#JustWriteNovember – S J Lister. Author

20th November – Trip of a life time

Please use the space below to leave a review of your recent trip:

Have you ever wondered what’s around you? I don’t mean the local pub or a nice walk. What remains are to be found around you? What history does the place hold, hidden away that you can’t see?

Stories, folklore, and much more can give us a real glimpse to what has been around. Sometimes we need to read between the lines, but there is also so much truth to be found within these. If we listen and look.

So when I read through your adverts to go and visit the land of the giants, the land where those who could walk across a village in a couple of steps. I couldn’t wait. This was the land that only a few would normally be allowed to go.

As a youngling, I had been brough up to hear the stories. We all had. How the guardians and gone off to keep the dangers that threatened us away from our borders. So when the news came that some had gone out there to explore what was there now. To see what they could find, then to hear the news that they had developed the areas for others to follow and explore, well I was not one to hide away.

It was an amazing point and I wanted to be able to be one of the first to get there to see it before everyone else came. I re-read all the stories that I could find. From those that everyone was given when they had a baby, but also to the stories that were kept away to stop the younglings from staying awake at night.

I even managed to find some of the stories from those who came back from the border wars and how they described what they found. Even with my 6 months of research, I made sure I booked up every tour I could find from your website, and I was delighted to find that there was even a selective tour for small groups to go and explore the legendary giant’s cave. I could not believe it, I was going to be able to stand where the last known Giant King was killed in battle and the start of the end of the Giants Wars had begun.

To be able to stand where the legends had once explored. To look over the cliff of torment and see what they saw. To be able to catch sight of the never-ending forest of the tall trees and mighty falls where the retreat settled to create a watermill to power their mills from one water fall by itself.

In case you can’t tell from this review. I was a fan at being able to explore past the boundaries of the Kingdom and explore the Giants Way.

I would like to attach just one phone. This was not the first one I took, but it was the last one I took. I feel it summarise what was billed to be an in-depth tour of the closing days of the last Giant King. Knowing how far away the troops had to have travelled, knowing how far long they were away for, I was shocked when the cave was only 2 days travel away from the Kingdoms borders. Even without modern travel ability, we were not even halfway there.

To the younglings of the Kingdom, I am sure that this will fit them happily. But to those of you who know the stories, to those of us who are keen of find out about the history of our Kingdom and the dangers that we have gone through to be safe as we are today. This is a joke.

However, I do guess there are two lessons those who are looking to go there. The first is to check the small print when reading what you are ordering. But I guess the real lesson is, when you leave the safety of our Kingdom, people can pass things off as whatever they want and not have to worry about the truth.

And in case you are wondering, this is apparently a giant’s hand outstretched before being buried by the soldiers in battle. Having never heard about such an event in any references, not a single line, I was surprised that you were trying to suggest we were standing on the shoulders of giants!

I give this attraction, not a historical site as you try to call it, half a star. And I only give half as I must give credit to the display boards on the history of the Giants Wars.

19th November – Be my guest?

‘I just don’t know why you keep doing this.’ The shorter one came in, being loud and bashing the into things along the wall. ‘Each day you just never even hold open the door’.

Eventually the other one comes in, a permanent frown coupled with a face that had never seen happiness since birth. ‘Dear, it’s only because I was trying to get the shopping from the boot while also trying to bring in your coat that I thought…’

She had that look that always made him go quiet. It’s the kind of look that I tend to get when I turn up and try to join in with peoples’ picnics. They never seem happy to see me for some reason. I don’t know why. I just want to be part of the fun.

‘If you think that carrying in a couple of bags is such a big deal then you can carry them upstairs!’ The tone in her voice when she came back after the look always made my ears hurt, not sure if it is a good or bad thing but it has seemed to hurt less lately. This may be from hearing it so much or since I came up with my idea it has bothered me less. But either way, the pain seemed less which I was never going to complain about.

Slowly they moved around, she set up dinner, he put things away. I decided to move around my kingdom. Check out each room and make sure all was in order. It never was but I would be able to start sorting this soon.

Must be careful not to ruin my plan. It has worked so well for the past few weeks, nearly there.

Need to make sure all goes well.

It seems that tonight is salad night.

Perfect.

The fools had left the knife on the side all day long, so before I went out for my day, I made sure I set it all in motion for today. Right on track, the knife was being used for all those lovely fresh vegetables. And yes, it was the blue board she used. So helpful that she labelled each one for me. I know it’s more for his allergies, but it does help me.

‘Time to wash your hands dear, dinner is ready.’ The daily call went from the kitchen. It’s amazing how the happy voice comes when she is ordering him about. These two really need to be more respectful when they are in other people’s places.

Almost time. The salad is on the table waiting for them. Thankfully these summer days means windows and doors are left open. I must say, at first, I didn’t take to the little fluffy darling that they had brought into the house. But as they ignored it and its stomach got worse, I found myself the perfect seasoning for the invader’s food.

Now it’s time to get the best seat in my kingdom to watch the final part of my plan.

—

All that Mr and Mrs Smith knew was, there was a fly that had persisted flying around their house for a since they moved in to the house. The constant arguing between them had meant that they didn’t know who was meant to be getting rid of it or that both had slowly been getting ill. All that Mr Smith knew was he was going to be eating dinner. Mrs Smith knew that she was going to eat her last dinner with her husband and not be there tomorrow night as she had made her decision to move and no longer feel like she was around her husband.

The fly hoped that when the two go to sleep, they won’t wake up. He had carried bacteria from the ill dog that no one had noticed all over their food and the left-out cleaning products as neither of the Smiths tidied things away properly. The fly had been able to apply a little bit each day to add more and more. Affecting them both in different ways. To slowly bring down their health.

To the paramedics that came a week later after a concerned neighbour rang up. The cause of death appeared obvious. An untidy couple who, despite their apparent efforts, died from the products they didn’t know how to use. This would inspire an online campaign about safety of the different chemicals in the home, how to store and use them safely.

No one suspected the fly that seemed to fly around, plotting, for the next guests to invade its house.

11th November – One day

Before you read this, I would like to add that I do not normally even try to do poetry! Please be kind 🙂

—//—

One day he will be famous,
And then I won’t care that you’re laughing at me.
As these pictures are for the ‘gram’,
For they are for all the world to see.

One day he will be like these other dogs,
The ones that are simply chasing their ball.
Oh look at this one he is so cute,
Wow that Great Dane is so tall!

One day I will be invited to a cool place,
And my little guy will not just be my pet.
Loads of people will come to meet us,
All asking about how we met.

One day you won’t laugh at me,
Then you won’t think I’m sure a bore.
For now he is with his pineapple,
But tomorrow you will hear us roar!

9th November – I wonder what would happen?

‘The film Up! has a lot to answer for.’

‘For the last time, you can’t use Disney told you to as your defence.’

The vein was back. Every time I tried to explain how I got into this it always started from the same place. Apparently, this is not something the judge will look too kindly on. But it seemed to make sense, I was inspired by those who try to inspire children, really Disney should be to blame. And besides, it was half term, and I got a bit bored. Plus, it is not my fault if you can so easily get things on the internet.

‘Before we make our way down to the court room, let’s just try to go through your plan again.’

It was always a good idea to pause when my lawyer collected his hands in front of him and sighed to his chest. I often wonder if he questions picking up the phone when my mum called him. She said she owed him a favour and that he was the one before your father turned up. But I never remember dad being a lawyer, so I have never understood what she meant.

‘Well I have just finished watching the film Up! Once again mum was working on the computer, and I didn’t know what to do. But I noticed that her tablet was around, and I wanted to know how many balloons it would take to move a house.’

‘Ok, I think we can skip the bit about you searching online for balloons, and how it would take… ah here it is, 1 million balloons to lift a house but I am only a child so I would need a lot less. The judge will have read this statement already, so I don’t think we need to go into the entire 12 pages you have signed.’

‘But I don’t want them to think that this was just some silly thing that I did one day. I planned this. I’m an idiot’.

‘The more you emphasise you planning this, the following things happen. Your mother cries and the judge will come down on you harder.’

‘But isn’t it always good to tell the truth?’

‘I am not telling you to lie. I am just wanting you to not be judged harshly.’

There was the sigh again. This box room was starting to get a bit boring. All I wanted to do was see how far I could travel. I was sensible. I did tests to check beforehand. All good scientists should plan ahead and see what might happen before putting anyone in any danger.

‘You remember when your father went, and how sad your mother got from that?’

‘YOU ARE NOT TO TALK ABOUT HIM!’

‘All I am trying to say is, if you are not sensible today, you will be making her sad all over again.’

‘I just tried to keep myself out of trouble. I just wanted to play some games and not let mum be distracted when she was trying to work. To be her good little bear.’

‘I know. But the problem is when you play like this you can cause problems for other people.’

‘If we could just talk about the news report. I think that showed a lot of people enjoyed what happened.’

‘That news report was made by your friends and was shown on YouTube. The only reason that has been such a big hit and made it on the national news is because of the trouble your experiment caused.’

‘Still made the news though. Also, those two on BBC Breakfast were laughing about it…’

‘And they had to apologise for that didn’t they…Didn’t they?’

‘…I guess.’

‘So, when the judge wants to find out what happened, what will you say?’

‘That I was just trying to have some fun and didn’t know what I was doing as I am only 10?’

‘Well that sounds a bit better than the planned experiment idea. Although it might be difficult to prove now that you have already given in your notebook with the quite impressive calculations.’

‘Isn’t it a good thing though that it shows I forgot multiple some of the numbers the right way?’

‘Sam, let me remind you of what happened.’

The palms were flat on the table this time. His left hand then collected the picture folder. In my defence, I didn’t realise that helium balloons would travel so far and as high. I thought my sums meant they would hover, and I could catch them. Possible use a catapult to send them to my friend’s house.’

‘Teddy bears attack… Hugs from above… oh and my favourite one, It’s raining bears. But that may just be me. These are the many headlines from around the county, and further, along with the pictures of your sister’s teddies from your act as they were caught and found.’

‘I did make sure they had my name on them so I could get them back for my sister.’

‘And that was a very thought-out detail. Which is why the judge can easily map out all 34 experiments you did that day before the police turned up to stop you moving on to phase 2 of you little experiment.’

‘What’s going to happen to me?’

‘We will have to see when we leave this room and go down the hall.’

‘Can we wait a moment. I don’t want my mum to see me scared.’

Sam sat there looking at the pictures. He had created a storm on social media that week, hashtags such as #bearsfromabove #whobearisthis helped to get lots of people entertained. He couldn’t wait till he went back to Cubs too, all of his knots had lasted the journey. He was sure to get the knot badge now!

Then came the knocks on the door. It was time.

5th November – Just one more Figurine

‘Its eyes follow you around the room.’

‘Don’t be silly Miranda.’ Mark stood there trying to not catch her eye. He didn’t mean to buy things that gave her the creeps. Miranda described it as an instinct to find them. He leaned in for a closer look at the item he had put on kitchen table. ‘For one, it doesn’t have any eyes so how can it follow you around the room’.

‘It hasn’t got eyes? That is your defence for trying to say that this thing isn’t creepy.’

He paused before he said he next comment. He wished that he had paused to contemplate her thoughts, feelings and her own points about his new acquisition. But he knew that the pause was really about his looking at how the tubes connected from the two cannisters on its back, to the mask on the front. He wished he was thinking about how he could say the right thing and come to quick conclusion following his brief two minutes of shopping unaccompanied. But he was wondering if the two tubes were an in-out system or just that they used two cannister to breathe from.

Josh chose to not share these pondering thoughts with Miranda. Instead he attempted to calm the situation in the hope of keeping it out in the house. ‘We don’t have to have it on display on the table like this’. As soon as he spoke he realised he chose poorly in his phrase.

‘Was that what was going through your mind? Keeping it on the kitchen table.’ This was not a new tone, this was not the first time Josh had bought something that they disagreed on. This was not the first time he wanted to display it for visitors to see. Josh also knew that in about 3 hours’ time Miranda’s parents were going to arrive and there were still many jobs on his list to complete. ‘Why do we need to have this conversation every time you go to the market in town.’

Calmly, but steadily and with no attempt to look back, Miranda left the room. Josh was standing there, staring and still wondering about the pipe work on the figurine. Was this a space suit? Was this something to go underwater with?

‘Well I guess it is just you and me for now. Got a good place to hide you away until she calms down’. Josh picked up his new piece to place looking at it wondering if it will end up in his room of stuff. It was a room most visitors didn’t get shown on the Grand Tour. But it was his.

It was probably the detail the artist used that drew Josh into buying it. The mask on the figure reminded him of the gas masks that he had seen in old World War One films. The cannisters on its back were something out of scuba diving but the outfit that seemed to cover the individual and a more material cloth type look to it, apart from the straps holding the cannisters on its back. It was posed as I standing but on the way to move with its legs not quite straight. The suspense of it intrigued Josh and thought it could be a good conversation piece in the hallway. So far it had made a brief encounter with Miranda and that ended quicker than he would have liked.

Eventually, Josh turned off the light to head up to bed. As he left the kitchen he placed the figurine back on the table wishing it a good night, while quietly mumbling about how it wasn’t that creepy as he walked up the stairs.

Half an hour before Miranda’s parents were to arrive Josh raced downstairs as a scream permeated through the walls. As he ran down he almost tripped over a pair of socks before he found Miranda in the lounge pointing at the figurine with the gas mask on the side cabinet. He was unsure what the problem was however through the screams it was clear that Miranda felt that the figurine was staring at her when she came in.

His reaction to this was not what Miranda wanted. He giggled at the thought of Miranda turning to new ways to worry about her parents coming to visit. This seemed to happen every time he thought. Are the windows clean? Has the bed, which they won’t even be using, got clean sheets? Has the lawn be mowed? Is there washing out to show the garden being used? Is the washing packed away to keep the side table tidy? Once Miranda joked about sticking tomatoes on the plants to make them looking better than they were. Despite her attempts to laugh it off Josh was never quite sure how far the joke would have gone.

However, Josh chose to make a cup of tea ignoring the outburst. As Miranda eventually followed she found Josh had poured two cups of tea and was making a clear attempt to try to move the conversation on to a more pleasing topic.

‘Do you think we should paint the Kitchen that green colour you found last week?’

‘This is not the time for painting, you know that. My parents are coming in an hour. Besides…’

‘I am not meaning we paint it now obviously. But next weekend I will be home when you are away. I could do it then.’

‘Josh, stop this. I want that thing go. It looks odd, even for your collection. Why can’t you just see that it creeps me out.’

‘Why is it, when your parents come round I clean the lounge. Then you clean it again. We put up your pictures and put out things that you want. But when I want to put out something of mine, we need to have a full discussion over it and agree a compromise?’

Miranda paused. Her parents were going to arrive in 63 minutes and she still needed to get the washing away, clean the bathroom and hope to sort out an outfit for their arrival. Josh just needed to make sure the dinner was ready to be reheated.

‘Why must we do this every time you randomly choose something. It is as if you are wanting me to fight with you when you do this. This is how it feels.’

‘That is a bit far, I just saw something that I liked and thought it would make a good addition to the querkiness of our house.’

‘…Why…must…our house…have a querkiness level at all? If this is the way you are still thinking then maybe we need to have a different discussion when my parents have left.’

Miranda left without touching her tea. Josh waited to see what would happen next but simply heard the vacuum cleaner start and clean the lounge, a room he had already gone through since they got back. The muttering that came through the sweeps of the machine around the room did not invite him in to continue the conversation.

It was then he realised that Miranda had brought into the kitchen the very figurine that started the conversation.

‘Well it is just you and me for a bit buddy’. Josh turned to make sure that the dinner was all prepped and ready to be heated for the evening. He was not going to let her parents see him fail in the kitchen again.

The time for Miranda’s parents to arrive came quickly and it with seconds past that time which brought the chime of the doorbell rang. They arrived at precisely 5.07pm as they had said they would. Miranda’s father always liked to give what to many would appear to be a random time. Why stick to multiples of 10? Josh always said it was this sort of pedantisms that made Miranda the way she was.

With no sign of the door being answer Miranda rushed downstairs as she didn’t want to leave her parents outside in the cold. She welcomed them in and directed them to the twice hoovered lounge with the pumped up cushions reserved only for guests. She called out for Josh to make the teas while she visually scanned the room for anything out of place. After a few minutes of discussing the new painting on the wall, the kettle could still not be heard so Miranda quietly made her way to make the tea and find the biscuits.

To her relief, the figurine was still nowhere to be seen, but there was a note on the table. Addressed to her.

Dear Miranda,

Thank you for letting me explore your home. I have learnt a lot about the ways of you all through my time here. After seeing how you all live and the options I have found around me, I have decided to procure Josh and take him home with me to add to my collection. I know he will fit in there with the other pieces I have found.

Thank you for helping me choose which of you I would take home with me. I was worried it would be a squeeze to take you both with me. I hope you find your house without the oddities better for you. It seemed that Josh’s additions upset you.

p.s. I hope I have left enough of your currency under this note to reimburse you for my purchase.

4th November – The first room

Andy stood there looking at the garden. This was the first garden he had ever had. Before he had only been able to play round his friends in their garden, or in the park, which was everyone’s garden.

Not today, today this was his. His garden to play, to rest, to imagine in.

All he could think of doing was to lie down. He knew there were boxes. Boxes in every room. His parents had decided to focus on one room at a time. They had made it clear that together, they would sort out each room, one at a time, and by the end of day one they would have the TV room for them all to sit and relax in together, and then his room so he could sleep properly on his first night. They wanted to make sure he felt that they were thinking of him with the move. Having his room ready, or at least a room for him to sleep in and feel comfy in, was important to helping him transition to the new house. They said.

When they reminded him of this in the morning, he did feel happy, he felt important and he was looking forward to it, but who really likes change?

Then he saw the garden.

To some, this may not have been much. A patch of grass. A space where a ball could be be kicked around, maybe some plants put in. His friends had bigger gardens and he enjoyed running around with his friends.

But this was his.

He simply laid down. Feeling the long grass between his fingers. The way that although it looked dry, managed to make his knees, then his hands, and now his back, all wet.

When he would eventually go inside he figured he would get told off, as young boys do when they come in muddy. He was now one of those boys who would be told off by their mother for making a mess in the kitchen after playing outside. He smiled.

Andy laid there listening, he closed his eye tight and listened. He had learnt about bugs in school that week, he was shown how to collect and watch them with different devices or contraptions and how to do it safely. Now he could do it from his own back garden and see what the bugs did each day in the grass, the rustling, the chirps.

He remembered he had a half eaten biscuit in his pocket, he remembered this because he could feel the ants slowly moving around him. He could hear the hustle and bustle as they moved to get to the biscuit that was now within their grasp. He giggled as they moved around his skin and made him squirm. He giggled more at the thought of being told off about being even more muddy than before. He was a young boy in the garden getting muddy and soon he would be told to ‘get out of those dirty clothes’ and ‘change into [his] pyjamas’. Probably to go have a wash first too.

Andy smiled again.

Around him he could hear the birds singing and along the fence he spotted a small black cat edging closer to a bird.

It jumped.

Missed the bird.

Missed the landing too.

It shook itself and looked at Andy who the day before had not been there.

Andy was not the bird. He was not its owner.

The cat was now in Andy’s garden. Andy got up and chased after the cat. It quickly ran away seeing who was in charge, or at least who was bigger, and scuttered up the fence back to its own garden, or at least in the direction of its own garden. The first battle had been won. Andy the victor, the mighty. Defender of birds. Protector of his realm. He might need to make a cape later.

Andy felt at home already. His bedroom would not be ready for hours. He would probably be told off and be having a wash within 30 minutes but he suddenly realised that his parents were standing behind him, watching him.

Watching their muddy son in the garden, chase a cat, be covered in what appeared to be an entire ants nest carrying away pieces of a biscuit from his trouser pocket, while covered in mud.

This was it. He was about to be told off like his friends do sometimes when playing in the garden.

His parents smiled and came to sit in the garden. They too got damp hands and knees. They too got their backs muddy from the wet grass and soil.

Their first room was ready and not a box had been opened for it. They enjoyed it together, the first of many days in their new garden.

3rd November – The cold ocean

I swam out from the beach when sun was still up. I thought about how the day had changed from the time when the sun came up. This morning I sat in bed, feeling warm and happy. Then the cold water shock came. Not straight away. I woke up. I made breakfast. I tidied the fire place that was on last night. The furnace had made my new home. I put it there before anything else. The home was mine. Then I invited someone to join me. It became ours.

Before long I started saying ours, not mine. I didn’t say I anymore, I said we. Small things in my day changed and I stopped doing what I wanted to do and did what we wanted to do, together. I shared what I had made. I was happy. I felt that warm feeling that so many had talked about. Those silly RomComs that were made back in the 90s, where they said ‘lived happily ever after’ at the end. I thought I found it.

Well, just like with Shrek, the sequel after the ending was never straight forward.

So it was this morning when I was making the fire for tonight that I found something. It was a receipt that hadn’t fully burnt away. From a restaurant I had never been to. For a meal I had never been a part of.

I am sure you can guess what happened next. I surprised myself though, I didn’t throw any plates. Even the ones I never liked. What made me sad though, was how within 25 minutes of me finding the receipt they were gone. Like an episodes of friends really, the one where Phoebe tells Rachel about Paolo and it was wrapped up by the end. Goodbye. Of course they move on and she eventually finds Ross, even though so many question that decision, it made her happy. She got off the plane.

But that was all made up right? Where can we separate the made up bit on the TV to the bit that is real?

Maybe I have it all wrong. Did I do something wrong? Did I say we too often? Did I not say it enough? Was I too happy when they were not?

I tried to go to work this morning, but judging by how quickly I was sent home I don’t think I was meant to be in the office today. I stopped to get some cake on the way home with a hot chocolate. It was 10am I didn’t know what else to do with my morning. One plus side of looking like shit I guess, is you get whipped cream and marshmallows for free on top.

How can I go back to an I? I have read about these people who fall apart and I always thought that they need to step up, or get out and do something. But all I found I have done is sit at the beach and somehow felt the chill holding me together. If I am cold I don’t have to think about what isn’t there. I don’t need to think about ‘For how long?’ or ‘What did I do wrong?’. I also don’t seem to think about ‘What a fucking idiot!’ and ‘Screw them!’. The cold brings clarity.

Sadly, all I want to do is be alone and sit but if I go back home then the empty space of them will be there, an vacant space on the sofa seems to be one too many. I also probably left that receipt on by my, our, fireplace. Making a new fire means feeling warm, building a new fire. It will only burn away eventually.

The good thing about this beach is the sunset, the islands ahead of if give a wonderful view, but this is also why so many other people come here to. Having people around you enjoying a sunset kinda stops being on your own from happening.

I have jumped in cold water before. The videos of people jumping off piers and landing on frozen water, or people falling in when they think it is frozen, always brings that awkward laugh when I have seen them. But today the cold seemed to hold me. To stop the feelings I don’t want to face come up.

I swim and float a little further to get away from the voices of the happy couples and groups on the beach. The only sound of waves passing around me as I float there fills me up and I can just listen to the never ending sound of waves. Yesterday they were there, I would probably bet all I own that tomorrow, they will be there too.

Constant.

Strangely reassuring to know that they won’t let you down. Sure, they are damaging to those who live on the coast. Homes can be lost and they can flood whole countries. So not all good. But they will always be there and I don’t think a wave has ever thought, today I will flood a house. They just move back and forth with the pull of the moon. Easy.

The cold is an odd feeling. At first it makes you shiver, but as the advice from RNLI say, don’t panic and make slow movements to float, your body does begin to warm. But this cold feels oddly comforting. It won’t falter. It won’t stop. It won’t lie!

It is what it is.

Those shouts are getting louder and it seems some idiots think with the sun going down is a good time to go out to the oceans on a boat. This should be a time for peacefulness. A time so I can think about how this morning I was happy and now. Well now all I want to do is ignore those feelings, those memories and lie here in the ocean. The waves sound clear and feel right. These waves sound the same as when I was young.

They have not left me or lied.

I close my eyes and I can feel the last rays of the sun come over the water, the tips of my fingers feel the days end. The last light of the day. Bilbo may have realised the last light of Durin’s Day was from the moon, but it’s the sun that has the warmth to it. I feel it drift away and think about how the warmth will not come back.

The boats sound closer and people are shouting. Every so often the boats stop. People shout. They seem to be playing some kind of battle from Takeshi’s Castle.

After the third time the boats stop I realise I’ve learnt my superpower. I can blend into the water. Where do I stop? Where does the water start? Maybe this will be my future, the spirit of the water. I shall be the constant to others that they weren’t to me.

I hold my breath and wonder what it must be like to be the ocean. As in the whole ocean.

Will I mind all the fish peeing in me? On me? Could both be right? That’s a question for Attenborough.

These boats are whizzing around again, they seem to be getting closer. The sound of the boats stopping again creates a new calm, their lights spread around the water’s surface near me but they will never replace the warmth the sun had. I can hear them called and somehow I can hear my name. Did the ocean tell them where I was? Did the fish feel nervous about what I would do to them if they didn’t use the dedicated areas of the ocean.

My name travels across the waves from different directions. It seems the boats are out and all calling for me. I just wanted to be alone. The sound travels above the sound of the waves, they sound panicked.

Panicked for me!

What am I doing here?

The cold will only offer cold. My fire place may have been used to hide some receipt but it will always warm me up. It won’t ask me to be the toilet to the fish and sewers.

In the distance one of the engines starts to roar again. The stars are out in force tonight but there are bright lights on the surface scrolling around. Looking for something.

Looking for me.

My legs have already started to blend with the oceans and I can’t seem to move. Who know you could turn into a superhero so quickly! Those waves that came like a constant now seem to be pulling me in. I don’t want to be the a fish toilet. I will miss my fireplace. My blanket. I even miss my whipped cream and marshmallows despite the calories!

I want my blanket back. Not the one I shared. My blanket.

I can’t move towards the lights but I can’t bring the boats to me yet either. A second engine seems to roar and move off. I hear a voice, ‘We can’t just give up!’.

This is my chance.

My arms can barely move. But I want to be warm again. I want to make a new fire.

“Hello! I’m over here!”.

2nd November – Tin foil

A thousand pieces.

There are literally a thousand pieces on the floor.

I have to leave in 30 minutes and there is nothing but the stupid eye pieces.

I walk out in the morning and I leave my outfit ready for tonight so all I need to do is dash home. Change. And I would ready.

My dog clearly had different ideas

My dog wanted to destroy.

My dog wanted to make a statement.

He wanted to set out a path of destruction that to any casual observer would appear to be a forward thinking act of retribution. An act planned out. After a clear failing, by me, to leave enough water out across his 3 bowls. As I should have known he would tip all 3 over. An act to wreak havoc on plans that did not include him.

For one evening.

Urgh. Get a puppy they said.

It would be good company they said.

No one said that they would find a way to jump up and destroy the one time you look at having a night to attempt to rebuild your life!

So what was to be a night with friends. Dressed up with a costume that took weeks to find, alter, and fit. Will now be made out of the contents of any drawer I can find things in that might go together.

Rolling pin?

Ha! Useless.

Scissors, well they are useful if I can find something to cut.

Urgh. Old Jeans? What and turn up as an 80s rocker again?

Here I am sat on the floor and I am using the old costume from last year?

So I now look to the bulk buying and my options are to reuse old clothes with the old costume idea.

Or.

To use the many boxes of foil and be a tin man or become a mummy.

Well if the yellow brick road is to end in me getting my heart, I guess I might as well go as the tin man.

Urgh!

1st November – The Piano

#JustWriteNovember – There is a picture a day to be inspiration for a piece of writing.

To the potential buyer of the house, please let me explain the piano.

I can probably predict what you are thinking but please, read this first before you probably throw it out. Dad didn’t intend to buy a piano that was infested with woodworm. He also didn’t intend to leave it out in the rain that came that night, which is why he left it outside when he attempted to sort out the treatment to get rid of the woodworm. It was only the next day he came to realise that that many of the keys may have been the original, but some were simply bits of painted cheap wood, also infected with woodworm. Mum pointed out how they were not even attached properly and that it was obvious they were not the same as the others.

It is strange. I know there were problems before that day. But for some reason, the piano is all I can remember about their arguments.

Every time mum and dad would argue, it would come back to the piano. Lost keys. Burnt dinner. Even the price of MOT for their car simply linked back due to the ‘wasted money’ dad had spent on the piano.

In the beginning dad would argue that he bought it for her, so naturally she should get rid of it. Mum would argue that as he bought it, it was up to him to remove it.

It stayed.

As Christmas came closer that year, and neither of my parents wanted to move it, I found it was down to me to do something to make it less embarrassing about having an infested, broken and abandoned piano in the garden. It was soon to be my turn for the monthly film night, having made my parents promise to be out that night I just needed to make the house tidy and, well, less embarrassing. I’m not sure where the mannequin came from, but it was my friend Jeff who appeared with it a few days before my film night. I know he had heard a lot about the piano and he had seen it when he came knocking for me for school, I am pretty sure that he would have had spent a week listening to me moaning so I guess he just went out and decided to turn the piano into a conversation piece.

We found an old chair in the garage and put ‘Kirk’ in his place. Why did we name him Kirk? I am not too sure, but Jeff had got really into star trek at this time so this was probably his way of trying to get me to follow the Enterprise and its journey through space. With mum and dad not taking any notice of it anymore they simply didn’t say anything with the addition of Kirk, a Santa hat and other attempts to dress him being placed there. Friday came and, with a few comments about Kirk and his piano, we had some funny pictures taken of us before we settled in the warmth for our monthly film sess.

I think it was the fox that took his left leg the following spring. I know it was the lawn mower that destroyed his right leg a year later. Mum had got tired of the lawn not being cut so went at it when she got back after seeing some of her friends one night. I will always remember the sound of the lawn mower crunching through his leg and my mum, although angry, saying sorry to Kirk for destroying it.

I know you are probably thinking why would you want to keep this piano in your new garden for a house you have just bought. But, over the years you will find a few birds nest there as Kirk seems to keep the local cat away so they can safely leave their eggs and young there. You would also be surprised how much of a conversation piece it can be, plus Kirk is very comfortable being dressed and themed for the different events of the year.

But then again, I have found it to also cause many arguments.

What you see before you now, is 2 years since my dad tried to buy my mum a piano. As you can probably tell, the present didn’t work to help them get along. But tt did help me talk to Jeff more, I think it made him realise what was happening at my home, which will now be your home, a bit more. Jeff, like Kirk, has stuck around for me while everything else has fallen apart. Although Kirk has slowly fallen apart too I know.

I know it looks odd to have this thing in the garden. But for the past two Christmas’ we have decorated it and made his own choir out of snow to keep him company. We often use him at Halloween and set him up on dates at valentine day. Sadly my mum won’t let me take Kirk with us to our new home and dad doesn’t have a garden with his new place so that isn’t an option either. Jeff’s parents, as understanding as they seem to be, won’t let him keep Kirk for me.

So I may not get to return to this town again, you could also just say that the fox came back and finished off the job if I did. But I would like to hope that Kirk and his piano have a few more Christmas’ left in him should he be allowed to stay. For the past few years he has been my friend as the world around me has, I guess like the piano, not stayed like it did before.

Woodworm.

Rain.

A fox.

They have all played their part.

Whatever you chose, I hope you enjoy your new home.