Yesterday I published a post with part of a story I made up with to go along with the art I had created. I wanted to finish that story today, making it a little scary (just a little) in celebration of Halloween tomorrow.
Also, Enjoy my art pieces placed throughout the story. They have nothing to do with the story, but add a touch of visual enjoyment I thought it needed.
The Story Began Like This ..
This is the story excerpt from yesterday's post (10/29/2020). If you read this part already, please skip a few paragraphs bellow.
As the rain gently falls today, my mind whisks me away to southern England. I find myself walking along an old dirt road, rutted and well worn from decades of use. Ahead of me I see a small, English town, laden by quiet, uneven, cobbled roads. It had rained just a few short hours ago, and the stones that line the streets are damp and slippery with moss. I carefully plant each foot, careful not to slip and tumble.
During my journey, I meet seasoned, native folk with little cares other than whats for dinner. They notice me but pleasantly avoid any sort of conversation. I exchange pleasantries and occasionally hear whispers of curiosity, before giving up on understanding the baffled murmurs tickling my ears. After a few moments more of strolling along and minding my own business, I hear a flutter of bird feathers as a group of Sparrows pass me by, taking refuge in a nearby Maple tree. Twenty to fifty of them grab my attention. I found it extremely hard to not to be drawn from their chatter and banter within the branches and foliage. It wasn't a minute later that I notice An Old English House, peaking out from underneath the lowest branches of the noisy tree, that was currently entertaining all of my senses.
Did I say Old? Maybe not quite as old as some of the other homes, that it was nestled among, but old enough. I noticed the brick had been stained with the evidence of repeated rains. Repairs to the red, chalky, man-made stones, stood out like a sore thumb. The roof was covered in mossy, orange, clay tiles, all pitched toward the center, as if Father Time was pressing his firm hand down on top of them. The wavy glass windows, with trim painted bright white, were perfectly placed so that whomever lived here could see the outside world, from every room. The stately, ivory black door, was pushed off to the right. A single rectangular slab of pale grey granite, lay at her feet. The center of the stone was worn and had collected a small puddle of water, laid there by last nights rain.
The bushes and shrubs that flanked the tired home, unnoticeably belonged there, and I did not. The breeze had carried in the smell of fresh waffles and muffins. My mind was quickly redirected to the thoughts of other things. My feet eventually began to move again and my stomach was leading me away from this place; An Old English House I had captured in memory.
It was better off this way, for I was growing very hungry and had better be leaving here, moving along toward the reasons I had started walking toward this town in the first place. The breeze picked up once more, as I again began to stroll along the cobbled stones, flushing the Sparrows from the shaky limbs of the Maple tree. They swooshed past once more, fluttering off to the East, over the steeply pitched roof of one particular Old English House. And just like that, they were gone.
'An Old English House' - Halloween Edition - Continued ..
After walking a few more blocks ..
I began to realize that my hunger was growing along with the familiar smell of breakfast food wafting though the breeze. The odor seemed to be hanging in the air, tickling my nose hairs and guiding my head this way and that. I followed those smells which led me around a few corners, past a creepy dead oak tree, and toward a sound I remember hearing earlier, when I had just arrived into town. Birds. Lot of them. My friends the Sparrows had found what they were looking for. They were carelessly pecking at what appeared to be muffin crumbs, spread in piles thrown along the ground.
I was beginning to fall into a sort of trance, while staring at the little birds working the ground with such precision and aggression. It felt like several hours had passed, before I was suddenly startled out of my trance. There was a loud screeching noise followed by a attention grabbing bang. The Sparrows flew off in every direction, eventually coming to rest on the peak of a nearby roof.
I saw an old wooden door, just a short distance from those crumbs. It bounced back with a creak from it's sturdy frame, after slamming and making that dreadful noise. The door was a dingy shade of red and contained a single, square hole placed directly in the middle. The sign at the top of the door read "FOOD ENTER HERE", but the "D" was slightly damaged, or so I thought, so it appeared to say "FOOL ENTER HERE".
I couldn't help myself ..
I was both hungry and curious, as if under a spell or enchantment of sorts. The door was still moving ever so slightly back and forth with every puff of wind that blew past it. I could hear the sounds of someone mumbling and the crackle of bacon in the skillet. The smell of breakfast flooded my senses and melted away any worries I may have had. My hand gripped the edge of the door, pulled it open, and just like that I was inside.
Perhaps I should have stuck to what my gut was telling me roughly an hour ago, but no, I insisted on listening to my stomach. Sure, it wasn't all that bad. I was full from the rather large breakfast I had just consumed, eating eggs faster than the chicken could lay them. And the bacon.. Oh the Glorious Bacon!.. Shoved into my mouth by the fork full. Muffins upon muffins, arrived to the table as fast as I made them disappear. Heaping piles of hash browned potatoes, lay scattered in front of me.
After I came to the realization that my eyes were much larger than my belly, I began stuffing my pockets full of the morning goods. I seems that I couldn't help myself. Almost as if a power greater than myself was controlling my hands and their actions, against my will. Like a well trained thief, I slid muffins, one after one, into my pockets in a very sly way. I made sure not to bring any sort of attention to my carefully articulated movements.
The haggish old lady ..
Who was waiting on me hand and foot, and rather over attentive to my every grin or belly aching whimper, was quite spry given the condition of her decrepit body. Her greasy strings of hair, peppered with grays, whites, and what appeared to be blue, lay delicately across her over exaggerated hunched back. She would drop the food down onto the table, as if I were a young, unruly child that had been nagging her for it. Occasionally a piece would fall off of the plate or out of the bowl, so she would hastily, and with precision, snatch it up with her twisted yellow nails, then with just as much care, she would shove it into my mouth.
She was shuffling along, favoring her one leg. I thought this was rather strange, but quickly lost interest in it as I was more worried that she would catch me stealing the extra muffins. I pretended not to see her, as she turned with a slight twist, gazing in my direction, as if she knew I was filling my pockets with extra goods. She winked at the odd dark bearded fellow in the corner and continued on her way.
The leg was dragging along seasoned floor boards, encrusted with sand and cooking grease, causing little splinters of wood to become dislodged. She must have always taken the same path, time after time, because the pieces of wood had collected at either side of where the floor was pitched the most. Her path to and from the broken kitchen doors, had become well defined over time. She only paused once more, for a moment or two, before pushing her way back through the crooked swinging doors, into the kitchen and out of sight.
While the old lady was busy in the kitchen ..
I thought I had better pay for what I ate and disappear. I loosened my belt with one hand, while juggling two silver shillings between the fingers of the other. A wave of excitement and greed took over my mind and body. I hadn't felt like this since I was a child. I remember going door to door for candy on Halloween night, taking all I could get my hands on. Bowls filled with goodies, left out on front porches for the masses of other children, who were lucky to claim a single piece after I had been there. I would fill my stomach, my bag, and then my pockets with assorted sweet treats. My young untamed willpower, no match for the ghoulish enchantment that had wrapped its ugly arms around me. For the night, I was at its mercy.
The mind out of body experience felt so real, as I slid the coins back into the tiny vest pocket from which they came. I would make a run for it, leaving this weird place behind, and with it all that didn't feel right. I bolted towards the door but was quickly knocked to the floor by the burly dark bearded man, that I had last seen sitting in the corner. He had his knees on my chest and his frosty cold hands around my neck. He didn't make a sound. The only sounds I could hear, as I was fading in and out of consciousness, where the wheezing coming from my windpipe and the dragging of a leg across the sandy wooden floor.
The hunch backed old hag had shuffled her way over to where we were and into my view. She stood over me, close enough I could smell the awful mustiness that surrounded her like a thick autumn fog. In her hand she held a large, black, cast iron skillet, still dripping with hot bacon grease. The drops of oil dripped onto my skin, burning me with a mean ferocity. The hag laughed and then muttered in a foul evil tone, "Where do you think you going .. Gluten? I couldn't speak. My air pipe was crushing under the pressure of a slowly tightening grip.
"What's the magic words my little gluten? Tell us what they are you thief, or I will smash your head and your little muffin hole with my rusty skillet". I couldn't even utter a single letter, let alone a word or sentence. What are these magic words? What do they want me to say? "Awww.. Cat got your tongue, gluten? Things began to turn black. My senses were weakening and a feeling of euphoria was trickling into my brain. The end was surely coming.
In a fleeting moment of awareness ..
I had experienced a flashback to my childhood. I was lying in the street, my brother kneeling on top of me with his hands around my neck. The ground was cold. He was yelling at me. He was yelling, "What's are the magic words gluten? The magic words!!" In my only hope to escape injury and further embarrassment, I blurted out the only words I could think of. The only words that came to mind this very night.. " Trick or Treat .. TRICK or TREAT!!!" He let me go, took all my candy and ran off for home. I was left there lying in front of An Old English House, which had been my last candy stop for the night before being tackled to the ground.
I awoke and found myself ..
My adult self, laying on the damp, leaf ridden ground. I sat up and looked around, but saw no one. I rubbed my neck and head to ensure everything was in place and nothing was bleeding. I remained sitting there for a few moments, pulling together my thoughts and wondering what had happened. The cobblestones glistened and the breeze blew in smells of bacon and muffins. I was startled by the swiftly approaching sound of Sparrows; wings fluttering and voices chirping.
I felt very hungry. I must have all been a dream. Did I pass out from the lack of food in my system, while looking up at the birds flying this way and that? I don't know how I ended up passed out on the ground, but didn't care as much knowing my head was still intact. I was relieved to know that the cold handed man, the musty old hag, and the belly ache were all gone and only existed as a figment of my imagination. I thought it was best that I leave this town; Walk myself right out of here.
The Sparrows that were making noise ..
In a close by Maple tree, flew to the ground just off to my right. They immediately began searching for tiny crumbs of food, seeds or ants hiding in the low lying afternoon shadows. The breeze was getting colder now that the sun was moving closer to the horizon. I touched my face then tucked my chilled hands into my jacket pockets. I felt something strange in them. Something soft and crumbly. I pulled out my hands to see what it was I was feeling.
My heart sank and chills ran up and down my spine. Muffins! My pockets were filled with them!!
With an overwhelming horror, I tossed them to the ground, where the Sparrows were foraging. The birds scattered and I ran off in the opposite direction, leaving this bewildering town and my fascination with An Old English House, behind me for good.
I Wanted To Write This Piece ..
For two reasons. First, @bashadow unknowingly talked me into writing a Halloween piece, for the new seasonal @hivebuzz badge. He also suggested I add to the story I started within yesterday's post about a new work of art I completed. Secondly, I felt like writing. I'm not the best at it, probably rush it out to post, but enjoy the adventure anyhow.
If your interested in writing a scary Halloween story for your very own special badge.. better hurry! Deadline is tomorrow, Halloween!! See the official rules and outline here Trick or Treat - Share your scariest story and get your Halloween badge - by @hivebuzz
Happy Halloween Everyone!
Stay safe this Spooky weekend and don't eat too much candy (or Muffins). haha.
BOO!!!
Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!
“I think if human beings had genuine courage, they'd wear their costumes every day of the year, not just on Halloween. Wouldn't life be more interesting that way? And now that I think about it, why the heck don't they? Who made the rule that everybody has to dress like sheep 364 days of the year? Think of all the people you'd meet if they were in costume every day. People would be so much easier to talk to - like talking to dogs. ”
― Douglas Coupland, The Gum Thief
All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.
About Me ~ The Artist
My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.
Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.
For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.
If Your Interested In Purchasing Any Of My Work:
They can be found for sale on
Saatchi Art
Or
Etsy
If you don't see the piece in either shop, It may still be drying. Let me know and I can upload it as soon as possible to be available. Or you can always make me an offer (in HBD, Hive or any other crypto) in the comments section of this post. If we agree on a price, I will then ship the painting to you. (shipping costs will be determined by your location).
I Proudly Support:
Curation by @qurator, @ocd, @steemitbloggers, @curangle, @steemflagrewards, @innerblocks, @appreciator and @theluvbug, - Kudos to them and many others for supporting great content and making the blockchain a happier and healthier place to spend time :-D
That was a fine addition to the story, I really enjoyed it, the tree lined road, the other trees sprinkled throughout, the houses, the grumbly man, a great story post.
Thanks! Rather long, but not bad (I guess) for someone who doesn't write a lot of stories. 😊
Congratulations @bdmillergallery! You received a personal badge!
Congratulations. Your post has met all the conditions of the Halloween challenge. This scary badge is for you. Trick or Treat?
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
Do not miss the last post from @hivebuzz:
Thank you @hivebuzz!!
Happy Halloween @bdmillergallery 🎃🎃🎃
Very nice! I feel like I might have missed the first part of this, but honestly the last couple of days have been a blur, so I am just trying to get all caught up.
Don't even worry about it. It can be so tough to keep on top of everything. I usually go in waves.. I visit those in my lists (which hadn't worked since the HF, but does today looks like) and play catch up. Thanks for swinging by and reading it.. Hopefully you skimmed it.. it was too much boredom to absorb in one sitting.. lol.
Nah, it was great. Yeah, I have missed my favorite list not working. It makes it hard to sift through all of the stuff that is really important to me.
one thing at a time i suppose. 😕