Monday Mixer: No Regrets

I nearly never took part this week due to technical difficulties and I thought in order to stick two fingers up at spambots I would attempt all nine prompts. My first draft was 255 words! But here it is, nine prompts, 150 words.... i hope you enjoy it!

No Regrets

Slumped, barely breathing on the craggy moraine, a gentle breeze washed over him. He opened his eyes, the planes remnants laid out like puzzle pieces, the canard intact, and gazed at the obsequious gulls as they floated on air.

Shuffling to lean against a mound resembling a tumulus, the thought chilled him, and he chose to think of it instead as a settee.

Friends had told him he was too old to fly, but he was an audacious character and had spent 92 years grasping life with both hands.

No regrets.

As his body shut down, his brain coped by creating a visage, a busy bazaar filled with his family and friends, some long gone. Scanning the crowd for her face, he heard the unmistakable sound as each stiletto trip trapped behind him, penetrating the hum of the crowd. Turning quickly to see her, he followed her into the light. 

PROMPTS: Moraine, Canard, Obsequious, Tumulus, Settee, Audacious, Bazaar, Stiletto, Penetrating.

MICHAEL DI GESU showcases Young 80

... MICHAEL DI GESU ... ... ... In Time ... ...: AS THE CLOCK TICKS ...: The bride of Frankenstein diligently types at her computer. A blue ribbon sweeps up her hair, and a vintage necklace dangles between her ...

Inspiration & Hidden Message

Do you ever have those weeks that seem to have a theme? Where everything you watch or read or see almost always seems to be screaming the same message at you? Some people might say that it is because I have this theme on my mind that everywhere I look, I shall see it. Have you ever bought a new car thinking that you never saw many of those on the road, and then everywhere you go, that is the only car you seem to see? Do you think that your brain subconsciously looks out for patterns in things once you obsess for an hour or so about it? Is it in anyway linked to perception? I know I am asking questions that I don't have the answer to and that I haven't researched the answer to and that I may never know the answer to, maybe you know and maybe you can tell me? If you have a theory based on nothing but theory then tell me that too!

Okay, enough of the riddles, lets look at what it is I am ACTUALLY waffling on about, inspiration. I say inspiration but I know that can mean different things to different people but maybe in this post, you will learn a bit about what inspires me and how the last week has been filled with subtle messages that I have picked up.

At the start of the week, I watched a presentation, the presentation included a panel of  University alumni. As with any presentation that is being held as a promotional tool (hey look at us, aren't we great), it was the successful alumni that were on the panel, as opposed to those whose lives were meandering along in much the same fashion as they always had. I think maybe they just hadn't been inspired in the same way. It also depends on what we do with that inspiration, whether we shrug it off, embrace it, nurture it or pass it along, we always have a choice. But the one message that I took from these alumni was that they all had aspirations of passing courses with the best grades, distinctions and merits but in the end, the just needed to pass. They focussed on the end goal and did what needed to be done, happy if they achieved said distinctions, merits etc. but happy all the same. It was a means to an end as you will, a stepping stone on the path of their next destination. I say next and not final because I wholeheartedly believe that once you reach that goal, another one will present itself and you start the process again.

I could relate to what they were saying, some may recall that when I went to university to get a degree, it was with the one aim: to have the qualification I needed to be selected to join the voluntary service. I wasn't too concerned about the subject and without having studied Maths or Science at A'level, simply by applying myself, I managed to leave with an hons degree in Applied Physics. I believe that there is more than one way to achieve things in life, and just because you haven't followed a route laid out for you it doesn't by any means mean that you cant still achieve it.

The next sign came in the work I was doing, it gave me the opportunity to see CV's of people who were successful, and the one thing that stood out for me was how few of these had followed a conventional route and had been consistent. People have rich and diverse lives and these lives are also unpredictable, we have to bend with the winds of change (or something like that) and although we may have a diverted route, we can get there whether we fail en route or not.

I managed to get to finish that degree even though I never excelled in GCSE's and I failed two of my three A'levels, I went to college instead to get my university place, and there I studied an extra course which ensured I kept my honours that first year, I wanted to give up when it got hard in year two and I believed wholeheartedly that I wouldn't pass, somehow I did and year three was no easier but I had some faith that I could do it. I aimed to pass and I didn't care too much about the grades. The fact that I did pass and I know how much it took for me to pass, means that I couldn't be prouder of my 2:2.

That seems a lifetime ago now and my dreams have changed but my belief that you can succeed if you are prepared to accept an alternate route there is still as strong. Its why I have such faith in Adult education which in itself shows that, having failed or not reached the goals they wanted to when younger (for whatever reason) they have (as the quote above says) learnt from it and are now more determined. Young people are determined too and I envy those who have always had a clear life path laid out in front of them, but just because you haven't it doesn't mean you cant be just as successful.

The next clue came from Writers! I was reading some interviews with successful writers and they were partly biographical, and it inspired me a lot to as basically, they all said something along the lines of this:

How true a statement is that! Then this morning, I saw this video on Facebook, and its worth listening to all the way through...

I don't think anything should decide our fate except us! Please share your inspirational stories in the comments :D

So this last week was brought to you courtesy of inspiration appearing in all places :D

FSF: Shadows

Its five sentence fiction time and I may have taken liberties with my sentences, but please forgive me and I hope you enjoy!

Shadows

The leaves rustled as the wind gently swished past them, causing Melody’s dress to flutter and threaten to expose her underwear,  she quickened her pace and with one hand she held onto the side of her dress; pulling the fabric tight to one side so it bunched in her hand and the dress clung to her thighs.

Although she could hear the cars that passed on the road nearby, the air itself seemed weighed down with an echoing silence, and she loosened the fabric slightly so she could move faster.

She always stayed close to the road, to people and to noise as like many she was scared of the dark; she did not fear the dark itself but what could be hidden out of sight, what could cause those shadows that she often saw or imagined, what could be waiting there for her.

She reached her destination, slightly out of breath, but with plenty of time and she released her skirt so she could move freely.

She opened her bag and pulled out her keys and threw them onto the middle of the pathway, Melody shuffled back into the shadows, and with one hand on her gun she waited, unseen, for him to come.

RANT! Rant rant rant rant rant! (well somebody has to)

Long time sufferers readers of my blog will remember a few of my rants from before, it was something that was intended to be a regular thing until the rants turned into true travel stories and all annoyance with the world was forgotten and we joined together to laugh and ridicule this blogger and her antics....good times!

Only today, I made a mistake, I made a HUGE mistake, I may have made the BIGGEST mistake EVER! I may also be being melodramatic (who me?!) and blowing this all out of proportion BUT, yes I said BUT, this is something that annoys me to the point of wondering what hope is there for future generations when women...yes! women buy into all this rubbish that is spouted by magazines.

OK, so I am spouting but not really being specific, I shall be specific and maybe you will share in my horror and disbelief or tell me that its a sign of the times and I should just get over it.

Here is what happened, well, its my version of events.

It was a blustery April afternoon when Kate wondered into the small shop situated on the University campus. She didn't like to go here as it was overpriced and god awful but she went all the same. With a new schedule and only a 30 minute lunch break she needed something to entertain her for that time...when what should appear in her eye line? A copy of this weeks Closer! Shhhhhhh....don't all scream at once, I know this is practically a horror story in itself, but believe you me, it gets worse....**sigh**

The front cover has three women on it who are what may be referred to as 'C' list celebs (at least in the UK) and a word underneath each in bold type, DEFIANT, FRAGILE, DETERMINED.

Now, we all know by now that if you give these three words to a writer they will come up with the best damn flash fiction you've read and it will maybe be uplifting, maybe be empowering, it might even make you cry a little or swallow back the tears....STOP!

That was nothing like the mess that unraveled in side.

The first story was about Victoria Beckham and how she wanted to get her sexy back, no she hadn't gained weight, yes she had lost all the baby weight within two days of her last child and no she didn't want to gain a couple of pounds, she wanted to tone up. So...there is nothing wrong with that, woman wants to tone up to impress her husband - so we can assume then that the magazine might be a supporter of women working with what they have. I wont go into the whole political minefield of why she thought she needed to tone up for her husband of 15 years but I will assume it was because she would feel better about herself firstly and foremost.

What follows is a man telling a woman to change her image to be successful, yo biatch u gotta get your sexy ass out if you wanna get noticed! (Will.i.am to Cheryl Cole) or something like that and SHOCK HORROR she is saying NO! Good so far...right?

Next up, a pregnant Jordan doesn't want her new younger husband to think she is boring and so goes out clubbing till the wee hours of the morning (personally, that sounds pretty dull to me!), then Sarah from Girls aloud is being worried about by friends (but they aren't doing anything, just worrying from afar!), a mental breakdown, a stint in rehab for prescription drugs and alcohol abuse (lets not mention the nose that looks rebuilt from coke abuse, the botox or the lip fillers) but it nicely tells us that her current state is due to a man breaking up with her...really? If that doesn't have you questioning your values and whether young women today don't judge their worth by their man we kindly are given some more positive role models.

Yes, step up to the plate 40 somethings and show us your tits! What? Abbey Clancy did it so its good enough for us! You go girl! Just keep your eyes on their asses cos' no-one is mentioning their f**ked up faces. Its not a positive thing, but if naked 20 somethings isn't something you can relate to or 40 somethings  don't worry because B*witched (30 somethings) are nearly nude a few pages later! It would be funny if it wasn't for the fact that I am not even joking!

Now, its time for a true story, some hard nose gritty journalism, something to get your teeth into and make your blood boil as Mum-of-two says she is happy living on benefits and will keep having kids to avoid working, where did she get this idea from? Her parents showed her its an easy life and at 15 she decided to get pregnant. Sadly, my sarcastic slur of I bet her parents are proud would actually be factually based.

Hey, don't go! come back - there is more wonderful stuff, you wont read this mag without feeling some insecurity, I don't allow it and neither does Closer.

Celeb transformations, this woman has lost weight = YAY!, this woman has had plastic surgery and looks ewww = hmmmm, and this woman has gained weight (a heifer now at size 12) = BOO! Whats that you say? You aren't worried about your weight? You're eating for two you say? These celebs are all pregnant and are all exercising and eating healthy and have a fitness plan sorted and prepped to start straight after the baby pops out...what do you mean, you were going to take it easy, enjoy time with your new baby and slowly get back into a routine? ARE YOU CRAZY? Be in those size 6's in a fortnight or consider yourself a failure as a parent.

Ironically, there is some supportive comments about curvier girls which is a shame because its the girls of Geordie Shore!, and also Nicole Richie and Liann Rimes have gained a few pounds - at a guess I would say two, but bear in mind that they were toooooo skinny before and are now looking healthier!

So in summary, if you are skinny you may be too skinny and need to get curvy, if you are curvy you could be too curvy and need to get skinny and if you are pregnant then you need to be ready to get skinny as soon as possible after giving birth but remember to have a healthy glow whilst pregnant, Oh and dress the baby bump! Yes, that's right folks! The baby bump needs to be stylish....

The rest was fashion adverts for clothes that only look good on teens and some advice about keeping healthy oh yes, and I almost forgot a small running commentary on how two of Americas teen stars are now flushing their lives away just like Lindsay Lohan - hmmmm....

This type of stuff sends me mental (I know I had a head start on that one!) and the reason being is YOU CANT WIN! If you are skinny, you need to be curvier or toned or dressed better or taking less drugs or not acting like you don't have a care in the world. If you have put weight on then you need to lose it, to get skinny, to get toned because otherwise, no-one at Closer magazine will like you! Oh, and I don't know if Closer supported the ban page three protest but they have no less than 9 naked women in their magazine....so thanks.

I know I could do with being skinnier and maybe one day I will get there, but before I dive head first into a spiralling lifestyle of drug abuse and unplanned pregnancy, I have decided to sort out whats going on in the inside first! Hmph! The outside is easy to change, the inside is a constant battle, but anyone susceptible to this type of magazine is never going to find her worth. We are all important and beautiful and full of potential, I just pray that you are your only judge, don't listen to this rubbish they spout! Being you is great :D

I told you it was ranty! And now I feel bad for being ranty...oh dear...how can I make it up to you?...sneak peek of my latest story??

She had stopped at a bench in the middle of memorial park, an elderly lady with a gentle stoop that slowed her gait, wearing her favourite Sunday best and with her long white locks neatly tied in a bun at the back of her head, she sighed heavily as she sat down. Her hands showed signs of ageing, her skin translucent and revealing her veins, liver spots dotted about like a constellation and her knuckles were so swollen from arthritis that she could barely clasp the detonator.

She sat and waited for her target, she saw him approaching, and he was tall and outwardly handsome with a stride of self-assurance in his jog. A few paces behind him were the agents who were there to protect him, did they suspect her, she thought not. This was her last mission and she was happy to make her name in the History books, martyr of the cause & fighter of freedom, she had dedicated her life to it.  As he neared the bench,  he glanced across at her, he smiled in a chivalrous ‘how do you do’ and something in her eye must have worried him for in the nest few seconds his face grew serious, maybe it was because she had stood up and he could see her clasping something.

The explosion blew her apart into too many pieces to begin to count and much the same happened to the politician who was her target. Crime scene investigator’s had a huge puzzle to piece back together as they matched each last body part to the right body. The death toll was five, the bomber, the politician, his two guards, and another jogger. The impact was a different story.

***

Meredith was ready; standing at the parapet she began her speech:

Let battle commence, let the future be the product of a battle well won, let the past be the past; a distant memory that is long forgotten. Let us not be controlled by the actions of our fore fathers, let us mark this day in our calendars as the day we made a statement for positive change.

Twenty Five years ago today my grandmother, Meredith Nicole Winters, made a choice, a choice to put an end to Richard Mendes life and to stop his venom from spreading any further. She could not have foreseen what would happen because of her actions. She is a victim as much as we are and I know that she would stand here before you and tell you the same as I do; that we need to fight and be free. We need to unleash ourselves from the government’s chains, to show our strength and not our weakness. To rise up from the suppressed state that we are kept in, to feed our passion to be counted and to walk amongst those whose torment we have suffered. Our time is now and we need to take it.

The crowd gathered in the Community Hall of Little Brook cheered and clapped in raucous applause. Meredith stepped down and smiled to herself. It didn’t matter that the attendance was low, what mattered was that she had chosen to lead them, to fight for freedom and to follow in her grandmothers footsteps, only this time there would be no mistakes.

***

Joshua Mendes was browsing through the pages of the local newspaper for Little Brook, he was killing time reading the small print on every page instead of writing his application to intern at his father’s law firm. It was only his father’s in name and reputation. His father had been killed whilst his mother was pregnant with him and the details, of which he had looked up in the library yearly in case of any new evidence, were etched on his brain.

As he scoured the small ads he came across one that caught his eye: Meredith Winters invites you to attend the revival of the Little Brook Freedom Fighters Union. For a moment he couldn’t swallow, he was confused, wasn’t Meredith Winters the name of the woman who they believed had killed his father? Wasn’t she a freedom fighter? This couldn’t be the same person, but it definitely had his attention, and he tore the ad from the paper and read through the details again. Joshua thought it must be fate that it was being held when he was in town and on the 25^thanniversary of his father’s death. It would mean leaving the memorial dinner early, but he never felt so determined about anything before, and he began writing his application with new fervour.

The girl, the granddaughter of Meredith Winters, had finished her speech. Joshua was surprised that anyone had turned up and he had scoffed at her attempt to rally the supporters. It was hard to get any enthusiasm from the residents of Little Brook for improving the area let alone for calling of arms. When she had stepped down from the podium he had noticed her looking flushed and uneasy and for a moment he considered leaving. Something kept him there and he decided that he needed to speak to this Meredith, the possible reincarnation of her grandmother, to let her have a piece of his mind.

‘Excuse me’ he said, stepping closer to her. She turned and looked at him; her eyes were a clear blue and as big as they were, they gave her an air of innocence that took Joshua completely by surprise. ‘Yes?’ she replied and stood looking at him expectantly, ‘I…I…’ he had no clue why he was stumbling over his words, ‘I…heard your speech…quite rousing’ he said as his brain tried to stop him from being amicable with the enemy. She looked up at him, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name’ she said and smiled sweetly in his direction. ‘Josh…Josh Smith’ he answered. Joshua didn’t know why he had chosen to keep his identity from her, but maybe he could find out what he wanted to know first before he revealed his true identity. ‘Well, Josh…pleased to meet you’ and she held out a pale delicate hand which was surprisingly warm to the touch. ‘Are you associated with the Freedom Fighters Union?’ she asked. ‘Yes, in a way...’ he paused and wracked his brains for something to say that might be convincing, ‘I have been doing some research on the group.’ ‘Oh really?!’ she replied, ‘Yes…maybe I could tell you about it over dinner?’ Joshua couldn’t believe what he was saying but he carried on anyway, what was that saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

When the young man had approached her and she had turned to look at him she had felt chills. Something about him seemed so familiar, the way he looked at her, the way he carried himself and even the way in which he spoke. When she had asked him his name she had been surprised that it was so…what was the word…plain? Josh Smith. He had said his name was Josh Smith but he hadn’t looked too sure if that was him or not. The Freedom Fighters Union had been researched to death in the years after her grandmother’s statement, Meredith couldn’t bring herself to call it suicide, and Meredith wasn’t sure that there was much left to research about. When he asked her to dinner, she had wanted to say ‘No’ but something about him made her agree.  She thought he was hiding something, but what it was she didn’t know, what was that saying….Better the devil you know?

Agree with my rant? disagree? want me to shut up? Happy Monday!

#Monday Mixer: Victorious

Its been three weeks since I last participated in Monday Mixer hosted by Jeffrey Hollar at The Latinum Vault. This week was pretty tricky and I needed more words,but I cut it down to 150,

Feedback is always welcome as usual and here it is:

As Jeff accelerated around each hairpin bend he gripped the steering wheel for dear life, he was as surprised as the spectators that he didn’t lose control and veer off the racetrack that clung to the cliff edge.

The car careened around the last bend and the wheels hit the ground with a thud.

He was neck and neck with his most zealous competitor. Having competed against each other many times, Jeff had yet to win, and Neil’s paroxysm that caused him trouble on and off the track is what gave him the edge.  Jeff was loathed to be another victim.

Feeling seditious, Jeff opted to pass quickly on the inside; Neil had been weaving across the road in an ardent attempt to block him.  Jeff saw his chance, never slowing, he passed and glanced across in time to see Neil’s car disappear over the edge.

I used the following words: racetrack, paroxysm, seditious.

Girls Best Friend: Part 15

Millie felt guilty about running off on Jay for a second time but he didn’t care about Elvis, he didn’t care that her employer was missing and he didn’t care about her, and so she pushed any feelings of guilt to the back of her mind.

‘Why did you drug me?’ Millie looked directly at Mark; she wanted to see his reaction to her question. Mark looked across at Millie, ‘I didn’t. That was Michael, he thought you might try and run off…pah! I guess he didn’t count on you having a partner. Are you going to tell me what happened?’

Millie ignored his question, and answered him by asking another, ‘How did you know where to find me?’, ‘I followed you, it wasn’t hard and he didn’t try to lose me, when I saw him leave I knew you wouldn’t be far behind.’ ‘What does that mean?’ ‘Nothing, I just know that when you were seeing him you didn’t seem happy and I didn’t think you would stick around and I wasn’t wrong...was I?’

She looked at him. She had thought she knew him quite well but it wasn’t until you were in extraordinary circumstances that you really discovered people’s truth.  In a million years she would never have thought he would be involved in some kind of criminal activity and she still didn’t know what had happened to Denise. She had so many questions and she wasn’t sure which to ask first, then from nowhere she blurted out, ‘I saw Anne in Paris…’ and silence filled the car for a while. Millie kept an eye on Mark and noticed his jaw clench and his brow slightly furrow. She wanted to ask more questions but she let the last one sit in the air between them. The silence, as deafening as it was, peaked Millie’s interest and she knew that she would wait out the silence until he spoke.

The digital clock on the dashboard told Millie that it had been 47 minutes since she last spoke, she had watched out of the window as they passed through towns and villages on their way to Madrid.  The sun beat down on the windscreen of the car and made her feel sweaty and uncomfortable, she wound down the window to let some air in and as she did so, Mark leaned forward and switched the air conditioning on, and she rolled it back up as she felt the cool breeze.

‘Anne is…Anne is…involved with the kidnapping of Mr Rob.’

‘I know that much...how?’

‘She knew about the diamonds, heard about them during pillow talk with Mr Roberts, and she conspired with Eddie to steal them…Eddie went to the wrong people for help in pulling of the job, wanted to impress his brother, but they tricked him…Anne was just using him…the gang that did the kidnapping is led by her son, Jack. Their plan went a bit wrong and here we are. I contacted Michael for help and he said he would send in a Retriever…I just didn’t know it would be you?’

‘How do you know this though? And what happened to Denise?’ More silence followed and Millie mentally filed the bit about her being a retriever, she didn’t even know what one was, her neighbour growing up had a golden retriever but she didn’t think he was referring to her as one.

‘I don’t want to talk about that now. We are nearly at our hotel, we can check in and get some rest, maybe look around Madrid and then head on to Algeciras.’

‘But, I want to know what’s going on? I don’t even know that I should trust you!’

‘Really? Then what are you doing in my car?’ Millie didn’t have an answer for that. What was she doing in his car?

She returned to her silence as the car moved along at a snail’s pace a few miles outside of Madrid. There was some kind of delay that was causing a tail back and the heat of the midday sun beating down on the car had negated the effects of the air conditioning.

She gazed out of the window at the Spanish countryside, although the temperature was high and Millie felt sweaty, every time the cold air hit her body it made her shudder. Looking out of the window at the over farmed terrain as it spread out in mounds of dust and orange groves her eye was drawn by the litter glittering in the sunlight like jewels, and it reminded Millie of the cause of this trip.

‘What happened?...you know…before. How did the diamonds get to be in Marrakech?’ she asked, wanting to fill the silence that sat recumbent between them.

‘I should tell you why?’ was his reply.

‘…a million times better than listening to you breathe’ she retaliated.

‘not the best excuse’ he said and leaned forward to turn on the car radio, it clicked to signify that it was on, but no sound came from the speakers. As if that was a cue, Mark said, ‘Ok…I’ll tell you what I know…’

Isletunna - Work in progress...

Yesterday I was whittering on a bit on Facebook about a story I had written part of during Nanowrimo, well I wanted to share with you how it is looking...feedback very welcome...and you might need a cup of tea as its medium length..

The force of each foot as it pounded the ground caused ripples along his thigh muscles and his bones vibrated in response.  His pace was quick and even, but if he wanted to reach the gate in time, then he would need to find the energy to increase his speed.

It was a daily ritual that he went through, a self-imposed challenge to see how late he could leave it and still make it through, and he hadn’t been beaten yet. As he drew nearer he could see the gap between the gates ever shrinking, he had to slide through sideways, and held his breath as he did so.

He looked around at the steel box that provided a holding station for those waiting to return to Isletunna (his homeland beneath the earth’s surface). The box protected them from the unknown dangers that waited outside for them at nightfall and as he joined the queue to descend he wondered how many people had perished in its construction. Isletunna had no record of its construction; there were no history books that existed before his birth and very few that had been written since. Each day as he waited, he often thought about it and wondered what life was like for those living in Isletunna back then; he couldn’t remember anything of his life before he was 8.

The queue tonight seemed longer than usual and he grew impatient with waiting. In the past delays were almost unheard of as so few ventured out, but as each day passed more and more people wanted to see what it was like. The entryway was rudimentary, a hole in the ground with a ladder that you climbed down, that led you to the main exit/entry tunnel to Isletunna and then it was as though the ground opened up in a magnificent cavern with small caverns and tunnels spread out like tentacles from the centre.  His father hated tardiness and although he had felt his wrath many a time, he had strong beliefs that were often in conflict with him, he didn’t want to argue over something as petty as time-keeping. He knew it was an abuse of power but he strode to the front of the queue and asserted his position in the hierarchy by removing the cape that covered his Royal Armour. The people of Isletunna queuing there, on seeing his armour, knelt on the ground and in a hushed whisper they recited the laws of Isletunna. The guards were not required to kneel but they avoided eye contact all the same.

Addressing the low ranking soldier who was guarding the tunnel, he asked, ‘What is causing the delay, Soldier?’  The soldier recognised him straight away as the Crown Prince of Isletunna, Prince Matthias Benjamin Dex (Dex to his friends), and unsure of the proper protocol he half-curtsied and replied, ‘Your Highness, there is an obstruction, something has blocked the entryway.’

‘And is someone looking at it?’ he queried further, ‘Yes, my comrade went to investigate an hour ago but he has not returned. I think I shall have to go and check too.’ Dex’s impatience hadn’t subsided and if the Soldier went that would leave his post empty, pushing the soldier aside Dex declared that he would go instead and without waiting for a response he began to clamber down the shaft that lead to the entry tunnel.

He knew the route as well as he knew himself, and yet he couldn’t find it the doorway into Isletunna. The place where it should have been, it no longer seemed to, all that was there was earth, it was almost as if the tunnel had healed up. He removed some of the earth but as each handful was dislodged, the hole it left was instantly refilled. He repeated the process and each time the same thing happened.  It made no sense to him but it did remind him of a tale that was told on many an evening in the royal cove, a tale that he had always thought to be fictional, he never imagined it could be a true story.

He headed back along the tunnel and climbed up to meet the waiting soldier and the people who had, like him, left returning home until the last possible moment. As he emerged from the ground the people returned to their knees and started to recite again, it was an old rule that his father thought highly of, but one that he found annoying. However, in this instance he found it to be to his benefit as their hushed whispers drowned out any hint of panic in his voice as he told the soldier that the entrance had been closed, that it was enchanted by a magic he didn’t know, and that maybe the Magi of Isletunna had returned.

The soldier he had spoken to looked as though he would swallow his tongue when Dex mentioned the Magi. Dex realised that he would need to take control of the situation, to keep everyone calm and to find a way in, he wasn’t too concerned as he knew that his father would come in search of him if he didn’t return. The people came to the surface not only to see the sun and feel its warmth on their skin but to forage for foodstuffs and medicines. It was something they had done since his birth, and he could see that they had plenty of food to keep them well fed until morning, and so he suggested to the soldier to tell them to settle down and be prepared to spend the night sleeping in the container.

One of Isletunna laws said that Royalty could not speak to those who were not in the employment of or of the same standing as them, another rule his father was obsessed with that he thought pointless, and the reason that he wore the cape on the surface; it gave him the freedom to live as one of the people, without all these rules.  Dex was about to instruct the Soldier to tell the people what was happening when instead he told him to inform them that from this moment on until the door to Isletunna was reopened, they should not think of him as the Crown Prince but as one of them, and that this was a strange situation that they were in and they would need to deal with it together, so they should rise up from their knees and stop reciting the laws.

The soldier’s face changed to that of disbelief, but Dex nodded at him in encouragement and confirmation, the solider cleared his throat and spoke to the people. They were shocked but stood up, , tentative glances to one another as though they felt at any moment they would be struck down, an elderly lady refused to believe it and stayed firmly kneeling on the ground.

Dex went to her, ‘Madam’ he knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder and felt her body flinch and recoil at his touch, ‘Madam, please rise and be my equal’ he said. The old woman raised her chin and looked at him, his eyes were set in steely determination and she knew he meant the words he spoke; she let him take her arm and help her to stand up. As Dex was about to walk away she touched his elbow, so gently like a whisper, but it sent chills through to his core and he turned back to meet her gaze, ‘I was there…when you were born…when you were brought up here…I was there’ she said in raspy tones that belied her frailty.

Dex had often heard tales of his childhood but his birth was a closely guarded secret, all he knew was that only his parents and the Magi had been there. Something in her eyes made him believe that she was speaking the truth, and he moved back to stand beside her and then, taking her unawares, he knelt down in front of her, took her hand and said, ‘Please, I beg of you, tell me of that day…’ he paused and looked around to see the people watching him in silence, listening to his every word, resting on his every breath. ‘…tell us all, we are eager to know, I am eager to know, no harm will come to you…I promise…’ and he signalled to those around him to kneel beside him and listen to the old woman’s tale of his birth, almost trance-like they did and so she begun,

We had been in the tunnel for many long years, years that had been hard on us, there were few children who had survived our ritual, and we all but had no hope left until the Queen became with child. The Magi of Isletunna had prophesised the birth of our saviour and no-one wanted to dream that the child would survive and be the one.

I was a nurse back then, had learnt my skills young, and I had become a favourite and was lucky enough to have seen many children I birthed survive the blackness.

‘…the blackness?..’ Dex had heard mention of it but no-one would share the details and those kneeling beside him had gasped at its mention too.   

It wasn’t an easy job, she continued, more often than not it was a heart breaking job, but the queen asked me herself to be in attendance. She was young, very young, and scared of losing her child. I remember the labour was long and there were moments when I worried more about her survival than that of yours. When you were born you opened your mouth and gave an almighty wail. You had only just entered the world and you could hardly know what your future would be but you gave an enormous cry as if you knew.

‘Knew what? Dex blurted out, the woman’s voice was hypnotic but she spoke as if she knew the future and more specifically his, ‘sorry, please continue’ he said.

The Magi took you to the surface and laid you on the ground; I couldn’t bear to watch but I was too scared to look away.  Your lungs drew in great gulps of the toxic gas that filled the atmosphere and we were helpless to do anything but stand by and wait. Your parents looked on in hope, praying that no damage would or had been done to you.

It was the only time I saw your father waver on a Isletunna rule. You know your father does love his rules. When our people had first been forced underground it was due to the desolation of the environment, something our ancestors had done themselves, they didn’t respect it and didn’t realise how life depended on nature to survive. When Isletunna was founded and the laws laid down, they had only one that should never be broken, we were to lay each child at natures mercy out of respect to the Gods. The atmosphere then was heavy with toxins and all the children of Isletunna were to be taken to the surface at birth and forced to breathe those toxins, nature would decide its fate and those that survived the blackness would be allowed to enter back into Isletunna.

‘But the blackness…what was it?’ Dex asked.

Once the baby was laid on the surface by the Magi, they would take their first few breaths. The parents could only watch and hope that their child would not succumb to the blackness, most did and within a minute or two, these small delicate children would begin to cough and splutter and a thick stench of black sludge would dribble from the corners of their mouths, their eyes would roll back in their heads and turn a burnt red, the veins in their bodies would become turgid and ripple beneath the skin as the blackness began to fill them. It would create a map on their bodies like that on the back of a leaf and soon the sludge would burst the veins and begin to emanate through every pore, it would spread over the child and smother it in a hard unrelenting casing. The casings, and the child inside, were left on the surface and their parents would have to return to Isletunna with only the pain of their loss for company. Their tiny bodies had been consumed by the blackness.

As she spoke of the death of the new born infants tears streamed down her crinkled face, but her voice remained steady.

Practically every family in Isletunna had experienced this at some time; you are an only child because the Queen thought she had used her luck on having you. She had clung to your father for those minutes you were on the surface, her knuckles white with fear, her legs still shaking and tired from the birth, and her face splattered with tears and dirt. The King had stood tall and proud and never showed signs of his fear, I doubt he would let it penetrate his armour, although I think even his heart was crumbling into a million pieces at the thought of losing you. They had looked at each other, exchanging glances that spoke a thousand words.

As we all waited for the time to tick by, all your parents could do was watch you lying there, not wanting to hope, not wanting to start loving you, but they couldn’t fight it, it had been instant. I could feel loves warmth in that room. 

‘What happened then...’

After 5 minutes you hadn’t presented with any of the symptoms of the disease and after 10 minutes they allowed hope to creep in, after 30 minutes the Magi took you in to be marked with the Seal of Isletunna. You had survived this ritual and they could take you home.  As soon as they announced that you had beaten the blackness, the people of Isletunna rejoice. We were right to do so because after your birth, no child who was placed on the surface was ever consumed with the blackness again. The rule was changed and people didn’t have to do it anymore, there was no need, the blackness had gone. Things changed and we slowly started to test the atmosphere for toxins but they were gone. The Magi left too and when they did so the blackness took to the sky, only appearing at nightfall.

You are the reason we are all here today, you are destined to be the new leader of Isletunna, you saved us and that is why we serve you.

The winner is....

Ok, so I told you all that the 5 people who entered had great odds and this morning I pressed the generate button on the random generator:

...And the lucky owner of number two (hehehehe) was none other than Lynn from The Grumbling Gargoyle! Once I have her address she will receive her goodies in the post including story related items, signed CD's AND a hand stitched ornament from Nina :D She is one lucky Gargoyle.

Once she receives the package (heheheh), I shall post some photo's here and maybe it will encourage you to enter my next giveaway....

Congratulations Lynn!

Giveaway winner to be announced sooooooon!!!!

We had a very healthy five entries :D Later I shall put them into the random generator! Keep an eye out in case its you!

Them & US: HIJKL...

It may not be daily...and I know you all are forgiving types...so here is my catchup of the weeks letters that I haven't done...from H to L...carrying on with US TV shows...

The letter H brought to mind two shows almost instantly; House and Happy Days. Very different to each other but both equally as good.

I watched Happy Days as a kid and that was where I first met Ron Howard and I have enjoyed his films that he has directed. I grew up on musicals and still love them and remember being pleased that he had been in one, The Music Man (great film by the way!). As its good to reminisce on occasion lets go with Happy Days.

IMDB says...The Cunningham family live through the 1950's with help and guidance from the lovable and almost superhuman greaser, Fonzie.

I dont ever remember him being almost superhuman, but very entertaining and the fifties epitome of cool. I would have watched the repeats of this show and I even remember watching 'Joanie loves Chachi' some time later (dont worry its not in the J bit) and what a great theme tune!
The letter I is a tricky one...I dream of Jeannie? I used to love that, another one I watched on repeats , whatever happened to the child friendly adult comedies that used to come out of America? Even childrens TV shows are'nt as good. I watched some show with my niece about a nanny and it was awful on every level in terms of morals and personal values. I guess with my adult head on any entertainment was lost on me. 

I should probably add another more recent show, is seven years ago recent? Eek! It was a great show that I really enjoyed and sadly it only lasted one season. It could have been because the writers had backed themselves into a corner with the storyline and it couldnt go much farther but I would have liked to see it twist more and develop. But alas that was not to be, even with a great cast, not all of you will agree with that because of Eddie Cibrian being the lead actor in the show but he is dreamy and supporting actors were good especially one of my favourites William Fichtner. The show is of course...invasion...

IMDB describes it as...

In the aftermath of a hurricane, a Florida Park Ranger and his family deal with strange occurrences, including luminescent creatures in the water and people that somehow seem to have changed after surviving the night of the disaster out in the open. 

The letter J brings to mind Justified with Timothy Olyphant. I love me some cowboys and it goes without saying that the character he plays with the hat and the boots and the drawl is good enough for me to watch, oh and of course another supporting actor who is brilliant even with a rather unusual name...Walton Goggins. I actually have a whole season on my Sky+ box waiting to be watched, mainly due to a lull in the story that disagreed with me towards the end of Season 2 but worth watching.

IMDB describes it as...

Old-school U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is reassigned from Miami to his childhood home in the poor, rural coal-mining towns in Eastern Kentucky.

...and it has a very high rating of 8.7 although my jury is still out on this, ask me after I finish watching season 3.

The letter K is making me think...hmmm...Kate and Allie? (another very old one I saw on repeats) but I think I have to go with the original Knight Rider starring David Hassellhoff. I loved the car (KIT) voice and I think it was a great show which had some charm not least offered by a young gangly curly topped David or as he is in the show...Michael.

I was going to add what was said on IMDB but really if you havent seen or at least heard of this show (old or new) then you must be living under a rock! Its an 80s classic whether you love or hate it.

The letter L is the last one till next weekend and L, hmmm, it has to be Lie to Me starring Tim Roth. It only had three seasons as America didnt seem to warm to it enough to keep it on air but this show could have run and run. The supporting cast fit nicely together and with all the expected characters; cute geek guy, sexual chemistry couple, conflicted interests guy. 

IMDB describes it as...

Dr. Cal Lightman teaches a course in body language and makes an honest fortune exploiting it. He's employed by various public authorities in various investigations, doing more when the police etc. fail to go the extra mile. So he can afford to constitute a team of his own, which like clients and others has to put up with his mind-games.

Its really interesting as it looks at the science behind body language and how we unconsciously do things when lying. It has some great examples too of liars and the like in news, old and current. Even for the three seasons it is worth watching....wait....I may have said that about all of these shows! haha. Its this kind of show that appeals to me, it doesnt wallow in back story, there is problem to solve before it ends and it involves using less formal techniques.

I hope this makes up for my dropping out of the dailies and see you next weekend for the next lot of letters! 

What shows do you like? There are plenty I havent mentioned, so tell me, which are your favourites?

Girls Best Friend: Part 14

Kate sat at her computer, poised to start typing the next part of Girls Best Friend, when it dawned on her that she had missed a week...would readers of this fictional series forgive her? She sat up straight, took a deep breath and began...


Millie wasn’t entirely sure if she was awake or still dreaming, and she really didn’t understand why she wasn’t fighting him, she knew he was hiding something but she felt groggy as if she had been drugged and decided it was better the devil you know as she sat down in the car and they sped off into the night, leaving Mark at the petrol station. Millie closed her eyes and slept.
Millie woke up with the hot sun beating down on her and for a moment was oblivious to what had happened. She stretched and rolled onto her back in time to see Jay stepping out of the shower, she paused and then turned back onto her side and stared out of the window, thinking it was best to act like she hadn’t seen a thing. When she heard his footsteps heading her way she closed her eyes and pretended to be sleeping.

‘Pretending to sleep are we? I saw you checking me out....’ he laughed. Millie couldn’t help herself and smirked, ‘I am surprised you and your ego both fit in that shower!’ she replied, ‘…anyway, nothing I haven’t seen and ignored before....’ she added and instantly wished she hadn’t. ‘You are a terrible actress Millie, you need to get up now though so we can go to the airport’ he said as he began dressing.

‘The airport?! What? What airport? Why? Have you found Elvis?’ she blurted out all at once and hardly had time to catch her breath.

‘Millie…’ he said, ‘you have to forget about that, you aren’t a spy, you aren’t on some kind of rescue mission, and you need to let the authorities worry about them. You’re not some heroine in some silly adventure story that you are always reading!’ he almost shouted the last bit and Millie could feel the heat rising up her neck and knew that she had to get a hold of her temper or lest he should get the better of her. He almost goaded her with ‘so…nothing to say to that? That’s because you know I am right Millie.’ And she clenched her jaw shut and just stared through him. Jay sat next to Millie on the bed and put a hand on her shoulder, in a much lower tone than before he said, ‘What would have happened if I hadn’t come along when I did and rescued you? Seriously Millie for once in your stubborn life, listen to me and take my advice, we shall go home and explain this whole mess and you will be back at work in no time and your life will be back to how it was…normal…predictable…and trouble free. That’s what suits you Millie.’ She could barely contain herself from punching him in the face and running out of the hotel there and then, her knuckles were now white and she could feel her fingers starting to cramp. She slowly climbed out of the bed and was relieved to see she was fully clothed and went to the bathroom and locked the door.

Here she was in another bathroom having to make another decision with only the help of her reflection in the mirror. She did look tired but she wasn’t ready to give up, she may be foolish to think that she could save her boss and Elvis but…but she was also trying to get away from that normal, predictable, trouble free life she had left behind. She opened the cupboard above the sink and a bar of soap fell out, landed on the glass that sat there and knocked it into the sink, where it smashed as it hit the metal plug hole. Millie picked it out and caught her thumb on the edge and it began to bleed, she shoved it in her mouth and grabbed some tissue with the other hand.

‘Millie? Millie? Are you ok in there? Open the door. Millie? What’s going on?’ Jay called out.

‘Calm down Jay, it’s just a bloody glass’ she answered.

‘Well be careful, I don’t want to have to pay for damages.’

‘Heaven forbid’ she mumbled under her breath and slumped down to sit on the edge of the bath, she unwrapped her bloody thumb and threw the tissue into the waste bin. As it fell it occurred to her what she had to do.

‘Jay? Jay? Are you there?’

‘Where would I be Millie, do you know you ask some stupid questions. What do you want?’

‘It’s nothing, its ok, I will be fine.’

‘What!? Don’t do that! I hate it when you say that when it is totally the opposite of what you mean.’

‘I don’t want to be a pain, you always say I am a pain. I will be fine. It’s ok. It’s not even that bad…not really’

‘For crying out loud! WHAT?!’

‘I can’t tell you now, not when you are shouting at me.’

He changed his tone and tried again even though Millie knew he was trying to be facetious, ‘Millie, please, is there something I can help you with?’ and then through gritted teeth he added ‘that will get you out of this bathroom so we can go already’.

‘I’ve come on’ she said, her whole body tense as she waited for his response.

‘What? Why are you telling me this?’

‘I need sanitary things…’ and she waited for the penny to drop.

‘What? Didn’t you bring any with you? Millie, I know most of your flaws if not all of them but I always thought planning was your strong point.’

‘I had OTHER things on my mind…I knew you would be like this Jay, that is why I didn’t want to tell you, you don’t know what it’s like!’ and she held her breath hoping that he would respond how she wanted him to, now who was predictable Jay, she thought.

‘Calm down Millie, don’t get all worked up about it. There is a chemist on the corner, you can go and get some there on the way to the airport.’

‘I can’t go Jay; I don’t have any change of clothes, when you abducted me from Mark you forgot to take my suitcase’

‘So?!’

‘So, these ones have blood on them!’

‘Ok, ok, I’ll go and I shall grab some trousers for you too. I won’t be long, about half an hour, just make sure you are ready when I get back.’

Millie turned the shower on and waited until she heard the room door click closed. She opened the bathroom door slowly to make sure that he had gone and went to the window to watch him leave. Once she saw him cross the road she knew she had to move fast, she grabbed her jacket and her bag, shoved her feet in her shoes and headed out the door. As she walked down the hotel corridor her stomach turned and she felt guilty for running off on Jay a second time but excited to be one step closer to finding Elvis. She checked her bag and luckily the money was still there and she saw the ID badge again, looking at the photo of herself with red hair, she decided that she would go undercover and tried not to skip out of the hotel.

On her way out she passed a door that said BANO and from secondary school Spanish she knew that meant bathroom which meant she must be in Spain already and she rushed out of the main door and turned in the opposite direction to Jay.

Millie could only have been walking for about five minutes when a car pulled up alongside her, she kept walking but glanced across to see the window rolling down, a head leaned into her eye line and the door opened and Millie climbed in.

Random Post.

Just something random for those daily visitors, I hope it makes you smile :D

Angry was not a word that could describe how she was feeling. It was a good strong clear word but it didn’t encompass the rage that she was now feeling. She didn’t like the word rage, she associated it with crazy, and so searched her mind for something more than angry but less than blind rage…frustrated? Was she frustrated? Yes, of course that was part of being angry but it wasn’t more than angry, no not more. Disappointed? Was she disappointed? Yes, of course but that was only really for those who were mildly angry. And then as if by magic the word presented itself in her mind…Seething. That was it. She wasn’t angry she was seething but not quite in a rage, how could he continue to leave the toilet seat up?

Missed #Monday Mixer

Due to the A to Z Challenge I was not able to participate in this weeks Monday Mixer hosted by Jeffrey Hollar over at The Latinum Vault.

However, I had a moment and decided to give it a go, I have used three of the prompts words and this piece is untitled.

Are you ready?


He awoke; peeping through eyes held shut by congealed blood and sweat and unabashed tears, he was surprised to find that he was still alive. Moving was almost impossible, each time he tried a pain seared through his ravaged body rendering him unconscious, and so he lay unmoving on the hummock and watched the day drift away.

He could only think of how much he wanted to move, to go somewhere far from the stench emanating from the marshland, far from whatever still lurked beneath the water’s surface, far from the insects that were banqueting on his open wounds, far from circumstance.

He still had a choice; to take the cyanide capsule and end his life now and be free from this pain or to keep fighting until he won. The only thing he knew was that his body would not be able to withstand such a truculent beating again.

Prompt words: Hummock/Capsule/Truculent (150words)

Dark Fairy Queen Writerly Bridal Shower…..

Hello!

A dear friend Anna is getting married and we (a bunch of writers) have decided to honour the occasion with a some short wedding tales which will be merged into an eBook as a gift to the lovely lady.

I have chosen the wedding as the setting for my story....and here it is...

Flee, Fly, Flew

By Marjie Myers

(eBook = Yes)

Their legs were tired from running, the muscles throbbing as they tightened and released with every step, it didn’t seem like they could run any faster. The sweat dripped from their brows and their chests rose and fell. They gasped for air as they held their grip, fingers interwoven, and palms touching.

Merina fell to the floor in exhaustion and looked up at Dejaf, “You go…you are faster than me…you can make it…leave me…” His face, which at first showed concern, became angered, “NO! I am not leaving you. We started this together and we shall finish it so…I can carry you?!” and he lifted her over his shoulder and carried her.

Their pace was now barely faster than if they were walking and he had begun to sway slightly as his gait altered under the weight of her. If they were to make it then she would have to try and run again. “Let me down…please…I have rested long enough” she said, and he lowered her back to the ground.

“Are you sure?” he asked, and as he did so their attention was drawn to the large shadow that was gathering pace behind them. It was the deadliest force in the Royal Army and it was after them. The Royals strength lied in their numbers and Fairies who dared to challenge them were persecuted for crimes against the throne. The Rebels strength was in their regime and Fairies who dared to challenge them were persecuted for crimes against the people. The rebellion had never taken any prisoners and was known for their brute force and since the death of the Rebel Leader, those loyal to the regime had been hunted.

The only escape that Merina and Dejaf had was to break the Rebel code (which insisted Fairies denounce all rituals of power) and to join together in matrimony to gain their fairy dust. They needed to reach the clearing at the edge of the forest to meet with Bishnara who would marry them. They knew that their choices would be limited. Live amongst their people, the Rebels, but never reveal their powers or admit their union, defect back to the Royals where Dejaf would then have to kill those who were once his own people, or venture out of the Fairy Kingdom into the unknown. They were both filled with fear and yet their surety lied in their love for each other. Fuelled by their passion to live, to love and to be together, they ran as fast as they could.

Bishnara was at the clearing, pacing back and forth, mumbling under his breath about the holy sanctity of marriage. He looked up and saw the young fairies and beckoned them over. He could hear the pounding of the army on their way and prayed that their union would save them. He hadn’t been able to tell Dejaf that fairy dust is only blessed on those whose love is pure. From the vibrations on the forest floor Bishnara calculated that they had about 5 minutes until the army would arrive at the clearing.

They stood still breathing heavily and held hands as Bishnara bound them together as he recited ancient texts, and then he waited for them to finalise their marriage with the singing of the song of the Fairies.

As the final notes of the song floated upwards they met in harmony and the most magical thing happened. Bishnara had seen it many times in his life but each was different; the air was filled with a glow as if the sun had been trapped, a breeze swept around their ankles and lifted them from the ground as they held each other, fairy dust so tiny and effervescent fell onto them covering them with a sheen, birdsong rang throughout the forest.

Bishanara turned to see the Army arrive and he stepped back into the fauna that camouflaged him. He glanced upwards to see the couple as they flew and danced in the air. On their way into the unknown without fear because they knew in the farthest reaches of their hearts that they would survive anything with each other at their side.

I hope you enjoy it and will check out the other contributions :D I will add a link...so check back later to see that!

I also don't have a title so any suggestions?

Comments/Feedback is always welcome :D

Knowing when to quit!

How is the best way to start such a post as this? I guess I should go straight to the point and that is that I am no longer able to participate in this years A to Z Challenge.

Now if I had been better organized I would have all my posts written and waiting and I would need to do very little and not worry about it. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and I have so much going on that if I try to continue then it will all suffer instead of just one thing.

So I leave all the A to Z’ers merrily beavering away, I wholeheartedly recommend you check out some of those participating, and I hope to see you here again regardless of whether its an A to Z post.

If you are wondering what is keeping me busy;

·         Lack of sleep

·         Moving

·         New Job

·         Novel rewrites

·         Flash fiction

·         Girls Best Friend

·         DFQWBS tale

·         A play

·         Music reviews

·         Pending podcast

·         And I won’t even begin to list the different stories I still have to get out of my head!

Everything is happening all at once and things that I enjoy are suffering and so I am retiring from the Challenge….but one of the great things about it is that you can discover new blogs and I will check some out still and you should too!

Am I doing the right thing? Will you still visit?  How are you getting on? Leave your blog address in the comments for me to come check it out.

PST: H is for...Hotels vs Hostels

Hotels vs Hostels

Now, I am sure there are some amongst you who will only ever stay in luxury Hotels and if I could then maybe I would too but I consider it a waste for me. Mainly because I am not too fussed about certain aspects, if its clean and there is a bed then that is enough for me. I can and do sleep anywhere, on transport, whilst walking (childhood habit), in a night club, literally...if I am asleep I am asleep. I also don't spend that much time inside I am always out and about from early morning 7.30am till late at night 10-11pm and so having a lovely luxurious room would be wasted on me.

I have found on my travels that Hostels vary a lot from country to country and are great places to stay for a budget traveller and best of all they are usually located in the the centre (or near to it) of everything that you might want to be close too. Some hostels you can have single rooms and its still reasonable.

What I tend to do is stay in hostels for those nights when I know that I will be out all day and constantly on the go and to stay in Hotels when I know that I will be spending time chilling out and more in the room than out of it. The only thing I do insist on is staying in a same sex room (girls are more considerate when coming in late and keeping their stuff tidy - personal opinion by the way!) and I opt for the room with the least amount in as you are likely to be sharing with other solo travellers. When I stayed in Paris recently in a Hostel I shared a room with three girls, one from China, one from Sweden and one from Australia. It was nice to chat with them, share tips and we had all arrived late in the evening and were leaving first thing.

Also, you save money in the hostels and you can use this for a better level of luxury at the end of you r holiday or on other treats and such.

Have you stayed in a Hostel? What are your tips?

Them & US: G is for Grimm!

I chose Grimm because it was the first to come to mind. Since starting this challenge I had remembered other shows but days after the post and so unusable so please bear that in mind :D

I began watching this on a recommendation from...could it have been Keebs over at Keebles World? Anyway, I started watching it and instantly liked it. Here is what IMDB has to say:

In modern day Portland, Oregon, a police detective inherits the ability to see supernatural creatures.

It is also given a rating of 7.6 which is pretty high and which I will agree with for now (as we have only seen one season or is it two?)

What I like

I like that it is based on Grimms fairy tales

I like the vegetarian werewolf

I like that it is a police drama first and sci-fi second.

What I dont like

The special effects.

Some of the casting choices for guest appearances.

That no-one notices that the detective liked to hang out in a caravan.

Other 'G' shows

Golden Girls, Growing pains, Glory Daze - I liked this a lot but always felt that being set in the 80's would limit its chances of recommission it had a great ensemble cast though who I had hoped would be re-cast in another TV show but as of yet I am still waiting for this to happen. Green Acres...as a kid I cannot tell you how much I loved this show! It makes no sense but I did. I nearly forgot GLEE...which I havent watched in a while as I want to smash Lea Micheles face in with a shovel so she will stop screeching! Too harsh? Maybe. hehe. 

What are your favourite 'G' shows? Is there an actor/actress who grates on you?