2005 LUGHNASADH/IMBOLC PROSE ENTRIES

[Crow]

Notice: Please post your short stories and/or philosophical works for the current Eisteddfod here. This category purposely has a loose definition so as to cover as much non-poetic writing as possible.

[barmybam]

It was a dark and gloomy night. There were very few people out. All the house-lights were off and those in the houses were asleep, but in the darkened forest there was a young girl not much older than six or seven. She had long black hair and big blue eyes that shined in the moonlight. She sat under an old oak tree which been stripped of its’ leaves from the winter winds giving it temporary damage. The little girl started to cry, when an old man appeared and he asked what was wrong she told him that she was lost and that she had been there for about three hours all by herself. She also told him that she had tried to find her way out but she just ended up farther into the forest than she was before.
“I can help you find your way out of here but I’m afraid that you’ll have to make your own way home as I’ve got a busy night” He whispered to her while he was planning how he should murder this poor innocent looking child deep in the darkened forest. The man led the child that he was ‘helping’ deeper into the forest so that if anyone was awake they wouldn’t be able hear her scream and come to help her from a dangerous nutter.

Meanwhile at home the girls’ parents couldn’t sleep because they were so worried about what might happen to their daughter or what could have already happened to her. The police had told them that they can’t do anything until its been twenty-four hours that she has been missing so all they can do is get a good nights sleep. In the morning they would have to call the school and tell them that Amy (their daughter) wouldn’t be able to attend school that day because she was sick in the night and they need to keep an eye on her until she stops being sick allowing her to return to the school.

Back in the forest the man had found his dagger and was ready to murder this innocent little child that he had never met in his life but he was still going to kill her. He had put some gloves on so that the police wouldn’t know who would be sick enough to murder Amy, he had also gagged her so that no-one would be able to hear her screaming.

Amy’s parents had called the police so that they could start searching for her as it had been twenty-four hours but Amy was already dead even though her parents didn’t know it they could just feel that it would end up being bad news. So the police came to their house first for a description of Amy and where they last saw her making it possible to re-trace her steps from where they had been told where she was last seen. It turned out the last time she was seen she was entering the forest but no-one would go after her as they would never have the guts to do so. Rumors say that the forest is haunted by a mad man that was kept in an asylum until his death. When they decided they would burry him they thought that he should be buried where they had found him in the summer of ’69, but this rumor couldn’t stop them from looking in the forest today as this was likely to become a murder investigation although it is likely that the murderer will be thought to be the ghost even though there is no proof yet that they don’t exist. The police entered the forest in a large group incase there is someone there that they don’t know about. Eventually they found two sets of footprints, one set belonging to a young child or it could be an older child with quite small feet, but at the time they couldn’t tell as they didn’t know who the footprints belonged to, but the second set did belong to an adult male with size eleven feet. After a while the tracks went into one set as though the man had picked the child up because either it had fallen asleep or it had very little energy left from all the walking they had done so far. This didn’t stop them from searching in the forest, they went farther in. After about five minutes the path stopped but there was a trail of blood where a body of their dead victim had been dragged. Soon they found the body, it was unidentifiable to someone who didn’t know exactly what they were looking for, so they called a group of forensics from the lab to come and remove the body making it easier for them to carry out their new murder case.


Adam Hatton one of the forensics called Amy’s parents to ask them if they would be able to come and identify the body that they had found in the forest. Unfortunately the body didn’t belong to Amy so another group of police were sent into the forest to carry on searching for the missing child that was meant to be Amy. After two and a half hours searching in the darkened forest they managed to find an old wooden little hut with the door wide open. It stayed open because someone had placed something in front of it, when they got closer it was shining like it was a piece of metal that was accidentally knocked there and whoever was last to leave the hut didn’t know about it being there or maybe they were in a rush to escape from something or even someone that weren’t meant to be there. The police entered with great care because someone could be hiding in there, when they got to the door they saw that it was a dagger with blood smeared on it as if the person had tried to wipe the blood off it but while doing so they accidentally cut themselves with the dagger causing them to drop it onto the floor then they heard something move and started to run but they didn’t realize that they had knocked the dagger under the door so that it is like a door stopper.

The police went farther into the room when they saw another trail of blood that led up the stairs and into another room with a bed in, but it wasn’t like a bed room because it had other things in a bit like an apartment does. At the other side of the room there was a large curtain covering the whole wall, so they opened it and on the wall in blood there were writing which spelt ‘WHEN YOU LEAVE YOU WILL HAVE EYES FOLLOWING YOU AND YOU WILL BE IN DANGER.’ This scared those investigating the hut but they forced themselves to carry on searching for the body that they needed to find even if she was just unconscious they would still need the body incase there was anything else they would find. They went through another door leading to the body of a young girl of an approximate age of six-seven and it also fitted the description of Amy that was given by her parents. The body was coated in blood in a way there was too much for it to hers but if she suffered internal as well as external bleeding it could all be hers so they sent for the forensics that were being used on the other body so that they could come and take this body away making the investigation easier for them as they really needed to find the murderer so that everyone else will be safe.

He placed the dagger into a clear bag so that any DNA can be traced making the investigation become clearer, the only hard thing then would be getting their murderer to admit to murdering two young girls of the same age and finding out who the other body was.

“ The first body found belonged to a Miss Claire Baker, aged at seven. It was supposed to be her eighth birthday today” declared Adam.
“ The second body found did belong to a Miss Amy Roodnat, aged six.” Adam declared after everyone had stopped talking about Claire’s body.

Three weeks later it was a joint funeral for Amy and Claire. After the funeral Amy’s mum Samantha went over to Adam and she told him something that no one knew about, not even her husband Jonathon.
“ Claire is my daughter but I had her adopted by the Baker’s before I met Jonathon as I knew that I wouldn’t be able to cope with a baby at that age so I decided that it would be the easiest thing to do would be to put her up for adoption, but a couple of years ago her new parents died of cancer, they both had different types though, one had leukemia and the other one had lung cancer. Luckily Claire wasn’t their child because she would have suffered from cancer too which wouldn’t be fair on her with them dieing then she would go another fifteen years before she would die and it would be so painful for her!” she told him then carried on with” Jonathon wouldn’t want to marry a woman that already has her own child that wont be part of his legitimate family it would be adopted instead.”
“I think this murderer shall be ashamed of himself and im going on the news bulletin to warn all the people not to go into the mad-man haunted forest,” she finished with a look of anger on her face. She walked away muttering “killer, killer,” to herself. “Poor women,” Adam muttered as he too walked away ashamed that he couldn’t solve this strange and disgusting mystery. He was one of the top investigators along with Holly and Kit (who were sisters). Laurel the lawyer was also called out on the case as support for the ones who had lost their young child (she was a bit mad but that’s why she was a family lawyer)as well as being a family lawyer she takes part in forensic examinations to the body.

Adam received a phone call saying that he’s needed to do an interview with the person who’s DNA matched the DNA on the dagger that they found in the hut in the forest.
* * * *
“David Gardner, do you know why you are in question?”
“No please inform me why”
“You are in question because your DNA was found on a dagger in the forest where the wooden hut is”
“I would like to know how you managed to get my DNA from me as I didn’t allow you to”
“when you were in the pub you left the empty glass on the table so we used a cotton wool stick and we knew to get your DNA as you have size eleven feet. We know that because we asked your wife and she told us.”
“That is theft”
That’s what you think but there is no law saying that you can’t take someone’s DNA off a glass for testing.”
“Anyway that dagger is part of an antique collection that I inherited from my father”
“Back to the questioning, where were you on Sunday night around 10:30p.m?”
“If you must know I was at my cousins on the internet doing some research on antique daggers as my computer has got a virus so a technician is supposed to be coming in a few days to fix it”
“Do you have any proof of that?”
“Well no, my cousin is on holiday in Helsinki, Finland”
“Then how did you get in the house to use the internet?”
“I have my own key so that I can look after the pets for him and his fiancé”
“How did your dagger get into the hut?”
“Someone must have stolen it”
“Why did it have your blood on it?”
“I accidentally cut myself when I was putting it into the cabinet where all my other daggers are”
”Could it be possible, that on your way to your cousin’s house you could have stopped off at the forest as you saw a young girl enter. You wanted to scare her but she saw your dagger, and started to scream so you decided to kill her before she went telling people that you were about to attempt to kill her and you didn’t want to get arrested for carrying dangerous weapons so you thought that it would be easier just to kill her?”
“Why don’t you tell me, why I would be stupid enough to go into that forest when there is a ghost of a mad-man living there”
“Because you know that it is just a rumor that people think is true when some people know that it is only to scare people. Anyway thank-you for coming and we will see you in court next Wednesday so you can decide if you are going to tell the truth that you murdered two innocent little girls or if you are going to lie about the whole event and leave their parents distraught though all of the rest of their lives until the real murderer is caught even though through the years the murderer will murder even more people leaving their families distraught too. Well goodbye.”

* * * *
“David Gardner do you know why you are in court?”
“Yes, I have been wrongly accused of a murder that has had nothing to do with me!”
“Do you plead guilty or not guilty?”
“Not guilty!”
“Where were you on the night that Claire Baker was killed?”
“I was at home watching a film”
“Do you have any proof of that?”
”No as I my wife was at a meeting that night”
”What time did this film finish”
“It finished around 11:30”
“And around what time did your wife get back that night?”
”My wife stopped at a hotel that night as the meeting was in London”
”What was the hotel called?”
”I think that it was called hotel Mariko”
“What name would the rooms be reserved under?”
“The rooms will be booked under the name of Grisham or Labor Club I think.”
“I will be checking that later on for evidence! Now if the person due to interview the suspect would wish to start”
“Thank-you, please tell me do you recognize this dagger?”
”Yes, it is part of my antique collection”
“Could you tell me why it was at the hut in the center of the forest?”
“Someone must have taken it from my cabinet!”
“Then why did it have fresh blood on it belonging to you, Claire and Amy”
“I cut myself while I was cleaning it the other day and the person who stole it must have killed both Amy and Claire”
“But there was only your fingerprints on it can you explain that for me and everyone else in this court room?”
“The person must have worn gloves while handling it”
“There was no trace of fabrics on the object”
”What are you trying to imply?”
“It is me doing the questions not you, if you don’t mind”
“I would like an answer to the question that I asked you”
“You won’t get an answer to it though.”
“If I don’t get an answer you won’t get an answer to any of your questions”
”If you don’t give me an answer you will be held in contempt of the court which means no matter what you will be kept in the prison for at lease two days, and if that is what will happen then the trial will be adjourned until you are released from your cell.”
“Fine you can put me in a cell, but I am going to get an answer out of you!”


* * * *

The cell was cold and dark, everyone could see him. During the night David’s friends came to try to get him out of the cell that he was in. They succeeded in this attempt to assist him. The warden could not hear what was happening as he was sleeping. So they crept away trying not to wake him because if they did they would all be arrested for breaking into a prison and helping a suspected murderer to escape from imprisonment.

The next morning the police came in to the prison to release David but when they got there they saw that the cell that he had been kept in had been cornered off. They went farther in and were told that the prisoner had escaped during the night and that they would have to go back to the forest incase there had been any more murders.

Later in the morning the police entered the forest only to find another body but to their surprise it was their escapee David Gardner. Through thorough examination they discovered that he was shot not stabbed like the other two victims. The murderer had shot him and then changed the clothes that he had been wearing when he escaped from the prison in.

The clothes that the murderer put him into didn’t have blood from the shot wound which was found very confusing as the wound was still bleeding while the body was being examined by the forensics. After the body had been washed and tested for any other DNA that didn’t belong to him but there was no trace of another person being involved with the death of David.

The next day the police had to corner off the forest so that it could be searched thoroughly before being accessible to the public without them having any worries that they might be in danger of a murderer attacking them when they don’t expect it. During the inspection of the forest a few officers went round peoples houses asking them if they had seen David enter the dark and gloomy forest. All of those in question told them that they hadn’t seen anyone enter at any time of the day except for the police, however an old woman told them that she was looking for her cat in the forest when she saw a tall dark figure in the distance but she couldn’t see their face it was too dark too see anything so she left but on her way back she felt like she was being followed by the figure that she had seen before by the little wooden hut. The police asked her if she would be willing to go to the station and give them a statement.

* * * *

‘I went into the forest around 1000 as I couldn’t find the cat anywhere but as I got out of sight I saw a tall dark shadow in the distance heading towards a small wooden hut. I could see that there was two people there, the other one was small possibly a child but with it being dark I couldn’t tell so I carried on searching for my cat until I heard a noise behind me like someone was following me. As I was leaving I could hear the pace of the footsteps speeding up I thought that I heard a scream but I had been told the place was haunted so I ignored the scream but I still decided to speed up incase there really was someone following me.’




















































After reading Mrs.S.Cromptons’ statement the police visited again and asked her to show them the exact route that she took the night that she heard the scream in the forest so they could work out at exactly what time the screaming child was killed and how many there was in the hut that night.

The forensics involved were asked to check for fingerprints on all the other surfaces as they had only checked the dagger last time so there could have been more than one murderer witnessing the children’s murder but didn’t admit that they knew anything about what had happened until it had been discussed and broadcasted on the news.

Once the whole place had been checked thoroughly the murderers were discovered. Unfortunately one of those identified by the forensics had left the country knowing that what they had done and would soon be found by the police and the parents of the two children so decided that he would leave so that once he had returned everything would be back to normal. The others that they managed to contact refused to go in for an interview or give a statement to at least give them an idea of what happened that night. When the last suspect returned of his ‘holiday’ he was met by the police at the airport and he was also asked if he would participate in an interview, unlike his colleges he accepted the fact tat they had found out that he had been in the hut so he agreed to help.

* * * *

“Interview beginnings 1445.Where were you on Sunday 27th of May 2004?”

“I was in the forest from 800-900 as there was nothing on the TV so I decided to take a long walk in the old forest and I knew there wouldn’t be anyone there to disturb me”

“I heard someone enter so I ran to leave for home incase it was a nutter like all the other people that occasionally go there for a walk as last time one started to chase me I thought that it wasn’t worth the hassle I might as well just go without causing any more trouble”

“By what do you mean ‘any more trouble’?”

“Well I didn’t want to be chased by another nutter as they try starting fights with me sometimes”

“Did they ever say anything to you while you were alone, or even with a few friends?”

“Once, they told me that if they saw me in there again then they would kill me and anyone that might be with, that is if they were there at the same time as me anyway.”

“Do you think that it could be that person that killed those two children and David?”

“It could be possible but I don’t think that they would really do anything like that especially children, if it was them they are sick in the head!”

“Interview terminated at…1730.”

The police took a description of the man that had threatened to kill people and then phoned all the mental homes in the area until they found the person that they were trying o locate. They asked the owners of the home to make sure that he isn’t allowed out alone or with any other mental people as he could be the murderer or it could be any of the others that are living there with him. It would be much safer for everyone else while they don’t have any proof of who did do the murders.

“Interview continued at 1800. Do you know of anyone else who would have the motive to kill innocent people for no reason whatsoever?”

“Well there is David but he’s dead now so it can’t be him, there is one person, he’s called… Ben Jameson.”

“Thank-you for your co-operation, we will get in contact with Ben as soon as we can. Goodbye for now.”

“Call me if you need anything else to do with the murder inquiry.”

The police got in contact with Ben and he was refusing to co-operate so they asked if they have a sample of his DNA but this time he said that he would give a statement instead of giving them a sample of his DNA. In his statement he told them that he never enters the forest because of the rumors that people keep telling him about the ghost of the mad man and a pile of other rumors that he wouldn’t talk about as he thinks the other ones are just sick. All of the stories had put him off from entering this place.

The police got in contact with the people that David had mentioned a few days ago for some idea of what they knew about the murders’ they were investigating as their main information source had been killed. It turned out that the forensics had missed something on David’s clothes! On the inside of his clothes there was a small amount of blood so they took it in for testing, the blood did not belong to him or anyone that had earlier mentioned in the interviews with either suspect. It belonged to a Mrs. L Lee, a rather quiet neighbor of David. They took her in for questioning and they also asked her for a statement of what she knows of the murder and anything about who murdered the victims.

“Interview beginning 0914. Mrs. Lee where were you on the night of Amy’s death?”

”I was at my nieces’ house because she wanted to give me something.”

”What is this ‘something’?”

”She had just come off her holiday in Ibiza, she had bought me this beautiful porcelain doll. I don’t really like things like that but when I saw the doll I was amazed as I have never liked dolls.”

“Can you also tell me where you were on the night of Claire’s death?”

“I would be able to if I knew when she died!”

“She died on the 17th July this year.”

“On the 17th July I was in hospital having on operation on my kidneys.”

“How many days were you kept in hospital after this operation?”

“I was in the hospital for about three days but it seemed longer because it was boring.”

”And last of all where were you on the night of David’s death?”

”On the night of David’s death I was at the cemetery due to it being the 8th anniversary of my husbands’ death. I always go at the exact time that I found out that he had died. I stay there for half-an-hour.”

“What time do you go down to the cemetery?”

“I go at roughly 2100”

“Well thank-you for your co-operation in our investigation of the murders. Interview completed at 0934.”

* * * *

After getting little information from Mrs. Lee they went round to the nearest café to ask a few questions about who last saw each victim and who was with them when that person was seen. Once they had got some answers they decided to visit the pubs in the town that they lived in. From asking questions there they managed to get more information from those that were spoken to. The last person to see Amy had seen her with an old man in his mid fifties dressed in dark blue jeans that had pale yellow paint on and a black fleece that was ripped on the left side. The witness could see a small silver object in this mans’ pocket. It looked like an un-folded penknife but it was not for definite that it was a penknife as they were some distance away from him. According to the answer that this person the man that was with Amy was then seen leaving the forest later that night.

The notes they took read
‘The man was in mid fifties was wearing dark blue jeans with pale yellow paint splatted on and he was wearing a black fleece that was ripped on the left side. There was a small silver object in his pocket that looked like an un-folded –penknife.’

The police passed on the notes to the main investigator of the murder inquiry. He took the description and made a similar figure to what this man would look like. The man looked rather familiar to one of the forensics. She identified him as Matthew Barnes. He used to be her science tutor when she was at university. The police searched for his address, once they had found it they asked Holly to go and ask him if he would be willing to give a statement of the incident and if he would co-operate in going for an interview at the Sakmet street police station on why he was at the forest on the night of Amy’s death.

* * * *

“Interview beginning 1610. James Mathews please would you inform me where you were on the night of Amy’s death?”

“I was in the forest with a few friends.”

“What time did you leave?”

“My friends left around 2130 but I stayed longer than them. I saw Amy there!”

“What did you do when you saw Amy?”

”I saw that she was crying so I went over and asked her what was up. She had been there for three hours and was lost.”

“Then what did you do once she told you she was lost?”

“I told her I knew a way out of the forest and I would lead her out, but instead I took her farther into the forest where I gagged her so that no-one could hear her screaming for help.”

“Then what did you do after you gagged her?”

”I took out the dagger that was in my back pocket and stabbed her. She was bleeding so bad I decided to run but I dropped the dagger in the hut as I passed it, I didn’t have enough time to pick it up so I kept on running until I got out of the forest I was really scared!”

“Where were you on the night of Claire’s death?”

“On the night of Claire’s death I was at one of my friends houses but I left for the woods where I found Claire and I didn’t want her to find Amy’s body so I had to kill her too, and when I heard that David had escaped from prison I decided to kill him to get it through to people that life isn’t safe as it is full of mad people unlike me I was warning them what could happen to them!”

“Interview completed at 1651.”

After the interview James was arrested and taken into the prison cell that David had been kept in until the day that he would be in court.
























“All rise.”(Barrister enters)
“You may now sit. James you are in court today on suspicion of murder is that right?”
“Yes it is”
“How do you plead, guilty or not guilty?”
“I plead guilty!
“Where were you on the night of Amy’s death?”
“I was in the forest”
“Until what time were you there until?”
”I was there until around 2245!”
”Were you there alone?”
”After 2130 I was alone.”
“Who was with you before you were alone?”
“A few of my friends were with me but they didn’t like being there so they decided to leave!”
“Why did they decide to leave?”
“They left because they didn’t like it and it spooked them out in there!”
“If they left why did you stay?”
“I stayed because I was amazed by the atmosphere in there!”
“Around what time did you see Amy?”
”I saw Amy at 2230.”
“Once you saw Amy what did you decide to do?”
”When I saw Amy I felt sorry for her then the worst of me came out and I decided to lead her farther into the forest where I would stab her then I would leave her to die due to the loss of blood.”
“How did you manage to work out that she would due to the loss of blood?”
”I did biology at college so I knew that if I stabbed her in a certain place she would constantly bleed making it impossible for her to survive.”
”After you had injured the child did you wonder what her parents would be going through?”
“I thought about them for nights on end, I got hardly any sleep because of what I had done!”
“Did you want to turn yourself in at any point?”
”I constantly thought about it, at one point I stopped myself just as I was about to enter the police station!”
“If you wanted o take it off your mind why didn’t you just confess to the police?”
“I was scared about what might happen to me!”
“Could you have told someone in your family or a friend of yours?”
“No as they wouldn’t speak to me ever again!”
“If you confessed would they speak to you then?”
“No because they would still have to find out eventually”
“Ok where were you on the night of Claire’s death?”
”I was walking around on the streets”
”Did you see Claire at any point that night?”
”Yes, I saw her going near the forest and I realized that she would see Amy’s body so I had to kill her too!”
”Weren’t you worried that you might be caught by someone that might be passing through the forest?”
“I was at first but I just had to get it over and done with as I didn’t want to, I was under pressure!”
“If you were alone how were you under pressure?”
”I wasn’t alone! I was with a couple of my friends.”
”But you told everyone that you were alone in the forest, you even put that in your statement!”
“I didn’t want to get them in trouble with the police just because they were with me when I murdered those people!”
“Even if you told us that they were with you when you killed those people we would have just asked them for a statement of what happened so that things would have been easier for the police and yourself!”
“But if they said something about them being involved in the murders when they weren’t then they would also get sent-down for suspected murder!”
“Yes, but their sentence wouldn’t be as long as yours will be if the court decides that you are guilty and not just covering for someone else.”
“But they would still get sent-down for being involved with a murder!”
”That isn’t the point!”
”Yes, that is exactly the point; they didn’t assist me with any of the murders!”
”Will everyone leave the room while the jury decides weather David is guilty or not guilty?”

Everyone left the room for half an hour while the jury discussed the dilemma. Once the decision was made the court was filled with people once again.

“The jury has decided that James is……….GUILTY!”

The prison guards assisted James to his cell where he met another man who had also been sent-down for murder. A few hours later it was time for them to see their visitors, when James arrived in the room he spotted his ex-wife sat a table waiting for him, the other delinquents had their friends waiting for them or people in their family! Some of the men there started to talk him into doing things that he didn’t want to do, one of the times they made him do an idea of theirs he got caught!














While James was sat in his cell his mates set out into the forest where they had on of the investigators tied up and unconscious. They had hidden a new sword that they had bought in the hut so that when they returned they would be prepared to kill him as soon as they arrived. Their victim was Amelia! When they returned they found that she had gained slight consciousness and was unaware of her location. They somehow had to sneak pass her to get into the hut to receive their sword, however none of them would be able to do it as they were not light footed. The youngest of them had an empty glass bottle, he went over to their victim and smashed it over her head leaving her with cuts but his plan had worked, she was unconscious. They were then able to get their weapon out of the hut. Once they had retrieved it they went over to Amelia and slice through her throat where there would be several arteries leaving her to bleed to death while they decided to give her many other stab wounds so that the forensics wouldn’t be able t work out which stab had actually been the one that had killed her.

The next day Amelia didn’t come in for work which everyone was worried about as she rarely missed work as she enjoyed being with her colleges, she had not called in sick. They sent Adam over to her house to she if she was there but there was no sign of her. He returned to work and suggested that they should check the forest incase James’ mates had taken her there and tried to kill her in revenge of what they had done to James. Unfortunately they found her there lying on the ground covered in blood. There were rope burns on her arms where she had been struggling to get free from the ropes that she had been bound in, cuts on her head from where that bottle had hit her. Glass surrounded her body coated in layers of blood. Unlike the other bodies she had several stab wounds making it obvious that this was the work of another person likely to be angry with her for something that she had done to them. None of them could understand how someone could do such a thing to such a lovely person like Amelia.

No-one wanted to work on their colleges’ body as they were all devoted to her and they just couldn’t bare the fact that she had been murdered by someone. Eventually Adam decided that he would examine the body if another person would assist him with it. After a long discussion Gemma decided that she would assist Adam examine the body. The stab wounds were quite deep, in one they found part of the weapon used to kill Amelia. The evidence was examined by someone who would be able to make a replica of the piece they had and then find out what type of sword it was off.

The sword that the piece had come off was a samurai of which thousands had been sold but few in the area that they lived in. The police visited everyone that owned one of the samurais’ identical to the one they were after but none of them had the nib missing, however after a while they found one that had had the nib replaced recently and took it for further examination. It turned out that they had found the one they were after but by the time they had finished working on it the suspect had disappeared so they then couldn’t prove that it was this person that had murdered Amelia in the forest so, they had to try footage of all airports and docks to see if he had left the country at any point of the week as it took them a while to complete the examination on the sword and get the results back from the lab that they had been sent to. Luckily trace had managed to find a hair that had got caught in the handle, they ran a DNA check on the tag once the results had come back the captain processed a warrant so that the police were able to do a full search on the house for any evidence of where their suspect had gone to or any plan of the murders, unfortunately they found no such evidence, however they did find blonde hairs in the bedroom which belonged to a young female who he was possibly related to.

After they had their results they called in all blonde females’ in his family for DNA checks so they could find out what could have happened. The hair belonged to his niece, Chloe, as the hair was from 36-48 hours ago they were unable to do a test to see if she was pregnant. She had admitted to having an intimate relationship with her uncle but would not give any more information as to what was going on between the two of them as she was already engaged and the wedding was to take place in another two months so she didn’t want her fiancée to find out about her and her uncles relationship as it was a secret the only other person who knew about it was her little sister who was only 6 years old so she didn’t know any different. Her sister hadn’t told anyone as she didn’t understand what her sister had said.



The investigation was at a stand still. They had no evidence that needed processing and they had no other lead to help them solve their mystery.

[Fitheach]

AISLING

Eilean na Drùidh, the Druids’ Isle. Some say the island in the middle of a hidden lake in the highlands of Scotland is an ancient legend, yet there are stories of those that found the mist shrouded island when they were close to death.

In older times, when the Other World was closer to the people of the clans and villages, the woodland path to Loch Drùidh, the Druid’s Lake, was well known. The wounded and ill who could not be cured by village healers would be brought to the little wooden wharf and the great brass bell that hung from a giant oak would be rung. Only a few dared to stay and witness the coming of the old ones.

For those who dared to look behind, a barge would drift from out of the fog and two tall, thin ageless women would appear. They were the slànaighearan .

Sometimes the person left behind was never seen again, and sometimes they would reappear on the mainland, in a daze, unable to remember much of what had happened. No one crossed the waters through the mist to investigate.

In centuries past, the inter-clan warfare was constant and violent. Slaughters occurred on a regular basis, leaving families destitute, and often widows and orphans were left without support. One such orphan was a small girl named Aisling, whose parents were killed in one of the endless land raids. At the young age of seven, the shock of witnessing her parents being butchered by marauders had turned her fine long hair pure white.

When she was found wandering mute in the ruins of her family’s holdings, the villagers did not recognize the white haired child, and crossed themselves against what they though was one of the sidhe. The superstitious villagers came to fear the strange melancholy child, and no one was willing to take her in. Finally one evening, the village healer took the queer silent child down the woodland path to the wharf, rang the old brass bell, and left her there.

From the mist over the lake, two eldritch sisters glided their barge toward the mainland, and found the child sitting on the wharf awaiting her fate. They noted her hair – it was a beautiful color, almost silver in the moonlight, making her look like a faerie.

Huathe and Draighionn beached their barge on the shingle of the lake and came toward the child. Unlike the villagers and clanspeople, the child did not flinch away from them.

“She’s very brave . . .” Huathe noted.

“Let’s get her aboard, “ commanded Draighionn briskly. The child made no protest when Huathe took her hand, pulled her to her feet, and the two strange women escorted her aboard the barge, then poled their way back into the mist.

For the rest of the story: http://www.harpnet.net/susa/Aisling.pdf

[Azrienoch]

I've two entries...

The Bible According to Mr. T

Ya can call me Mr. T! An' this is the best story evah! God makes da Eart, an' Mr. T, an' Adam, an' Eve!
Then Adam an' Eve hav'a snack, cuz'a some snake. An' Mr. T come in an' break his neck, sucka! Then Mr. T turn to Adam an' say, "DON' BE A FOO'!"
God is coo'! An' His favorites are da Jews! Egyp' took da Jews as slaves, an' made God mad! So he sent a foo' name Moses to win the freedom, but Moses wud jus' a sucka! So Mr. T stepped up, an' flatten dem foo's! An' he turn to the Jews an' say, "Be somebody, OR BE SOMEBODY'S FOO'!" An' the Jews be somebody, an' they got free!
Moses took ovah cuz God said so, but da Jews made a gol' cow! An' drink milk! So Mr. T jump in, an' take da sucka out! Then da Jews got home, an' need to find work, so Mr. T took 'em to Jericho, an' broke the wall! I pity da foo'!
Then this dude name David came ta fight in the Jew army, an' take down a sucka name Goliath! He threw a pebble at 'em, an' it didn' work, so Mr. T make him a foo'! Don't do drugs! An' then Mr. T made David king, 'cuz he's coo'!
Aftah bit, God got tired of all these pag'n suckas, so he sent the ultimate brutha, Jesus, to take 'em all out! God don' pity da foo'! If ya gonna do it, do it right, or ya do it wrong! An' God did it right! Stay in Schoo'! He saved all the suckas, an' Jesus paid the price! He died! He died fo' you! Then God sent Mr. T, an' he took out the rest of the foo's, the foo's that kill't Jesus! An' now Mr. T gonna get'choo, Suckas!

---------------------------------

My Bob

I once had a friend named Bob. We met on a camping trip to the boundary waters of northern Minnesota one July. It was a church youth group thinger, but I should tell you that everyone was either rolling on ecstasy, tripping on shrooms (you just don't want to mess with acid when you're nowhere near a hospital - and who ever said that druggies aren't health conscience?), or just plain stoned, so don't be fooled by that word, 'church.' Well, okay, so perhaps we really were worshiping the Lord on High... too campy? Sorry.
Anyway, Bob and I first met on an island that a group of us had canoed to to explore. I found Bob sitting in what I had hoped wasn't his only living quarters, because it was a termite infested, single-room shack, which was so rickety that I'm sure I could have knocked it over having given it a good heave.
Everyone else ignored Bob, but I couldn't help but stare. How had he gotten there, I wondered. There were no boats, and Bob didn't look the type that could swim a mile to the nearest shore. I tried to ask him this, but Bob wouldn't answer, or couldn't, I don't know. I suspect that he couldn't because I had also asked his name, and when he didn't answer, I told him that I would simply call him Bob to make things easy.
The dinner bell rang from our camp across the lake, and I told Bob that I'd be back to see him when I was done. I got in my canoe and left Bob alone on his island.

I didn't go back that night, having become much too high to properly operate a canoe. But apparently, I didn't need to, because I woke up the next morning to find Bob in my tent with me. And worse, we were sharing my sleeping bag. Now, you would probably find this situation to be awkward in and of itself, but to make matters just a few degrees more disturbing, I am the type of guy who sleeps naked, and this was precisely what I had done that night.
A wave of fear and dread overcame me. Not that Bob was bad-looking or anything, but I just didn't think myself the type who would enjoy that sort of thing. I peered under the covers to see if he had taken advantage of me.
He had.
Needless to say, I felt betrayed. I screamed at him, long and hard, "Oh, Bob, how could you? I'd better not get any diseases from this - Bob, oh Bob! How?! How could you?!"
Bob didn't say a word. Just looked up at me with those beady brown eyes and kept on drinking. He had attached himself slightly inward from that crease that forms when you raise your thigh, just above the groin.
I gave him a tug, and he kicked his legs at me. I decided against trying this further, because I'd heard that if you pull off a tick and his head gets stuck under the skin, you could get sick. Besides, it hurt when I tugged. I tried to burn him out with a match, but I ended up doing more damage to myself.
After giving it a bit of thought, I realized that he wasn't hurting me, and I decided to let him stay. I'd been looking for a way to objectively contribute to nature and its well-being, and I soon came to full terms with the fact that this is exactly what I'd be doing.

Bob and I were together for nearly 4 months. During that time, we'd had our quarrels and gotten on each other's nerves, but that's to be expected of any close relationship. The hardest times for me were at parties and bars and other establishments and get-togethers designed for married men to hook up with women. I'd come so close to getting laid and then I'd remember Bob and how upset he'd be if another woman were to invade in his territory. And so, like all the other loser married men out there, I'd tell whatever girl that happened to be with me that night that there was another in my life, and I would then kindly refuse their services. It's doubtful that anyone would have had me anyway once they saw Bob. He had this 'look' that kept all other would-be partners away. We would fight about it, and then put our differences behind us at the end of the night.

Over the months, Bob grew white and fat. I could tell that he was depressed, because all he did was sit around and eat. He was gaining weight, and I knew it, and he knew I knew it, and I knew that he knew that I knew it, but I don't think that he knew that I knew that he knew I knew it. Even so, it was still a shock for me when I woke up one very sad morning to find that Bob had gone. No goodbye, no note, no nothing. All that he left was a little egg sack, and that's when everything became clear to me; Bob was a girl. That's why he.. er, she, was always so jealous. She was pregnant, and she didn't want to tell me. She was depressed because she was all hormonal. She ate so much because she was eating for all of her unborn children, and I hadn't helped out at all. So she left.
I felt like an asshole. While I was out partying, She-Bob was nursing.
Then a sense of pride came over me; these were my children - I'm a daddy! I vowed to take care of our children, and I've done so to this very day. My children have children now, and all are healthy, adorable, and perfect. I am a proud, proud father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and so on.

So, Bob, where ever you are, I hope you're okay. This has all been for you. For us

[mawnanian]

I was told a version of this story some years ago and the 'plot' stayed with me.


Ocean Story

Once upon a time there was an ocean. Deep and blue, over which hung a golden sun casting its rays upon the surface, making the water shine and sparkle like a million diamonds. The ocean was so blessed it was known as the peaceful ocean, for almost every day the sun shone on the blue sea and the ocean seemed to breath a sigh of contentment, rising up and down in a slow rhythm as it basked in the sun.

The rising and falling water created waves that moved slowly across the surface towards the horizon, and when they got there they continued to the next horizon, and the next, in a seemingly unending journey. Then at last, instead of only the sea and the sky there was a shadow in the distance, the shoreline of a great continent. Onwards the waves swept, towards the dark strip of land, which slowly grew in height and stature until it became a solid line of cliffs and rocks.
As the waves neared the shore they began to rear up in anticipation, each one crested with a happy crown of foam, and then with a last gasp they would throw themselves up onto the yellow sand, their journey over.

The sand formed a bright yellow ribbon, a beach that stretched for a mile in each direction until it nestled at the base of the dark cliffs. There were brightly coloured boats scattered along the beach and behind them the ground rose gently to a cluster of houses with white and pale pink walls and cherry red roofs. The houses fitted into the curves and contours of the cove as if they had been there forever, part of the landscape and not a later addition.

The townsfolk too were very much a product of their surroundings. The town was devoted to the sea; at one time the entire population had owed their living to the fish that the boats brought back every day but some years ago the fish stocks had suddenly dwindled until there was not enough to support the population any more. People had begun to drift away and it looked as though the town might be dying.

Then fate came to their rescue. There was a reef that almost totally blocked the entrance to the cove and this produced a microclimate on the seabed which allowed creatures unusual for that area to thrive. The most spectacular of these was a starfish, large with delicate arms and brilliant colours, that occurred in vast numbers throughout the cove. So common was it that the locals, while appreciating its beauty, had always taken it for granted. That was until a team of marine biologists visited to survey the cove. When they saw the starfish they became very excited, they had never seen this particular species before.
As it happened not only were the starfish unique in their beauty but they were also unique to that particular coastline and that particular cove.

Before you knew it the little town was famous throughout the land, people came from everywhere to see the amazing starfish, those who wanted to study them and those who merely wanted to marvel at their beauty. It seemed like the town was saved and it quickly settled down into its cosy sun drenched routine once more.

One day the sun came up as usual but there was a strange restlessness in the air. The wind, normally so balmy and cooling seemed to scurry this way and that, tugging at the sails, the flags, and peoples clothing in a most unfriendly fashion. There were sometimes days that were more unsettled, allowing rain to fill the sumps and the townsfolk to stay inside, make repairs and do indoor things. The boats were hauled further up the beach and life carried on.
But this was not the usual stiff breeze and light rain, the sky got darker and darker until lights had to be lit in the houses, and the wind rose higher and higher until the cherry red roofs were rattling. The townsfolk locked their doors and shuttered their windows and still the wind rose, coming off the sea with a fearful unnatural howl; and then the rain came, such rain as nobody had ever seen before. Terrifying in its intensity it pounded the town, windows were broken, tiles torn from the roofs and boats thrown against the cliffs and smashed to pieces.
All day and all night the storm raged, then, at the coming of the dawn, it suddenly abated and left as quickly as it had come.

As the people came out of their houses they were greeted with a scene of utter devastation. Roofs had been blown off, gardens wrecked and many of the brightly coloured boats destroyed. It would take a long time to make good the damage and put things back to the way they were before. But that was not what made them stand speechless and rooted to the spot.

For the golden yellow sand of the beach had disappeared and in its place was a shimmering kaleidoscope of colour, as if all the jewels in the world were gathered there in one place. As they gazed in awe at the spectacle one by one they realised what had caused the transformation. Starfish, thousands upon thousands of starfish were lying on the beach, and as they realised this they realised the implications of what had happened. Their livelihood, the reason for the town’s prosperity, was lying gasping and dying on the sand below. This time, they thought, it really would be the end for the little town by the sea.

Despondency and despair spread through the townsfolk, the mayor and the other town officials went down on the beach, not knowing what to do but wanting to be seen to do something. As they stood, knee deep in starfish, shaking their heads and looking around them they saw a figure in the distance, picking its way along the beach towards them. Every few steps the figure would stoop, pick up a starfish, turn, and throw it back out to sea.

As the figure approached they could see that it was a man, old but tall and upright. Not somebody they recognised as being from the town. He drew level and bade them good day.

The mayor of the town asked him what he was doing on the beach and the old man seemed surprised by the question.
“Why, I’ve come to help the starfish” he replied
“But there are millions of starfish here”, said the mayor.
“We can’t throw them all back, what difference will saving just one or two make?”
The old man studied the mayor and the other officials for a while, then he stooped down, collected a struggling starfish in his hand, turned, and threw it back out into the ocean.
As the starfish hit the water a shower of droplets flew into the air, catching the sun like a million diamonds.

He turned back to the others and looked at them quizzically.
“It made a difference to that one”., he said.

[Dair Ciúin]

Philosophical Observations - Single Entry
Written by Ithilas Aredhel Calanhir

I wrote these statements earlier this year as part of my Dedicant studies for Ar nDraiocht Fein (ADF), and I felt that it might be nice to share them.

“Druidry enables me to see beyond the obvious and the scientific. It helps me to understand the cosmos and how I fit into this world, to identify my gods and goddesses, and appreciate the sacredness of nature. Now I am a firm believer in many things which cannot be seen with the eye, or explained through modern science and logic.”

“During times of doubt, our goals often seem distant and impossible to reach. We sometimes look at the successful with envy, and wonder how they ever managed to achieve their dreams. In such times, we need to remind ourselves that with patience and persistence we can do or become almost anything we desire. Instead of constantly looking ahead at the end of the road, we should focus on taking one small step at a time. Work can be a struggle, for some more than others, but the rewards of a completed goal are always well worth the effort involved.”

“We should avoid the temptation to take the easy road and rush through our work, as this will inevitably result in us missing those vital steps along the way. After all, it is far better to take our time and benefit from the progress rather than being hasty and not allowing ourselves the chance to learn anything. Reaching for a goal should never be a competition, as we all advance at a different pace. As long as we continue to make progress towards an objective and resist giving up, we are persevering.”

“It is no secret that the key to a happy, healthy life is balance. However, in many cases, this tends to be easier said than done. In today’s society there seems to be so much emphasis on material possessions, luxury and self-indulgence that it becomes surprisingly easy to fall victim to materialism. Moderation is one of the few virtues which can relate to every single aspect of our lives, from the physical to the emotional to the spiritual. Only with regular self assessments of our priorities in life can we attempt to avoid leaning towards the unhealthy extremes of excess and deficiency.”

“I treat wisdom as two separate, but equally important subjects: intuition and experience. Intuition involves using logic and considering the consequences of our actions in order to find an appropriate response to a given situation – the one that shall be most beneficial to all parties involved. Experience represents the knowledge which we have gained throughout the course of our lives, and the ability we have to utilise this when needed. It is important to realise that we never cease to continue learning, and our knowledge cannot be thought of as complete.”

[Beryoza]

My Island

This is my island, no matter what the humans say. They will have to get used to it. Here I live with my children and other creatures whom I allow to be here. Humans are not among them.

There are a few humans who understand that. They live on the banks of the river. Sometimes they come close to my island with their canoes, but most of the time they stay on their side of the river and go to great lengths to prevent other humans from landing on my island.

But they were too careless. Probably they told other, insensate humans that on my island, there are creatures which they know only from old folk-tales. For recently, there have been more and more of those humans coming over in motor boats, trying to catch these creatures. But they are under my protection. I can defend myself and fight off any intruders I do not want on my island.

But the human hunters do not give up so easily. When I show myself to warn them, they laugh at me. Depending on what shape I take, they say: „Oh, Nessie turned up again!“, or, „Since when does the Yeti live on the Rhine?“ They don't even think of leaving the island.

Then I destroy their equiment. They need a lot of machinery to stand a chance against the inhabitants of my island: detectors, rifles, nets, crates. Once they even brought a small excavator to dig pitfalls. But these are all toys to me. I squash them to tiny splinters and ask the river to take the mess away. „Bad luck“, say the humans. „Such a lot of money down the drain. But never mind, we’ll just get new equipment and try again."

And most of them do come again. Then I attack them. Many humans who live nearby on the banks of the Rhine bear the scars of my teeth or claws. Most of them have enough then, they don’t return. But not all.

Some time ago one human returned whom I have met often on my island. More than once did I flush his equipment down the river, and I am sure that I bit him several times. But he did not want to understand. This time, I squashed him into a lump and had him carried away by the river.

I don’t want to do that again, but I am sure I will have to. The humans who live on the banks of the river and do not disturb us say that now the others will send soldiers with heavy machinery to hunt us down. Me in particular, but also my children and the other creatures. Why can’t those humans let us live in peace on the island? I will not go over to the banks of the river and hunt them. But I will defend my island.

[MorningStar]

"Toto"
The origins of the Prayer Pipe


I couldn’t wait to see my big brother in his new white Stetson straw hat with its horsehair beaded band. I just knew how much he wanted one for summer to use instead of his black fur Stetson. The excitement built as I drew nearer and nearer to his house, crossing the field on that hot June day. With no shade tree to be found, sweat just dripped off my face and rolled down my back.

“Oh, am I ever gonna get there today?” I said with a heavy sigh. I wiped the sweat from my face as I saw the boulder that marked the boundary of his lands.

“Ooh! I gotta rest.” I was not prepared for the heat and it was too soon for me to be walking so far. I must have been out of my mind thinking I could walk that far. “Well ol’ gal, you can’t quit now! There’s no way you’re gonna get a taxi ride out here in the middle of nowhere.”

I sat the gift-wrapped hatbox down, then removed my sandals and let the grass cool my toes. It must have been twenty minutes later by the time I caught my breath. “Well, time to pick up these ol’ bones and get a move on. Bro is not gettin’ any younger!” I giggled to myself. I could just barely see the chimney of the house on the horizon as it shimmered like a mirage in the distant sun-soaked heat of the day. The humidity clung to my breath as I struggled with each new step on tired, aching feet.

As I was still grumbling about the heat under my breath, a large crow circled the sky above me. He glided on the air current with ease and I thought how wonderful to fly and feel the breeze blow through your feathers. As I kept staring up at my new traveling companion, I could see he was moving down closer and closer to the height I was at. He flew circles around me as if pushing me, urging me on. I was so busy watching him that I didn’t notice that I had walked the other mile to my brother’s house; I was almost at his front gate.

“Well Mr.Crow…Mee-gwitch for your company. It made the walk much more light on my poor aching feet.” He landed on the roof and cawed several times as I bowed in gratitude.

I swung open the gate to hear a loud eerrrrkkk, clunk, thud as the gate flew off its hinges and crashed to the ground. Setting the gift down, I looked to see if I could put the gate back together when out of the front door ran both my niece and nephew screaming, “Auntie! Auntie! You made it! Daddy, Auntie is here, Auntie is here!” Both kids grabbed me for hugs and kisses and to see if Auntie had any goodies in her pockets for them as I normally had. As the kids frisked my pockets, the front door swung open again.

“Sis I about gave up on ya. What’d ya do, walk all the way?” He ran down the steps and we hugged a nice tight hug. “So what’s in the box?” he said with eyebrows raised and hands out.

“Your gonna just have to wait till it’s time to open it now ain’t ya?” Arm in arm, we walked up the steps and into the house. Folks had already arrived and as usual, I was late. Chloe, my sister-in-law, was serving drinks and directing people to the food in the kitchen. The air coming out of the air conditioner felt like heaven. My lungs opened up and I breathed in the cool refreshing air.

“Dear, please get Sis some ice water before the poor thing melts away on us,” my brother said to Chloe as he fanned my now red sweat-soaked face. “Here, Hun, sit by the air for a bit. You really walked all the way here? That’s nuts. It’s over five miles. Ya know you really should have called. I could have had one of the guys here go pick you up.”

Interrupting his rant before he could chew me out more I replied, “Hey Bro! You always tell me I need to be walking a lot more often so I did!” He just shook his head first, and then nodded in a sort of agreeing way. “Yeah I bloody well have been saying that but starting out for short walks, NOT walking a marathon; and so close to you coming home from the hospital, ya daft girl!”

I was never so glad to see my dear close friend Hawklord and sighed with relief when he came over and interrupted my brother’s rant once more. “Hey Will, you were gonna show me that new flute you just got as well as the new bag you made for her to rest in.”

“Oh yeah. Come on, I’ll show ya.” As both men walked away Hawklord flashed a wink at me and I blew a kiss in thanks.

The party went on for hours, night fell and the breeze picked up, cooling the air enough to open the windows. The smoke just poured out in billows escaping from the room. The music was light and festive as folks chattered away while eating and drinking. My head began to pound with the beat of the music and clucking of voices.

“Bro, I’m gonna head outside for some fresh air if you don’t mind?”

Smiling softly he replied, “Would you like some company?”

“Nah, that’s ok you have guests to tend to.”

“Hey! I never got to open your present yet. How about we do that in the back yard?”

“Sounds good Bro.”

He grabbed the wrapped hatbox and we both went out the back. Sitting on the swing bench he began to pull and rip at the wrapping to uncover the box. Lifting the lid real slow, like a snake might be in it, he dropped the lid of the box on the ground and pulled out his new Stetson hat.

He sat there in silence. “Well do ya like it? Is this the one you have been wanting? Say something! Did I get the wrong color?” He sat a bit more examining his new hat from one end to the other while I began to sweat again for fear I chose the wrong one.

“Hun this is the very hat I have been staring at for years in catalogs and on the web site. It is perfect!” He grabbed me, hugged me then kissed my cheek. The smile that was now on his face told me yes, he did like his gift very much.

Wiping the sweat from my brow I sighed, “Well that is a relief! I thought there for a minute it was the wrong one.” Just then my nephew Dave came bounding out from the house. “DAD! DAD! The phone; its for you.”

“Sis will you be ok out here by your self?”

“Yeah…go answer your phone, I’ll be in shortly.” He kissed my head and went inside.

The breeze felt even better now that I knew I did get the right hat. The wind blew the swing very gently and my hair blew all around my head; yet it felt so good I did not bother to try to hold my hair down. I could hear the toads croaking and crickets chirping. The sounds of the night soothed my inner being. And with each breath I drew in the cool night air.

I found myself staring into the woods in the back of the yard and at a path I had not noticed before. “I thought we had marked all the paths before with the kids when we went hiking before my operation,” I said to myself under my breath. But these trees appeared not to be marked. Getting off the swing I walked over to the trees and sure enough, this path was not marked. I grabbed from one tree to the next looking for our yellow chalk paint and finding none. Yet this path was warn as if walked a thousands times before. I stepped forward onto the path.

The air began to smell of rainwater but the skies were clear. Not one cloud could I see, yet the smell of rain kept wafting into my nostrils. Deeper into the woods I walked, looking for some kind of marks on the trees and finding none. I knew we never explored this part of the forest. As I turned around to head back, the path that was behind me was gone and the path in front of me was all that remained.

“Now what the heck is going on? I know there was a path there a second ago. I was walking on it! I never left the path, did I?”

Deeper into the woods I walked, paying no attention to how long I was gone. Twigs cracked beneath my feet, wind blew my hair back, and a chill came over my body. “Oh you’ve done it now, kiddo. You’re lost. Face it. Will is gonna be so mad. You should have marked the trees as you went. Just what you need: one more lecture of marking my trails,” I scolded myself.

I pushed my way through to a clearing and in the middle of this clearing was a large well made of stone. Each stone fit perfectly with the next with barely a seam showing and no mortar. Yet they fit perfectly to form a ring about four feet around and two feet tall from the ground up.

“I hope there is still water in that thing. My feet hurt so bad; maybe rinsing them will help.” Walking over to the well, I could smell rainwater even stronger. “Ah so this is where the smell was coming from.” I reached my hands in, scooped up water, washed my face and hands then sat on the well wall. Reaching down to remove my sandals I discovered I had no sandals on and both of my feet were now bloody from walking on the branches and other items on the floor of the forest. It was as if I had been walking on glass instead. My hands were now covered in blood so once more I reached into the well to rinse them. As my blood touched the surface of the water it did not mix but floated on the top of the water. The blood began to glow: first red, then amber-yellow, then a golden bright yellow. Under the glowing blood I could see a light from deep within the well rising and the surrounding water began to glow a bright blue with the center white.

I could not believe what I saw and my eyes searched deeper to see what could be causing the glow of light. The light was bright enough to make the well and its surrounding area glow like the moon on the nights of a blue moon. I could still hear the animals of the night, many sounded like they were getting closer to where I was. Yet I could not turn my head away from the light and strained my eyes to see what could be causing the light in bottom of the well.

Slowly an image began to appear. Little by little, a head began to slowly come up from the water; closer it came to the surface. As it was about to break the waters surface I fell to the ground in fear of what I had stumbled onto. My body trembled from head to toe. Around the head the glow began to become brighter. I knelt down now in fear, yet still I could not make my eyes or head turn away from the sight. The light was so bright that I shielded my eyes with my hands.

I began to see the light through my skin showing every vein and artery. I could even see the bones of my fingers. When the figure was full and well above the water I could see it was a being of light. My eyes adjusted to the brightness of the light by squinting then in a few minutes, I could look directly upon her.

She was beautiful. Her hair was a golden brown and hung to her waist with ringlets of curls. She wore a gown of soft shimmering white trimmed with a belt of gold from which hung a three pronged cross with an emerald in the center. She held a cup in her hands; it was made of gold with a peacock inlaid with emeralds, sapphires, rubies and amber jewels on the front. Holding the cup out to me she spoke as I trembled to see this magnificent being.

“Drink from my cup, Dearest Daughter of the land. Drink and bring in life and knowledge.”

I cautiously rose to my feet, reaching out my hand for the cup. As I held the cup I could see a bear where the peacock once was; it too was inlaid with jewels but of amber for the body and a ruby for its eye. On the other side of the cup was a pipe; the shaft of the pipe was inlaid in ebony and ivory was inlaid for the bowl.

“Dip the cup into my waters, child. Drink in the life.”

Not being one to disobey, I dipped the cup into the well. Her feet were still in the water so I could see she was wearing bells on her toes. “Huh! How interesting.” I said under my breath as the water filled the cup. I drank the water and the sweetness was such that I had never tasted before. It cooled my head, soothed my dry throat. I never drank water that was so tasty before: sweet, full of body yet tantalizing every taste bud in my mouth. I felt every drop run down my throat to my stomach. Reaching out to me once again was the most delicate of hands. She stroked my cheek as I drank the cup dry as if I had never had water before.

“You poor child! You are tired. And your feet; they are bleeding! Sit here with me and put your feet in the water. I will heal your cuts.”

I sat on the wall of the well and turned my body to face her and the center of the well. I dunked in one foot at a time into the cool water. It felt so good an “Ahh” came from my lips, but it sounded more like a sigh as the cool waters refreshed my achy feet.

The being of light sat across from me and she too was dangling her feet still in the water. She stretched out her hand for my right foot. She glided her hand along the bottom of my foot and the bleeding stopped and the cuts were gone. Gently, she set my foot back in the water. Without a word she did the same to my left foot. I thanked her for healing my feet and I began to make figure threes in the water with my legs and feet.

She smiled softly and tenderly then began to speak once again. “There, now. How does that feel? Better?”

I nodded my head “Yes it does feel much better, mee-gwitch,” I replied thanking her again. I was so relaxed that neither her presence nor the presence of animal life that crept closer around us gave me any reason to feel frightened any longer. Peace surrounded us and her light lit up the night. The forest was glowing an eerie iridescent type glow, making it hauntingly beautiful just like her.

“Excuse me, but can I ask you a question? Well, a couple of questions?” She shook her head yes.
“Why did the peacock turn into a bear? And why was there a prayer pipe on the other side of the cup?”

“Are you not a member of the bear clan?” I shook my head yes. “Very few would have known that was a prayer pipe and not just any kind of pipe. Don’t you do the pipe prayers?” Again I shook my head yes. “Then why shouldn’t the bear and the prayer pipe appear on the cup?”

“Yes, that does make sense,” I thought and replied. May I ask some more questions please?”

“You may ask while you are still here.”

I was not sure what she quite meant by that, but I continued on. “Why me? I mean why is it important that I do the Pipe Prayers? Isn’t that something anyone can do?”

I waited for an answer and she remained silent. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, child. Just thinking how to answer your question.”

She went silent again for several minutes and I just sat there quietly swirling my feet around in the water. I watched as rainbows of color swirled around my legs and feet as I moved my legs around. We sat there in quiet for about ten more minutes before she spoke.
“Yes, anyone can do pipe prayers. But why did you choose to accept the Pipe Prayers as your duty?”

“When it was offered to me as a guide to help rebuild my strength within myself, I accepted the offer. Then I was told I would one day need to teach it myself and pass it on. Then it became more of a calling as I saw a greater need by others for prayers to be done for them. I always felt as though this was not something that needed to remain only in a sacred group of people, but to all since we are all connected as the human race. One group of people is no more sacred than another. We need to live as equals.”

She smiled. “Yes, a calling to all peoples it should be.” She stood up and reached over. Touching my cheek she said, “Child, you look tired.”

My eyes became as heavy as bricks and she wrapped her arm around me as I started to fall back. She laid me down on the ground next to the well. “Goodnight, sweet child of mine. I look forward to hearing you sing out your prayers.” She kissed me on the forehead and laid my head on the ground as I fell sound asleep.

I woke up with a bit of a fright when I saw I was in the spare bedroom at my brother’s house. Will was sitting on one side of me, and Hawklord sat on the bed on the other side.

“Hey, kiddo. You’re awake!” Will smiled as if relieved. “We were beginning to think you were gonna leave us for good.”

“Did you find me by the well?” I was feeling very confused, waking up in bed.

“No, Hun. I was on the phone for maybe a minute and while I was talking, I turned around to look at you and you had passed out falling on to the ground in front of the swing. A few of the men from the party helped me carry you up here. The doctor said you had heat stroke. Then he gave you a couple of shots and told us to make sure you rested. So looks like your staying for a few days.”

“Will, I was in the woods by a well talking to a Being of Light and she laid me on the ground by the well. So how did I get back here?”

Hawklord giggled “Well Dorothy, what did ya do to Toto? All we found was a pipe.”

“But how did I get back to the yard?” I paused. “A Pipe? WHAT PIPE?”

Will was shaking his hands around like if he were controlling traffic. “One thing at a time, Sis. You never left the yard, Hun. I got up, answered the phone, turned around and watched you collapse on to the ground. So you went nowhere; it must have been just a dream.”

“Wait. If it was all a dream, then where did the pipe that we found in her hand come from?” Hawklord waved his hand around. In it was the ebony and ivory pipe that had a beaded bear made of amber beads with a ruby red bead for its eye.

“Where did you find this pipe?” I asked again.

Both men answered at the same time. “In your right hand, Sis!”

“Ok. Now I know I’m goin’ buggers. She never gave me a pipe, ” I stated.

“She who?” Hawklord demanded.

“The Being of Light. I said I saw her in the well.”

“Woman,” he replied, “I think you’re still feverish as well as hallucinating things. You never left here.”

We all three just looked at each other for a couple of minutes. How was I ever gonna explain to them what happened when now, not even I knew what really happened. Did I dream of her and that well? Did I actually go there at all? It all seemed so real.

“Guys…if I dreamed all this, then how did the pipe get in my hand? Who put it there?” I stared at them with questioning eyes.

Both men just shook their heads and said they had no idea. I began to explain to them about the trail that opened up and how I followed it into the woods. I explained how it closed up behind me and how I walked until I found the well. I told them about how I noticed I was barefoot and bleeding. And then I went on to tell them about the Being of Light and how she had me drink from a golden cup that first had a peacock on it but it turned into a bear when I held it. On the back of the cup was the exact pipe Hawklord was holding. I went on to tell them of how she healed my bleeding feet by putting them in the water and rubbing the bottom of each foot with her hand and the cuts were gone.

“I’ll say it again,” Hawklord said. “Welcome home Dorothy! What’d you do to Toto; turn him into a pipe?”

“Oh very funny, very funny, Hawky. There is no Toto here and I did not click my heels to come home.”

“Oh yeah, you both are a couple of cracked cards, ” Will answered and laughed. “I have no idea Sis of what happened then. I only know what I saw and that was you collapsing on the ground. You never went anywhere. It had to be a dream.”

“Right. So again, where did the pipe come from and why does it look like the one in the dream if that is what it was a dream?” I asked, frustrated. How could it have been a dream when it seemed so real and how did I get that pipe if it was just a dream?

“Sis, it’s a mystery. Maybe one day we will figure it out. For now, you need sleep and lots of it, so we’re gonna leave you alone to sleep.” Will kissed me on the forehead and walked out. Then Hawklord kissed my forehead too and walked out of the bedroom shutting the door behind him.

I shimmied down in the bed, getting good and comfortable while thinking about all that had happened or what I thought had happened. Was I going nuts? How did I get that pipe? Did I really go to the well and speak with a Being of Light? Soon I drifted back off to sleep and left it to be figured out one day soon.

[MorningStar]

Yesterday I Became a Man

It was my birthday last week, I turned 16, and yesterday I was told I would become a man when I kill my first brown bear. Since I am Cree Indian it is not just a matter of hunting a bear - there are rituals and prayers that need to be done first. The bear is a highly respected and feared animal that requires special prayers. We even have a special way of eating the bear.

I started last week tagging along with my Father and Grandfather, watching and learning the songs and prayers. They first showed me how to find a bear’s den and then how to see if there was even a bear in there. Grandfather showed me that the snow around a small hole was a yellowish brown, how it was mostly frozen like ice instead of the snow that surrounded the den, and how to feel warm air coming out of the hole. So we found him and now we must wait for a couple of months in early spring. We found the den on 8th of December 2002 and we won’t go back till late February, or early April. Grandfather says bears are best eaten in spring. That is when it is hardest to find moose and other large game.

Dad came to me on February 3d and said it was finally time to prepare for the bear hunt. The preparation can sometimes take a few months. Dad tied two bear leg bones on my wall and then laid an ax, spear, club, and a knife sheath at the foot of my bed. He first spoke to the bones above my bed. “Bring my son good dreams of the hunt. Show him which tools to use and how his tools must look.” That meant what designs I am to paint and/or carve on to my tools and weapons.

That night father sang his hunting songs to me until I feel asleep. I dreamed of a Grandmother. She was holding a badger in one hand and in the other she was holding a spear. She then pointed to a dancing warrior. When I woke up I raced into my father’s bedroom and told him of the old woman and what she had showed me in the dream.

Later that day Dad showed me how to carve these images onto my weapons and tools. He explained what my dream meant. “Son, seeing the Grandmother is a good sign you will kill something and though the badger is small it means you will kill something big. You will kill the bear with your spear. The dancing warrior is the design for your tools and weapons, we will do this together.”

We both worked very hard on my tools and weapons, while Mom sewed the design of the Dancing Warrior on the chest cloth and my clothes. I finished carving my tools and sewing beadwork on my knife sheath. This took me two months to complete.

Since this was my first hunting experience for a bear, my Mom had to make me special clothes with beautiful beadwork that she and Grandmother had done for me. After ensuring it all fitted, they rolled my clothes up in a big red cloth that looked like a big red blanket. Dad said that the clothes would have to be cleansed first.

My hunting clothes are several pieces of clothing making layers for warmth. There is my cool looking special caribou skin coat that Mom and Grandmother beaded to match my leggings, garter, moccasins, chest cloth, mittens and cap. I could feel the time now was very close to the hunt.

Mother took an old bear skull and painted circles on the back of the head and on the top, while singing and talking to the skull. She tied a brown ribbon of caribou hide around the bottom of the jaw and up into the eye sockets, tying it tightly closed at the top of the skull.

Listening to her, I could hear her say to the bear skull, “Grandmother, you have been treated well here. Tell your relatives what it is like to be killed by my husband. And tell them that my son will honor them as he kills them. This will make him a man.”

She stood up and walked into the house, went over to Dad and handed the skull to him, saying, “I am done.” Dad took the skull and put a wad of tobacco in its jaw and then, with a length of caribou hide string, he tied it to the wall above his bed, in between two leg bones from another bear with painted decorations on them.

Dad said this place where we sleep is called ‘taawpwaataakan’. This means that which brings dreams. Dad had been teaching me that, if we were to catch a bear, we have to see it in our dreams first. He might dream of an old woman who represents killing an animal, or if he dreams of a baby, that meant he would kill a bear.

Dreams are important to us. We see many aspects of our life in dreams; such as what designs we will use on our weapons or tools. We even travel outside our bodies to visit the spirit world, where we might learn a song that will help to kill a caribou.

The night before the hunt, we went out in the forest and sat beating our drums and singing my father’s hunting song for several hours. We then returned home, had some dinner and went off to bed. I dreamt that an old woman was holding two babies in her arms. For once, Dad said he didn’t dream. So what did that mean? We would not kill a bear today? Dad would not let me tell him my dream until we saw the tribe’s Shaman.

To cleanse my new hunting outfit we first had to walk the path in the forest that runs by our trailer. We lay the clothes on a large boulder. It was very early in the morning and the sun was about to rise. Father said that the forest is naturally clean, unlike our trailer that needed to be cleansed because we are not always clean. He shouldn’t look in my room then, huh!

We left my clothes on the boulder and went to go see the Shaman of our tribe. Dad let me go first and I told the Shaman about the old woman and the two babies. He looked at my father and spoke to him:

“Today he will become a man.” These were his only words.

He then looked at Dad and Dad told him, “I did not dream last night.”

The Shaman told Dad he would not kill anything today. Only I would. Boy, was I getting nervous too! All this pressure of rituals and cleansing was making me even more nervous. Because, if I offend the spirit of the bear, we may not kill another bear for years. Everything has to be done exactly or it could mean disaster. I have to kill the bear in one stabbing or get mauled to death by the bear we are trying to kill.

Next, we headed to the sweat lodge to cleanse ourselves before going to the bear’s den. While we were in the sweat lodge, my clothes were still in the forest, where they were being cleansed as well. We left the lodge and went to the boulder in the forest where my clothes had been left. Dad had me lay the red cloth on the ground and I had to lay the clothes very neatly on it. I carefully rolled them up in the cloth and we went home.

The sun had only been up for an hour and it was still very early in the day. Once we were home, Dad helped me get dressed while Grandfather sang hunting songs. Dad explained to me that, once we walk out of our house, not one word was to be spoken until it was time to talk to the bear. And then after that I still had to remain quiet or we risked offending Memekwesiw, the Spirit Boss of the bears. And not once were we to use the word ‘bear’ but ‘Grandmother’, ‘Cousin’, ‘black food’, or ‘four-legged human’. Bears like to be called special names and treated in a special way since they are so important in our Cree world.

We walked for two hours until we reached the den we had found earlier in the year. When we got there, I knelt down to see if I could feel the bear’s breath, which I did. He was still in there all right. My stomach was in knots and I felt as I was going to get very sick. I went to the opening of the den. Dad and Grandfather stood on top of the den at the opening, their weapons ready.

I stood there for ten minutes, just working up the nerve to speak, but at last I yelled into the den, “Grandmother, it is spring and time to wake up. Come out so I might become a man.”

We stood ready for the bear to come charging out, but nothing happened. Dad looked at me and nodded for me to do it again. I yelled, even louder this time, “Grandmother, come out so I can kill you and be a man today.”

To my surprise the bear appeared, but it was not running as he came out of his den. It walked very slowly. I readied my spear and, when the top half of the bear’s body was out of the den, I plunged the spear into its side. I could feel crunching of ribs and the bear raised up on its hind legs, growling, swinging his front paws at me. Ducking, I pulled the spear out of his side. I plunged it in again, this time as he was staring in my face, eye-to-eye. I stabbed him in the chest. This brought down the mighty beast! I had done it. I killed a bear with a spear, no less, and I’m still alive! I looked to both my Father and Grandfather, who both had tear-filled eyes, because today I had become a Man.

But I did not shout out in joy, but instead laid my spear, knife sheath, and tobacco on the bear’s chest. I took off my chest cloth and tied it around the bear’s neck so it would hang neatly on the bear’s chest. I thanked the bear’s spirit and the Spirit Boss for the life of this bear, so we may eat and so I could become a man. Dad took out a ceremonial pipe, filled it with tobacco, and handed me the pipe and a lighter. I took the pipe over to the bear and put the pipe in the bear’s mouth saying, “Grandmother let me light your pipe.”
I then took a puff of the pipe and started coughing and choking on the smoke. Then I handed the pipe to my Father who took a puff and handed it to my Grandfather who did the same.

Then, making two short slits in the stomach of the bear, we removed the stomach and small intestine, along with some fat. I then cut off one of the bear’s claw from his right paw and placed it carefully in my caribou skin bag.

We made every effort not to spill any blood on the snow, because it is a taboo that would offend the bear and the Boss Spirit and although it’s April 7th we still have snow on the ground and last night it snowed a little more. I sewed the bear’s belly back up. At the same time, I cut off another front right claw and handed it to my Dad, which meant I wanted him to take the bear back home. He and Grandfather found long thick branches to tie around the bear’s legs so it could be carried home. We did not say a word to each other on our walk home.

Once we approached our trailer, the young girls of our tribe were out making sure the dogs stayed away from the bear. Father and Grandfather took the bear in the trailer and laid it on mats of newly cut spruce boughs with its head pointing towards the back of the house, the hind legs towards the front.

No one spoke a word, though still you could feel our excitement. I wanted to yell out, “I AM A MAN!” so loud that those on our reservation could hear me, but also all of Manitoba and Canada too.

But instead my Dad handed me the pipe full of tobacco, and he then put some tobacco in the bear’s mouth. I lit the pipe and took a puff of smoke. Of course I coughed and others giggled as I handed the pipe to my Dad.

The eldest man in our tribe was there, along with most of our relatives, which by the way makes up the majority of our small band of our tribe. He came in and sat down and then I was allowed to speak.

“Old man, I give this, my first bear, to you.”

This man is called the feast-giver. He quickly got to work on choosing three old married women to skin the bear. When that was finished, the men cut it up for the feast. The head and front legs were for the men. The hind legs and whatever was left was for the women.

I cut off a small piece of the heart and tossed it into the fire, saying, “Come, Memekwesiw (the Spirit Boss of the Bear)… be pleased. Send us another one of your pups.”

At this point, the feast-giver had chosen a few men to prepare the lodge and their end of the bear. And he had the three old women take their parts to the lodge so they could cook theirs too. When everybody from the tribe got to the lodge, dressed in their best clothes, and only after the feast-giver was sure everyone was there. The feast-giver opened the doors and let everybody in. By this time, the bear meat was fully cooked.

The feast-giver sang and gave prayers while all the doors and windows were being sealed shut. We would stay in here until the next morning, eating and drinking, dancing and singing prayers. And we had to eat all of the bear in one sitting. The only part not eaten were the bones, which were taken away and put on one side where they would be cleaned and tied together so that afterwards, we could hang them from the tree in front of the lodge.

Once all the food had been eaten, after some more dancing, the sun came up and finally it was over. At the beginning of November, I had been told that, in a single day, I would suddenly become a man. Today Aril 8, 2003 it actually happened after five long months.

I could not wait to tell everybody at school that I was a man and that I had killed a bear with just my spear. But I have to be careful, even there, for if I say it in the wrong way, it may sound like boasting, which would offend Memekwesiw.

I for one wanted to hunt bear again. It was like facing death and coming out the winner.

[MorningStar]

Cool Stories folks and some thought pravoking ideas too. Very cool, Thank You for shareing and entering very cool!!!!

[Azrienoch]

The Scientists of Intelligent Design

I was just looking around for things to make fun of, because that's just what I do, and I ran across the Intelligent Design Network. And behold! Things to make fun of!
Where do I start? I thought. Where do I let my foul little mouth spew logic and reason, destroying these pretty little trinkets as this vomit corrodes them? Do I start with the fact that their slogan, "Objectivity should lead to the best scientific explanation and constitutional neutrality," makes no sense, because neutrality itself is hardly objective to begin with? Perhaps I should point out to them that the word 'objective' refers to the state of being physical or material, and so when they say, "Would you like your school to change from Evolution Only to a more objective approach," they are using the word improperly, and the word 'fair' would be more appropriate? If so, I could then delve into the fact that 'truth,' objectively speaking, is never necessarily fair, and science is about truth and not fairness.

I kept reading and kept reading. What would be the perfect thing to make fun of? And then I saw it.

It wasn't some rediculous and unfounded claim that the world was made by an intelligent designer. It wasn't some new bill that sported the abolition of evolution from textbooks. It wasn't even some Biblical fundamentalist pointing out that the Bible says the Earth is flat, and so it must be.

It was this:


Notice anything odd about the picture? What exactly is she doing? The color of the liquid between the two beakers is consistent, and there's no other chemical reactions so she's not mixing anything. She's holding both of them in the air and not at eye level, therefore she's not separating them so that a certain amount may be used elsewhere. She's not bothering with airtight methods of exchanging the liquid, nor is she taking any other sort of precaution, so it must not be for storage purposes. So why the hell is she pouring liquid from one container to another?

Notice anything else? There's a distilation kit in front of her, yet she's not wearing any gloves. Her face is right over the beaker, so she's simply not too worried about this whole thing. So why is she wearing those goggles?

Anything else? Well, I don't know about you, but the first thing I saw was that damned grin. Why the hell is she so happy? She can't be stealing it, because it's daylight out, there's people in the background, and no really good burglar would allow their picture to be taken while they are committing this illegal act.

Then I thought, well, it's just an intelligent design website. This is probably just a model and she's posing for the camera. Why else would they have something so obviously fake going on? But then I had to dismiss that conclusion because they would at least have had her pose in a real laboratory, and not some room with maroon curtains. Plus, they would have dressed her in something more, I don't know... scientific. Like a lab coat. And quite frankly, if I were getting a model, I would have gotten someone who looked like they knew what they were doing.

Then it dawned on me: this chemical is just Kool-Aid, and they are at a staff party. That explains their location and her attire. And that's not a distillation kit, but a Kool-Aid dispenser. Why Kool-Aid, you might ask? Because no good Christian drinks outside of the Sunday morning sacrament. And the goggles? Her eyesight is just that bad.

And that damned grin? It's one out of spite, because she knows that the picture is being taken for the website, and she knows that you're going to be fooled into thinking that she's a real scientist, just as so many are fooled into thinking that intelligent design is a real science.