Coreopsis

first insert, part 3

The train gave a jerk. A voice came through the object the guard was holding, “obstruction ahead.” It announced. 

The guard started walking fast. Sarah glanced at Orion, as they instantly followed his pace. 

The three of them approached the conductor, “obstruction?” They asked simultaneously. 

The conductor looked up and saw Orion. His demeanor instantly changed. “It looks like a snow bank covering the tracks.”

“Doesn’t this train have a cowcatcher?” Orion asked. 

“We do but there may be boulders in the snow bank that could damage the train. We need to test the bank before we plow through it.”

The four of them walked into another car. The guard and conductor started putting on snow gear. Sarah became putting on the same gear. “Where do you think you’re going?” The conductor snapped. 

“I will not let you hurt them.” She snapped right back. 

Orion was now putting on snow gear. 

Was the conductor started to open the door, he paused looking at Sarah and Orion, “I guess it’s pointless to ask either of you to take a gun?”

“It is for me.” Sarah answered. Orion nodded in agreement. 

Sarah felt like she was in a snow globe as they stepped outside. The flood light from the train caused the snow to sparkle like millions of firefly’s. Never in her life had she seen this much snow. The sudden cock of the guards gun brought her out of her childhood trance. 

There in front of them, as if they had materialized out of the snow, was a hand full of these animal skin clad people. 

“Motieto,” Sarah whispered. 

The one in front started speaking. When the guard raised his gun, Sarah pushed it down. “Let her speak.”

The more the lady spoke, the more Sarah’s head hurt. It felt like someone was beating a drum between her ears. This language was familiar but she didn’t speak it. And how did she know they were Motieto? College maybe? From a lecture? 

The lady motioned for them to follow her. 

The guard and conductor whispered together for a moment. Finally, the guard stepped forward as the conductor went back inside the train. 

The Snake and The Rabbit

Oh – how I have been waiting for this day. When I published The Snake and The Rabbit on WP/JP, my site is free to read. I plan on keeping it that way. However, in my story I mention Watson’s wife. I don’t say if this is his second wife or third. It is left open for the reader to decided. But because I’m new to writing in the public space, I had no plans on doing anything farther with the story. Oh but now, I can.

The two links below start my story in WordPress/Jetpack.

The Snake and The Rabbit
The Snake and The Rabbit

Coreopsis

first insert, part 2

     They played for hours. Napped on the floor. Picked at the snacks and talked. 

     Sarah changed from her pj’s and decided to take a walk. While the game was fun, she needed to move. Looking out the window, she learned Orion had been right in his assumption, it was snowing. She watched the snow covered landscape creep by as the train chugged and groaned up the mountain. 

     In the accumulating snow, she thought she saw a person. The body was covered with animal hides from the head to the ankles. Then the ankles seemed to be wrapped in leather, she speculated. This figure was holding a staff of some kind in its right hand. She couldn’t see the feet. She watched it as long as she could. Just as the train was pushing the figure out of sight, it seemed to raise its head. This motion caused her to jump. The sudden animation of the character shook her. She wrapped her arms around her now shaking body. Looking down, she saw that her arms were covered with chicken skin. 

     Upon raising her eyes back outside, there appeared another figure, just like the last one. The snow seemed to be getting harder. Again, as the train pulled out of sight, the figure raised its head. 

     A man rushed into the car, “get back to your room and lock the door?”

     “Why?” She barked right back. 

     “These savages mean trouble.” 

     “They have done nothing wrong.”

     “Just you wait and see.” 

     “There you are,” Orion smiled walking into the car. 

     “Don’t let them get hurt. They haven’t done anything wrong.” She pointed out the window. 

     Orion looked at her. Then at the angry man; before looking out the window. “Who?”

     “Watch.” She encouraged. 

     A few minutes passed with nothing but a snow covered landscape before another figure appeared. 

     “Kill them all.” The guard murmured under his breath. 

     “Not one,” Sarah screamed.

     The guard slightly jumped. Not because he was embarrassed that she overheard him. She was loud. 

     “Not one,” Orion echoed her with his most authoritative tone. 

     Through gritted teeth, he announced, “as you wish.” As he walked away, he spoke into a hand held object, “you’ve been over ruled.”

     Orion called after him, “overruled by whom?”

     The guard lowered his head, “follow me.”

I didn’t take your parking place!

People absolutely never cease to amaze me. My friend has a handicap placard. She has it in a plastic sleeve so it doesn’t curl. And behind it she has the information from the clerks office. All nice and neat. We go to Kroger one evening.

Placard all front and center hanging from the mirror when we park. Legal. Not a care in the world. 

Now keep in mind, I’m hard of hearing. 

As we get out of the car, another vehicle pulls up beside of us. Closer to the store than us. 

I start a conversation with my friend about the Tesla that is parked a couple cars up from us. Noting that I read they are going to stop making cars. 

Then out of nowhere, I hear my friend say, “trot your ass right over there and look.”

What! Where did that come from? We are not talking about Tesla’s. And seems like, we never were. 

Then my friend asks, “where’s yours?”

“Not that it’s any of your fucking business but here.” Angry Anna shakes her placard at us. 

She is one parking place closer to the store than we are. She is parked in a handicap spot as well. We both have placards. And yes, she did trot her ass to the front of my car to see if we really did have a placard. No apology given. 

My friend says, “why are you so hostile?”

Angry Anna storms past us into the store. 

Day 124; 334 days of photos

I got to take a tour of Portal 31 in Lynch, KY – USA. This was an active underground mine until the 1960’s. The next set of pictures are from this tour. This was very exciting for me. My dad retired from the mines long before I was born. I got to see some of his life. He didn’t work in this mine. However, this has given me an interest to find out if the mines he worked in are still around.

https://www.portal31minetour.org/

https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/554

When U.S. Steel pulled out of Lynch’s in the 60’s, they sold the miners their houses for $1000.00.