Tuesday, April 16, 2019

WEP - The Jewel Box of Mystery

Any container can hold surprises, and jewels or keepsakes can be cursed. Beautiful and detailed or worn and dusty, it's a risk not knowing where the box and its contents came from. . .




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THE JEWEL BOX

Working in her study one morning, Madeleine heard a knock on the front door. Putting her book aside, she went to see who would call at this early hour. 

She opened her door cautiously, keeping the chain link attached between the door and the wall. No one was there. After removing the chain, she looked side to side but saw no one. About to close the door, she looked down and saw the wrapped parcel. It had her name and address on the front. She felt a shiver run up her spine. 

"What the . . . ?" 

She hesitated, remembering Pandora's box. That box would have been better left closed. Suppressing her curiosity, she picked it up and brought it inside. Setting the parcel gently on the dining table, she carefully opened the mailing box and unwrapped the object it contained. Inside was a jewel box made of a translucent ivory material that seemed to shimmer, with delicately carved symbols she didn't recognize.

She could feel the jewel box calling to her, open. . . open. . .open. . . So she did. A gasp escaped her lips as she two items in the box and a small bit of writing on a yellowed scrap of paper. Secured with a pearl hatpin, she saw an elegant sapphire ring surrounded by diamonds, and a triple strand of pearls of a choker-style necklace. They sparkled as if new, not hundreds of years old.

The jewel box belonged to someone named Gudruun, or so it was written on a strange type of paper inside, dated 1475. So, how had it survived so many years? And more to the point, how did it get to her door? Was this charmed or cursed? Hidden under the choker she found another piece of rag paper with a warning.

A beautiful chest contains the power, which attaches to the person who receives these objects, but know that the ring will give but the choker will take away. 

As she read these words, Madeliene felt a strange warmth infuse her body with a sense of contentment. Her mind was pushing her worries into a small corner and changing her resistance to put the ring on her finger. She felt no need to worry. . .

"Why not?" she said as picked up the ring. It was a perfect fit.

WC story 386

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Would you be tempted to open the box? If not, why not? If there was no warning, would you wear the jewelry, or arrange to have it destroyed?

Please leave a comment to let me know you were here. I'll respond. Thanks for reading my entry to this month's challenge.

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WEP Write, Edit, Publish, a flash challenge
Prompt: Jewel Box

It's time for another WEP challenge - with the support team of Nilanjana Bose and Olga Godim and L.G. Keltner adding their imaginings and creativity. Thanks to Denise for being the host.



Click on the link for WEP  to see the list of participants and read their stories. Joining the WEP-ISWG challenges is easy. See information on the WEP website for details, if you're interested!




Our Partner in Writing

IWSG  - The Insecure Writers Support Group
Click on the link to learn more! .

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Monday, February 18, 2019

WEP - 28 Days and Gone - February Challenge

Time is such a controlling master. Sometimes, you need to leave your past behind. . .






28 Days and Gone
A study case in the Wish-ESP connection

I can't believe it. 28 days. I've been hiding in a deserted cabin for 28 days, and no one has reported me missing. No one has come looking. I wanted them to think I had vanished, I wanted to become someone else. Maybe it will be easier than I thought.

When life knocks you flat, you get up. You don't give in. Everyone I cared about is gone, killed in one moment in time by a careless driver. If I had been in that car, I would be dead as well, but I wouldn't be alone. I thought for a while I'd track down that driver, but that would tie me to this place. I want to get away, I can't stand the memories that keep running through my head.

How do I start over, where do I go? I want to go where no one knows me. I need a change, preferably somewhere far from here.

Last night I saw a meteor shower, mesmerizing and beautiful in its brilliance. Now, everyone in this small town is looking for the pieces of the meteorites that may have stayed intact. Enough of waiting. I grab my backpack and jacket and close the door to the cabin.


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I climbed up the steep road keeping to the trees, and as I reached the top of the hill, I saw a figure shaped like a man but smaller, coming the opposite way. I hid behind a tree, as I couldn't make out the features of the man-creature. It stopped right at the tree and looked at me. I could see blue skin and large blue eyes. As it fiddled with a translation box on its chest, I heard him say, "Human, are you ready for the tour?"

Tour? Am I dreaming"Yes," I managed to say, ignoring my fluttering stomach.

"The tour ship is waiting. Follow me."

"How long will the tour take?" Will I ever come back?

"28 of your Earth days. We use hyperjump travel. There are also longer tours, if you survive your initial trip. Follow all instructions please."


"I see." Why did he say survive? But then, maybe I don't want to know. 

As we entered the portal within the clouds, I took one last look at the blue planet. Earth.

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Pixabay Image from Int'l Space Station-free use.



28 galaxy days later, we exited the same cloud portal and there was my home planet, but it looked different, as if it had more ocean water visible than I remembered. I had requested to be landed near my home.  I survived this trip and could book another in a couple of years.

 As I walked to my old neighbourhood, nothing looked familiar, the houses were all different and only a few people were around. I looked at an overhead ad sign which said, “In this year 2047, we will be sending another colony to Mars. Do you want to be a colonist in space?”


So, 28 galaxy days equalled 28 Earth years. That’s a translation I missed. But no one here will remember me now and I haven’t aged at all. I think I’ll stay here.

523 Word Count

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Would you want to join this tour? If all your obligations were gone, would you prefer turning vigilante to track down the driver, living with the reality of losing your family, or casting away the depression and doing something totally different?

Please leave a comment, so I'll know you were here and I'll reply. Thanks for visiting and reading!

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WEP Write, Edit, Publish, a flash challenge

It's time for another WEP challenge - with the support team of Nilanjana Bose and Olga Godim and L.G. Keltner adding their imaginings and creativity. Thanks to Denise for being the host.



Click on the link for WEP  to see the list of participants and read their stories. Joining the WEP-ISWG challenges is easy. See information on the WEP website if you're interested!

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Image Credit: Image of Earth from the International Space Station.

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Saturday, January 5, 2019

Silhouettes - A Short Story Collection Review

A collection of short horror stories by Roland Yeomens that will make you look over your shoulder, and avoid the darkness. 




Cover for Silhouettes Stories, Roland Yeomans

Silhouettes in the Key of Scream


The theme is revenge, and the different ways it can manifest itself in the minds of those who now reside on the 'other' side. Be warned that you should never underestimate the strength or the depth of revenge. . . Following is a list of the short stories in this collection and a snippet about them.

The Dead Have No Say

A tale set in Hollywood, and served with the movie industry's flair for style and drama. An undead actress has a score to settle with her past coworkers. She sets the stage to
unveil her plan. 


The Town That Hated God


A seraphim, Darael, is sent by the Vatican to settle a problem in a town lost to evil. He confronts the dangers in his own way. Although Darael's history is known, his powers are not. 


Dead Not Yet

When a ghost from your past comes back to visit - do you welcome them or run the other way? Running might be the wise choice, especially if the ghost is a sultry red-haired female.


Murder As A Kindness

Sometimes a 'past' interrupted comes around again, like a second-hand second chance. You may get what you want, but not the 'way' you would have chosen. . .


A Shore Never Reached

This tale goes to the past in memory of loved ones, those who were taken from their son. A harsh decision must be made so fewer will suffer.


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Do you ever think of revenge or do you just let it go and try to learn from it ? Do you like collections of stories?

Please leave a comment so I know you were here, and I'll respond. If you like Roland's novels, you might want to read this collection. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Roland Yeomans was born in Detroit, Michigan. But his last memories of that city are hub-caps and kneecaps since, at the age of seven, he followed the free food when his parents moved to Lafayette, Louisiana. The hitch-hiking after their speeding car from state to state was a real adventure. Once in Louisiana, Roland learned strange new ways of pronouncing David and Richard when they were last names. And it was not a pleasant sight when he pronounced Comeaux for the first time.

He has a Bachelor’s degree in English Education and a Master’s degree in Psychology.  He has been a teacher, counsellor, book store owner, and even a pirate since he once worked at a tax preparation firm.

So far he has written thirty-four books.  You can find Roland at his web page: www.rolandyeomans.blogspot.com  or at his private table in Meilori’s.  The web page is safer to visit.  But if you insist on visiting Meilori’s, bring a friend who runs slower than you. 

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Images in this post property of Roland Yeomans. Photo of Roland's cat, Midnight, courtesy of the cat.
Midnight. A helpful friend of the author.


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Note: I was going to post this review in part on Amazon Reviews, after I purchased and read it, but the controller, Amazon, blocked me from doing that as I had not spent a specific amount on books ordered from them in the previous 12 months. This is not customer friendly, IMO.

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