Bill W

Secret Santa meets the Haunted Mansion with a doorway to the Twilight Zone. What a tense and wild ride the SA took us on. Congrats, SA, mission accomplished. I don't think any of us will sleep well or be opening any doors that we don't know where they lead to for a while. My take, to answer your question Lee, was that one of the doors actually led into the spaceship and onto a holodeck, thus simulating the beach and ocean. The slithering creature was either one of the aliens or one of their pets, and that's what killed those three individuals, and the girl that first greeted them was either a holo-simulation or a robot of somesort based on their first victim.

It's bad enough when acquaintances and friends disappoint you, but when your parents, the people who gave you life disappoint you, it hurts even worse. And when they think you're defective, lie to you, and even steal from you, the pain is unbearable. Tim has had a lot to deal with, but thankfully his nanna and Dave are there for him, so I hope that's enough to keep him sane and give him the ability to move on.

Much appreciated.

The word "cryptid" originates from the combination of the Greek word "keypto" meaning "hide" or "hidden" and the English suffix "-id", which often denotes a member of a group or class. The earliest known use of the noun cryptid is in the 1980s. OED's earliest evidence for cryptid is from 1983, in the writing of J. E. Wall. a cryptozoologist, in a letter to the editor of the International Society of Cryptozoology's newsletter. Examples of "cryptid" used in a sentence: "A cryptid is a creature whose existence is rumored or reported but not proven by scientific evidence." "Slick was also devoted to adventure — and the search for cryptids." "Lewis is killed in a car accident, Noah feels that the only person who can understand him is the famed cryptid Mothman." "You can only rule one individual case at a time as not being a cryptid." "The true definition of a cryptid is an animal that has not yet been classified by zoology." "It examines some of the legends and hypotheses surrounding this cryptid and also shows clips from other videos as well as drawings based on descriptions from "eyewitnesses". "Chupacabra, also known as Chupacabras, is a cryptid that is believed to be indigenous to Mexico, Puerto Rico, South America and the United States.

Digging through old family photos can unearth precious memories or family secrets, and this particular photo elicited both positive and negative emotions, but no one was willing to talk about it. Undeterred, the main character in this short story was determined to find the answers about this haunting photo, but you'll have to read this provocative and spellbinding story to find out what he discovered.

Awesome job, SA. A truly captivating and sad story. Family secrets can far too often cause more damage when they aren't spoken about, than if they had been brought into the light and explained. I know, because I once unleashed a family secret by accident. I had been going through a box of photos my grandmother had set aside, and when I neared the bottom of the box, I found a black and white photo in a bi-fold cardboard frame. At the time I didn't pay attention to the gold lettering on the front of the closed cardboard frame, thinking it was probably the manufacturers logo, and opened the photo to see who or what it was. I probably could have read it, if I'd taken the time, since I was probably seven or eight-years-old at the time. Anyway, it was the photo of a baby dressed in light blue, probably only 4-10 weeks old, and he was wearing a bonnet and laying in a casket. Confused, I grabbed the photo and ran downstairs to ask my grandmother about it. Unfortunately, the house was filled with relatives at the time, with the men out on the front porch, just back from the hunt, and my grandmother, mother, and four aunts were all sitting in the living room. I ran up to my grandmother holding the photo in my hand, cover of the cardboard frame folded back and the photo on full display. "Grandma, who is this and why is he in a casket?" I immediately heard several gasps and one aunt screamed before she started crying, which caused my uncles to come rushing into the house to discover what the commotion was about. As my mom and other aunts tried to console the aunt who'd become hysterical, while my grandmother took the photo, grabbed me by the hand, and walked my upstairs to her bedroom. "Honey, you shouldn't be going through things in my bedroom without my permission." "I'm sorry, but who's the baby?" "It's the first child your Aunt Le gave birth to. He would have been several month older than you and the oldest of my grandchildren, but he died suddenly several weeks after he was born and your aunt has never recovered from his loss. I think she had stored his memory in the back of her mind, but seeing the photo again brought it all crashing back again, like it had just happened." "But why did she get so upset?" "The funeral was hard enough on her, but during the calling hours, on of the children there with their parents managed to knock the bonnet off and exposed the fact that part of the baby's skull had been removed during the autopsy and had been sewn back into place and the bonnet was put on him to cover it up. Your aunt didn't know there had been an autopsy, because your uncle gave his permission, but didn't tell her because she was already so upset. Seeing that photo brought all of those memories flooding back to her." I'd sat with my grandmother when she showed me the photos in that box previously, but obviously not all of them. If she and my mom hadn't been trying so hard to keep it all a secret, I would have already seen it and heard the story, so I wouldn't have blundered into that situation like I did. Unfortunately, it affected my relationship with that aunt until the day she died, because she always treated me like an intentional trouble maker for doing that to her when I was seven or eight-years-old. Anyway, great job SA and fortunately this family secret ended a little better and the guardian angel, Phin, not only protected Markus, but it also brought long overdue piece to Uncle Harold. Oh, and I like that Markus resembled his Grandfather Ezra when he was that age. Love family resemblances.

The word "cosmology" comes from the Greek words "kosmos" (κόσμος) meaning "world" or "universe" and "-logia" (-λογία) meaning "study of". So, cosmology literally means "the study of the universe or cosmos". It then entered modern Latin as cosmologia, and then to French as cosmologie. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the word "cosmology" was first used in English in the mid-1600s. Specifically, the earliest known evidence is from 1656, in the writings of Thomas Blount in his work "Glossographia". Examples of "cosmology" used in a sentence: "The book focuses on cosmology and astronomy, and on Earth's place in the universe." "The fields that have continued to amaze are astronomy and cosmology, which are obviously healthy." "All of modern cosmology, including the theory of the expanding universe, rests on that assumption." "In the last half of the twentieth century, astronomers made enormous progress in understanding cosmology."

An interesting look at a possible future with cyborgs and off-earth communities, but as we discover, no matter how much has changed, regrettably other things have remined the same. This could also serve as a space-age Aesop's Fable, because it leaves us with a moral, No matter how shabby and undesirable a gift may seem on the surface, embracing the sentimental value might be worth more than you might imagine. If you're wondering what my cryptic moral means, you'll have to read this short story and all will become clear.

Interesting story, set in the not too distant future, and although much has changed, such as cyborgs and communities on the moon, unfortunately there are many things that haven't changed, such as greed and entitlement. In this future, however, your body may die, but your memories and emotions can be transferred into a cyborg so you can live forever, because if that cyborg begins to wear out you can merely transfer everything into a newer and better model. Thanks, SA, for this look into a possible future that can't seem to shake the past.

And that's not all. The rose was called Septima's Potential because that's what Bruce saw in his daughter when she was younger, but something she never reached. It also explained the color of Septima's Potential, which we discovered in the photos in the box she'd been given - Septima as a little girl on a diving board in a lavender-peach floral-patterned bathing suit.

Witty, funny, and you had me playing Dr. Freud all the way to nearly the end as I was trying to figure out a way to deal with this illusion, since we all know that the dead can't text. And that's when you pulled the ol' switcheroo. Nice job, SA. I really enjoyed this story.

The word "apathy" originates from the Greek word "apatheia," meaning "without feeling" or "freedom from suffering." It is a combination of the prefix "a-" (meaning "without") and "pathos" (meaning "emotion" or "feeling"). The term was later adopted into English, initially with a more neutral connotation of freedom from suffering, but eventually developing its current meaning of indifference or lack of emotion. "Apathy" is a noun referring to a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern, while "apathetic" is an adjective describing someone who is affected by or displays apathy. In essence, apathy is the condition, and apathetic describes the person experiencing that condition. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "apathetic" was first used in the mid-1700s. Specifically, the OED notes the earliest instance of "apathetic" in English dates back to 1744, found in the writings of Harris. Examples of the word "apathetic" used in a sentence: "The shareholders had also been shown to be apathetic in protecting their interests." "Young people are becoming increasingly pathetic." "Surprisingly, most Americans are apathetic toward this important issue." "And that's what the dancer is supposed to be -- the storm that shakes these girls out of an apathetic way of being." "Of all the drinks, white wine was the most apathetic beverage." "In early 2022, he developed what he calls a brain fog and became apathetic." "Since the security law was introduced, tens of thousands of residents have left the city while others grew apathetic over politics." "We have emerged more sick, unhappy and apathetic than our collegiate predecessors."

Anton, it is obvious that you put a lot of thought into this post and have made some very good points. I agree, the lock was only important in that the boys wanted to snip one side of the lock to remove it from the chest, but would leave the lock basically intact, if they decided to bury the chest again later, to honor the wishes of whoever buried it in the first place. Now, like the rest, you'll have to wait to find out the significance of the box and its contents. Thank you for this feedback, and it may give others a slightly different outlook on the box and its contents.

The word zenith has two meanings: 1. the time at which something is most powerful or successful. E.g. "under Justinian, the Byzantine Empire reached its zenith of influence" and 2. the point in the sky or celestial sphere directly above an observer or the highest point reached by a celestial or other object. E.g. "the sun was well past the zenith" When you reach the zenith, you're at the top, the pinnacle, the summit, the peak. Zenith developed from an Arabic phrase, samt ar-ra's, meaning "the way over one's head," and then traveled through Old Spanish, Medieval Latin (cenit), and Middle French before arriving in English. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the word "zenith" was first used in English during the Middle English period, before 1387, in a translation by John Trevisa. Examples of the word "zenith" used in a sentence: "It may be in the fall, though, that this place reaches its zenith." "The summer sun was at its zenith in a cloudless sky." "The sun is well past its zenith when we cross paths with a mini-flotilla." "His publicity campaign reached its zenith when he was summoned to an audience with the royal family." "The tragedy will no doubt reach its terrible zenith in next week's final episode." "The second world war represented the zenith of her career, but also led to her inexorable decline." "The power of the archdeacon reached its zenith at the outset of the 13th century." "The exhibitions in the arena were perhaps at their zenith during his tenure of power."

A group of gay friends are out celebrating Pride when a group of thugs start to pass by. Something causes them to stop and move toward the other group, and this leads to an exciting chase scene. You'll be surprised by how this wonderful and engaging short story ends, so do yourself a favor and read it to sate your curiosity. I promise that you won't be disappointed and you'll be glad you took my advice.

A lot of the language told me the SA is British, so I was shocked when I read this line ... "Another glance over my shoulder and I saw I'd extended the gap to about a hundred yards." Yards? Shouldn't that be meters? And then I learned that the metric system is only used in official instances and Imperial units are more common in every day usage. Anyway, great job, SA, and thank you for that wonderful twist at the end.

That explains it. The most dangerous place to be is ... in your head. 🤪

A charming story that features an ?imaginary? Royal Family filled with palace intrigue and a generous helping of skullduggery. If this sounds the least bit interesting to you, then get comfortable in your chair, pull up this short story on your computer, and prepare to read an adorable story that proves karma is real and you don't want to be on the wrong end of the universe's payback for truly unscrupulous and wrongheaded deeds.

The intricacies of palace intrigue, yet the monarchy survives. A wonderful story that I enjoyed very much, SA. It's about time that the UK had a gay/bi king who has had two polar opposite queens. Hail Britannia, the 21st century has truly arrived.

Would I do that? 🙃 🤪

If you're looking for something different, maybe on the humorous side or something that will make you question your concept of reality, then you'll definitely want to check out this short story.

Reading this was like being caught up in a bad acid trip or maybe the butt of a lengthy April Fool's joke. It really makes you question your sanity. 😜

I guess when you find something like that, your first thought is a hidden treasure, not something that was left behind by someone like Ted Kaczynski, and if there had been dangerous animals left inside, they would have died by now. Chemicals would have also lost their potency during a lengthy burial, and I doubt the boys were thinking it might be booby trapped. Then again, maybe it's another example of my lack of imagination.

You forget, Gramps and Pops have a caretake who job it is to do those things, and the boys are not house sitters. In a lot of old houses, the basement is dark and dank, some even have dirt floors and low ceilings, so maybe the thought of going down there just wasn't appealing. Besides, with all of their other activities they're involved in, especially studying and spending some time with others, along with visits to the dog park and the hunting camp, maybe they just didn't have the time to explore the basement.

Since I'm not a mechanical engineer, the idea of cutting both sides didn't occur to me. Even when watching shows where someone uses bolt cutters to snip a lock, I've only seen them cut the one side, so that's what I wrote in the story - call it lack of imagination. Now, we just have to wait and see if @Lee Wilson or you are correct as to what's in the container.