Casabunker

— Ilsa, I have two transit letters. I will take you to the States. Watch out, another fell in.

— Richard, what did you say? The gun fire. I couldn't hear you over the burst of machine gun.

— Darling, two transit letters are in my coat pocket. You're coming with me.

— I knew it was you Rick who had the murdered Germans' papers.

— That's for you to prove, Strasser. Watch it, Ilsa. That one almost fell on you. After we get out of this hole, I'll ask you to marry me.

— So you do plan to take her. I'll have you arrested.

— Strasser, what, ah, that bomb shell was close. Strasser, you are going to arrest me? We're in Allied lines. Here's another. This bomb crater won't hold many more.

— Look again, Rick, there's a retreat; we Germans are advancing.

— Strasser, a retreat is just a retreat. Don't get your hopes up. And look at Ilsa, she hasn't moved.

— She's paralyzed with fear.

— No, Strasser, it is love. Paralyzed with love. Rick, watch your head. I'll go with you, to Paris, Washington, anywhere better than this.

— You don't like this hole I found?

— It will do, darling. I just don't have my money for a taxi.

— Call me a lucky man! Look. Look, Strasser. We're back in Allied lines.

— You were always a lucky man, Rick. But someday your luck will run out. Then you'll marry this dame, and watch out! I'm going to crouch down.

— Ilsa, he's trying to separate us. Don't pay any attention.

— Did he say he will be the best man? I can't hear.

— He said he'll die of jealousy when I marry you.

— Marry me? You soon forget I'm married.

— You can have two husbands. We'll hide out in Utah. Careful, one's rolling in. I won't let you go. I remember the time I waited for you at the train depot. Sam pushed me in at the last moment. You had other plans. Now I'll hold you tight, whether we are in Paris or Washington or in the—.

— I'm putting an end to your plans. You are both under arrest...when we're back in—

— You shouldn't have gotten up, Strasser. Now they'll bury you with your filthy troops.

End.

Mick and Jane on the Moon — Five

 
The horse swayed from side to side as it slowly made it way through the long corridor. After the wagon passed the second subterranean passageway, Mick and Ted asked each other when they should take a turn. They weren't sure. "Two more," said the girl. They moved on and upon reaching the second corner the two boys pulled on the rein. Instantly, the horse sped up.

"Where do you think the well is?" asked Ted. "I'm scared. The horse is going too fast."

They all screamed as the horse raced down the passageway. Then suddenly it stopped at the well, and lapped the moonshine.

The three, shaking, got out of the wagon. Ted said he would go up first, then haul the bucket up as his sister clung to the rope. On her turn, she put a foot in the bucket and held on. Ted slowed drew her up. Meanwhile, Mick, who was overcome with thirst, got down on his knees; and with his hand, drank a little before he choked and spat it out. He gasped. His mouth and throat burned. His head reeled. Ted called for him to come up. Mick, choking, crawled to the lowered bucket. He held on to the rope, and called to Ted to pull.

"You can't climb up?"

"I — I, try." Mick made an effort.

"Do you want me to go back down, and help you?"

"Poll m'up?"

"Hold on to the rope. I will get you up." Ted tugged on the crank, and after a long struggle had Mick up. Mick fell to his knees. "What happened?" Ted asked.

"Da warra."

Eventually, they got to the tree, and heard laughter coming out of it.

"Have another apple, Snaky."

"I'll get a belly ache."

"You didn't have more than ten apples."

"How many? I can count only to one, and the next."

"Oh, am I your one girlfriend or your next?"

"That's an easy one to answer. You are the one."

They both laughed.

Mick asked Ted to call his sister. Ted asked, "What's her name?"

"Jone."

"John?", Ted asked; but quickly called. There was silence in the tree. "John! John!" he called out again.

From the tree came Jane's voice: "My name isn't John. It's Jane. What is my brother doing? Is he making believe he's a dog? Oh! it's getting dark over there. I have to get home before dark."

Snaky said, "It's already dark in America. It's getting near midnight there."

"But...but it was a bright afternoon!"

"I with my beady eyes, saw America slip into night long ago."

"Oh, how long ago?"

"The next one."

Jane jumped out of the tree, saying bye to Snaky.

When Jane explained that it was night where they lived, Ted said he would rush down and tell their parents, and get word to the other parents that the others were coming. He was off and running.

The remaining three walked slowly on account of Mick.

"Can't you go faster?" Jane asked.

"Na."

"Well, at least since you're down, you'll be able to tie my shoes."

The end.

Mick and Jane on the Moon — Four

In a large section of the underground near a wall stood a large wooden altar to Hecate, goddess of the Night. The altar was used during a lunar eclipse to appease Hecate. It was painted black and yellow. Tradition called for sacrifice. The inhabitants of the moon had not arrived yet. The wizard with long black hair wore a striped black and yellow cape for the occasion. He was speaking to the chief mathematician. A runner had come back one night and said that while he discussed barter with a farmer, the son came out and said he couldn't sleep. But he heard the word "moon", and said at school the teacher told the class the moon was slowly moving away from the Earth. This was important. If a lunar eclipse were missed, Hecate would surely take revenge. Nearby was a circle painted black with a yellow center. Ted stood in the circle, and trembled. Soon rumbling noise was heard.

The wagon slowly came into view and stopped a distance from the altar. Swiss got out and walked toward the altar, and greeted the two men. They soon got to their business.

The mathematician, holding a sheet, said, "I got as far as a series of five numbers. The first is 7, which Swiss had last time."

Swiss quickly said, "I went 'ver the calculation, and got 8. That's what ya had b'fore."

The wizard was dismayed: "Oh, no no. It will take forever to get to the end of pi at this rate. There are big holes in your calculations."
 
"All we have are paper and pencils," lamented the mathematician."

"You have fingers, and if you need more there are a lot of lazy people around who can add theirs."

"They'll get bored, and start dropping fingers. We could barter moonshine for abacuses."

"All right, but we need more numbers; and we have to find out how fast we are moving away from Earth. What else do you have? Why did Brie stay in the wagon?"

"He's keepin' two kids down," Swiss said, as he motioned Brie to bring the children. They got out, then suddenly the girl ran to Ted. She got into the circle, and crying, hugged Ted. "Come home! Come home!" she kept crying, as she pulled him away.

Brie came to the circle with Mick, and told him to get in.

The wizard warned the children, "This is a magic circle. You will die if you try to leave." This caused the children to panic. "You better stop your noise," said the wizard, raising his voice. The children calmed sufficiently.

"Three?" said the wizard. "This is irregular. A runner spotted two coming up this morning, and ran back. By luck, he nabbed the boy. Do we sacrifice the three? I must go back to my private shrine to consult the goddess. I need you in the outer sanctum. Don't let anyone interrupt." He and the mathematician disappeared through a hole in the wall.

"Well. Ain't no one comin' fer an 'our or so. I'm goin'a rest 'gainst th'alta," said Brie.

"Goin' to join you. It's been a long day with figures," said Swiss.

The two sat on the ground with their back against the altar, and shortly fell into a snore fest.

"Come on!" whispered the girl.

"We'll die if we try to get out!" retorted Ted quietly.

"Come on!"

"We can't leave the circle."

"Come on!" she repeated, trying to pull her brother out of the circle.

The three then walked quietly to the wagon. They got on, and Mick took the reins. Beside him was Ted, then the girl. Mick shook the reins; the horse didn't move. He shook them again, and said, "Gaddiup." The horse stood motionless. The girl handed Ted the whip; he struck the horse. It buckled, then remained motionless.

"Harder," said the girl; Mick said "Gaddiup", and Ted lashed the horse as hard as he could. The horse began to move.

After a little while the girl said, "It's the wrong way,"

"Oh," said Mick, not knowing if he should pull on one rein or the other. Then he pulled on one, and the horse began to turn toward the altar.

"Harder, harder," Ted nearly yelled.

The horse got closer and closer to the sleeping men, and Mick and Ted pulled on the rein. They swung around, missing the men by a few feet; and off they went, slowly.

Mosquito Cologne Shopping

Blog Renewal in Six Days

Guess what, it's almost our one year anniversary for our blog.  Google is reminding me when I decided to take a chance and create a blog suitable and a need for a wide audience of English students, Artists looking for critique on their pieces, how to use a particular medium in an artwork. How has it been since we started?  Would you like more of a particular topic in writing and or art?    Let us know, we're a good bunch and our invite list keeps growing or holding steady since the Disqus change.   Is it better?  Less static from the negative side of commenters?     Our group is for you and not many people are leaving the house during quarantine.  Are you an introvert?  My husband and I are, which has been rather nice.  We have been family centered.   Finished my two books, with the third simmering and already roughly planned out.  I'm a one project at a time kind of person.    Our blog has many openings for more writers and artists.  I sold one artwork for $150.  One of my charcoal drawings got stolen in college.  Yes, it was a beagle.  I thought it was a compliment that someone wanted to use it for their own purpose.  

Have a great Saturday! 

 

Mick and Jane on the Moon — Three

The two got to the well, and turned around toward the noise. From where they had come a noisy, rickety buggy drawn by a stragering horse rounded the corner. A driver guided the horse and another sat beside him. They didn't see the children at first; but the second rider soon pointed to them, and the driver led the horse to the well. Mick screamed to the girl, "Go up!" The girl, however, did not have the strength to climb up. Mick could have escaped, and gone for help; but by the time he returned the girl might be lost like her brother. The wagon came up to them. The men wore old work clothes; they looked pale, as though they had been away from the sun a long time. The driver, Brie, brought the wagon to a halt. The rider by his side folks called Swiss.

Brie called out, "Ya kids get away from th' moonshine!"

Mick had heard of moonshine, but it always seemed to be a joke. He was speechless.

"At yah feet! What ya think runs in streams?"

Mick answered, "Oh, we came for water."

"For my brother," said the girl, hurriedly.

The two men looked at each other, and Swiss said, "I heard 'bout that. We could take 'em too."

"What's ya names?" the driver asked? "Whoa!" he shouted. The horse had begun to lap the moonshine. It buckled and started off when it got a lash. "Whoa!" he shouted again. The horse stopped. "We ain't carryin' ya."

The two men spoke low. "How we get 'em in the wagon?" Asked Swiss.

"Get in the wag'n!" Brie commanded the kids.

The children couldn't move.

Mick asked, "Do you have water?"

"My brother!"

The two men spoke together again. "What we do now?" asked Swiss.

"mmmm," said the driver. "Ain't got no rope."

"My brother!"

"We need water!"

"How about water?" asked Swiss.

"mmmm, yeah. We tell 'em get in the wag'n and we get some." Then to the children he said, "Get in the wag'n. We'll get wat'r.

The children were doubtful. Mick didn't see how the two of them could escape.

Swiss added, "You want to see your brother. We think we know where he is.

Still doubful, Mick helped the girl on, and climbed on after.

"The wizard will be mighty pleased, with the 'clipse comin'", said Swiss as they pushed on. 

Creativity Loaded for All

Good afternoon and happy Thursday!   

Almost there to next month and it has been a strange summer with some swimming, fireworks on a horse farm on the 4th and coronavirus numbers are continuing to go up.  If you have nowhere to go, or concerned we understand this is normal.   Watching a family going through it and their son is 15, and they have a child with down syndrome.  The test was done two weeks ago and they are waiting for the results.  Prayers for them would be wonderful.

Writing is good, or I am still in the illustration phase and have about four more left to make.    I seem to also be working on changing names of a city and a place.    My plate is about to get fuller so we are needing two more writers or artists for our wonderful group.  I have decided to homeschool my two children to keep them safe and healthy.  There are lots of resources too tap into.

Let us know what you're working on!  Have an artist you like or is very odd?  We'd like to know about it. Asking for insight on writing? We are here to answer and help you.  I you are an artist, do you prefer realistic or absract?  Have you sold any pieces?  I am currently working with graphite though pastels are a beautiful medium to work with.

Thank you so much