,
The Dire Wolf collects his dues, while the boys sing ‘round the fire.
Don’t murder me, I beg of you, don’t murder me. Please, don’t murder me.
No, no, no don’t murder me. I beg of you,
Don’t murder me. Please, don’t murder me.
It is the trailing edge of summer and ever since we saw that water snake in our local swimming hole, nobody wants to swim there anymore. It used to be a place where we would all go to relax, but now our heightened senses have caused an overload and this once peaceful paradise is not the same. We still go there to hang out, but everyone is too frightened to jump in, even though we learned that they are non poisonous. We saw it creep out of the water one day to eat a frog, which was very problematic to watch. The holidays are coming, but I wish the summer would never end. Next week it is back to school for all of us, it is inevitable we are going back, even though this is against our will.
The weather will change and playing outside will be replaced by doing homework, watching more TV and whatever indoor Olympics we come up with. I broke my wrist at the trampoline park called Sky Zone and now I am wearing a cast. I guess all in all it was a pretty good summer, as my Aunt invited me to visit her at her home in Pebble Beach and we went to the Shakespeare festival where we saw Comedy Of Errors. She makes a delicious chicken noodle soup and sometimes you just have to let summer go, but with a few days left, I haven’t written this one off yet,
Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Errors & Problematic, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Wrist, for the Daily Spur prompt – Holidays, for FOWC with Fandango – Written, for Go Dog Go Café Christine Prompt – Against our will, for Go Dog Go Café Tuesday Prompt – Edge of summer, for August Monthly Writing Prompts – Heightened senses, for Ragtag Community – Pebble, for Sara’s Closet Full Of Notebooks Prompt – Indoor Olympics, for Paula’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Creep Wish Soup, for Sue Vincent’s August 22, 2019 Thursday Photo Prompt – Pool and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Zone.
Day after day that man climbs the hill. He is skinny looking, a bit like Ichabod Crane and he doesn’t appear to have enough sense to come in out of the rain. Nobody wanted to know him, as they all felt that he’s just a fool with his head up in the clouds. Sara was a newbie in town and she felt that the people were being cruel to him, so she walked across the grass and up the hill to meet the strange man. She introduced herself and asked the man how he was doing. He said, “My name is Boojum Snark and I feel fine.” Sara told him that she never heard the name Boojum before and then she asked him how he got that unusual name. Boojum said, “I was born under a boojum tree and boojum is actually a phenomenon in physics associated with superfluid helium.”
Sara said, “I had no idea, but out of all of the laws in physics I find superfluidity to be the best methods for understanding how black holes behave. I saw a video of helium that was cooled down to the point where it was able to do things that other fluids can’t, this superfluid liquid can flow without friction and climb up and over the sides of a dish, and remain motionless when its container is spun. Do you mind me asking you why you are always walking back and forth on the top of this hill?” Boojum said, “I saw a spot of darkness one day, which I think may have been caused by photons falling into a wormhole and leaving a tiny empty space behind, so if there is a wormhole here, I hope that I can find it. It is not very big, probably only about the size of a pin, but seeing it that one time has kept me fascinated, due to the potential that it could allow faster-than-light travel and maybe even time travel.”
Boojum grabbed a tissue to wipe his eyes as he continued, “I wish that we did not make such a mess out of this planet, but since we did and there is no reset button for us to press, we may have to start over on another planet. I want to improve space travel and I will keep trying to find a stable wormhole, as I feel it is here and I know that I am close.” Sara said, “Sometimes I feel like I want to ditch this whole universe, but what if the wormhole took me to a place that was full of dinosaurs and it gave no overt sign of containing any wine or lasagna. For now, I am happy seeing a wormhole on my desktop, as I have no desire to travel to the distant regions of the universe and make contact with alien civilizations and risk getting lost in the immensity of dark space.”
Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Improve, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Pin, for Mathew’s Daily Inkling prompt – I feel fine, for the Daily Spur prompt – Hope, for FOWC with Fandango – Newbie, for August Monthly Writing Prompts – That one time, for Nova’s Daily Random Word prompt – Overt, for Ragtag Community – Grass, for Sara’s Closet Full Of Notebooks Prompt 308 – Reset button, for Paula’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Desktop Lasagna Tissue, for Sue Vincent’s August 15, 2019 Thursday Photo Prompt – Man on a hill and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Wish.
“I got to get out of this heat, let’s head over to that stone chamber”, said Jim. Janet said, “I don’t know, it looks pretty creepy in there. Do you know what is weird, shade doesn’t actually make the temperature any cooler. It stays the same whether or not you are in the sun or in the shade. It just feels cooler in the shade because you are away from solar radiation, which makes our bodies feel hotter. Thermometers are always placed in the shade instead of sunlight, so the instrument won’t get heated by the solar radiation, causing the thermometer to display the temperature of the instrument, instead of the temperature of the surrounding air.”
Jim said, “Aren’t you a fountain of knowledge and it’s not creepy as I don’t see any spiders, scorpions, snakes or bats and if they do happen to drop by, I will protect you. I have some cold lemonade and you have that strudel, so let’s take a little break.” Janet said, “I know what you are up to, as you have been trying to get into my pants since our first date. If it is going to happen, I will let you know, so until then try staying in your lane.” A tear came to Jim’s eyes and he said, “When I make my move you will know it, as I am not the kind of guy that will pressure anyone or try to create some sham to coercive you into doing something that you do not want.” Janet said, “You are so sensitive, as I was just leaving the thought in your mind to keep you excited and was that a real tear, as I thought I saw a watery fluid coming out of your eyes.”
Jim let out a laugh and he said, “ No it was my contacts and I probably need to put some more solution in my eyes. I have not added any since Seven AM this morning and they are starting to dry out. Let’s take a selfie here to memorialize our trip. It looks like it may rain, so we should get comfortable here and I brought along some schnapps, which I have not tried yet and it is called Jellyfish jolts.” Janet said, “Now that is creepy!”
Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Memorialize, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Weird, for Mathew’s Daily Inkling prompt – Staying in your lane, for the Daily Spur prompt – Morning, for FOWC with Fandango – Creepy, for August Monthly Writing Prompts – Jellyfish jolts, for Nova’s Daily Random Word prompt – Strudel, for Ragtag Community – Sham, for Paula’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Seven Solution Laugh, for Sue Vincent’s August 8, 2019 Thursday Photo Prompt – Stone chamber and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Tear.
Everyone takes a different path in life and even though random shit may happen, everyone has their own place in the universe. Here in the Milky Way, planets and stars are born and they die just like people come and go, you are here today and you will be gone tomorrow. It is what it is and life is meant for us to enjoy, not to brood over. You must accept that bad things will happen to anyone who lives long enough and realize that pain cannot be cut away with a little snip. Life is what you make out of it and there is no such thing as an inherently difficult life transition. There are no guarantees, it is a crap shoot, you can’t just sit idly by, you must get involved and take a chance. As a sapient being, you need to be aware and use your insight to make judgments. Get an education, learn as much as you can and if it feels good, then do it.
Wake up and smell the coffee, get out and do things and make some friends. You don’t have to remain always in a crowd, but you shouldn’t miss out on what is really happening because you are too busy being alone with yourself. Stop chasing after that elusive white whale, go after a herring instead, as you may find that to be more satisfying. Move your feet, do a crazy dance like the Freak, the Boogie-Woogie or the Bop, while you drink from your pop top can. If the lid don’t come off, you can always use a pliers. Take a walk down to the lake, or go to see the wizard in Emerald City, but stick to the path and always try to make the most out of your life.
Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Snip, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Chance, for Mathew’s Daily Inkling prompt – Pop Top, for the Daily Spur prompt – Education, for FOWC with Fandango – Random, for August Monthly Writing Prompts – Always in a crowd, for Nova’s Daily Random Word prompt – Sapient, for Ragtag Community – Transition, for Paula’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Emerald Herring Pliers, for Sue Vincent’s Thursday Photo Prompt – Path and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Brood.
This is where I found myself, all alone on this deserted beach. I put in an online application to join the military, thinking this was the right move for me, getting to travel and explore the world while serving my country. They would pay for my college tuition and if I stayed long enough I could get retirement benefits. The problem I had was I did not know which branch I should choose, should I go into the Reserve, the National Guard or sign up for active duty in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy Air Force or the Coast Guard. I knew that I was in good physical condition, of appropriate weight and I should have no problem being able to pass a standard physical screening. There were some things that I knew I didn’t want to do, like jumping out of a plane, so I would not become a paratrooper and I didn’t like being cooped up, so I was not going to be assigned to a submarine.
It is so peaceful here and I need this tranquility to collect my thoughts. I want to get some vacation time and since the military will give me 30 days of paid vacation every year starting with my first year, this sounds great. On the other hand, I am not happy about taking orders, I don’t want to have to salute anyone and I wouldn’t like to be assigned to latrine duty. I don’t want to be screamed at for not making my bed, or not ironing my shirt properly. I am still a young man and joining the military might cramp my sex life. What if the recruiter is lying to me and the last thing that I want is to get shot in some God forsaken county like Afghanistan. Maybe I should look into joining the Peace Corps? I hope that this seashore with its clear, turquoise sea, bordered by small islands and a rocky headland will provide me with some clarity.
