I will be out of touch for a little while I have had quite a lot of things going on. For those who don't know me I started a project about a year ago ( Used Medical Aids Foundation ) I just got several truck loads of wheelchairs walkers scooters from a county hospital and have 2 truck loads from another hospital to get. I go threw the items and fix them up as close to new as I can then I post them in other groups that I belong to. There is no money involved no donation required only the need. I have several letters from people in my area that need something so I am trying to get as many ready as i can. I am getting help from the Boy Scouts in my area because I'm still not up to par yet but I can turn a wrench. so if I don't respond to the wonderful stories, poems, jokes, or pictures its because this santa is really busy right now.

Dennis

The Present

By Dee 

Christmas is a wonderful time of year walking along the store fronts lingering at the bakery shop with the fresh smell of goodies. Watching people go in and out of shops, with arm loads of packages. Hearing a bell ring at in front of a toy shop is reminding us, that there are others that need help.

 As you drive home you stop at a park where the kids are going as fast as they can down the hill on their sleds. There are no barriers between kids, no black, white, red, or yellow they just want to have fun. A little girl falls down and a woman picks her up and brushes the snow off and then gives her a hug.

Then Rose wakes up and realized it was a dream, remembers this last summer her husband and three kids, 2 girls and 1 boy won’t be sharing Christmas together anymore. Coming down out of the canyon her husband lost control of the car and went over the side. All Rose has now are pictures of times past that they shared together.

Rose goes out to get her mail the wind is bitterly cold and it looks like snow will soon come. As she gets to her front door a neighbor waves to her and says Marry Christmas. She waves back but says nothing. Looking at the mail that came that day reminds her of her lost family once again. She looks up into the mirror of the bathroom and sees a tear running down her cheek.

Why am I doing this still, it’s been 5 months and I need to get on with my life she says to herself. But a small voice says to her, “Mommy I love you”.

Her heart is aching and she can here herself saying I love you to. Then the tears start to flow and the tissue box is empty, so she uses the paper on the roll to dry her eyes.

Just then the phone rings and the man on the phone say’s “I am trying to raise money for those children that won’t have a Christmas”. Rose cuts him off by hanging up the phone.

As she goes to the bedroom and lies down on the bed to cry her eyes out like she has done so many in the last 5 months. She is saying to herself I’m not strong, I can’t take it anymore I don’t want to live. Again she hears another voice say “watch what I can do mommy”.

By the December 23^rd Rose is loosing her will to live and is trying to think of the best way to end the pain and suffering. But nighttime has come and she takes a pill to help her sleep.

In the morning she goes to the drugstore to pick up her medicine for depression and for sleeping. As she drives home she sees some girls in front of a store selling cookies. Again she hears a voice that says “Mmmmmm mommy they taste so good can I have another one”.

At home she says to her self NO! NO MORE! And then she sees the medicine that she just bought and says that’s how I will do it. When I go to bed tonight I will take all my meds and never wake up.

That night was the 24^th of December the worse night of the year to her remembering how the kids would try and sneak in to the living room to see what Santa had brought. Her eyes are red and her mind is filled with the missing images of Christmas in her home. She sits down to watch some TV but is started feeling sleepy so she lay down on the couch and closed her eyes.

The headline in the morning announces, “ANOTHER TRAGATY HAS HIT A HOME IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS”.

Rose could hear something then she heard it again but she had a hard time understanding what it was she heard. It came again but this time she heard mommy?

Rose opened her eyes and there in front of her was a little girl and beside her was another little girl with a little boy beside her. And standing behind them was a man holding out his hand. As she touches it, all of her thoughts comes to her. It’s her family she hugs them and kisses them. And starts to cry and says, how can this be. It’s another dream you are not real I have to wake up.

Her one little girl says, no mommy it’s not a dream we are here with you.

Headlines on the local news, “ANOTHER TRAGATY HAS HIT A HOME IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS”. A local woman dies in her sleep it seems that she had a faulty water heater and the pilot light went out but the gas didn’t stop.

Rose looked at her husband and said you mean I didn’t take all those pills like I was planning?

Her husband said no I was watching over you this whole time and it hurt me so to see you in such pain. I went to plead to help you and was told that I didn’t need to you where coming tonight to be with us forever.

Just then she heard singing it was the most beautiful song she had ever heard. And then there was a bright light, brighter than any she had ever seen before.

CHRISTMAS

Now that Thanksgiving and Black Friday are over with and you have plenty of leftovers what else could you need.

Christmas is just a few weeks away and if you where smart you would have all your Christmas shopping all done.

My self I have a hard time sleeping because so many people have fallen on hard times. There is a family down the street that is just at the end of their rope and its 300 feet to the bottom.

Every year my wife and I look for just a family. To no fault of their own he has lost his job the first of the month and his wife is expecting their 4^th child. He is working part time just to put food on the table. His wife does a lot of craft things and has helped in cub scouts and as a room mother for her oldest child who is in 2^nd grade. But this year she has not been able to do much because the doctor told her that she should have waited another year to have another child. She has to be on bed rest till the middle of Feb.

My wife and I choose to do sub for Santa to a family just like this and we have gotten a few things for the family. I received a e-mail from someone that I helped this summer with a wheelchair. In the e-mail it said we know that you will not take money for your foundation. And we also know that your wife has been working to pay bills and help taking care of her mother. Tomorrow a truck will come to with presents for a family that you feel needs some help with Christmas. Along with an envelope with a check for $1,000.00 the payee will be blank. Plus there will be a special card that will have $200.00 on it for gas.

I couldn’t believe it I know this family could use it and more but the biggest thing was that there was a job for either the father or mother working as a janitor at a place that is really good to the employs.

They had also heard that I had been in an accident and wasn’t able to do my part this year.

I have to tell you that I have put on a Santa suit almost 30 years and I have helped deliver sub for Santa to families from other people. But this year I feel that for one night I really am Santa and its like magic far stronger than even superman. They have three little girls and they are the cutest always with a smile. And I know that when the time comes there will be the wonderment in their eyes anticipating what’s in the boxes. I just wish I could be there when they open their presents but I’m afraid that I may have some plumbing problems that I couldn’t control.

I remember one Christmas when my girls where little and they had cut backs at my job several had been laid off and the rest that still had a job our hours went from 40 to 32. I had told my wife that it was going to take everything I got on my check just to pay the bills. But then someone told me about a place where I could do some piece work making rubber valves for pipe lines. I worked real hard for 5 weeks in my spare time and was able to get enough to have a little Christmas. But the week before Christmas one of our girls got real sick and was put in the hospital for a couple of days.

Back then we had to pay a co-pay which took everything we had for Christmas. It was the 23 of Dec. and all of a sudden we heard some noise outside and there where friends and neighbors with boxes of things.

I have always thought of myself as someone who doesn’t need help. I didn’t want to feel like a charity case but I always knew how I felt when I was able to help someone in trouble. My wife told me its time you let someone else feel good by helping you.

So if you think you see something in the night sky on the 24^th don’t be surprised if you see me in a sleigh.

Ho, HO, HOO Marry Christmas

Dee

You would have thought that if one of the guys didn’t come back the rest would go searching for the guy. It didn’t mater because it just meant that they either had a little too much of a buzz or didn’t care or best yet “to stupid”.

By midnight they had most of them gagged and tied and where asleep. Of course Ben and Jerry took everything from the guys to see if useable or indemnification. It turned out that at least half of them had a gun of some kind. By 4 A.M. they had them all tied up and disarmed and gagged and hanging from trees.

In the morning Ben took his motorcycle and drove to the phone and dialed 911. With in 45 minutes there were a couple officers putting cuffs on the guys.

Jerry and Ben told the officers that at least one was wanted and has a poster in the police station. Then they handed the weapons and the wallets the guys where carrying. Then they gave a full report on the whole situation and why they where there.

One of the officers told the boys that they better pack it up and head on home.

Jerry said why everyone camps here at one time or another. We didn’t break any laws I just came out here to clear my head and get some rest.

The officer said well this area is now a crime seen and we don’t want things messed up.

Ben jumped in and said will move on because we don’t want to get in anymore trouble and then thanked them for coming.

Jerry on the other hand turned and gave Ben a look of we just got here, but said nothing.

After everyone was gone Jerry told Ben that they had only been there 2 days and now we’re heading home?

Ben said of course we will be heading home but not today or tomorrow. I just told the officer that we would pack it up and leave but I didn’t tell him when I would pack it up. We can set up camp further up stream. I saw a place that looked a little nicer and it had Ben used before.

Jerry gave Ben a pat on the back and said what a friend.

Sense they really didn’t get any sleep they moved camp climbed into their sleeping bags and crashed for a few hours and then got up and went fishing again. They didn’t keep any they just wanted something to do.

The next day they decided to hike up to the mountain top to see what was on the other side.

Jerry said that’s a long way up there are you sure we can make it.

Ben chuckled and said at least we can try.

They thought if they would take a light load so it wouldn’t get to tired and be able to enjoy it. The problem they had been that what they thought wasn’t it was kind of a hill and kept on going up to the top. They didn’t care it was just something to do.

They finally stopped to get their bearings and see how far they had come. After talking it over they figured that they had gone up a couple thousand feet in elevation and had walked about three miles.

Something they didn’t think about was it started to get a little chilly. Even though it was late August being up that high it would get a little chilly. They put on there light coats and kept on going.

About 3 P.M. Ben turned around to look out over the valley and figured they where close it the top. But coming from the north they saw dark clouds had just started to blocked the sun and it looked like they where going to get rained on. But they where up so high the clouds might go under them. When the clouds got closer they knew they where going to get wet but it didn’t rain it snowed and snowed.

Jerry said we better head back on down before we get stuck up here.

They turned around and the path that they where on was gone, no trace of it but just three inches of snow. It was really snowing hard now and there was about a foot on the ground. Ben stepped on a rock and slipped and landed on his rear, but he was ok. Ben said we better not try going down until the snow stops, even if we have to stay here all night.

Jerry said lets see use the snow for a shelter and see if snow cave really works. But they where having trouble trying to find a flat area to make there cave.

The wind started picking up and the snow was going sideways now. That wasn’t good because no mater what they tried to build the wind would blow it away. A foot and a half of snow was on the ground now and the wind was really blowing harder than before.

Ben said there’s a big pine tree over there and the ground under it only has a little bit of snow.

There was a large bolder on the north side of the tree which acted like a natural beerier from the snow.  The bolder was also blocking the wind from coming under the tree, and if they could build some side walls from snow it would be a good shelter.

Both Ben and Jerry started working on the only shelter and they didn’t have any problems with there walls blowing away. Ben was looking at the ground under the tree and found several branches so they used a few big ones to support the walls of snow. Jerry was looking for other tree branches and was planning to get some fire going.

After about an hour working on their shelter their fingers where numb and Ben had the chills, they needed to get some warmth fast. Jerry had a lighter so they would be able to start the fire. Ben scraped what snow was on the ground away till he got to some pine needles and made a small pile of it. Then he placed small pieces of the wood that Jerry had gotten on top of the needles. Then Ben tried to light a fire, but the lighter wasn’t working.

Ben started to panic but Jerry put the lighter to his ear and he could hear the gas hissing. So that meant that the flint was wet.

Jerry got out a piece of TP and stuck it in where the flint was and tried to dry it. Ben tried it again and got some sparks so he pushed the lever down and hit the flint at the same time and there was a flam but the wind blew it out. So Ben bent down and cupped his hands around the lighter to block any wind and touched it to the pine needles and they started to burn. And before long they had a nice little fire going.

Now they could work more on there shelter as long as they had a fire to get them warm. Another hour and there shelter was as good as it was going to get and they moved the fire closer to the shelter.

Jerry smiled and said he was tried and needed to go to sleep but he didn’t have a sleeping bag.

Ben said I made a couple of blankets so I’m sure with some pine needles you can make a nice bed. Then Ben pulled out a bunch and cut strips of tree limb and wove them till there was a patch big enough to cover a person. He handed it to Jerry and told him to try it out.

Jerry had made a real nice nest with pine needles and put the blanket over him and 5 minutes later he was asleep. Ben collected all the wood he could find, so that there was enough to keep the fire going for the night.

In the morning when they woke the sun was shining and there was 3 foot drifts all over the place but they didn’t want to be stuck out there for another night. Also during the night it was one thing not to be able to see and relying on a stick or your feet to find your way.  But during the day they could see what was in front of them and there was no guess work.  

They didn’t waist any time on heading down the mountain where they could some food. They made sure their hiking stick was with them at all times so that they could test cracks or hollow places. So if there was a spot that was covered by snow their hiking sticks would be find out if it was safe to stepped there.

They had to take it slow at first till they got down out of the snow. But once they where out of the snow, they went as fast, as they dared.

When they got into camp they hurried and ate a good meal and decided to try and get a little sleep.

They came out to the tent real groggy and were just about to get a campfire going. When all of a sudden there was a voice behind them telling them to raise their hands. They did as instructed and turned around.

Jerry recognized instantly, as the other guy in the attempted robbery.

Ben asked who are you and what do you want?

Jerry said this is the other guy I told you about. But I thought he was with the bunch that the police took with the rest of his buddies.

The guy gave a laugh in mockery over that statement and said those guys where so stupid. I told them to lay off the beer till after you 2 where caught, but they didn’t listen, and so they are in jail and not me. I stayed in the car, and then when I heard the commotion I looked up and didn’t see any of my guys. So I figured you had surprised them and tied them up one at a time.

I slipped out of the car and went down the road till I found a shack and spent the night there. In the morning I went back to your camp and you weren’t there and neither was my guys. So I waited and thought how I was going to get the upper hand on you guys and you gave it to me when you went in for a nap.

Ben asked do you really want our deaths over your head.

The guy said doesn’t matter because if I go before a judge I’ll be a three time looser. I go up for life this time and there are a few old inmates that will be glad to see me. Because I owe them money and they won’t make things pretty for me, if you know what I mean.

Jerry said you must have hated your mother or something.

The guy laughed again and said I never knew my parents I was raised by my aunt and uncle. And every day I was told that my parents where no good and my aunt would haul me off to her church every Sunday, weather I was sick or not. When I turned 14 I had, had enough. One night I snuck into there bedroom while they where asleep and took both their wallets. There wasn’t much cash but the credit cards got me about 4 thousand dollars before one ATM said there was a problem and kept the card. That was ok because I had enough to get me started in my line of work. You don’t trust anyone and it’s always you first, and then your buddies second.

So Ben said you believed your aunt and uncle about your parents and then you robbed them. I bet you still hate them and wish you could steel from them again.

Ben was trying to keep his attention because he saw Jerry working on the tent rope with his foot, and hoped it would cause a distraction.

It did the trick and Ben sung into action. Ben with a round house and a swift kick knocked the gun out of his hand. But the gun went off when Ben hit the guys hand, and he didn’t see where the bullet went. But he didn’t stop he worked on the guy till he was out cold.

When Ben straightened up he saw Jerry lying on the ground. Ben ran to his side and saw blood coming out of Jerry’s left shoulder. Ben tore Jerry’s shirt open to see if he could do something. There was a lot of blood and Ben figured it must have hit an artery and so he put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.

After a few minutes the bleeding had stopped but Jerry had lost a lot of blood and he needed to get him to a hospital as fast as he could. Ben had heard of an idea that had helped in saving other lives. He found a stick and scrapped the skin off the stick so that he had a smooth surface around the stick. Ben was trying to hold stomach down he had to do this, and repeated to him self I am helping him not hurting him. Then he took the stick and shoved it into the wound in front until it went through the other side in back. It was luck that the bullet went all the way through then packed it with gauss.

Ben heard the guy start to move and so he ran over to the guy and hogtied him. Then he put jerry in the motorcycle trailer and took off. He made it to the country story where he ran inside.

No one was in the store except the woman who ran it, and said, friend has been shot.

A woman went outside with Ben and asked, “What can I do to help”.

Ben said, call 911 and get someone out here fast he has lost a lot of blood. Ben looked at the wound again to make sure Jerry hadn’t started bleeding again. The woman came out and told Ben they where on there way, but to Ben they couldn’t get there soon enough.

When the police got there Ben told them that a guy was hogtied back at their camp and he was the one who shot Jerry.

The police officer said they would take care of that guy you go with your friend and we’ll meet you at the hospital.

Ben could hear Jerry start to moan and when he looked at him there was very little color in his face. Ben tried saying a prayer for his best buddy but he didn’t know how to pray other than maybe blessing the food. He had gone to church every Sunday but he hadn’t paid attention to what was said.

The woman from the store came over and said your friend will be ok but to make sure let’s say a prayer for him now. As the woman said a prayer they could hear a siren in the distance. When she had finished the ambulance had just pulled up.

They jumped out of the truck and started working on Jerry one of the men put an I V in his arm while the other took vitals.

Ben said he wanted to go with his friend but the men said no they needed to work on his friend and that he would be in the way.

Ben unhitched the trailer and asked the woman if he could leave it there.

The woman said sure I’ll keep an eye on it for you.

Ben didn’t have much trouble staying up with the ambulance till they got into the city.  Where he had to obey the signals, but the ambulance was close to the hospital and with the signs pointing the way he made it. He ran inside, and asked a nurse where his friend was. The nurse said we need to get some information about your friend first but you won’t be able to go in there until the doctors say so. Besides its late and while your calling his parents I’ll make sure a cot is set up for you in the waiting room.

In the morning was wakened by his parents and Jerry’s parents, but it took Ben a minute to realize where he was. He sat up and started telling them what had happened, when a doctor came in and told them that Jerry was going to be OK.

It was a close call but if it hadn’t been for Ben, Jerry probably wouldn’t be with us today. But I just want him to rest for 2 days, and then you can take him home. He will need some help getting around the first couple of days, and then I would let him tell you what he’s up to doing.

Jerry’s mom asked can we go in and see him.

The doctor said only two at a time, but yes you can.

 The sheriff had just arrived and started talking with Ben. He took down all the information about what had happened out at Ben’s and Jerry’s campsite.

Ben told the sheriff how they where able to get the drop on all those guys and tie them up.

The sheriff said well what you told my officers, is true about those guys. I don’t know if you are the smartest kids or if those guys where real dumb, but anyway there is an award for the capture of a couple of them.

Ben said I wasn’t looking for an award but I do know how to spend some of it.

Two weeks later Jerry and Ben, where enjoying there foot long hotdog, at a hockey game with a couple of dates.

The End

As they searched the internet for possible places to go they came upon a place about sixty miles away. There was a stream near by, a mountain to explore, and not to far from a country store.

That night in Ben’s room, Jerry and Ben planed everything, even all the camping gear that they would take.

The next morning his mom said I have planed for your food so you won’t eat a lot of junk food.

Ben said, oh mom you know we won’t eat a lot of junk food.

She turned to him and said that’s why I have your food already packed.

They both said ok and headed over to Jerry’s house to talk to his mom. He wanted to make sure that his sisters weren’t around either because they would just make trouble.

So Jerry said, I would like to treat her to an ice cream so we can talk and if she would drive them to the malt shop.

Jerry’s mom looked at him with a question but then said ok.

At the malt shop Jerry ordered the ice cream and then found a table that wasn’t to dirty. About half way through the ice cream jerry said, mom I had some trouble two nights ago and told her had happened. Then he went on to say I need to get away for a bit because of all the fighting and the stealing going on in the house. Then he said that Ben was going as well to keep him out of trouble.

Jerry’s mom said well I don’t know I need to talk with your father and then we’ll let you know.

Jerry said, mom you don’t understand I’m not asking if I can go, I have to get away. Jerry went on to say that Ben has to call his parents every third night and if she wanted she could call them to get the latest up date on them.

His mom said, I guess it is time for you to start cutting the apron strings.

Then he said mom what’s happened, why are my sisters treating me this way. They never treated me like this before.

His mom looked at him and said what do you mean Jerry?

Jerry looked deep into her eyes and said well there are some things that just don’t add up. For one thing how come everyone in the family has brown eyes and I have blue eyes? How come everyone in the family has type O blood and I have type AB? Why is it that when I come into the room everyone shuts up and goes on to another subject?

 Jerry’s mom looked down and with a shy she said I have wanted to tell you for years, but your father and I wanted to tell you at the right time. She cleared her throat and said when you where 3 weeks old your father and I adopted you. We knew your real mother; she was still in high school and didn’t know what to do. She was the daughter of some good friends of ours. So we suggested that we adopt you and that we would pay for all doctors’ visits and that she could do her school work at home and they would pay for that as well. We told her that she could come and see you any time she wanted.

The lawyer had told their friends that was not a good idea but it was up to all of us. She signed the papers and we took care of everything. Your real father was already in trouble with three other girls and he was never told about you. When you where born you where a little yellow that is common but you where a little to yellow and so the doctors kept you in the hospital for an extra 2 weeks.

Jerry looked at his mom and said, where is my real mom now?

His mom pulled out her wallet and behind her driver’s license she pulled out a newspaper clipping that said the she had a fight with her ex boyfriend because he had been drinking. He forced her into the car and took off but they never got to where going because he hit a big oak tree and both where killed.

Then his mom said your sisters found out that you where adopted just before they moved back home. We pleaded with them not to say anything and they both said they needed to have a place to live. Your dad offered to rent an apartment for them and they sad no we want to move back home. From that time on didn’t want to share anything with you not even your home because they said you where not part of the family. That’s when they moved in and it’s about ready to kill your father.

That’s what most of the fighting is about and I can see the gray hairs on your father is getting bigger. Then she opened up her purse and handed Jerry his money. I called your sister’s ex and he said he hadn’t given her anything for 3 months because he was looking for a new job after she had gotten him fired from his last one.

Jerry said I’m glad we had this talk mom and now that’s something else I will have think about. Now you know that I really have to get away and when I come home we all going to sit down for a family meeting.

Jerry’s mom gave him a hug and the 3 of them went back to their house.

When they arrived at the house both of his sisters where carrying things out of the house. When his sisters saw the car they hurried and put the things that was in their arms into his one sister’s car and locked it.

But was too late, they had been seen and Jerry saw that it was his stuff.

As soon as jerry got out of the car he headed over to his sister’s car but his sister got in front of him blocking his way.

Jerry looked at her with a stern look and told her to move aside because I don’t want you to get hurt.

Of course his sister said are you threatening me?

His mother said he’s not but I am.

That started a big fight out on the front lawn with screaming and hollering at each other. Ben and Jerry went around and opened the passenger’s door and Jerry said this is all my stuff.

So Ben and Jerry took it all out and started carrying it upstairs but when he saw that the lock was off the door he just about lost it. Ben had to hold him from trying to get to his sisters.

When they went back down to get the rest of Jerry’s things, his mother and sisters where just about ready to start throwing punches.

Both Ben and Jerry pulled his sisters off and his mother said leave this house today and I will let you know when you can come back.

One of his sisters had a smirk on her face and Jerry said don’t worry sis I know about the adoption so you can’t hold that over mom and dad’s head any more. Now mom told you two to get your things and live somewhere else. Is that right asked Jerry?

His mother said I will talk to your father about what’s going on and then you can come and sit down tonight and tell you what will happen or not happen in this house!

Jerry went back up stairs and checked the spot where he had $300. And it was gone. He went back down and told his sisters I don’t know who has it but one of you has some money of mine by the time I get my room straighten the money better be on the coffee table or I will have to call the police and I have a way to know who did take it. I treated the bills with a special dye and I know how to make the dye show up, and then it will just have to wear off.

Jerry and Ben went up stairs to see what damage they had done and try and get it back in shape. When he went back down there was no money of the table.

He told both of his sisters that there were still some things missing so I will take your car keys and open up the trunks. At first his sister wasn’t willing to give up the keys but his mother gave her a stare that would make anyone do what she said.

He went through the car and then the trunk and found the rest of his stuff but there was no money.

Jerry was starting to get really mad and his mother could see it so she stepped in.

She said we didn’t bring you up this way and so we don’t know why you’re doing it now. But in this house we respect others property, and you both are about ready to go to jail for this, is that what you want!

His sister’s kids where crying because of the arguing and Ben took the kids into the kitchen and gave them some ice cream.

The oldest of the kids was 5 years old and Ben knew that this was not a good place to see all these problems.

He could hear them yelling in the front room and so he took the kids out into the back yard and was playing a game with them. Twenty minutes later Jerry’s mom came out and thanked him for helping and said that there is going to be some changes. Both of the girls are going to move out but leave the kids here so that they can be watched over. And before they will be able to come back to the house they will have had a job for at least 3 months. And if they break this agreement the police will be called and they will be arrested for theft.

When the young kids, Jerry’s mom and Ben went back into the kitchen there was some money on the kitchen table. Jerry came in and counted the money, and said its all here and he went upstairs and put it in a safe place, one that no one knew about but Ben did.

After Jerry got everything he needed for the trip both boys headed back over to Ben’s house. It was about 8:30 in the evening so Jerry called his mom and dad and said good-by to them. They where planning to leave bright and early the next morning and used what time was left to pack Ben’s motorcycle.

Ben’s father had gone next door and had asked if Ben could borrow the motorcycle trailer that he had. The neighbor said sure and helped them hook it onto Ben’s motorcycle. It was a good thing because they would have never been able to get all their stuff on the Ben’s motorcycle.

The next morning they took off. They knew the place where they would set up camp and there was a nice fishing stream close by.  Ten miles away was the nearest town and 2 miles from the nearest phone which was a country store. The most important thing was it was about 60 miles from home.

It didn’t take them long to get there and set up camp. The first thing they did was to get their fishing poles out and try the stream. After a while they got tired of fishing because they had caught enough fish for dinner.

Ben had snuck a combo tv/cd/radio into the trailer with out his parents knowing it, because Ben knew what they would say. “Why are you taking that you’re going camping and there is no TVs in camp grounds”. Plus they had also taken a solar charger for the TV.

Jerry brought out a deck of cards out so the boys played until it got dark to see the spots on the cards. Then they cooked their dinner and talked for a while and then decided to turn in. they thought about watching some TV but Ben said it would only lasted for about 30 minutes. With out the sun to give it that extra power they would get from their sun charger. They decided to use the radio and with fresh batteries it would last for about 5-8 hours. So they listened to the radio and sang along with some of the tunes till their eyes started to get heavy

The next morning they went fishing again, but today it was going to be all catch and release. But at noon they got tired of fishing, and decided to go on a hike up to this cave, that the woman at the country store told them about.

The guy that was on the loose had called on one of his friends to find out where Jerry lived. So he followed Jerry and Ben from the courthouse to Ben’s place, and then when he saw the boys packing the motorcycle trailer. He knew they where planning to go somewhere, so he got up close to an open window. Luck was with the guy he heard the boys talking, and heard where the boys where planning to go.

Then the guy reported back to the guy that was on the loose.  Now there were several of his friends with him. They where going to help take care of Jerry, and anyone else that might be with him.

It was a good thing that the boys had gone up to the cave to explore it. Because when the bad guys got to their camp, the boys where gone. So the bad guys looked around, and with the amount of stuff they knew the boys where going to be there for a while, so they would wait for them. The bad guys got tired of waiting, and decided to drive back to the country store to get something to eat, while they where waiting. What they got was some sandwiches and a whole lot of beer.  

The boys finally headed back down to their camp, they had no idea what was waiting for them. When Ben and Jerry got about three hundred yards from camp, they could see glimpses of their camp from a ways up the trail. All of a sudden Ben grabbed Jerry’s arm, and said wait a minute Jerry something is wrong in camp.

Jerry looked at Ben and asked what do you mean?

Ben said that’s not the way I parked my motorcycle; let’s wait until it gets dark and then go in from a different way.

When it got dark they quietly got about 20 feet from their camp, they could hear someone talking. Then they saw someone with a cigarette. They got a little closer so that they could hear what the guys where saying.

They heard one guy say when we get those kids we are going to make them beg for their lives for as long as they can and then we’ll take care of them.

Both Jerry and Ben looked at each other and backed away till they where a good safe way from their camp.

Jerry said I couldn’t see who they were but I would guess somehow the guy that got away from the robbery was able to find out where we were. Now their going to try and kill the both of us, and you had nothing to do with it.

Ben said well we are in this together and I’m not going to back out on you. Plus we have the element of surprise on our side and we have time as well.

Jerry smiled, and said thanks.

They went to work making snares and traps because they didn’t want to really hurt anyone.

One thing they had on their side was all the beer the guys where drinking. With it being dark and the guys would go off into the bushes to relive them selves.  It was easy to deal with one guy at a time. They would gag and tie the guy up, and then drag him off to where they had the other guys hanging from a tree.

The shadows in your town

By Dee

You know its funny how no one ever pays attention to the shadow in your town. To most people they where taught at an early age that there is nothing there at night that isn’t there in the day light.

I am a writer and I was having trouble trying to find something to write about.

One night I was listening to a tape of the old radio programs and the Shadow came on and his theme was “the shadow knows”

So I decided to find out what was in our shadows in our town.

I’m sure you can guess what I found in a lot of the shadows, but some where in lighting to me, and things I thought I would never see. I saw a bob cat, a cougar, a few deer; lots of skunks, lots of snakes sever were rattle snakes.

But the one that I never thought or even began to imagine, and most people would say I was crazy.

But I saw something with my own eyes.

Its tall about 8 feet high, and it has long fingers but no claws or nails, it has like threads that grow out the ends of his fingers, and it looks really strange. It can stand to its full high but most of the time it just crouched. But it walks upright like a man but it can also run on all fours. The legs have 3 joints that look like a (Z) but with an extra piece at the end that would be his foot. I think this was for running speed or even climbing.

Its head is in the shape and size of a small melon. It’s ears kind of look like a bowel, with two slots on opposite sides of each other.  It can move his ears, like there were mussels that could control its ears so that it can hear from the rear or from the front. And the ear itself can move like a radar dish. Its mouth is a slot and its vertical and when it opens its mouth there are to teeth shaped like a parrot’s beak. Its eyes look like a deer’s but can rotate them to see different angles.

Its color is like a chameleon it can stand next to a tree, bushes, cars, and sides of buildings and just vanish. They love to stay in the shadows, the dark shadows.

You wonder how I know all this, well I’ll tell you.

While checking the shadows I carry a spray that has some color to it, but it’s a repellent for most mammals. I also have a white powder that I use on snakes it confuses them and they won’t strike. That and a good pair of high boots should keep you safe.

Well I could sense the something was there in this dark shadow but I couldn’t see it, and I though it might be a snack. I shot a little powder in the area, and that’s when I saw it move. I had my flash light pointed at it.

It scared me so bad I just about wet my pants. When I turned my head to see where it was. It was probable just as scared of me as I was of it. It started to run across the high way, and it wasn’t watching where it was going. By the time it saw the headlights of the car it was too late.

The guy who hit it got out and couldn’t see anything and said (@# ^! %*) deer and drove away. I had only seen its feet because that’s where the powder went. When I got over to the side of the road I could see part of the leg and feet. It couldn’t change the color of its skin because of the powder on it. I soon found that it could change its appearance faster than you could blink. I used some more powder to show the rest of it body, then I could see that it was dead.

I started to wonder where the UFO was. But it didn’t look like it was intelligent it just looked like a weird animal, one that could hide from the rest of us. I wondered if this was like big foot because people have clamed that they saw one.

Maybe there where more of them around, and they could be hiding, or even watching me. That bothered me because I didn’t know if this animal was one that worked with others of its kind or if it was a loner.

I went and got my car and I looked to make sure no one was on the road that they might spot it off to the side of the road. I hurried and got my car brought the animal home, to study it and see if I had indeed found a new type of an animal. The first thing I did was to take pictures of it, and then got on the internet.

After 3 hours of searching I found nothing that would help me try and put a name to it. But most of the animal world that could change the color of its skin lived in the water.  So was this animal one that just came out of the water as far as evaluation goes.

Who knows I didn’t want to put the whole world in a panic so I the best thing. I have several e-mail addresses from different websites, and I logged onto one address with pictures of the animal then I would be forwarded it to another website e-mail address of mine, that would forward it on to another, and another, and then to me. I’m not saying that I couldn’t be traced but it would be real hard this way.

I posted a picture of the animal to see if I could get anyone to respond to the picture. I mostly got a bunch of jerks, and the rest wanted to know where I lived so that they could check it out.

Well that told me that no one had ever seen this animal. But the next day on my work bench I could see that this animal’s body was breaking down and turning into a kind of a jelly. But the first thing I noticed was it smelled like a skunk that had been let loose in my garage. I hopped that the smell wouldn’t stay in the garage because I didn’t want the neighbors to think I was breading skunks.

By that night there was nothing but a tub full of the jelly substance. Another thing that I had found out before the animal started to break down was that it had what looked like a stinger right in the middle of each palm of its hand. I happened to grab its hand not knowing that the stinger was there and stung myself.

I woke up 2 hours later and felt a little groggy. But after 30 minutes I was fine and no sign of a puncher wound in my hand.

Here I had found an animal and 24 hours later I couldn’t prove it. So the only thing I could do is catch one but that would be hard because it was only and accident that I found this one. But wait I used a harmless powder to see this one, why couldn’t I do the same to find another.

For the next 2 weeks I hunted and hunted and couldn’t find one, either I was to noisy or that they where to fast but either way I had to try. Maybe I could use an inferred detector even if I couldn’t see the animal with my eyes, it did have heat because that one was still warm when I put it in the car.

So I went to a local sporting goods store and bought one. I got the best they had; at least that’s what the salesman said.

He explained that it had several features. The first was that it could scan up to 50 degrees + or – of a set temperature. Then it would let you know about what temperature the animal was. Then you could narrow your scan to a 5 degree high or low of any set point you chose. That way you wouldn’t be chasing ghost.

The second night I was using it on the out skirts of town where I spotted one. Its body temperature was in the range of 82 degrees about 15 degrees lower than ours.

I can see how they could out smart us with a temperature that low. I reset detector at 82 with a 5 degree variance. When I did that brought 3 more of the animals into view. I just watched them for a bit to try and understand them. I wasn’t sure what they where doing but I did know they had a defense to be watched.

The next day I went to the sporting goods store and bought a night vision scope. That night I went back out to the place where I had seen them before and sat down to wait for them.

At first there was nothing but then from behind a tree one came out. I wondered why I didn’t see it before it hid behind a tree. Then I saw another one come out and then it hit me I was looking to low so when I looked up into the trees I saw a few others.

They would get together in a tree and stay there during the day at night they would come down. I watched form a large circle and then there was a sent of a skunk. Then they closed the circle I could see there arms hanging down to the ground moving them back and forth. It didn’t take long to understand what they where doing.

They where like a fishing net, trapping anything in the circle and would hip them with their stinger on there hands. The strings that came out of there fingers wrapped around the body of the animal it had just stung. They would hold on to their kill till the circle was completely closed. Those of the animals that didn’t get anything would look around at those that had more than one and would go to it. With out question the one animal would give the other one of its catches.

I watched as these animals would bring their prey’s belly to their mouth and with the beak like teeth it would slice it open. Then it would suck out the insides of the prey and throw the rest of it on the ground.

In the morning I watched the animals climb back into the tree and then fold up and hung upside down. Their hands was 6 inches to a foot lower than there heads and the strings would just hank limp. I guessed that was kind of a sensor for them, if anything touched the strings then it would wake up to see what it was. Maybe it was a quick snack or something to move away from.

I looked around on the ground where they had been feeding on their prey and couldn’t see anything leftover, just a bunch of clear jelly.

The next night I went back and none came out so I used the inferred detector and couldn’t see anything in the trees. Then I started to get a hint of an order of skunk but I still couldn’t see anything. I laid the inferred scope on the ground, then it rolled over and it pointed up above me and I saw a flash of something on the screen.

I grabbed the scope and pointed it up in the tree I was leaning against and there were three of them. Hanging down with their arms extended toward me with their hands about a foot from my head. All of a sudden I felt the strings on my head. Oh what a feeling it made me thing of a bunch of little bugs that dropped from the tree and landed on my head.

I pushed away from the tree and saw my scopes on the ground. I didn’t want to become their prey so I ran to my car and got inside and locked all the doors. I started the car and drove away leaving my scopes there under the tree.

I went home and closed the door behind me. I sat in my easy chair and was thinking about what to do next when I felt the little bugs on my head again and the order of skunk. I ran to the bathroom and locked the door. I wondered how they found my house or did one hitch a ride on the top of my car.

These animals where fast when it came to running but I didn’t think they could run faster than a car. I decided to take a shower and think about what was going to do next. The one thing the animal didn’t think about was even though they could blend in perfectly to the back ground. They had one giveaway there on my shower curtain was a shadow of the animal.

At times I loved to sock in the tub and read. There was a small plastic set of draws where I would put books and other things. Lots of times I would take the mail in with me and read the fine print on the junk mail. I also had a letter opener and that’s what came to me. I slowly moved the shower curtain enough to see the letter opener.

As fast as I could I grabbed the letter opener and plunged it into the animal again and again tell it fell over. Then I grabbed some body powder from the medicine cabinet so that I could see the animal. It was dead I was so shaken that I just sat there on the edge of the tub looking at it. Finally I slipped the animal into the tub because I wanted to inspect it more.

What I found that I didn’t see before was there where 2 sets of eyes on its back. So that’s how they could blend in so good they could match the back ground with no problem.

I went back the next day to where I had left my scopes and collected all my things and headed back home.

When I got there the animal that was in the tub was gone and then it hit me that those strings on the end of their fingers where like little long worms that they controled. They could reach in the smallest of places and unlock doors. Most people wouldn’t think twice about it they would just figure that they had forgotten to lock it the night before.

Sense the animals knew where I lived I wouldn’t be safe anymore. I got what I thought I would need and left. I called a moving company to pick up my things and I would tell them later where I could be located.

Two weeks later I found myself in Wyoming in a city. I decided to start looking around to see if I could find any of these animals around here in the city.

At night I would use the scopes to look for them. Three nights later I saw one in an alley and so I watched it.

I saw it hiding behind a dumpster I guess it felt safe there it had all the same features as the ones I had already studded. Then I saw it snare a cat and went behind the dumpster again and ate its catch.

The next day I went to the library and started looking up about missing pets. There was a few and I guess most people would just get another pet thinking it either ran off or was hit by a car.

Then I started looking up for missing people, there were a lot of homeless people that clamed that their friends were missing.

I decided to dig a little deeper, and tried to match up those that showed up in the morgue as a john doe, against those that where just missing. I realized after searching there was a few that ended up in a morgue but not as many as I would have guessed out of all the disappearances. I think the animal was using us as a feeding ground but I would have to check a little more.

I had to check with the homeless to see if they would talk.

I went to a soup kitchen and asked the manager of the place if he had noticed homeless people missing. He said that there was because they had come to his kitchen for years and then they stopped coming. Then I asked is there someone I could talk to that could tell me more?

The manger said that there was one guy that’s always talking about seeing crazy things but he’s a little touched in the head.

Will you point him out if he comes in I asked?

The manager said he would because he was a regular at the soup kitchen.

Several of the homeless where starting to come in, and I would look at the manager, and he would shake his head. Then with a big group of them came in and the manager nodded his head.

He pointed him out and at first sight; I would have thought he was a little touched, myself. I sat down by him and told him who I was and he gave me his name. I told him that this was my first time here and didn’t know people and didn’t know where to go for handouts or anything.

He told me that he would show me around and then introduced me to several of the men seated at the table. One of the men said don’t pay any attention to him he’s touched, and tells people that there are monsters out there. After he finished his lunch he took me outside gave me the names of the streets in the area.

I asked him where he slept but the guy wouldn’t talk about that so I just talked with him. He showed me places where I could get cloths, big boxes for a shelter and miscellaneous items. Finally I told him that I was looking for some information and that I hoped he would tell me.

Out of a bag I pulled out a sketch pad, and said would you draw some of the monsters you have seen.

He said the ones in my dreams?

I told him no, the ones he sees at night in the alleys.

He looked at me and asked have you seen them to?

I told him that I might have that’s why I want to see your monster.

He said they are not big monsters but they sure look mean. Then he started to draw something. I noticed his drawing was really good but it wasn’t the one I was looking for. I asked him if there where any other monsters? So he started a new picture and this one was just like the one I was checking on.

I pulled out one of my photographs and showed him and he jumped back and said get it away from me. So that he wouldn’t run away I put it in my coat pocket.

I asked him what he saw when he saw that monster.

He told me that two of his best friends where killed by that monster. Then he said, I have to watch for them at night because that’s when I see them.

What do you do to keep them away I asked?

He said they aren’t very strong and I live in a closed box that can’t be opened unless I want it to. Then he told me they don’t like the light there afraid of it.

I asked him if he would like to sleep in a hotel that night and tell me more.

He said yes and so I took him to my room that had 2 beds and told him that he could sleep in the bed he chooses.

I asked him if there was anything he wanted.

He said no and asked if he could watch TV?

He stayed with me for two nights and then decided to leave. He had told me where his home box was and told me all kinds of things about the streets. And through his telling me I found that he was color blind. So I guess the animals couldn’t hide from him.

The next night I went to his box and I found a lot of that clear jelly just out side his box.

I knew if I told someone my first stop would be the rubber room. But how could I prove it to anyone with out killing it first.

I know that sometimes at night I can sense something and if go in the wrong direction sometimes it feels like your head just went through a spider’s web. And if you are under a tree at night and it feels like some small bugs just landed on your head get away as fast as you can, it just may save your life

The End

I will post computer alearts along when I get them. I get all kinds of alerts but only pass on the ones that I think shoule be passed on.

Dee

From: jellison@ficor.com
To: dennishoard@aol.com, clhoard1936@yahoo.com
Sent: 9/4/2008 6:41:52 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time
Subj: FW:

JUST AN FYI!

BIG VIRUS COMING !!! PLEASE READ & FORWARD !!!
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp
 
Hi All, I checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are gearing up for this virus!
I checked Snopes (URL above:), and it is for real!! Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP.  PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!
You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any
message with an attachment entitled ’POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,’ regardless
of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which
’burns’ the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received
from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is
the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts It is
better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.
 
If you receive a mail called’ POSTCARD,’ even though sent to you by  a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately.
This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by
Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This
virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital
information is kept.
 COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US.

0A Snopes lists all the names it could come in.