Two excerpts: One from each section
- Annette’s Revelation or MYTH 1 -
The hotter the sun; the lazier my thoughts. This interaction allowed me to float like the driftwood arriving at the shoreline. The hovering feeling brought peace or possibly boredom. Either emotion draped my vulnerability as I drifted away from the thoughts that consumed me in my near past. As the heat stepped up, I pulled my wide brim hat tighter on my head, which caused two things. The crossing ocean breezes could not lift it high and blow it away. Also, the sun deflected from my face.
My solitude abruptly halted when a nearby vacationer spoke directly to me. “I jump every time a car backfires. My body jolts while my soul attempts to awaken my physical being from this fog called my life.” Her eyes sparkled as her generous spirit covered the mystery of her statements.
“Jerking from sudden sounds is a fairly common reaction,” I responded to this stranger being able to immediately relate. As I sized her up with my eyes, her face oscillated from very young through the eyes to very elderly overall.
“Oh, but is it natural to react even if the sound travels from far away faintly resounding on the wind?”
“No, people usually only react to their surrounding environment,” I added.
Nearby, just behind some strategically placed palms and shrubs, hid a parking area. However, in our immediate vicinity, gentle surf lapped at the shoreline. Kids’ enjoyment arrived with the strengthening breeze alternating at various levels. Squeals of laughter drifted to chuckles moving to hearty outbursts and then muffled pleasurable sounds. Meanwhile, in the inlet some people splashed like shark bait while others made Olympic strides. Almost everyone enjoyed the calm of this sunny day. Not one gray cloud lingered from yesterday’s downpour. Just about everyone played joyfully taking advantage of the sunshine.
Every age group of sunbathers frolicked or rested in the white, sugar sand as I alternated between sinking my toes deep into its warmth then shaking the grains back to the Earth. Some of these near nudists were a sight to see in every sense of that thought. It appeared that too many of them forgot to peek at their attire in a mirror before arriving, here. Maybe, they were just too eager to enjoy this day. There was no time to focus on these sights at this beach resort; thank God. While surveying others around me, she engaged my curiosity stealing my complete attention.
“It haunts me. Not all sounds tease me into an examination of myself. Only the sound of a backfiring car brings about revelations that are better left behind,” This woman opened her soul.
For a moment, I stared at the ocean waves with their highlighted peaks and small strings of foam that only appeared as they lapped the shoreline. My thoughts rolled in and out while trying to understand the meaning to her words. Talking casually to strangers rarely occurred in my life but her magnetism provoked further discussion.
Looking back over my right hand shoulder, I noticed she stood. Folding her lawn chair and tucking it under her left arm, she ended our brief meeting, “Will you be vacationing here long?”
Staring blankly past her, I revealed, “Not sure!”
“Then, I will see you, again? Tomorrow? Maybe, at the pool,” This elderly lady with shimmering eyes casually invited me to another rendezvous. The sun touched her right side casting a halo effect as I squinted to watch her exit.
“You never know,” My mouth seemed controlled by her whims rather than mine.
My eyes passed over each wave searching for a clue to as why my soul felt compelled to know this stranger better. Suddenly, a chill sped up my spine because a car backfired. Looking back, the lady seemed to vanish behind the auto’s fender. When the vintage 57 Chevy cleared from view, my mystery woman no longer strolled near-by. Possibly, the noise made her bolt from my line of vision. Maybe, she rapidly escaped its sound. I decided to go with my logic rather than instinct; she simply walked out of view.
This break at a beach resort seemed just what the doctor ordered. Thus, I spent the rest of the day enjoying my solitude. My cell phone and hectic pace converted to a memory vanishing into a sea of tranquility. For a period of time, my eyes played with the reflections of the sun through the gathering clouds that floated at the water’s surface far out to sea. Remembering things from my childhood, I looked for shapes in the puffs of white, off white, and blue. I found a mustang, ram, jaguar, and beetle in the cotton against this pale blue Heaven. It dawned on me that every cloud reminded me of some car I drove or desired to own. Why this sudden obsession with cars?
Looking forward, a light show- watery fireworks- danced on the sea courtesy of the magnified sunrays. I knew instinctively that the gems of Heaven were just out of my reach. If I entered the ocean, they would scatter. Therefore, I enjoyed their light show from afar. Soon, the clouds would cloak their light in darkness, anyway. I could hear the distant thunder, already.
Collapsing my own lawn chair, I wandered through the parking lot of this vacation hideaway. This place housed many cars because of the free trolley of this self-contained resort complex. However, the 57 Chevy evaded my sight. I guessed the owner left this paradise remaining in control by using his own car rather than the mass transit provided.
Upon arriving to my hotel room, I wandered to the balcony. This vacation destination located on a barrier island afforded guests the luxury of less man-made light; nothing blocked the seaside view. Enjoying the nature of the ocean, dinner under the stars suited my mood. Rather than spend time primping for a meal out, I decided room service was in order. When my meal arrived, the catch of the day was snapper. Snap out of it! Snap out of it! My inner voice prodded. Figuring this chatter resulted from my earlier conversation with the elderly lady; I ate calmly enjoying the ocean breezes and sounds of gentle lapping from the tide at the shoreline.
The anticipated, afternoon showers remained at sea.
OR DID THEY?
***
- Darin's Haunting- MYTH 1 -
As I hopped on a plane headed to NYC for a seminar, a man with wild hair and unkempt clothing sat down next to me. Trying in vain to avoid him, my eyes darted away from his face. This man decided to interrupt my privacy, in spite of my body language and intentions. “When people say they will come back to haunt you, do they mean it literally or figuratively?”
“Either way, you may need to deal with what’s distressing you.” My mouth blurted out before engaging my mind.
“Or, disturbing to you!” He laughed irregularly. This man’s face vacillated from ominous to childlike as his muscles twitched.
My head turned in horror as my eyes searched for a stewardess. My goal included securing a new seat. “Excuse me,” Standing up, I pushed past him towards an employee. “Can I move from that location?” My fingers pointed at my assigned row.
“Full flight!” The lady briskly announced.
Unfortunately, this overbooked airline situation forced me back to my previous place. Thankfully, this man ignored my return. During the air trip, my weary body leaned towards the window even though the view included a wing and an end tip light, which due to the time of day appeared unlit. Sighing before we even took off, my mind calculated the hours left in this journey.
As we taxied, my spirit prayed. First, my soul desired a safe flight then a quiet one. Once airborne, the man opened a conversation, again. “You remind me of my daughter the last time these old eyes enjoyed her company.”
“Oh?” My utterance mistakenly entered me into his conversation.
“When family members die or any death invades my life, the shock sends me on this road. It sends me into flight, too.” He chuckled fixing his statement, “By flight- I mean escape not travel on airplanes, you know?”
“So, I gathered,” My smug response followed.
The man rubbed his arm, “It still hurts- injured it while trying to pick my love up off the floor. She fell because her incurable illness made her weak. The terminals here are not the same you know. They are not people with cancer or some other life threatening disease. Here- that word stands for places with hangars for these planes. I sure can’t find the love of my life at this facility.” He reported this information as if on trial. “When the weather changes, my body endures the pain.”
“I hear that happens.” Almost suffering a stroke trying not to find out if his wife survived her fall, I bit my own lip rather than engage him in further dialog. My eyes stared out the window as if gray wing and a few thousand rivets entertained me.
After about twenty minutes of silence, out of the clear blue sky, he added, “I dreaded a physical confrontation with my eldest daughter’s husband.”
This hobo acted as if I knew his family tree in detail. Normally, my thoughts reserve judgment but he certainly appeared insane. His clothes hung from him disheveled adding to his unpleasant smell. His beard grew irregularly as if he never cared to trim it. His skin held disfiguring damage and pending scars from either bug bites, unclean rashes, sun dried patching, or other homeless qualities.
“Who?” This statement sent the message that I cared to hear more but my soul dreaded a conversation with this madman.
“One of my daughters and her second husband!” His wild eyebrows illuminated his soul.
“Oh, I see.” My soul placated him mostly out of a reserved fear.
“When my wife was ill, one day, my eldest kid’s spouse called hollering. A screaming match developed. The drunk told me they were on their way to take care of me. My mouth screeched, ‘Over my dead body!’ Her mate informed me that that could be arranged as we alternated yelling about his and my incompetence. ” This street person followed this information by vigorously massaging his arm. “There is no way I could have won the fight with this arm. That girl always picked losers for boyfriends and spouses!” Boldly, he added, “I had to find a way to trick them.”
“Trick?” He sparked my interest. In spite of that word, a part of me trusted him momentarily.
“I telephoned my kid, the next day. She told me not to listen to her husband because the booze talked. However, my thoughts did not trust them.” After those words, he stared at me blankly. Without warning, he simply turned away followed by snoring. Therefore, my mind dismissed the whole conversation as the ramblings of a wild man.
About an hour later, he broke out of his sleep with the rest of his thoughts, “I worry about all my children!”
“How many do you have?”
“Three, you know the unholy trinity,” He amused himself with this observation.
“Are they all bad?” My doubt pounced on his thought.
“One of my girls lives a troubled life,” He coughed a laugh, “Leslie.” Looking around as if agitated, “My boy instigates trouble.” Smiling widely as if a long lost friend arrived on this airborne plane, he continued, “However, one of my offspring lives the Cinderella tale. Except her ugly step siblings are blood relatives.” His head dropped with a sigh. “Still blame myself for what happened to that one.” Looking around his area as if he lost some valued personal belonging, he added, “After their mother died, my nerves couldn’t take their bickering anymore. It was a selfish act. I planned on leaving. That put my sweet daughter at the hands of the merciless. My plan backfired! It haunts me.”
“Did someone die as a result of your actions?” He looked at me as if he suffered deeply with his rambling thoughts further provoked by my question.
“I worry about Cinderella and those mean relatives.”
My curiosity peaked while interrogating, “Is she in danger?”
IS SHE?
Come on BUY (the book) to find out.
- Annette’s Revelation or MYTH 1 -
The hotter the sun; the lazier my thoughts. This interaction allowed me to float like the driftwood arriving at the shoreline. The hovering feeling brought peace or possibly boredom. Either emotion draped my vulnerability as I drifted away from the thoughts that consumed me in my near past. As the heat stepped up, I pulled my wide brim hat tighter on my head, which caused two things. The crossing ocean breezes could not lift it high and blow it away. Also, the sun deflected from my face.
My solitude abruptly halted when a nearby vacationer spoke directly to me. “I jump every time a car backfires. My body jolts while my soul attempts to awaken my physical being from this fog called my life.” Her eyes sparkled as her generous spirit covered the mystery of her statements.
“Jerking from sudden sounds is a fairly common reaction,” I responded to this stranger being able to immediately relate. As I sized her up with my eyes, her face oscillated from very young through the eyes to very elderly overall.
“Oh, but is it natural to react even if the sound travels from far away faintly resounding on the wind?”
“No, people usually only react to their surrounding environment,” I added.
Nearby, just behind some strategically placed palms and shrubs, hid a parking area. However, in our immediate vicinity, gentle surf lapped at the shoreline. Kids’ enjoyment arrived with the strengthening breeze alternating at various levels. Squeals of laughter drifted to chuckles moving to hearty outbursts and then muffled pleasurable sounds. Meanwhile, in the inlet some people splashed like shark bait while others made Olympic strides. Almost everyone enjoyed the calm of this sunny day. Not one gray cloud lingered from yesterday’s downpour. Just about everyone played joyfully taking advantage of the sunshine.
Every age group of sunbathers frolicked or rested in the white, sugar sand as I alternated between sinking my toes deep into its warmth then shaking the grains back to the Earth. Some of these near nudists were a sight to see in every sense of that thought. It appeared that too many of them forgot to peek at their attire in a mirror before arriving, here. Maybe, they were just too eager to enjoy this day. There was no time to focus on these sights at this beach resort; thank God. While surveying others around me, she engaged my curiosity stealing my complete attention.
“It haunts me. Not all sounds tease me into an examination of myself. Only the sound of a backfiring car brings about revelations that are better left behind,” This woman opened her soul.
For a moment, I stared at the ocean waves with their highlighted peaks and small strings of foam that only appeared as they lapped the shoreline. My thoughts rolled in and out while trying to understand the meaning to her words. Talking casually to strangers rarely occurred in my life but her magnetism provoked further discussion.
Looking back over my right hand shoulder, I noticed she stood. Folding her lawn chair and tucking it under her left arm, she ended our brief meeting, “Will you be vacationing here long?”
Staring blankly past her, I revealed, “Not sure!”
“Then, I will see you, again? Tomorrow? Maybe, at the pool,” This elderly lady with shimmering eyes casually invited me to another rendezvous. The sun touched her right side casting a halo effect as I squinted to watch her exit.
“You never know,” My mouth seemed controlled by her whims rather than mine.
My eyes passed over each wave searching for a clue to as why my soul felt compelled to know this stranger better. Suddenly, a chill sped up my spine because a car backfired. Looking back, the lady seemed to vanish behind the auto’s fender. When the vintage 57 Chevy cleared from view, my mystery woman no longer strolled near-by. Possibly, the noise made her bolt from my line of vision. Maybe, she rapidly escaped its sound. I decided to go with my logic rather than instinct; she simply walked out of view.
This break at a beach resort seemed just what the doctor ordered. Thus, I spent the rest of the day enjoying my solitude. My cell phone and hectic pace converted to a memory vanishing into a sea of tranquility. For a period of time, my eyes played with the reflections of the sun through the gathering clouds that floated at the water’s surface far out to sea. Remembering things from my childhood, I looked for shapes in the puffs of white, off white, and blue. I found a mustang, ram, jaguar, and beetle in the cotton against this pale blue Heaven. It dawned on me that every cloud reminded me of some car I drove or desired to own. Why this sudden obsession with cars?
Looking forward, a light show- watery fireworks- danced on the sea courtesy of the magnified sunrays. I knew instinctively that the gems of Heaven were just out of my reach. If I entered the ocean, they would scatter. Therefore, I enjoyed their light show from afar. Soon, the clouds would cloak their light in darkness, anyway. I could hear the distant thunder, already.
Collapsing my own lawn chair, I wandered through the parking lot of this vacation hideaway. This place housed many cars because of the free trolley of this self-contained resort complex. However, the 57 Chevy evaded my sight. I guessed the owner left this paradise remaining in control by using his own car rather than the mass transit provided.
Upon arriving to my hotel room, I wandered to the balcony. This vacation destination located on a barrier island afforded guests the luxury of less man-made light; nothing blocked the seaside view. Enjoying the nature of the ocean, dinner under the stars suited my mood. Rather than spend time primping for a meal out, I decided room service was in order. When my meal arrived, the catch of the day was snapper. Snap out of it! Snap out of it! My inner voice prodded. Figuring this chatter resulted from my earlier conversation with the elderly lady; I ate calmly enjoying the ocean breezes and sounds of gentle lapping from the tide at the shoreline.
The anticipated, afternoon showers remained at sea.
OR DID THEY?
***
- Darin's Haunting- MYTH 1 -
As I hopped on a plane headed to NYC for a seminar, a man with wild hair and unkempt clothing sat down next to me. Trying in vain to avoid him, my eyes darted away from his face. This man decided to interrupt my privacy, in spite of my body language and intentions. “When people say they will come back to haunt you, do they mean it literally or figuratively?”
“Either way, you may need to deal with what’s distressing you.” My mouth blurted out before engaging my mind.
“Or, disturbing to you!” He laughed irregularly. This man’s face vacillated from ominous to childlike as his muscles twitched.
My head turned in horror as my eyes searched for a stewardess. My goal included securing a new seat. “Excuse me,” Standing up, I pushed past him towards an employee. “Can I move from that location?” My fingers pointed at my assigned row.
“Full flight!” The lady briskly announced.
Unfortunately, this overbooked airline situation forced me back to my previous place. Thankfully, this man ignored my return. During the air trip, my weary body leaned towards the window even though the view included a wing and an end tip light, which due to the time of day appeared unlit. Sighing before we even took off, my mind calculated the hours left in this journey.
As we taxied, my spirit prayed. First, my soul desired a safe flight then a quiet one. Once airborne, the man opened a conversation, again. “You remind me of my daughter the last time these old eyes enjoyed her company.”
“Oh?” My utterance mistakenly entered me into his conversation.
“When family members die or any death invades my life, the shock sends me on this road. It sends me into flight, too.” He chuckled fixing his statement, “By flight- I mean escape not travel on airplanes, you know?”
“So, I gathered,” My smug response followed.
The man rubbed his arm, “It still hurts- injured it while trying to pick my love up off the floor. She fell because her incurable illness made her weak. The terminals here are not the same you know. They are not people with cancer or some other life threatening disease. Here- that word stands for places with hangars for these planes. I sure can’t find the love of my life at this facility.” He reported this information as if on trial. “When the weather changes, my body endures the pain.”
“I hear that happens.” Almost suffering a stroke trying not to find out if his wife survived her fall, I bit my own lip rather than engage him in further dialog. My eyes stared out the window as if gray wing and a few thousand rivets entertained me.
After about twenty minutes of silence, out of the clear blue sky, he added, “I dreaded a physical confrontation with my eldest daughter’s husband.”
This hobo acted as if I knew his family tree in detail. Normally, my thoughts reserve judgment but he certainly appeared insane. His clothes hung from him disheveled adding to his unpleasant smell. His beard grew irregularly as if he never cared to trim it. His skin held disfiguring damage and pending scars from either bug bites, unclean rashes, sun dried patching, or other homeless qualities.
“Who?” This statement sent the message that I cared to hear more but my soul dreaded a conversation with this madman.
“One of my daughters and her second husband!” His wild eyebrows illuminated his soul.
“Oh, I see.” My soul placated him mostly out of a reserved fear.
“When my wife was ill, one day, my eldest kid’s spouse called hollering. A screaming match developed. The drunk told me they were on their way to take care of me. My mouth screeched, ‘Over my dead body!’ Her mate informed me that that could be arranged as we alternated yelling about his and my incompetence. ” This street person followed this information by vigorously massaging his arm. “There is no way I could have won the fight with this arm. That girl always picked losers for boyfriends and spouses!” Boldly, he added, “I had to find a way to trick them.”
“Trick?” He sparked my interest. In spite of that word, a part of me trusted him momentarily.
“I telephoned my kid, the next day. She told me not to listen to her husband because the booze talked. However, my thoughts did not trust them.” After those words, he stared at me blankly. Without warning, he simply turned away followed by snoring. Therefore, my mind dismissed the whole conversation as the ramblings of a wild man.
About an hour later, he broke out of his sleep with the rest of his thoughts, “I worry about all my children!”
“How many do you have?”
“Three, you know the unholy trinity,” He amused himself with this observation.
“Are they all bad?” My doubt pounced on his thought.
“One of my girls lives a troubled life,” He coughed a laugh, “Leslie.” Looking around as if agitated, “My boy instigates trouble.” Smiling widely as if a long lost friend arrived on this airborne plane, he continued, “However, one of my offspring lives the Cinderella tale. Except her ugly step siblings are blood relatives.” His head dropped with a sigh. “Still blame myself for what happened to that one.” Looking around his area as if he lost some valued personal belonging, he added, “After their mother died, my nerves couldn’t take their bickering anymore. It was a selfish act. I planned on leaving. That put my sweet daughter at the hands of the merciless. My plan backfired! It haunts me.”
“Did someone die as a result of your actions?” He looked at me as if he suffered deeply with his rambling thoughts further provoked by my question.
“I worry about Cinderella and those mean relatives.”
My curiosity peaked while interrogating, “Is she in danger?”
IS SHE?
Come on BUY (the book) to find out.
My official Author Page is @
http://mchanson714.weebly.com/
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Many other e-book formats are available @
http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=mchanson714
My YouTube Channel is @
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMchanson714
http://mchanson714.weebly.com/
My AMAZON Author page helps find my paperbacks & Kindles; its @
https://www.amazon.com/author/mchanson714
Many other e-book formats are available @
http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=mchanson714
My YouTube Channel is @
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMchanson714