Susanne Leist's Blog, page 630
December 22, 2013
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ANOTHER GREAT PICTURE!
I’ve never seen anything like this...
ANOTHER GREAT PICTURE!
I’ve never seen anything like this before. It actually reflects what is going on in my mind. Kind of creepy.
I LOVE HAUNTED HOUSES!
THE WOLF IN THE DISTANCE ADDS AN AIR OF...
I LOVE HAUNTED HOUSES!
THE WOLF IN THE DISTANCE ADDS AN AIR OF CREEPINESS TO THE PICTURE.
I LOVE THIS PICTURE!
IT HAS GRACE AND SOME CREEPINESS TO IT.
I LOVE THIS PICTURE!
IT HAS GRACE AND SOME CREEPINESS TO IT.
THE DEAD GAME--DAY 11
THE DEAD GAME—EXCERPT FOR DAY 11
Linda was on her way to the barbeque with her friends.
The others were already there. Mike and David had moved their barbeque grill onto the beach; hamburgers and hot dogs were sizzling on the grill with buns warming on the side. Shana was setting the picnic table with a checkered tablecloth and baskets of breads. Louise, who’d brought the salads, was busy arranging them down the center of the table.
Linda noticed Todd lounging on a reclining chair, reading the Wall Street Journal. He always brought with him a large selection of wines. He never cooked or served, but observed everyone from a discreet distance. His long legs—stretched out before him—looked tan and muscular in his biking shorts. His expression appeared pensive and serious as he perused his newspaper. She turned away before he noticed her gawking at him.
Once the food was cooked and served, they sat around the picnic table. The only topic of conversation on everyone’s mind was the mysterious party at End House. They talked about it for awhile—except for Todd, who remained aloof and silent during the heated conversation. Linda wondered whether the owner of End House was also one of his many clients.
David had been the one to first introduce the topic of the party during the meal. They had been eating in silence until David spoke up. “Should we go to this party? It might not be such a good idea. We don’t even know who’s throwing the mysterious party.”
Mike said, “You always try to ruin everyone’s fun. If you don’t want to go, don’t go! Just don’t bring down everyone else’s spirit of adventure.” Mike always scolded David for his inappropriate comments. However, this time Linda didn’t believe that David had said anything inappropriate, since she felt the exact same way about the End House party.
Shana stood and pointed a finger at Mike. “Who are you to say what someone should or should not be feeling? If David is hesitant about going, then he should say so.”
“That’s right,” Linda said. “David shouldn’t be afraid
to speak his own mind in front of his friends.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m also speaking my mind. I don’t want him putting unfounded doubts into everyone’s heads—before they’ve even considered it! David, I understand your concern about going to End House, but we’ll be together, and there’s nothing to fear. I hope you’ll come, or else I won’t have anyone to hang out with.”
After a long pause, David nodded his head. “Okay, I’ll think about it….”
After the meal Linda sat close to the others on the beach. They gazed out at the ocean while the sun set in the distance, casting its glittering lights on the water. Each person was immersed in his or her own thoughts about End House and its unknown owner. Todd didn’t offer to identify the owner or whether he even knew who it was. And no one dared to ask.
December 21, 2013
THE DEAD GAME—EXCERPT—DAY 10
Linda was on her way to...
THE DEAD GAME—EXCERPT—DAY 10
Linda was on her way to the barbeque with her friends.
The others were already there. Mike and David had moved their barbeque grill onto the beach; hamburgers and hot dogs were sizzling on the grill with buns warming on the side. Shana was setting the picnic table with a checkered tablecloth and baskets of breads. Louise, who’d brought the salads, was busy arranging them down the center of the table.
Linda noticed Todd lounging on a reclining chair, reading the Wall Street Journal. He always brought with him a large selection of wines. He never cooked or served, but observed everyone from a discreet distance. His long legs—stretched out before him—looked tan and muscular in his biking shorts. His expression appeared pensive and serious as he perused his newspaper. She turned away before he noticed her gawking at him.
Once the food was cooked and served, they sat around the picnic table. The only topic of conversation on everyone’s mind was the mysterious party at End House. They talked about it for awhile—except for Todd, who remained aloof and silent during the heated conversation. Linda wondered whether the owner of End House was also one of his many clients.
David had been the one to first introduce the topic of the party during the meal. They had been eating in silence until David spoke up. “Should we go to this party? It might not be such a good idea. We don’t even know who’s throwing the mysterious party.”
Mike said, “You always try to ruin everyone’s fun. If you don’t want to go, don’t go! Just don’t bring down everyone else’s spirit of adventure.” Mike always scolded David for his inappropriate comments. However, this time Linda didn’t believe that David had said anything inappropriate, since she felt the exact same way about the End House party.
Shana stood and pointed a finger at Mike. “Who are you to say what someone should or should not be feeling? If David is hesitant about going, then he should say so.”
“That’s right,” Linda said. “David shouldn’t be afraid
to speak his own mind in front of his friends.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m also speaking my mind. I don’t want him putting unfounded doubts into everyone’s heads—before they’ve even considered it! David, I understand your concern about going to End House, but we’ll be together, and there’s nothing to fear. I hope you’ll come, or else I won’t have anyone to hang out with.”
After a long pause, David nodded his head. “Okay, I’ll think about it….”
After the meal Linda sat close to the others on the beach. They gazed out at the ocean while the sun set in the distance, casting its glittering lights on the water. Each person was immersed in his or her own thoughts about End House and its unknown owner. Todd didn’t offer to identify the owner or whether he even knew who it was. And no one dared to ask.
Roses remind me of spring and flowers blooming in radiant...
Roses remind me of spring and flowers blooming in radiant colors.
Spring is alive with new life.
I’m looking forward to the warmer weather.
If I can’t have spring’s vibrant colors right now, then I will just have to wear brighter colors.
Here’s to red, pink, green, orange, and yellow.
December 19, 2013
ALWAYS REACH FOR THE STARS
KEEP REACHING FOR THE STARS We should never lose hope in ourselves....
KEEP REACHING FOR THE STARS
We should never lose hope in ourselves. If we don’t reach as high as we can, we will never know what we can accomplish.
Leave the naysayers and doubters behind. We don’t need them.
We can be winners on our own. So keep reaching.
NOUNOUS—THE IMPATIENT MALTESE
This is my favorite picture of my Maltese, Nounous.He is...
This is my favorite picture of my Maltese, Nounous.
He is waiting for the LIRR to bring my daughter home from New York City.
He hears the train whistle but can’t see a train.
He becomes impatient.
He sits at the window, waiting.
As the train pulls into the station, he watches the doors pass by.
They are moving too fast for him to see his beloved friend.
The train stops.
The doors open.
Watching and waiting, he sees her.
He begins to howl, pawing at the window.
He is still not sure.
He has to wait for her to come closer.
It looks like her, but he can’t tell.
She is beside the car window and shouts,”Nounous I’m home.”
He jumps up and down, woofing with joy.
She is home.
THE DEAD GAME--DAY 9
THE DEAD GAME–Day 9 Of Page A Day Reading
Linda was thinking about her town and her friends. She is about to open the mysterious invitation. 
The grassy park was bordered on one end by the beach’s walkway and on the opposite end by Edward and Tom’s hardware store. The next store was Oasis Rentals, where Shirley conducted her business while delving into everyone’s personal life. Her neighbor was Louise’s Dress Up, which offered an extensive line of lingerie, hats, shoes, bags, and anything else the wealthy woman might require. Louise catered to the elite of Oasis, but had never been asked to socialize with them. That had to be the reason for all the jealousy that she’d been exhibiting toward Todd.
Her mind drifted to her other friends in town. She thought about David and Mike. Their relationship was strange—a kind of love-hate relationship. Their antique store fronted Main Street with two wide picture windows. Their unique shop, called Artsy, was loaded with furniture, lamps, and art. Most of their business was procured from the new artists that they searched out and discovered in the local area.
Next door to Artsy was Linda’s shop. Her corner store provided her with ample views of the walkway, beach, and ocean. She was also afforded close-up views of Todd’s building across the narrow street. The only other store on the side street was Nirvana, Shana’s horoscope reading, incense, and novelty shop. Shana floated around her store as light as air…wearing her long flowing skirts…with her ready smile and bright laughter.
Linda shook her head and scolded herself for analyzing everyone and everything in town, when what she needed to be doing was preparing for that evening’s barbeque. She walked into her bright yellow kitchen, where her two cats were waiting to be fed. Gypsy was black and white with short, thick fur, while Pepper was a Maine Coon with grey and white long fur and a huge fluffy tail.
After feeding them, she checked the living room to see if her cats had messed anything up. She found everything in its proper place. This made her feel safe and secure, even though it was getting harder to feel safe in a town where dark figures roamed the streets at night, residents hid in their homes during the daylight, and people disappeared from sight never to be seen or heard from again. But this was her Oasis, with all its quirkiness.
She loved the layout of her apartment, where the downstairs rooms wrapped around a central staircase. The dining room and the living room offered unobstructed views of the beach through floor-to-ceiling windows, while the cheerful kitchen in the back offered a panoramic view of the heavily wooded hill.
Upstairs, her bedroom’s sliding doors opened to a balcony, overlooking the beach and ocean. Each morning she woke up to brilliant sunshine and calming breezes, while at night she drew the blinds tight against the dark that brought with it creeping shadows.
Returning to the front hall, she picked up the mysterious black envelope. She drew out a thick piece of black paper. Large bold words were written in white upon the black background.
It read,
“You are Cordially Invited to
An Evening of Intrigue
Mysteries to Solve and Games to Play
10:00 pm Sharp
Friday the 13th
End House at Oasis”
NO RSVP REQUIRED
JUST BRING YOURSELF
