The Eddystone Light House.

Yesterday I posted a popular Sea Shanty The Wellerman come. This in turn spurred Noelle Grainger at Sailing Away to do a post on the Shanty The Eddystone Light House, it’s a great post read it here.

Here is a great version of the Eddystone Light House from the Sea Shanty Blogger.

Thank you Noelle 💜💜💜

Thursday photo prompt: Appointed #writephoto

It’s Thursday and time for Sue Vincent’s #writepho, which I have to say, I am delighted to see back again this week.

It has been suggested that Sue use the ‘Mister Linky’ widget rather than having to create a full round-up list every week… which is a good thing as her treatments and hospital appointments tend to be on Thursdays…

Sue asks as an experiment, would we mind clicking the green Mr Linky logo on her page, by entering our name and link to our post then clicking the box to accept the privacy policy, then press enter… we can save her a lot of work.

When you click, it should look like this screenshot, but empty and ready for you to fill in:

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For visually challenged writers, the image shows the black silhouette of a crow perched atop a blackened and dead-looking tree. In the background the sky is blue and the trees are decked in the full green leaf of summer…

This week’s prompt ~ Appointed.

“Hey Crow what are you doing up there?” asked the small dog with the wagging tail. The crow, though , startled did not move at once. Taking a deep breath he pretended to look off into the distance.

“What are you doing up there, and why is that tree all black and dead like winter looking”. ….. “Go away hissed the crow” trying to retain a semblance of nonshalance. But the small dog would not go away, and the small dog would not be quiet, she was an inquisitive dog.

Crow looked to the horizon taking in the blue sky and fluffy clouds and sighed… All this is wrong he thought, the tree was the only thing that was right…..black and dead. The rest of the surroundings were to bright and that awful word …pretty.

The small dog kept asking questions in a loud bark! Crow just ignored her and wondered why she would not go. The worrying thing was he was on a completely different plane of existence to this small dog and they should not see eachother at all.

Suddenly a woman arrived over the brow of the hill, “Hey Girly” she called “what are you barking about.” After catching her breath she continued. “Ah! I see it’s a crow, hello Mr Crow how are you today”

“Bloody confused ” muttered the crow. The woman laughed, “A confused corvid sitting in a dead tree, well done Girly you’ve found it” “Found what?” asked the small dog.

The woman smiled and hugged the small dog. “The title of my next book, The well appointed crow” she smiled.

The crow clicked his beak and said “but you can’t see me I am not in your time”

Even better said the woman “The well appointed crow who wasn’t there!” She laughed again and the small dog barked. The crow said no more.

#JusJoJan prompt the 28th – “Storm”

“Storm, storm hold up why are you in such a mood?” Jim shouted at his sister as she stomped across the bar! As she went through the door into the street he caught up with her. “What’s with you, why the face and why were you so mad with that guy, do I need to punch his lights out? “

Storm turn to face her brother eyes flashing and red hair flailing around. “Why,” she shouted, “why did mum and dad call me Storm, I mean Storm for God’s sake it caused me nothing but hassle.” Jim smiled , you know sis it’s not your name it’s your temper that gives you all the grief, not your name! ” He looked her straight in the eyes and smiled, she smiled and then they both laughed. “Mum always said you were born the night of 15 October 1987, the night of Hurricane, the night Michael Fish said there was no storm comming but there was! ” “Yes ” Storm replied, “Dad was working away and mum went into labour! Trees down cars and debris flying around… mum whisked off to hospital, the ride from hell, she called it. You went into Mrs Tyson next door didn’t you.” Laughing Jim agreed.

“So you were called storm …just be grateful they didn’t pick Hurricane! God your tempers scary enough as it is!”

Photo by Tomaz Barcellos on Pexels.com

Part of LindaGHill’s Justjojan

#JusJoJan prompt the 4th – “Fingertips”

Fiction

Image from Pixabay.

The whole world lay at his fingertips, he had it all money, looks and talent. He had a beautiful house and people jumping on his every word. Sadly all this was just not enough, he was empty, unfulfilled.

He got up early and threw on the oldest clothes he could find and packed a few bits into a back pack he found in the back of a cupboard. In the kitchen he picked up several bottles of water and some energy bars.

He left the house before anyone was up. He walked down the pristine drive past his three outhouses , two housing his Rolls Royce and Ferrari collections and one his motor bikes, he took none. Past the tennis courts and the outdoor swimming pool through the gate and out into the world.

A week later the papers were full of the fact that Jared Stone the multi-million heir to the Stone fortune had disappeared. The police were concerned that there had been no activity on any of his bank accounts, cards or passport . He had simply disappeared. No trace, the papers said the family were concerned…… they were but unbeknown to the public only for business reasons.

Jared had walked for two days after which he had used up his supplies. He was wondering what to do as he had no money or cards and now that the original euphoria of being on his own had lost it shine and his supplies were exhausted. He was not going back but he did wish he had picked up a little cash.

He had been crossing fields for most of his journey but as he surveyed the horizon he saw a town. He decided to approach it. As he walked through the Main Street he saw a sign in the cafe window, HELP WANTED. Without a second thought he went through the doors and asked to see the manager. He sat at a table and waited for the manager to arrive. The place was heaving and the two waitresses on shift were rushed off their feet. Without a second thought Jared grabbed a tray and started clearing tables.

He’d always had a charming manner about him and he was soon chatting and laughing with the customers and staff. When the manger arrived he was surprised to see this handsome young man clearing tables and interacting with the customers.

Jim the manager offered Jared some lunch and asked him why he wanted to work in his cafe. Jared told him he needed a job as he’d run out of money on his travels and that he really wanted to work with people. Jim asked if he had anywhere to stay, he could see the lad was down at heel.

Two years later Jared woke up next to Libby he watched her sleeping for a while. He got up made the coffee and let the dogs out. Libby was expecting, he loved his job as manager of Jim’s Cafe and he loved the town . He smiled to himself he had the whole world at his finger tips

This is part of LindaGHill’s Jusjojan.

Thursday photo prompt – Glimpsed – #writephoto

This week’s photo prompt:

Pingback and  rules 

The priory on the Rim of Io

The  priory on the Rim of was the last of it’s kind almost forgotten by the rest of creation. …but not quite!

Stay away from the windows she had been told by grandfather and by Mother Superior both. They had impressed upon her the importance of her presence  being  there was to be a secret. The Nuns were all delightful and so kind but they, being a silent order could only speak to her between the hours of six and eight pm. So even though they did their best to entertain their guest she was lonely.

She spent her days , happily in the priory and it’s gardens, the smell of the strange flowers native to Io calming and soothing her. Her nights she was enthralled by the other three Galilean moons that orbit Jupiter.

Keep away from the windows at night they all told her, you must not be seen. Your condition will give you away. 

She did try but the spectacular light that was generated by Io and the other three moons of Jupiter was enthralling.

Stay away from the windows they had begged her but the lights already had a hold on her.

And so it was that she , the last pregnant woman in the  Universe, the last pregnant woman in thirty years stood at the window watching the lights washing over Io.

Sadly  the bounty hunters from Mars saw her at the window, they saw her long hair and pregnant belly, too young, too beautiful to be an ancient Nun.

What future the Universe the only pregnant woman in thirty years held to ransom. All because she could not resist looking out the window.

THREELEGS – PART 3

Originally posted on Usual Muttwits, so good it had to be shared!

THREELEGS – PART 3

One! announces ThreeLegs, eyeballing Βία up and down and all overs before lurching on.

Two! he starts along the cages, carefully counting off three…and four… until he reaches number five. He stops, checking the five toes of his one front paw, glances back at the cages to reconfirm the tally and lurches on.  By the time he’s done counting up to fifteen toes on all three paws he stops again, scratching contemplatively at a tic at the stump where his fourth leg should be hanging. 

Right then…one! he starts over, counting off his front paws. Etcetera. 

Hobbling to the end of the barn, counting off his toes, resetting everytime he reaches the end of three paws. Finally to arrive back at the starting point.

Fifteen he concludes.  A grand total of three paws worth of guests.

Wot a muttwit Βία grins.

ThreeLegs bangs his head against her bars that’s not nice

Yor not nice her hackles up, grin curling into snarl.

Before ThreeLegs gets ‘round to defending his important ledgerings an unmistakable sniffy-red pervades the barn, a colour darker than the night outside.

“what’sallthisnoise,then?” scritches Freddy.

Just doin’ the ledgerings, yor honours whines ThreeLegs before receiving a lusty kick aimed at his head.  ThreeLegs’ three legs back him out of range in the nick of time.

Freddy pokes his eyeballs all ‘round abouts the barn before they stop at Scroggy.

Continue reading at Usual Muttwits.

Sue Vincent’s Thursday photo prompt. Choices.

For visually challenged writers, the image shows a solitary figure on a beach against a wide ocean.

Small choices.

Not long he’d said, I did ask if he could be more specific. He was very nice about it but just couldn’t say. Months, weeks or days…he didn’t mention years.

I really don’t know why I am writing this down, there is no one to read it.

I don’t feel sad, how could I, the sea looks so beautiful with sun glinting on it. This beach is so peaceful, it’s warm and safe.

God, I am so tired, I need to sleep, I wonder if I should wake up again.

It’s funny I am not in any pain… I wonder if it will stay like that. No I am not afraid , well a little, maybe.

Oh! Hello dog, your beautiful, are you on your own?

No it’s okay she’s no bother I love dogs. No I don’t live here …

Pardon? Me, yes I would love a coffee, thank you. There’s a café over there that welcomes dogs……

This was written for Sue Vincent’s #writephoto last June.

Sue Vincent’s #writephoto. Clouded.

This week’s prompt ~ for Sue Vincent’s #writephoto. Clouded. Written Earlier this year.

For visually challenged writers, the image shows a landscape of green moorland and hills, with a pool of water near rocks in the foreground and a heavy bank of white cloud rolling in and masking the horizon.

The hills rolled on forever, dark foreboding. Clouds rolling in from the west carring rain or worse snow, she could smell it. The whole of the land was shrouded in fear. It had been days since she had seen another living being of her kind and she could not dismiss the feeling that she alone.

There was no way out she had tried. The hills became too steep, the river too fast and the boarder along the eastside too heavily guarded by humans. There was no escape while she was in this wounded condition. Eventually she would run out of places to hide and they would find her.

Slowly she turned and padded back to the cave, she would have her pups in a few weeks and by the time they were grown and strong enough she would be able to lead them out of this place . Her strength would have returned and her wounds healed.

For now this was her prison and her sanctuary , she was safe for now how ever clouded her future .

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This is part of #writephoto

From Jane Dougherty.

Progress report

Originally posted on Jan Doherty Writes.

I have a few success stories to crow about, so I’ll let them all go here.

First, I’m proud to have three poems in the anthology As the World Burns published by Indie Blue. I get a special thrill that my third entry is the poem that closes the collection. Yes, my desk is a mess but I can’t tidy it because of the ladybirds hibernating on it.

Read more at Jane Dougherty Writes

Sue Vincent’s #writephoto. Sanctuary.

Sanctuary

Rachel ran, ran as she had not run for months. The moonlight urging her on she gave her blood lust free range for once . She looked magnificent. By midnight she had killed and disposed of a huge bear and was having her normal internal fight. The werewolf in her craved a human but the tiny but strong human part of her was fighting the craving.

Stopping in a clearing Rachel got the scent of something she craved almost as much as human, Vampire! It was close and it was female and the way she felt right now she could easily take her on. Standing stock still and sniffing the air she located the Vampire. Slowly and silently she crept up to a line of trees, fully aware that she was in the open and at a disadvantage she went carefully and stealthily . As she entered the wood she saw ahead of her a female Vampire bathing in shallow looking pond. Rachel felt a shudder of sheer want pass through her . Closing in, moving silently. The Vampire, at first unaware that she was not alone, suddenly felt Rachel’s hot breath on her neck. In a flash she rounded on Rachel. They stood fang to fang Rachel on the shore the Vampire in the water.

In a flash the Vampire lept out of the water and landed in the snow behind Rachel, who turned on her hind legs and lunged at her victim. Biting the Vampire in the stomach she was spurred on by the taste of flesh. The Vampire let out a scream of anger and dug her nails deep into Rachel’s back. Rachel flicked the Vampire off of her back and pounced on her. The Vampire was trying to bite into Rachel’s neck but Rachel was high from lack of real prey for so long. Biting deep into the Vampire’s chest, Rachel was soon covered by the blood oozing out covering her face and fur. Quickly she ripped out the Vampire’s heart and ate it then just to make sure she ripped off the Vampire’s head , then she quickly lapped up as much blood as she could before the Vampire and her scarlet blood turned to ashes in the snow.

Rachel felt elated she arched her back and throwing back her head she howled at the moon loud and long. As she turned to leave the wood she froze, on the wind she could sense and yes, smell, more Vampires, at least three of them. As she fought madly to clear her mind of moonlight and blood she saw a strange domed building on the far side of the clearing . She ran for the door she had no idea why she was heading to the building… she just felt drawn towards it. Halfway across the clearing to her grateful amazement it started to snow heavily covering her paw prints. As she reached the door her luck was still holding and it was open. As she slunk inside the door closed silently behind her.

Outside she heard the Vampires arrive. They spent what seemed like hours trying to open the door but failing. Walking into the gloom she saw light and felt warmth coming from a fire at the far end of the circular room in which she stood. The fire drew her in and she approached , all the time looking at the writing on the wall above the fireplace.

“This is Sanctuary to all but Vampires”. Feeling exhausted Rachel curled up in front of the fire and slept.

Outside the Vampires tried to enter the Sanctuary without any luck. They then searched for their sister…in vain. Just before dawn they left to seek shelter.

You can read the whole story so far here at The Vampire , the Witch and the Werewolf.

Sue Vincent’s Thursday photo prompt