Twittering Tales #132 – 16 April 2019

Photo by Luis Quintero on Unsplash.com

Phone box

The last rays of the sun lit the payphone bronze. Through the dirty window the pool still looked blue. Letters scratched into the glass their meaning long forgotten. Another abandoned motel in the middle of nowhere. No money to use the phone but there was no one to answer it.
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This is my entry for Kat Myrman of Like Mercury Colliding Twittering Tales.

Twittering Tales #131 – 9 April 2019

Twittering Tales brainchild of Kat Myrman at Like Mercury Colliding.

Landed.

Rory watched the rain as the plane taxied to its slot.That was the worst flight he’d been on. Turbulence all the way passengers only allowed up for the loo.Serving dinner had been hairy they’d nearly lost the trolley more than once.God he’d never been so grateful to see Heathrow.

(280 Characters)

Hélène Vaillant’s Photo prompt April 9 2019.

This is my entry for Hélène Vaillant’s what do you see challenge.

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Mother Nature’s Painting.

Those were the days Mother Nature thought, she stepped back and looked closely at the painting. Then she shook her head and said, to no one in particular.” Who am I kidding it was never like that”

“What do you mean ” asked a gentle voice beside her. She jumped then smiling she replied. “You know exactly what I mean, ever since you set those humans loose they have done nothing but , rape, destroy,waste and abuse all my gifts.”

There was a silence then God spoke again “I admit after I gave them free will it did all go down hill”. Shifting , uncomfortablely on his feet God admitted “They were so cute at first weren’t they?” “Huh! I am not sure they were ever cute, they certainly are not now.” Mother Nature sighed”

God and Mother Nature stood in silence for a year or two then Mother Nature asked, “Will you save them, send them some where else?” God looked sad as he replied “No, there is no point I have given them so many chances . They have wasted them all. I am so disappointed but they are are beyond all hope”

Mother Nature wept she was was in pain and so tired but she did have a soft spot for the humans, some had tried to change things.

God and Mother Nature turned away from the painting.. “Just plants and animals next time?” God suggested. As they walked away from the painting , the canvas went completely blank.

“Is that less painful?” God asked quietly, Mother nature nodded.

Fair thought doesn’t save the world.

Thursday photo prompt: Threshold #writephoto

She couldn’t stay here for long the tide would turn in a few hours and she would be trapped.

Strangely she had survived the previous night she had found a circular shaft in the cave. Although she had managed to shimmy up away from the hungry waters she had been scared and cold in the dark. Her body was now much weakened and she knew she could not survive another night.

What should she do, there was no going back. The villagers would stone her or even worse burn her at the stake.

These people knew her, they were her family, neighbours and friends even. They had seen her grow, they had known of her knowledge of the herbs and potions and books.

She had lived happily among them, all her life. Every single one of them had cause to be grateful for her skills. That meant nothing now.

Cold and hungry she sat watching the sea washing the shore line. Listening to the waterfall, outside the cave, she wondered what to do.

Just as the tied started to turn she felt a presence at her side. Turning she was astounded to see Gia standing there smiling down at her.

“What are you doing here child,” mother earth asked her. “Why do you weep”

She looked into Gia’s beautiful face and told her the sad and sorry tale.

Gia touch her gently, and she turned to stone. “Fear not” my child she said. “You will rest here safe in my womb and when the time is right I will return and change you back.” Gia smiled and the girl felt safe and warm. No longer tired or hungry she felt at peace. “When the world needs you and, it will need you. I shall return you to your human form so you can continue your work.”

Goddess mother Gia

Protects those who worship her

Bountiful mother.

This is my entry for Sue Vincent of The Daily Echo #writephoto. Threshold.

Twittering Tales #130 – 2 April 2019

Photo by Marc Schäfer

Home Truths.

Tom picked up the book and read. “You don’t get to tell me what, when or where anymore. You don’t shout out my short comings. You’re a bully, you are controlling. My friends and family are not bad. I will wear what I want, drink and eat what I want. You will not ever own me now.”
(280 Characters)

This is brought to you care of Kat Myrman’s Twittering Tales.

Twittering Tales #129 – 26 March 2019

Photo by Tony Dinh at Unsplash.com

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Birdcage Walk.

No one noticed the eggs arrival.They incubated on their own. The chicks were put in cages and hung between the buildings. The birds thrived growing to huge proportions. People came from all over to see them. They renamed the road Birdcage Walk. Then one day the cages were empty.
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This was brought to you care of Kat Myrman‘s Twittering Tales.

WHAT DO YOU SEE? MARCH 19/2019

Pixabay

Shades of Grey

Everything was grey

No difference twixt night or day.

There was no joy or happiness

Colours were banned, put to rest.

Buildings crumbled, neglected

Hope was pushed out rejected.

Water had all but run out

Food was dwindling no doubt.

Everyone was dower, sad

They had lost all they had, had.

One night the sky came to life

Colours across the grey did strike

Few saw, all to busy looking down.

Trapped in twilight stumbling around.

The words painted on the wall

Like a joke taunting them all.

A distorted ladder did arrive

One brave man climbed to reach the sky.

“Yes”he said “the beginning is near”

“But it is the end for us I fear.”

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This is part of Hélène Vaillant’s What do you see.

Twittering Tale #128 – 19 March 2019 – Pug in a Blanket

Photo by Matthew Henry at Unsplash.com

Azriel was missing, Mike and Gabe had searched hi and low to no avail.Satan was enjoying watching them.The Big Man had located him. Sitting on the bed at flat 23, swaddled in a blanket. OMG she’s cute Dave I love her so much. Azriel cringed at the word she. Satan was having fun.
(280 Characters)

This is part of Kat Myrman of Like Mercury Colliding’s Twittering Tales.

WHAT DO YOU SEE? MARCH 12, 2019

The  dead lay all around under the bridge. The  battle  had been bloody and  furious. The Dragon  fort bravely and  slayed  the  sons  of man .They had  again  attacked  him without  reason  or warning.

Truly  he could not understand  why  they hated  him so much. Every hundred or  so years  they  would  come  and  search him out. He  was tired now and lonely. All his kin had  long  died  or  taken to  the air  to  leave  this  inhospitable planet, peopled by the  evil son’s of Adam and Eve.

Why he wondered  were  they so unkind  and blood thirsty, why had they always  persecuted him and his kind. If only  they would try talking  he  could of explain  that he was the last guardian of  their  selfish , miserable  kind. No matter how  they treated him he  would stay to protect them until he was no more able to. Yes  he killed  them in Battle  but  never blindly or without feeling. Every time  he  took a mortal’s life  he died a little inside .

They just would not  learn, he  could  see into the future  and  what he saw was terrifying  beyond  belief.  War machines, that flew the skies, some that moved across land at high speed and even more that  ploughed  the waters above and below. He  wept, he  hurt for them …would  they ever learn? He  saw  men from different nation’s  and eras preaching  war, a few preached peace  but  they did not  shout  as loud  and  were soon silenced. To his  horror he  saw also the females become leaders  and some were as evil as  the men.

In despair he wept. Then he felt a presence before  him. He raised his face and looked into the eyes of a young knight who too was weeping . The Dragon  read the lad’s  mind  and  showed  him what  he foresaw. He told  the young  knight  what he feared  was  the  fate of  his  world. The  knight wept , the Dragon wept, they wept together.

The knight  saw how mortally tired  the Dragon was but he  had no wish to harm him. “How  can I help” asked  the boy, he was all of  thirteen dressed and armed as a knight.” I don’t know” answered  the Dragon a huge  tear running done his  scaly face.  They sat a while in silence then who knows, maybe  God  or  some  other  supreme being sowed a seed of hope in both their heads.

“I know” said  the boy , “you need sleep” . “Yes”  agreed  the Dragon “a millennia at least,” smiling  as he spoke. “Well ” said  the boy , then he  and  the Dragon spoke  as one.

“If I / You pretend  to kill you /Me, I/You can tell the world I /You killed you/Me  the last Dragon . ” they stopped  and looked at each other. The boy said , “yes  then  you could sleep and no one  will look for you or  attack  you ” “I will give  you  one of  my diamond eyes and part of  my tail as  proof. ”  “Really said  the boy in shock will that not  hurt you ” The dragon waved  a clawed paw at him , “only  momentarily, after a  few hundred years I will of repaired myself. ”

“Make it  look real boy use  your sword, then leave me  to rest . ”

The  boy wept as he  cut out  the dragon’s eye  and removed  part of his tale. The Dragon for his part let out  a huge roar that was heard in every village  and town for miles.

“Go boy”whispered the Dragon, “make  them believe you. Then I shall sleep and awake  when this  world needs me . ”

The  Boy mounted his white steed  and and rode off towards  the city of men to tell them the  last dragon was dead. He  also vowed to keep his promise  to the Dragon to make a difference.

The  snow  began to fall as  the  Dragon settled  down under  the  bridge . The  bodies of  the slain men turned  to stone  as  the  snow  covered them . The Dragon fell fast asleep and God  or  some other supreme  being  cloaked him to be invisible  until man was better, wiser and  ready to listen to his  wisdom and find  the way to peace.

The  boy, shall I tell you his name? It was George and he became  a saint . The Dragon  well he still sleeps , gathering his  strength , awaiting  the  day  when we will of  evolved enough  for him and his  kin to return  and show us how to live in peace.

Sadly I doubt I shall see that  day, but it will come.

This is part of Hélène’s What do  you see prompt. 

Thursday photo prompt: Sign #writephoto

Death  was  tired, that just goes without saying  really. It was a full moon and this  always  played  havoc  with his  old bones. Shivering he  crossed  the moors alone  and  weary. As  he  crossed  the horizon …he  is  Death  and if  he  wants  to cross an horizon  I am not  going to stop him are  you ? he cursed his job.

As he  hobbled  on he was truly  regretting  that  he had  allowed  his apprentice  to have  the  night off  and  take his  horse out  for a ride. Death pondered  once again the pros and cons  of  upgrading  to a car or  a helicopter but  the last time  he had  mentioned  this  to the man upstairs  he had  been told in no uncertain terms  that  scary horses were, what was expected  and scary horses it  would  remain for himself  and his  three apocalyptic brothers.

Suddenly  he  saw  the sign in the distance, it looked  to any passing  mortal , like  an unusual pub sign. It was in fact an empty frame in which a wizard’s hat was suspended. This to the informed, indicated  the presence  of  an Enchanted  Tavern.

Tonight  Death had an usual job. One  of  this  earth’s  oldest  soothsayers had  come to the end of  a very long  and  busy life. The chap , Nigel by name , had  overseen many a century  of wars, evil doings, shady deals and even shadier politicians and of late a Brexit . It was the Brexit  that had  been the  sight too many  for Nigel.

Nigel sat  by the  fire in the  huge  and yet cosy hostelry  surrounded  by old friends  and old foes, eating a sumptuous meal of steak and ale pie and chips. A huge bottle  of Malbec  sat on the table  in front of him.

It had been noted by the regulars  that Nigel  had  absolutely  nothing to say  tonight . This was most unusual  for him because  he  was always  telling  tales of  death  destruction  and  dystonian futures. Not tonight Nigel  was on a mission to eat his dinner  and drink as much wine as was un-humanly possible.

As  the door blew open, Nigel put his  knife  and fork down , and as clearly  as he could  with a mouth full of  meat and pastry, addressed  the Spectre as he entered.  “Your early, Death  me old friend. I ‘ave  not  finished me dinner yet” 

No one  bothered to look around as  Death entered  and approached Nigel’s table. “Calm down I am here now  and I am quite  happy to sit awhile  and enjoy a rest , it’s bloody raw out there. ” Death replied as  he plonked  a large egg timer  down on the table  between himself  and Nigel. “We have time enough for  you to share a pudding  with me while we let  the sands run out.I have never diddle anyone  out of  anytime. ”

Taking  an empty glass off of a passing barmaid  Death poured himself  a good measure of wine. He sat down , groaning loudly  and took a large mouthful which  ran straight through him and unto the sawdust floor.

Nigel and  Death  finished  the  meal, the wine  and  a spotted dick  and custard  then sat in silence  watching  the  last of  Nigel’s life drain away. As the last grain of  sand  fell on to the large pile  laying  in the lower part of  the timer Nigel let out  a huge belch and  stepped out of  his  body. Death  dragged himself up out of his  warm and  comfy chair.

As they  left  the tavern, no one  took any notice of  them. Death,  though not  a frequent visitor  never caused a stir.  Outside the two spirits looked up at  the sign and  the cloudy sky. “Before  we go” said Nigel  ” Who’s  hat  was  that ” Death looked at him in shocked surprise and replied “You mean,you, the greatest soothsayer of  all, don’t know”   Nigel looked Death straight  in  the eye sockets and hissed “Na , if I knew I wouldn’t  ask ya would I.” Death  grinned , to be honest  he had a permanent grin. Slowly  he  he guided  Nigel away and  out of  earshot and  replied ” Well I suppose it doesn’t matter now  it belonged to ……………………

Back inside  the  tavern  everything  went on as  normal …or what passed  for normal in those circles. The cleaner sighed  as he  cleared up the  sticky mess of  food and  wine  that Death  had left in his wake.

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This  is  my  entry  for