By Tom Merriman
Yes, we’re still at that Comic Book Convention. Yesterday’s idea of painting dots didn’t really come to pass, as I decided to have a go at painting this chap for today’s watercolour for #WorldWatercolorMonth. Animals, faces and green men are the most prominent topic now, but dots may start to creep into the mix as we enter the last week of July.
The discovery of the missing clock tower after two hundred years, deep beneath the ruins of the old collapsed church, answered two questions in one go. The church building wasn’t strong enough to hold the newer tower, despite the old townsfolk’s arguments to the contrary. And Old Sam, the bell ringer, had planned to make away with the church funds. Unfortunately for Sam, he had the loot, now worthless, in two sacks with him, as the church caved in, trapping him beneath the large bell, the tower dropped around him, and the crumbling remains of the church covered over everything.
A filler post holding a one hundred word story covering the passing of time, a mysterious disappearance and another use for an old digital painting I did back in the day. This painting originally appeared in one of my Hallowe’en specials a few years ago, when a Room suddenly appeared in the Grinds. And this little extra paragraph has increased the word count to two hundred words. I’m still classing it as a one hundred word post, however, as this isn’t part of the post proper, and sometimes a little bit of an explanation can go a very long way.
Green bell pepper with orange fluff
After a sweet penguin pie lead
Served on a soggy cardboard tray
Furnished, sorry, garnished with limp lettuce leaves and hair
And an individual sweaty cheese board
Together with mousetrap
Fly swat
Doggy bag
And fresh water if needed
Disk counts rarely given
As nobody usually stays to pay
*The pie is really potato, but that doesn’t sell
And spell-check provided the other option
Dingy Diner… Deliciousness comes nowhere near
An obscure nonsense poem this week, without form or structure or substance or rhyme and a cheeky spelling error. Just words that conjure up a grotesque scene more suited for Hallowe’en than for the first day of Spring. The second first day of Spring we’ve had this year.
I was surrounded by darkness. No sounds. No lights. No temperature. Just a darkness. I was aware I was thinking, which made things a little easier. Although, only slightly.
The darkness began to fade. The sounds began to return. I noticed the sound of running water. I blinked to clear my vision.
Relieved, I was in the Bathroom. Everything was back to how it was. Normality returned!
‘Until next time’ Aplaxa’s voice echoed around me, although this time I wasn’t exactly sure where from.
I may leave it a little while before my next spell… concentrate on my experiments instead…
And that’s it for another year! Halloween’s all done and dusted. Things will be back to normal from tomorrow. Whatever that is, I hasten to add!
Hope you’ve had a good Hallowe’en!
‘The time is right’ Aplaxa ordered the reversal spell to commence.
I held the scroll aloft, and opened my mouth, about to read aloud the words.
‘Silence!’ Aplaxa held up both of her hands. “The reversal spell must me cast through the power of the mind only. Mind over matters of great importance.’
I’d forgotten that part. Maybe once this is all done, I’ll cast a spell to help to improve my memory.
‘Silence!’ Aplaxa was now inside my mind. ‘Concentrate!’
As I read the words on the scroll, to myself, I was aware that each of the candles lit by themselves one by one. Huge flames emerged from each candle, encasing me inside a cage of fire.
I looked into the Bathroom, and the Universe looked as peaceful as ever, stars twinkling away as though nothing was going on. I noticed a comet up on high. A strong wind whipped itself up around me, although my bars of flame didn’t move. I found it hard to keep my eyes open, as the wind was so strong, and with each blink a tear ran down my cheeks.
‘Concentrate!’ Boomed Aplaxa’s voice inside my head.
I read the words on the scroll once again. They’d altered, but I just concentrated on the words.
I noticed a white object bounce off one of the walls, and through the doorway to the Bathroom. Then I saw another, and another. Suddenly, there was a whole rush of these white ‘blobs’ flying passed me.
‘The Seasonal Spirits are being returned to their domain first’ Aplaxa explained. ‘The spell is underway. Remember to concentrate.’
More of the spirits flew by. Then, as suddenly as they started, their numbers diminished. One or two stragglers ricocheted by, and then after a few seconds of no further activity, the winds died down.
I looked into the Bathroom. The Universe was still there, looking as grand as ever.
‘Concentrate!’ Aplaxa reminded me to focus on the scroll. The words had altered once again, and I concentrated on each and every word. The fire of the bars on my cage were now frozen around me – fire and ice as one.
I felt something wrap around my left leg. Then something else grabbed my right arm. Something else gripped my left hand, and I could see it was some kind of vine. These vines were reaching from inside the Bathroom, grabbing at me, the cage, and Aplaxa.
‘Concentrate!’ Aplaxa said once more ‘This is the crucial part of the reversal spell. Think not of the vines. Think not of the cage. Concentrate on the words on the scroll.’
Another vine grabbed me, this time around my neck.
‘Breathe deeply’ Aplaxa urged, more gentle this time.
I took in a deep breath, just as the vines managed to break free one of the cage’s bars. Then another snapped, and a third. They were dragged into the Bathroom.
The bars were my protection, I realised. Another broke away.
‘Concentrate’ Aplaxa urged.
I looked at the scroll. ‘Let go’ was all it said.
I was now confused. Let go of what? The scroll… or allow myself to be dragged out into the Universe? I then remembered one key instruction: to the letter.
I released the scroll. It hovered before me for a few seconds, before it was pulled into the Bathroom by another vine. Another bar splintered away. Another vine grabbed me, and I realised that I too was then being pulled with some force out into the Universe before me.
Aplaxa was now completely covered by the vines, and just before I lost my footing, I saw her too get pulled through.
