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The leech had been removed but the blood on his swimsuit would never leach out of the fabric. He never wanted to swim in this pond. His friends thought it humorous to say he was a coward. However he had seen the leeches before. Snakelike swimming creatures that swirled around your legs if you disturbed them.

He fell for their taunting and now has a welt near his humerus bone from being attacked. Just thinking of the feeling it gave him, wrapping around his arm, gave him repeated fits of the chills. Upon the other boys seeing how truly shaken he was, they stopped laughing.

https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2018/09/01/saturday-mix-double-take-1-september-2018%ef%bb%bf/

I saw him first when I walked to school. He was parking his motorcycle. Tall, shock of black hair dangling on his forehead, piercing eyes, wearing a black leather jacket. Jeans, and boots with straps completed the look. The black leather jacket with silver zippers caught my eye first. The leathers are still an attraction after all these years. He also noticed me and we dated until that early New Year’s morning, afterwhich he was my outlaw no more.

https://sammiscribbles.wordpress.com/2018/09/01/weekend-writing-prompt-70-outlaw/

The street was busy as she navigated through the crowds, her destination only a few blocks ahead. It would be Mary’s first time joining her coworkers from the office. It seemed a TGIF party was held weekly; this time she was invited.

Everyone was automatically invited, evidence pinned on the bulletin board. Mary saw the notices, but hadn’t the courage to join.

This Friday was different. She was privately invited by an extremely popular young man she’d admired. Mary spied him when entering the restaurant. All she had to do now was push through the bottleneck of fellow admirers.

She tried a few times, pouring over old mysteries, trying to find a lethal method to obtain her inheritance, but not implicating herself in the process, was beyond her own imagination.

Julie had lived as a caretaker most of her life; her grandparents, now her father. She was tired. Never experiencing what so many other young women had, she was a lonely spirit in mind and body.

After seeing an interesting man on one of her many village walks, she suddenly thought perhaps she could meet a man like this, but arriving home, a glance in the mirror convinced her otherwise. Julie would need a complete overhaul to attract a man like that and it would take time and money. The only money was hoarded away by the very people she had cared for all these years. None of them seemed to realize she was a woman with thoughts and desires of her own. The money available was used for the base necessities of food, clothing and medicines. She knew there was an inheritance coming and when she thought if it, guilt took over greed. That was until she spied the man on her trip to the apothecary.

After daily duties were done, Julie started to plot how to obtain the inheritance. Planning her remaining patient’s demise without raising suspicious thoughts, Julie discarded the idea of a noose. She doubted anyone would believe her disabled father would attempt suicide.

Reading murder mysteries, she discovered in older days women used poison to dispose of unwanted people in their lives and the plan developed. An accidental overdose might not be believed since she was the very observant caretaker, known well by the medical doctors and even the apothecary personnel. As she researched, found an untraceable poison, and decided to procure it. Seemingly, a simple backstreet encounter lasting only five minutes to ensure her happiness of a lifetime. Julie, being of average intelligence never thought out the details or the consequences of such a purchase.

Julie father suffered his demise the next day. No one seemed surprised the old man died. The next morning Julie did not rise to her father’s cries for help, or fixing porridge for anyone, not bathing or changing diapers for anyone either, for the first time in over twenty years. She laid n her bed thinking of how she was finally free when there was a knock on the door.

No one ever visited but she thought it might be another offer from a neighbor thinking she was grief stricken by her father’s death. She assumed the expected sorrowful face as she opened the door.

“Good day, madame” as he removed his hat. “I am Sherlock Holmes and this is Dr. Watson”.

***

For the Three Things Challenge: inheritance, noose, poison.

https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2018/09/01/three-things-challenge/

Just received my monthly informative (warning) letter from the apartment complex manager. It’s a newsletter sent to every resident at the end of the month restating the rules of the complex, etc. This particular one had special dates/days occurring in September. I was laughing at the ninth which happens to be my birthday. It is Grandparents day also Pet Memorial Day. Am I the only one that finds that funny?

My step mother buried her beloved poodle in a pet cemetery in Florida and my father and she visited regularly. I’ve had many pets, look back on them with fond memories, and tears, but I would never bury them in a cemetery with a headstone, etc. When our last pet, a shitzu died of old age, we buried him by the other unfortunate animals we all had lost, on the ranch in Colorado. A kindly neighbor had a machine to help bury one of the horses. I felt the pain and still do, over the loss of these temporary friends, but I would never bury them in a cement plot. For two unexpected deaths, one from bloat and one from cancer, the vet helped with the disposal of the bodies. When living in a city, that is the option. If only my stepmother cared as much for people as she did for her pet, we all would have been happier, including her.

Round and round the 45s went on the record player. Some of these small vinyl records are probably lounging around in my storage area, but I have no player for them. I remember spending time perusing the record store collections. Then it was LPs and a much longer time before you had to change it. There were automatic players of course but some aficionados preferred placing the delicate needle themselves. Of course for dancing, we just let it auto repeat for songs like Chubby Checker’s “twist” –up and down, round and round”.

Have a nice long weekend.🕺🏻💃🏻

http://lindaghill.com/2018/08/31/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-1-18/

I have featured him before when he first made videos in a convenience store with this song. I was so impressed with him, his passion and ability to make you feel. Any time a musical artist can make me feel, whether with singing or instrument, I like them. I still feel strongly about the message of this song. Check him out on YouTube. Start with the Convenience store sessions and the Tiny Desk Concert from NPR which he won in 2015.

https://rugby843.blog

There she was, standing on a hill in a landscape so familiar yet so foreign. George and Rupert couldn’t believe their eyes. Marnie was gone, but there she was! She was dressed oddly and the frightened look on her face as she turned to them made them feel ill.

How did she get there, into the game? How many hours had they been gone looking for the talisman?

It had all started with the the video game. They thought getting into the spirit of it by pretending would be a lark, but now they were in it for real. They picked up the console, hoping they could somehow bring Marnie back to their safe living room.

Thinking it might work like a ouiga board, they held the console together and asked Marnie to return. Instead of her coming back, the boys also found themselves in the game. But not on the hill with Marnie. They were in a cave of sorts and surrounded by wizards and wormholes.

“I see you’ve been playing my game” one of the wizards said. The boys mumbled something unclear. Clinging to each other in fright, finally realizing where they were, Rupert spoke up quite bravely.

“We’re here to get our friend Marnie back”.

George, not wanting to appear cowardly, also spoke. “That’s all we want, to get Marnie and go home”. They stood up and dusted themselves off, remembering the brave characters they were in the game.

As they began to play the game in their minds, they thought they could outsmart the wizard as they had done when playing the game. They needed to be the characters, not the boys. George checked his outfit and felt the sword he had on his back. Rupert also realized he had secret weapons that might defeat the wizard if need be. Rupert just had to believe it.

Turning to leave the cave and find Marnie, the two noticed a pile of items on the cave side. Giving each other a knowing look, thinking the same thing, stopped. “Are these items to be used in the game?” Rupert asked.

“Yes they are. What items are you wishing to purchase?”

“Isinglass”.

The wizard laughed, “that will cost you a fine sum! Twenty gold pieces.”

The boys searched their clothes and found each had the quarry from their last game–the one before Marnie had to be rescued. They offered the coins and the wizard let them have a piece of the Isinglass. Setting out to rescue Marnie, they left the cave.

Outside they recognized the land around them, knew Marnie must be along the nearby hills. Getting used to their game personas, grew confident they could manage this quest. The magical Isinglass would rescue them all.

As soon as they spotted her, they realized she was no longer alone. Not being held as captive, but trying to blend into a small camp of nomads.

As soon as she saw Rupert and George she ran to them. “What happened? I was waiting for you to come home from the library so we would know how to fight with the talisman. I picked up the console. As soon as I did I was transported into the game! How did you get here? I want to go home!”

“We only have this day left of the warlord’s challenge. Whatever we do we have to be quick or we’ll be stuck in this game forever!”

The three devised a plan to meet the warlord and then offer the Isinglass for safe passage back to their home. As they approached, they saw the wizard by his side.

The warlord seemed friendlier than in the previous meetings, and they took that as a good omen. “Have you enjoyed your game playing, taking advantage of our world?”

“Yes my lord, but we want to return to our home. We didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

“It is only a charmed few who experience our real world here. I expect you’re ready to go home.”

“Indeed they are my lord”, the wizard added.

“Do you have the talisman?” Rupert pulled put the Isinglass and handed it to the warlord.

As soon as the warlord touched the Isinglass, the three teenagers found themselves at home, in their living room, dressed in their regular clothing.

It only took a few seconds of realization before they retrieved a box and locked up the video game console, never to touch it again. Years later the box still remains buried in the attic covered with dust.

August Writing Prompts

Mike and Joe had looked forward to this all day. Lively music from the “Jumpin’ Jivers”, drinks aplenty, and no work this long weekend. The girls were meeting them at nine, so they had time to partake of the club’s specialty, jalapeño cheese burgers with fries. All in all, the boys were ready for an evening of good food, music and anticipated romance.

Not having to work the next two days, the young men were ready to party. They both hoped the girls were also. Dancing and drinking was for them an outlet from their daily hard worked jobs as ditch diggers. The old fashioned term was now referred to as waterline excavation teams. It was hot dirty work, but still needed even with modern equipment.

Cindy and Sue were also looking forward to the long weekend and hoped the boys would want to dance all night as they did. The band, “Jumpin’ Jivers” was their favorite, playing a variety of old songs and new, all with a danceable beat. The girls were early, since taking a taxi instead of walking, to the club. They found the guys inside, wolfing down huge hamburgers. Upon seeing the ladies enter, Joe and Mike ordered another round of beer plus two. A good time was going to had by all.

👠👞👠👞👠👞

https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com

Searching the library and hoping Marnie was safe at home, Rupert and George decided the talisman would only be hidden in the extremely old part of the library. The Myths and Legends section was their choice. After flipping through numerous books trying to find even a drawing of the infamous Isinglass, they were exhausted.

Knowing Marnie was home alone, they decided to take a break from their quest and return to check on her. Inside, they found no sign of her except the blinking video game console. While George searched the house, Rupert picked up the video game controller and then screamed for George.

There on the large screen was Marnie, standing atop a hill in the distance. Neither boy could believe their eyes. They recognized the landscape from their game playing. What happened to Marnie? Why was she there? They thought their eyes were playing tricks until the hilltop figure turned. It indeed was Marnie, her likeness anyway, but then she mouthed the word “help”.

**TBC

https://scvincent.com/2018/08/30/writephoto-Prompt-watcher/

https://scvincent.com/author/suecv/