"E" is for...

"D" is for...

"C" is for...

Cottar
by Rain Whitney

The storm swept in with it's bristling wind, tearing at bushes, trees, brambles and wildflowers on the once well kept tenant farm and vacant countryside.

A young peasant woman struggled slowly along the road, the rags wrapped on her feet heavy and infused with mud, muck. and blood. She wasn't certain how far she had traveled but she knew she was close.

When she saw the castle at the crossroads, above the fields of heather, she ran off the road, climbing over the last rock wall to her childhood home. Her heart was beating time to an old folk song singing in her head that she had learned from her parents and sang with her siblings. Tears wet her hopeful, happy eyes as the little cottage and farm appeared like her dreams.

The sickening smell of death hung low in the air as the rain ceased and scavengers came back to claim the dead. Her joy had turned to mourning screams and digging graves for her dear family, all taken by the insidious sickness that was the Black Plague.

"A happy family is but an earlier Heaven!"

~George Bernard Shaw~

cottar - a medieval peasant inhabiting a cottage

Join in and read the other "C" offerings this week HERE at Alphabe Thursday !

"B" is for...

Burrole
by Rain Whitney

In the rural outskirts of a dying town, a crumbling Ma & Pa motel was unwittingly hosting a meeting of terrorists. Their aim was to cause horror and havoc while remaining free of detection and able to kill, maim and destroy at will.

Checking into the motel a day before was a lone woman...fragile, old, cranky and on her way to a family reunion in Chicago. She washed the dust of the road off, along with her disguise, dressed and began eavesdropping and recording the meeting, learning of new plans and targets.

The terrorists vacated suddenly at lunch time the following day, only to be caught at three a.m. in the morning, denying everything and lawyer-ing up...

After a long, tedious trial, the terrorists were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

She heard the TV news on the trial outcome while surveilling yet another terrorist group, sighing with satisfaction and getting on with the ever increasing work ahead.

“The key to good eavesdropping is not getting caught.” 

~ Lemony Snicket ~

burrole:

to secretly eavesdrop on a conversation.

Go HERE to read all the other amazing "B" writings for Alphabe Thursday.

"A" is for...

Abjured

by Rain Whitney

Sunrise awoke Maren out of a miserable sleep. She still had a taunt grip on her gun as she pulled it out from underneath the pillows. She checked the clip, took off the safety and silently moved around the apartment, trying every lock on every door and window, listening...waiting...hoping it would all soon be done with. She was exhausted from being tracked, watched and shadowed by his evil, clan-ish family.

In several days, Emil would be found NOT guilty, all because of her false testimony that gave him an ironclad alibi, renouncing all doubt the jury might have had to convict him. He had used her, lied to her and threatened to make her disappear forever if she refused...terrified, she had agreed. Maren saved her life and the lives of her family in that bargain. Now, the bitter regret of lies proclaimed in court to protect a killer seeped into her soul and took her over.

As she picked up the phone to call the Prosecutor, a calm urgency rested comfortably in her heart and tears of relief rolled easily down onto her smiling face...

"Truth exists; only lies are invented."

~ Georges Braque ~

ab·jured

tr.v. ab·jure, ab·jur·ing, ab·jures

1. To recant solemnly; renounce or repudiate:

2. To renounce under oath; forswear.

Go HERE to read all the other Letter "A" posts for Alphabe Thursday.

"Z" is for...

It's time again for Alphabe Thursday, hosted by Jenny Matlock ... Is it just me or did this last week go super fast ??? Go HERE to read all the cool posts for the Letter "Z" !

Let's start with a rather easy "Z" word:

ZIP CODE ( and area code ) !

                      However mundane we might think it is, without those codes for mail, packages, phone calls, bills,mortgages, credit cards, TV, GPS, weather forecasts, computer etc. we would be back to ancient history ( as we see it ) and out of instant, direct communication with each other. We're talking pre-tech life where we would be lost in every way possible. If the techno rug was suddenly pulled out from underneath our cushy lives, there would be anarchy and chaos...we would all be pulling out our hair in frustration, grief and withdrawal, whining for all our electronic goodies like little two year olds throwing major tantrums. I for one don't want to even deal with any of that nonsense !

ZAPARILLOW ! I think I might be channeling the Survivalist Movement...
oh, ZONKERS, that was kinda scary to think about, wasn't it ?

Years ago, I took a test to determine what career I was perfectly suited for ...turns out it was an Engineer figuring out worst case scenarios and solving them. 

I chose writing instead, partly because I can work in my Jammies, I don't need

 as much college and I can write anything, anywhere, anytime...

as long as I have my juicy - good - time Techie Tools  !!! 

ZANY !
Amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic. An erratic or eccentric person or action.

1. 
   

Lucy with her fake nose on fire...

At the chocolate factory, hawking high alcohol content elixir and squashing grapes...

And as The Queen of the Gypsies, casting spells and wreaking havoc. 

She was fearless, inventive, savvy and brilliant.

 No matter how crazy the idea was, she would do it just to make us laugh.

 After being a dolled up, gorgeous glamour girl in her early film career,

 she became the hilarious clown who made everyone love Lucy !!! 

ZOOTY !

Extreme or flamboyant style or appearance.

This 80's version of Madonna is my favorite...she should rest on her laurels, beads, bangles, big hair, awards and talent from this time ZONE ...hang it up baby !

         Boy George... Madonna's brother from another Mom.

Where is he now ? 

 Is he wearing braids with rags, ribbons and yarn in his hair? 

Does he still don his trademark funky clothes, hats and make up ?                   

          

Elton John...classically trained rocker/composer and forever oh, so good !

Kiss...Ageless, crazy, irreverent  and oh, so fun !

                             

Lady Gaga...a mish-mash of  a very talented singer and publicity hound 

who knows how to shock and mystify  

with a really edgy, bizarre, 

ultra weird tilt into another dimension...

you never know what headline grabbing stunt

 she will come up with next.

Mind boggling self promotion at it's best ! 

Let's wind down my friends and relax a bit...

ZENDO !

A quiet place to find inner peace, tranquility, meditate,

 worship and renew in a ZEN Monastery.

Ahhhhhhh, the serene, contemplative, stress free ZENDO...

So why the heck do I next think
of... 

Jennifer Garner as Elektra ???

All she does is look beautiful, 

never breaks a sweat,

 takes down hordes of bad guys

 and sees snippets of future events...

then bids farewell and bows to her Sensei, 

disappears for parts unknown,

 leaving a very hot guy behind.

Why on Earth is she calm, 

centered, so immovably sure of herself

  while looking ahead with confidence and satisfaction ???  

ZOWEE, I think I know...

She never, ever has to make another action movie

 with Ben Affleck as Daredevil !!!

"Y" is for...

Alphabe Thursday with letter "Y" hosted by Jenny Matlock is fun and you can read the other awesome posts HERE !

YO, YO, YO !!! Oh, Rocky & Adrian... what a love match
 and
kudos Stallone for writing an
'easy on the actors'
dialog/script to memorize !

YUCKY... I went on a camping and fishing weekend once ( YES, just once ) and refused to bait the hooks. I was the only one who caught fish ( catch & release )...
that was the best part of the trip !

YUMMY !  I can actually make the best meatballs I've ever tasted, thanks to a real Italian Grandma who taught me all her cooking and baking secrets !

YIKES ! This photo perfectly illustrates what  I think and feel about being in any kind of pain...just give me that shot/anesthesia to kill it and drugs afterwards so I can bare it until it's over with !!!

YOWZA - YAZOOWEE ! YES, I think this woman lives inside my brain ...thankfully, so do the "better angels of my nature", pushing her back to where the cobwebs are and keeping her in check...

YIPEE-KI-YAY...YEAH, this guy lives in there too...

barefoot, a bit bloody, packing heat, sweating bullets, kicking butt and taking names !

And just to top things off, 

I have a real problem 

with 

small talk 

and 

people who 

YAK and YAMMER...YADA,YADA,YADA

 about nonsense until

 I want to run away,

 tell them to shut up

 or

 to achieve lasting peace and quiet...

 I love to lock & load... 

"ready, aim, fire" 

but only in my fertile, overactive, writer's imagination...hey, I'm basically a sweet

YELLOW kitty named Rain ...

me -YOW !!!