There Be Giants!

There Be Giants!

 

“Hey, psst buddy, wake up.”  I heard this coming through my sleep as I slowly opened my eyes. “Where am I?” I asked softly. It was dark and I could barely make out the movement between the flashes of light. “Buddy you might as well be in Purgatory for all I know. You got here probably an hour ago, just after dark. What happened?” I told him all I could remember; I said “It was dusk, not to dark yet, but just enough for me to use my light. I was playing in the woods not too far from this old cabin. I felt a whoosh of air around me and everything went black, I felt this pressure against me as if the darkness just swallowed me whole.” I was relieved to find that my light still flashed. It looked like we were pretty high up on a branch. “Where are we?” I asked again. “What does it matter?” a voice came from below, “You’re not getting out.” Between flashes I could make out two eyes down below me. “Eventually you’ll grow tired and fall, and then you’re mine.” Came the phantom voice filled with pleasure. “What the hell is that?!” I started to shake, a bit startled from this new development. “Some demonic thing that loves to torture us” my cellmate said, “There were three others in here with me when I arrived and like he said, one by one we’ve fallen to him.” I looked down and tried to make out more of him as mine and my companion’s lights flickered on and off. He was large, on all fours and maybe a tail. I’d be able to see it better if I climbed lower, but I didn’t want to risk falling and proving him right. “What do you want from me?!” I yelled down to this monster. “Well to eat you of course, why else do you think you are hear my silly morsel?” The calmness in his voice as he casually discussed my demise was truly disturbing.  I had to get out of here, no way was I going to end up on the menu for that thing! I climbed to the end of the branch. It seemed to be wedged tight against a wall, so I made me way to the other end. It was the same here as well, both sides wedged in flush and suspended across an abyss with inescapable death waiting below. The walls were smooth and cold to the touch but I could probably climb it to the top. Guessing what I was thinking, my friend spoke up. “I wouldn’t try that, the last one who tried almost made it and slipped at the top. Fell all the way to the bottom and broke his back, that bastard toyed with him for hours. Besides the top is sealed off, it only opens when the Master drops more of us in here. They all usually fall right to the bottom, but I was able to catch you.” I asked who this mysterious Master that imprisoned us here was. “You’ve never heard of the giants?” he asked. “Of course I have, who hasn’t?” The giants were a fairy tale, a boogeyman story made up to scare children. They would come in the night and pluck you up. They would through you into cages and watch you for their amusement. As the stories go, if you were lucky, they would let you go after a few hours. Some of the stories didn’t have a so happy of ending. A few would end with the abducted dying alone in isolation or worse, being suffocated. My own great grandfather told me tales of the time he was taken, said they kept him for three days with only grass to eat. Of course Grandpa was old and again, they were just stories to scare us kids, right? The giants couldn’t be real, could they? “So you’re trying to tell me that we were thrown in here by some childhood nightmare? Is that what you’re telling me?” “That is exactly what my appetizer is telling you.” Came the voice from below again. “You know, I have eaten anything in a few days now and I am truly famished so could one of you kindly come down here?” “If what you say is true, then you’re trapped in here just like us. Why not work with us and get yourself free?” Laughter boiled up and continued to travel up every hair on my body. “Why would I want to leave, it’s cool, dark and I get fed my fill daily? Go ahead and resist, it will do you no good. The Master checks every morning to make sure I have eaten his daily catch. I can wait if you can.” I could see his grin in the flash of light. Well if waiting is what I must do then waiting it will be. I sat in silence for the rest of the night. A few hours before morning, my branch company stared to sigh. I looked over at him, he said nothing. He lowered his head and rolled backwards off the branch. He was gone before he hit bottom, a tongue lashed out of the darkness and quickly drew him back to the beast. He chomped with glee, all the while smiling at me as the first rays of morning lit up my prison. For the first time I could see clearly around me. The dragon like creature below me with his bulbous eyes stomped down the dirty beneath his feet. He yawned and lay down. “I will be my pleasure to meet you up close in a few hours.” He closed his eyes and went to sleep. I looked around, the walls were completely see through, though a little distorted. It looked like I was inside the old cabin. There was a rumble in the distance, I looked toward the sound and saw it. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was indeed the stuff of legends; it was in fact a giant coming towards me! He was large, pale and ugly. It lifted up my cage and held it up to his face. He shook it violently, but I was able to hang on to the branch. He placed his hand on top and I could see it move, I could hear metal scraping. “NOOO!!!” the monster shouted with rage. I knew this might be my only chance, so I leapt towards the top. Just as my captor opened the top, I spread my wings and flew as fast as I could! I was out! With a quick scan I saw the trees through the large opening in the wall; I could feel the morning air. I beat my wings as fast as they could carry me. The giant voice was thunderous, “Don’t worry boy, I’ll get more fire flies for you tonight.” Not this one I thought to myself, I couldn’t wait to get home and hug my granddad.  I think I’ll ever go out after dark again!

Love Never Ending

Love Never Ending

 

Harold had been waiting for today for what seemed like forever, Date Night was finally here. He was a nervous wreck when he had asked out, dry mouth, sweaty hands, upset stomach. He nearly fainted when she said yes, after all she had been the Home Coming Queen and he was just a little nobody in the back of her class. A smile broadened his face at the thought of it. He had spent the last three nights picking out his wardrobe; he had gotten himself a haircut that afternoon. He had to look his best for his lady. He had been in love with Dorothy from the first time he had ever laid eyes on her, third grade to be exact. It didn’t matter to him that she became one of the popular people and he was a social outcast, and when asked why it had took him nine years to ask her out, well he was just pacing himself or just waiting for the right moment. He had the evening planned out, a nice picnic under the stars on the lawn and a movie. He had bought one of those portable DVD players and a couple of her favorite movies. Harold finished getting ready, checked himself for cat hairs and lint, sprayed on a liberal amount of cologne and went to pack the car. Dorothy lived across town and the drive would take some time in the afternoon traffic. Harold didn’t mind the drive; it just meant that he had to wait a little extra to see his love. You know what they say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”. Harold pulled his car in and drove past the gate house and up the drive. The closer he got he could see his Dottie sitting out on the lawn waiting for him. She was wearing her yellow flowered sun dress; it was a warm evening so she would be fine. If she did get a chill, Harold had packed a small blanket to wrap up in, you know just in case. He sat and looked at her for a few minutes before shutting off the car and getting out. He walked over to where she Dorothy sat; she was at a small circular table. Harold started unpacking his basket; he draped a small white table cloth over it. He had brought three small tea light candles for light and mood. He had two of everything, plates, glasses, silverware. He placed the movie player on ground next to the basket for easy access after the meal. Lastly he brought out an old photo album, it printed across the front in gold filigree, “The Story of Us”. He flipped through the book for a moment; the first picture in the book was a little picture of him and Dot from the photo booth at the fair. As he turned the pages he saw her wearing the most beautiful white dress. Then the picture of them on the front porch with holding the “For Sale” sign, his face had the biggest smile across it. Hers was even bigger, probably because she was holding her belly too. Then came the children’s pictures, four sets in total. There were three little boys and ended with a tiny little girl that was a miniature image of Dorothy. Finally the children seem to grow bigger towards the end with even more smaller children appearing. Harold closed the album and set it on the table. A small tear appeared in the corner of his eye as he looked to the lady in white standing just to the left of Dottie. “I’ll bring her back to her room after the movie Karen”, Harold told the woman. “Just let me know if you need any help Harry”, the lady said back to him before walking away towards the big house behind them. Harold reached over and took one of Dottie’s hands and with his other he brushed away the silvery hair from her face. “I love you Dottie, I always have and I always will”, Harold stared into Dorothy’s eyes and she stared through him.