Tag Archives: Felt

Weekly Writing Challenge; Backward

Posted on by
13

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/09/09/writing-challenge-backward/

DP Challenge

caves-0001Her skin wet, wrinkled from being in waters too long. Labored breathing, resting on her back. Looking up at the dark ceiling of her shelter. Glancing to either side of her, looking out through the opening seeing the beautiful blue water. The water she had spent so much time in trying to escape.

Skye was born in the U.S.A. and was moved as a young child to a tropical island. Her father was in the military and as he gained rank and came near his time of retirement he made the decision to move his family to an area he had always dreamed of.

Skye was a late baby in her parents lives. A moment of passion, one night under the stars, gave the new baby her name. Barefoot and barely clothed she grew to learn the island. Short cuts through the mountain. Bike trails into town.

Sky learned quickly. She excelled in the top of her classes. She was a trusting and innocent soul but in the books she was a scholar. She made friends easily, both males and females.

By the time she was a teenager she wore long wavy hair and with her beautiful blue eyes she cast many an eye. Slender from many days of swimming and hiking she felt comfortable in her own skin.

It was summertime, it was always hot here on the island, but this day it was exceptionally hot. She decided to go swimming. Chores at home could wait. She had the same list daily so she could get them done before her parents arrived home.

There were so many swimmers and she just wanted to relax. Skye moved down the beach until she could find a perfect spot for her. Dressing down to the nude, she waded in and then glided into the water.

Coolness immediately over took her body sending small shivers up and down her spine. It felt so calm and the clear blue allowed her to look beyond the water’s surface. Before long she was pushing herself deeper into the sea.

Able to see the fish scattering moving beneath her  made her forget how far out she was going. Popping up for air and going down into the depths of the waters, she immersed her brain into the beauty. Ignoring her book smarts about being here alone. Casting a way all she had been taught, she was caught off guard when a current caught her and carried her much farther out than was safe.

She was startled into reality and rose to the surface grasping at fresh air only to be pulled back into the dark waters. She felt a brush of something hard against her leg. Forcing herself to take notice of what was surrounding her she saw the huge creature.

A shark with enormous teeth. Full-length swimming in circles around her. She started splashing the water trying to scare him a way but it seemed to fire him up even more. She tried lying lifeless feeling herself become weak as she knew she needed air once again.

She relaxed everything in her. She allowed herself to be slowly floated to the surface and gasping for air she felt pain in her leg. Scrambling to get a way, she used every fiber in her body and swam. Swimming faster and faster, gasping for air, darkness swirling around her eyes, she became afraid of passing out.

Becoming supper for this beast. Suddenly she was tossed out of the water. She ended up flipping over. The shark had gotten under her and pushed her with all his force. He knew to win the game he needed to wear the pawn out.

Once on her stomach again she swam harder determined to escape. Racing through her mind was a slide show consisting of her parents, her friends at school, questions about her future.

Once more the nudge came and she was tossed like a salad into the air. Feeling pain surge through her limbs she thought that all she would see was body parts floating on the surface as loose lettuce dropped from the bowl.

He was tired, she was tired. She took advantage of her free seconds and looked quickly around trying to locate any safe haven. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a dark hole. It was so far a way she couldn’t pin point what it was. Her head hurt, her body felt shattered but her spirit refused to give up.

Her body began to wear. She continued to remain  lifeless. The  game was becoming dull for him  The waters calmed as small gentle waves washed over her. The shark,  he was losing interest.

She started to pray to the Gods above. She rolled over on her back and lay limp in the water.  She felt the nudge of the long nose against her back but willed herself to not move.

She could feel her heart racing and she took deep breaths to slow down the beating. Gaining seconds of new energy, she could feel the shark beneath her but his attack was losing strength.

Skye floated for what seemed to be hours. The attack was leaving. The waters stilled. After she felt safe enough to turn over she looked into the water beneath her. The beast was gone.

She lay there for a while longer making sure she had bought enough time to make her escape. Slowly she started to paddle with her arms, moving as a snail on dry ground. When she was secure in her decisions she picked up her speed.

She swam until the dark hole became reality. A cave, a gold nugget, security against the strangers at sea. She swam until she could reach rock. Skye tried to climb up on the ledge but her body was tired.

She lay there floating and then tried again. Another try, another fail. On the third try she made it. She crawled into hiding, into safety. Letting her body guide her she ended up on her back, gasping for air. Her body ached, her gash was bleeding, but she was safe.

Related articles

Fear On The Edge Of Your Seat

Posted on by
46

Come here my friends. Come closer, sit on the edge of your seats. Be prepared to quiver and shake. Get ready for the ride of your life. This is a true story of what happened here at my home ballooned with effects to give you a better scare. Are you ready? Have you gone to the bathroom already?

Click on the link to get the sound. It will play in the background while you read.

It was a very dark night. No wind was blowing. All was calm. The whole evening had been this way. Something even had changed with Al. The house just had an eerie feeling about it; but nothing I could put my finger on.

The later the evening went the more Al became quiet. He had slept from after supper and at his usual time he didn’t want to get up. I let him sleep some more. The next time I tried to wake him up, he did but he was not himself. He was more like a shell or a skeleton. I said his name a few times with no response. I finally ended up yelling, ” Al, Al, answer me. Can you hear me Al? Who am I?”

skeleton_1He finally looked at me with eyes that sent shivers down my spine. I got a cold chill that ran completely through me as I was looking into empty eyes.

I somehow managed to be able to hold him up long enough to change his brief but then almost dropped him from fear that over took my soul.

I let out a scream, which didn’t even phase Al at all.scared_face My face  felt cold as the fear dripped from my head.blood dripping

I was staring at his bed sheets and what I saw I had never seen before, never in all my years of being a caregiver.

The bed pad had a large circle or odd shape of black. I quickly changed Al and  put him  in his recliner. When I got him positioned I quietly asked, ” are you hurting anywhere? Do you have pain? Is everything alright?”

He never answered me. He dropped his head and just seemed lifeless.LifelessAndrew

At this time my heart was racing and yet I knew I had to remain calm. My son and my nephew came about then. They were talking about all of their major issues from the day.

In my mind I was scared. I could feel my body shivering from what I had seen.scared woman I talked to them a few minutes and then my son conversed with my daughter via cell phone.

While they were talking I sneaked a way back to my bedroom and called Hospice. I explained every detail I could remember and she told me that Al is beginning to go through the stage of Renal Failure.

Oh my God is all that was racing through my mind. I felt like rats were eating at my brain, leaving me nothing but pieces of broken threads. Nothing was connecting. All I could gather in sentences were this is bad.rat

I hung up and went and threw all the evidence in the trash can. I smiled at Al and asked him if he was ready for his bedtime snack. I heard nothing but he did look in my direction. I went to the kitchen and got him a glass of juice, a pop tart and his medications.

Going back I gave him his medicine first and then sat the goodie in his lap. He sat there, motionless. I prompted him a couple of times and then he reached for the food.

I told him I would be back. The guys had gone outside to build a fire in the pit. We all gathered round. It was a nice roaring fire and although it is still summer there was a slight chill in the air at midnight.bonfire

We were all discussing the day. I was glancing towards the house admiring the white lights that run throughout the wheelchair ramp.

I remembered Al and came back in. He had not moved. Once again I prompted him he needed to eat a little because he had his medications. He moved his arm as if to raise it to his mouth so I left again.

Once back outside I started telling the guys how I felt an eerie feeling. I felt like something was not right. I had an instinct that Al was not really here with me. We started discussing a little bit about his life and what he had done in it.

My nephew made the comment that Al had always been a fighter. He said Al will not give up until he can fight no longer. I looked back at the ramp again. Those white lights always bring me comfort.

The fire was crackling and all three of us became quiet for a short time. Then we heard something in the trees. A squirrel?squirrel Was the owl back? A couple of weeks a go there was a big, white owl that was sitting in the tree directly above me. owlMaybe Rhino had tried to come outside.IMG_0561

No, it was none of these things. In fact, what caught our attention was the click of the screen door. Now you have to realize it is dark except from the glow of the fire and the lights surrounding the ramp.

We all turn to look at the door when we heard the click of the handle. We watch as the door is thrown open. Not gently, but like a force of someone being in a hurry.

It was opened as far as it could go, then in two seconds it was slammed shut.Door

We all saw it. There was no denying it. We jumped up out of our seats and huddled.

I knew that Al was inside and I needed to check on him. Swallowing hard and forcing my feet to walk, I had to enter that door that had just opened and slammed by itself.

I went in and checked on Al. He had never eaten the pop tart nor touched his drink. Once again I  somehow with added strength, was able to get him out of his recliner and into bed. I changed his brief, rolled him over and tucked him in. He was nothing more than a zombie at this  point.zombie

I made myself walk through the house. Opening closet doors, looking behind shower curtains.shower curtain Nothing, no one was anywhere. I went back in and again checked on out-of-it Al and he was sitting up in bed, wide awake. His eyes were wide and he looked at me but said nothing. I asked, ” are you alright? Did you see Mom?”  He looked at me and then laid back down. I went back outside.

We tried to reason what we had witnessed but there was no explanation. The door had been flung open and slammed shut. We all saw it. The fire was almost out so the guys headed home and I had to come in the house by myself.

Someone or something had definitely been in our house. Last week the door action had happened twice. Once when I was here alone and then when I had company it did it again. The TV had been turned very loud by someone other than me and with no remote.

Was it a spirit? Was it Mom here for Al? I don’t know. Maybe I will never know. Whom ever or what ever it was definitely linked to Al.angel-looking-down-from-heaven-534

haunted house

Something Happened

Posted on by
44

It was 4:45 am and I was sleeping sound. I awoke with my eyes wide open. It was still dark Blue_candleand I was getting ready to turn the light on to see what time it was. When I moved my hand off the extra pillow I felt something.

It didn’t startle me like a crawling bug. It felt like jewelry.

A little over five years ago I wore this gold cross  necklace  during the year that I took care of my Dad. A few months after his burial I retired the necklace and have not looked at it since.

I felt whatever it was and put it in my fingers. Turning the light on I looked at what had been placed on my pillow and there was the cross.

I was not dreaming any of this. I was truly awake as I knew what time it was. I had changed the sheets yesterday. I had also used this extra pillow to  prop my head up to watch TV last night.

I always lay the extra pillow right beside my pillow I actually use for sleeping. So there was no way in this world that the cross necklace could have been there. But yet, there it was. I kept it in my hand and took it with me to use the lady’s room.

I was just trying to figure out what was going on during my sleep when I felt a tug at my heart. It was saying, put it on, just put it on.

So I put it on and then without thinking I looked up at the ceiling and said out loud, I am ready Lord. I am ready for whatever it is that you want me to be ready for.

I went back to bed and sat up for a few minutes. Then I shut the lights off and went back to sleep.I felt really calm and was not even anxious. Sleep came easily.  When I woke up this morning and looked in the mirror, the necklace was still around my neck.

I thought of my Dad and went back in time. I won’t take this off for a while.

Lord almighty

You have mysterious

Ways that you

Work and I will

Not even pretend

To understand

Your ways.

For whatever

Reason you or

A guardian angel

Placed this object

For me to see

And wear

I know without

A doubt you are

Here with me

Always and

By my side

Through my

Walk on this

Journey called

My life.

Terry Shepherd

05/03/2013

 

Today is Al, my brother’s birthday. Happy Birthday little Brother. I love you so much!

http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/too-much-pain-and-too-little-money/55964

Related articles

I Was Once Lost

Posted on by
19

Jake had been sitting in his boat for a couple of hours fishing. The blue waters were calm. The boat rocked gently as another boat passed his way.

Life had not been exciting for him. He had done good in school. He always listened to his parents. He was never in any trouble with the law. He was smart and yet no one had observed his potentials.

Part of him felt he was a cast-a-way. At times he felt like he didn’t fit in anywhere. He had never sparked a young lady’s eye. Was this what life was all about? Just living with no purpose?

He suddenly jerked up from his thoughts. He had a nibble on his line. His Mama would be proud when he brought home a fine supper. Watching closely his line start to pull tighter. He stood at attention ready to snag this meal.

With a jerk the line took off. Jake was fighting to keep a hold of his pole. He was struggling. The boat began to rock faster. Waves  from the moving boat were trying to suck him in. He could no longer concentrate on his taut line as he was trying to hold onto his balance.

With a sudden jerk he was over the edge. The once friendly  boat turned on its belly and his gear floated in the water around him. He thrashed through the waters trying to rescue  his equipment he had saved for so long for. With one hand trying to grasp at floating objects, his other hand trying to turn the boat back over.

He was becoming tired. The nippy waters were hugging his legs. He took deep breaths as he went under the waters and then bounced back up. He yelled “help, help me someone”. No one heard him as he was too many yards from dry land.

Exhaustion took over his body and he felt himself slip slowly into unrealities of another world. He prayed quickly for a higher existence to save him. He quickly pictured his Mama and Papa and two sisters and mentally kissed them good-bye.

His body submerged beneath the waters; he became unconscious. How much time had passed him no one knew, by but when he came too he was lying in the bottom of a boat. Not his boat, but a strangers.

Someone had covered his wet body and he heard a voice talking to someone. He looked around him and didn’t see anyone else here. The guy flipped off the button on his walkie-talkie and looked at Jake.

“I just called shore-line and told them I was bringing you in. I saved your life son. You almost drowned” his rescuer said. Jake looked at him and said,” How did you find me”?

“I had been fishing back from you a ways. I saw your boat tumble and turn over. I hurried to you as fast as I could. It was no big task. Anyone could have done it. What’s your name son? My name is Kirby”.

“Jake” he said as he shivered and tried to sit up.

“Whoa there mate. Take it easy. Just relax. You had the life knocked out of you. Soon we will be back to shore and the pros can take a look at you”, Kirby said matter of fact.

For several moments no one spoke. Jake looked up at the blue skies filled with cumulus clouds. The sky seemed to go on forever and ever. Breezes were calm and the waters hitting the side of Kirby’s boat was all that could be heard.

” I heard you calling for help Jake before I ever laid eyes on your boat. Were you trying to drown yourself? Is your life that useless to you”?

Jake stared up at his face. He was thinking, if you were so far a way, then how did you hear me? I wasn’t talking to anyone particular anyways. I was just speaking to myself.

“What makes you think I would ever try to end my life Kirby? You said you were too far a way at first to see me. Did you hear me scream for someone to help me”?

“God heard your cry Jake. He used me as an instrument to come save you. I never heard your cries for help. God knew you really didn’t want to die. You just felt all alone and didn’t think you had any other place to turn”.

Jake looked at him and started to cry. Through sobs he explained, ” I feel like I have no place to fit in this world. I feel like a drifter, like no one notices me”.

Kirby said, “God always takes notice of his children. There is nothing you do or say that he doesn’t know. Do you know God”?

“Well yes, I have heard of him. He  helps the sick people and even the poor”.

Kirby replied,” He helps all who ask in the sincerest of voices. He ignores no one. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or  poor or even sick. He heard you, and now I am here. I am one of your guardian angels sent here by God to help guide you. You have been floating and missing the doors of opportunities God has left ajar for you. Now you will know with a little help from the one above which way to go.

There is one thing you have to do first though before any of this can happen”.

“What’s that Kirby”?

“You have to acknowledge God. You have to tell him you love and  believe in him and that you trust him to walk you through life. It is pretty simple really. Instead of trusting your own thoughts, listen for God to speak to you. He has all of your answers”.

Jake began to seek the skies trying so  hard to see God. He knew that he wanted what Kirby was offering. Words started to flow from his mouth. “I want this. I want God to help me guide me. I feel so lost. I can not do it myself any longer. I just mess up all the time. Can you help me tell God I want him to be with me”?

Kirby stepped closer to Jake. He knelt down and took Jake’s hands and folded them into his. ” Dear Father, this young man is ready. He has been lost and now he wants to be found. Cover Jake with your love oh Lord. Bring him comfort and peace. Let him always know you are  here with him. Jake, do you believe there is a God”?

” Yes I do” the young man replied.

” Then repeat these words. Father I love you. I want you to come live in my heart and soul. Be my provider and my guide from this moment on. Let me listen for your words. Let me feel your love around me”.

Jake repeated each word Kirby had said. Suddenly he felt lighter. He felt no shivers rippling over his body. When he looked at Kirby he was looking at him with a grin that spread from cheek to cheek.

A renewed strength seemed to take over. Jake was ready to tackle the world. He sat up and wrapped his arms around Kirby and said,” Thank-you, thank-you so much for saving my life”.

” Don’t thank me young man. Thank your Father. For without him you would  be lost, lost to the seas”.

Looking over Cumulus mediocris clouds over sou...

 

Related articles