Maharg67's Den (shorter works, short stories, poetry, etc.)

[Maharg67]

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The Cat #2

 

She, the cat, saves the puppy by bringing it a dead mouse. The puppy is old enough to eat such and devours it with gusto, after some hesitation. So starts an odd but strong friendship between the puppy and the young cat. Companionship and survival, both are important. The puppy likes to play but soon learns to hide and become quiet, soon learns to help the cat catch mice and other small critters to eat. They drink water where they find it. The rains come more increasingly these days but they are lighter than they used to be. The climate is changing. It is becoming cooler, though not too much so.

They cat and the kitten sleep cuddled up together or not far apart when the feline wishes to be more independent for a moment. A window has smashed in and they have moved into a part of the long abandoned house that the cat has not had access to since the last of the humans, in the town, died or departed. The cat, with a little difficulty, brought in the doll from where she had slept. Now she shares it, most of the time, with the puppy while they sleep. They wander through a lounge room, play amongst the furniture, find more mice to hunt. They both explore open cupboards from which items were taken in great haste, leaving many items heaped against the wall that were not taken.

The cat gets to use her old scratching post again and likes this very much. The puppy gets to play with some cat toys that were bought for her, as a kitten, but which she never did really appreciate. Sometimes, with fake reluctance, she even takes part in playing with the toys along with the puppy. Such false aloofness is necessary for a cat to keep her dignity.

There are no more humans moving along the decaying highway in the distance, in large numbers, but sometimes a smaller group of odd humans do so in big machines or fast machines. They are soldiers, though the cat does not know it. Once some soldiers come into town in a machine and they clomp around in armoured suits, peering at the world through armoured visors. They carry big guns or, sometimes, strange boxy things with metal rods sticking out of them. They search for things and they take some things with them but not anything that the cat would even begin to want for herself or for the puppy.

The feline and canine hide from the stomping soldiers who smell odd in their strange metallic wrappings.

Edited July 7, 2016 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Where is it?

Is it here?

Why is it here?

Why is it no over there?

Perhaps Superman would know?

Or Supergirl?

Or My Little Pony?

I am a fool!

Or am I?

All such claims are subjective and subject to clauses in fine print!

 

Oh no! I am being influenced by Pagafyr in my writing! A good thing, yes!

 

Actually, actually, actually, to quote a cliché, I was writing zany things a long time ago. In my mother's womb I wrote an Ode to King Pig Patrick of the Isles of Pork Rind and Rhythm.

 

It's the mood that I'm in, deep in, with the rope ladder pulled up so that I am stuck in it until the fire brigade can come and save me.

 

Enough, says the almost sane part of my mind, have pity on the world and stop ranting-raving now!

So I will!

Edited July 13, 2016 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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[Maharg67]

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Zombies from the Sky: Seventy-Two

New Episode

Three 7.1[7]{76}

 

Quinn, Katrina and Salina had at last undertaken the difficult journey of going up the river down which the jittery corpses had come. Now they stood in an impossible seeming place for around them stretched a vast cavern, surely too big to fit inside Freedom Island in any true rational scientific manner. Others had come with the damphir triplets being tough reavers, tigerchimps, and animans. All were just as astonished as the damphir triplets were.

 

Yet it was the great chunk of exotic alien spaceship, jutting upwards at a shallow angle from ground that it was buried in at the seeming center of the vast chamber, that drew most of their attention. Things moved over it, looking like ants because of the great distance. Competing features, like the great domed city and the exotically gracefully domed castle, were less amazing in comparison to the spaceship part that easily dwarfed them.

 

The oddest factor was that none of them seemed to know just how they got to be in that place. Their last memories were of clambering up a very wet, clammy, stone tunnel full of sticky glowing moss and big black beetles. Then they were becoming aware of being there as if they had been sleep walking, or sleep climbing...

 

The tall, thin, naked woman suddenly stood there almost as if she had always been there. She looked pallid, hungry, with small sores dotting her pale white flesh. She was hairless all over. With a sleepy expression of indifference she looked upon them and spoke in a sleepy hollow voice. "Does one wonder where the biting hungry wind come from that decimates large populations of great world civilisations. See there, in the domecity huddle the fearful scientific sorcerous fools who desire to undo what can not be undone. In the domecastle are the Knights of Hope Victorious who research develop weapons to defeat the great enemy with. Aaahhh, they are but fools, all of them are but fools. Once I went against the great enemy, myself and other like me, but we lost and we were mostly undone for our foolish courage. The survivors hide, and scheme uselessly, in the domecity, the castle, the catacombs labyrinth and other such unimportant places. I must go for the great enemy wishes to humiliate me once more..."

 

Then she was gone, almost as if she had never been there.

 

Katrina sighed. "That was not cheery; I hope we do not meet her again."

 

Then Dorothy and Toto were there, almost as if they had always been there. Both looked a little tired and a bit battered. Dorothy ran a hand through her hair, which had lost its hair ribbons. "Please do not be too hard on her. Once she was a mighty living demigoddess until the great enemy played upon her pride and drew her, and others, into a terrible trap. Now she is the great enemy's plaything but again it is her pride that keeps her trapped. I have failed so far to meet her so as to try and help her. Instead we were attacked by a force of her former comrades of living gods, and other entities; they have become twisted, in the captivity of the great enemy, and now gladly serve him but all of them had dark streaks in them. You were brought here, where you probably should not be, but by neither myself or the great enemy. No, it seems that unknown entities of great power are now playing a part in this terrible struggle, perhaps they always have been."

 

"At the heart of the mystery of the Isles of Mist is the answer to many questions such as why the comet-projectiles are coming from the sky, from the vast crumbling alien spaceship, and why it has come here. See there the great section of starship! That is a quasiliving entity created by those who foolish took the starship where it never should, or could rightfully, have gone. I am sending you home so that you can report what you have seen here."

 

But then she frowned. "There is 'something' stopping me from doing so. I am giving each of you triplets three gifts and one gift to each of the others in your group. The kind of gift you all have is a thin, slim, headband of multiple survival enhancement minor powers. The two kinds that only you three will gain are a pair of moderate powers bracelets and a more powerful kind of headband that you must use only if very necessary and then with great care. The great enemy has a troubling presence here, as do other potent entities, and they can too easily track the use of such powerful artefacts. I will return to you as soon as I can. I suggest strongly that you go first of all to the domecity."

 

Then Dorothy and Toto were gone almost as if they had never been there.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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Zombies from the Sky: Seventy-Two

New Episode

Four 3.1 [3]{77}

Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Watson, and the others went from one type of strangeness to another. They moved carefully through cave tunnels, and chambers, often lit by pale glowing mosses swarming with big, black, insects. In large pools of cold water swam strange armoured fish with large pale eyes. At times they found skeletal remains of animals, or people, of widely varied kinds. Some were clearly humans from the surface, being of different historical periods, and these were oddly well preserved. The earliest ones must have come down to that area thousands of years ago for they were of Stone Age technologies. The most recent appeared to have come down there perhaps a decade or so ago. Except there were odd inconsistencies such as skeletal remains with ornate bolt-action rifles adorned with elaborate symbols and other clues that the explorers were not from known history. Had they come from alternate existences or perhaps earlier historical cycles? The expeditionary party collected just a few examples, mostly smaller ones, after carefully placing them in 'sample bags'. The rifle was an exception as it was too large.

They stepped into bewilderment as they entered the very edges of a vast cavern lit-warmed by glowcrystal growing like elegantly beautiful tentacles over the ceiling extremely high above. In the far distance was the section of great alien ship being surrounded by a crazy jumble of different kinds of structures including some fairly modern world kinds. Otherwise there were stunted pale green forests, areas of scrubby bushes, pale grassy clearings and many animals. There were people also, including humans, and most were naked or 'practically naked' with clothes that did not cover 'certain areas'. They were all oddly beautiful, youthful, including the humans. Yet there was something disturbing about them, though not threateningly so, that had the group feel reluctant to go any closer.

Crocodile Dundee, a tough crocodile wrestling Auzilander, spoke from where he stood with his huge survival knife in one hand. He liked to take it out at moments like that because doing so seemed to reassure him. "Look at them nakedly bathing, copulating, going to the toilet right out in front of others. They don't have any inhibitions."

Doctor Watson sighed. "Please put your very big knife away, Dundee; the natives might get the wrong idea if they see you playing with it. There is something going on here that is more subtle than just a 'lack of inhibitions'. Body-language speaks of a very different kind of awareness of, approach to, life. Look, see those two men fighting to the death and others watch them intently but do not intervene: somehow these people are 'removed' from a natural way of living. That spaceship section is green, the same colour showing up in the comet-projectiles crashing from space."

Sherlock Holmes shook his head ruefully. "We set up camp just over there where a large stream comes out of the great cavern wall. There is a small clearing there hidden from the locals by growths of thick bush. Did anybody, apart from Doctor Watson, notice the lack of children and very young adults?"

Crocodile Dundee nodded as he reluctantly slipped his knife away. "Of course! Ankle biters, and wallet pullers, can be painful but one has to love the little blighters; they are always the future. Got the feeling the locals are extremely old no matter that all look young. Aaahhh, one man dies and then, a short time later, he gets up fully healed. Hate to have to take on these folks in a fight."

Sherlock Holmes nodded, more to himself than to the others there. "A kind of unnatural energy field projects out from the section of alien spacecraft and that, I induce, is what keeps the people alive but I suspect it is a terrible unnatural trap. We are just beyond the edges of that field so we stay outside of it until, if or when, we go in."

They moved quietly to set up the camp and start surveillance of the great glowcavern, its inhabitants and its other features including the great chunk of alien spaceship.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

If I was a frog I would be very hoppy!

 

If I was a toad I would be a toadie!

If I was kangeroo an amazing boxer I would be.

I was an eagle I would soar high like myself.

If I was a dolphin I would do tricks for fish.

If I was an elephant I would hope not to sneeze.

If I was a cheetah I would make human sprinters look slow!

If I was a snail I would make crawling human babies look fast!

If I was...

[Maharg67]

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I am spending a lot of energy doing my novel so I am finding it harder to post here and in my stand alone story topic; I will continue to do my best to keep posting on a fairly regular basis.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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Zombies from the Sky: Seventy-Three

New Episode

Three 7.1[7]{75}

The newly arisen sanctuary was, mostly, very natural looking being different zones of geography with some features of more artificial kinds. While there were a few people living there already, none were hostile though some were of defensive aggressive status. Many lifeforms were familiar or almost so. There were humans and variations of humans. There were animans, some being animans related to local type animals. Most animals were of familiar kinds. The climate, and weather, was generally comfortable and safe.

The Envoy, an Oracle clone, rode a horse at the front of the first convoy of refugees mostly consisting of horse drawn vehicles, of people riding horses, with some steam and electric vehicles. When the refugees had first entered the area they were met by the vehicles, some of which had in them equipment-supplies. That was about eight hours ago and, except for three rest stops including meals, they had been travelling well.

Like a tougher appearing version of the Oracle, the Envoy wore the same kind of robes and had only a staff like that used by the Oracle. She smiled warmly at one and all, the smile carrying to her eyes.

On the other hand, another Oracle clone, the Envoy Bodyguard wore body-armour over fatigues. She carried a power-longsword sheathed at her back and two, very big, exotic revolver-pistols that differed in some details from each other. The Envoy Bodyguard did not smile but neither did she scowl. Instead she had a way of neutrality about her and yet also of hidden threat against anybody, anything, that would threaten the Envoy.

Now simply called the HighPriestess, by most, the Oracle's sister had blessed the convoy before it had departed. Tensions between the two of them had eased, were not shown in public and private were more subtle. The HighPriestess quietly supported the Oracle's new use of clones but was open about her caution that the Oracle not use too many of them.

That area, of that zone, was beautiful forestland that a Zonegate had let them come into after they followed an exotic energy tunnel, of a Zonegateway, from another Zonegate that had arisen in Freedom Island.

From the Oracle, to the Envoy, came a mindlink message informing her that a big battle was raging both at sea and on the closest shoreline of Freedom Island. Ships, and airships, were involved in fighting against mists and even some horror fog. The mist propelled strange boats, as before, full of the living-dead and the fog brought with it things of worse nature. In the semidarkness, of the Isles of Mist as dusk came, rotting-regenerating tentacles sometimes came out of the fog to try to strike at airships or ships. Cannons, rockets, howitzers, and other weapons were striking fiercely at the antinatural threat.

The opening of the 'new' sanctuary had not come too soon!

[Maharg67]

In the centre of the cyclone-hurricane there is the eye of calmness.

 

In us there can be the same center of calm even during a storm of emotions.

What ever the kind of disaster, pressure, deal positively with the mind and the rest will follow!

:mellow: :yes: :smile: :thumbsup: :psyduck:

[Maharg67]

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Zombies from the Sky: Seventy-Four

New Episode

Three .1[7]{76}

An airship rose higher above the one great glimmerfog from which sprang, briefly, a glistening tentacle. It shot upwards, whip fashion, only to be burned by sunlight and to withdraw with a great hurry. The airship dropped some more bombs that fell into the glimmerfog to explode with short, sharp, flashes of energy. They did not seem to be having much effect. Cannon shells, rockets, howitzer shells, struck the glimmrmists and the glimmerfog. Undead things perished in the glimmermist as the bombardments continued from airships, ships, and from the shoreline of Freedom Island. Yet it was hardly a great barrage of firepower considering the lack of modern weaponry that the defenders had.

Then came great pulses of magical elemental energies of solar brightness and heat. They struck the glimmerfog and it visibly disintegrated at those spots. The whole glimmerfog shuddered strangely. Then it was vanishing away, in a bizarre fashion, as if being sucked inwards through some kind of transdimensional hole. Then it was gone.

Abandoned, the glimmermists and lesser undead were weakened. Now the defenders focused upon them, raining death and destruction upon them with greater effect. Again the magical attack took place as the Oracle, HighPriestess, and others coordinated their powers in a magical circle. Yet the magical attacks were weaker for much energy had been used in the first one.

The Great Enemy was defeated, in the local action, but would be sending more attacks.

Yet a valuable reprieve had been gained for the building up of defences and for others to go to the special sanctuary. More resources were needed, including more fighters, artisans and others with special skills and other kinds of abilities. More solutions, to current problems, were also needed.

Edited August 25, 2016 by Maharg67