CANDLELIT CHRONICLES: HISTORIC HAUNTS

June 27 and Free Read 832 wc

Four more days and June will be finished. In the Northern Hempisphere, we entered Summer six days ago; in the Southern Hemisphere, Winter. Been over two months since Big Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon offshore rig exploded and incinerated, killing several, and creating an Environmental Disaster that just won't quit. Not to mention how the Propaganda Machine grinds on....


What was that proverb? "The Mills of God grind exceedingly slow, but they grind exceedingly fine."


Well, the Big Petroleum Propaganda Machine grinds extremely gritty, oily, tarry, and destructive.





Today's book recommendation: Tom Knox, The Genesis Secret. I read Mr. Knox' second novel, The Mark of Cain first and didn't like it at all, but this one is riveting. Not for the faint of heart most definitely as he explores, through his characters, a multitude of historical versions of murder and torture, but if you can stomach that, the book has many fascinating historical and contemporary explorations into comparative religions, untold history, and more. Good characterization, light on the sensual (in other words, romantic relationships are not dealt in erotic detail), but as I stated, extraordinarily gory and violent.





Today's Free Read, from my novel-in-progress of Environmental Disaster Fantasy, Finding The Abandoned Child





Chapter Nine





         As Constable-in-Training Larrs and I continued to puzzle over the mystery of the baby, I soon discovered also that I was not going to be able to conceal my disobedience after all, even though I had continued to hope. Booted footsteps crossing Swan Street turned Larrs' head and mine, and we both spotted my mother at the same time, though I am sure I was much more dismayed. Loaded down with packages, boxes, and totes, Mamma looked as stern as usual. Constable-in-Training Larrs immediately held out her left arm straight, palm out, in a silent order to halt. Clearly she was not acquainted with my parent. The palm nor the expression stopped Mamma, nor even caused her to slow her pace. She kept proceeding toward us, till finally Larrs jumped up and rushed along the sidewalk toward her.





         “Madame, please!! We have a situation here! I'm serarching for evidence! Please halt!!”





“THAT is my daughter, and you will not keep me from her.” Mamma pointed at me, despite the fact that she juggled several boxes. I backed into Denguer Street, avoiding the sidewalk entirely, and moved up the street toward her, reqching out to take some of the boxes and bags, without ever once looking up to meet her eyes. She handed me half a dozen boxes and totes, nearly overloading me, then leveled her stern gaze on the Constable-in-Training.





“And just what did happen here, Constable-in-Training?” she asked in a near whisper. I wondered how she knew Pegott Larrs was not yet a full constable, but then I remembered that Mamma had her finger on the pulse of this City. I took advantage of what I hoped to be their mutual distraction and started edging away, West along Denguer. Fortunately they seemed at first not to notice me.





“Madame, your daughter located an infant abandoned right along here.”


         Larrs indicated the section of grass where I had first seen the baby, mentioning to Mamma that no strands had been broken or crushed or flattened, and that there appeared no sign that anyone had walked there, or moved across the lawn at all, including the baby.





         Mamma glanced at the grass, then immediately up at the house, then back to me. I had by now moved almost opposite the wide space between the corner house on whose lawn I had discovered the baby, and the next house, which sat some distance farther West, and farther back from the street. I don't know how she spotted me so fast as I was moving quietly and I had gotten quite some distance, but nonetheless she did, and despite the boxes she still carried, she managed to aim her left index finger at me.





         “Fenrich-it's time for you to go home. Take all those to our new house and unpack them.”





“Our “new” house, Mamma?”





“Yes, child, the new house. Oh-I did not tell you yet.”





         She glanced at Larrs and apparently thought better of sharing information aloud, so she motioned to the Constable-in-Training with a “wait just a minute” gesture and stepped out into the street, walking up to me, and turning me West so that my back was to the Constable-in-Training.





         Whispering in my ear, she related, “Pastor Janns and I have acquired a new compound, at 131311 LittleBack Lane, in Mohltrissen.





         Turning back to Constable-in-Training Larrs, Mamma spoke firmly.





         “i will have my daughter Fenrich at the Treasury at 1 PM. We must go now; we are in the process of transferring our possessions from our former compound to our new home. If needs be, I will record that address when I bring her this afternoon. And for now, good day, Miss.”





         With that, we headed off West.{/b}