THE DEAD GAME -- DAY 79

     Todd and Sam ran from their cars as soon as they reached End House. They headed straight for the basement stairs.

     Shana and Linda followed behind, gingerly groping the slippery basement wall to make their slow descent down the steep stairs. David sniffled behind them as he clomped down the steps.

     Mike was close behind, describing the pool of water with the falling cages and swinging saws.

     At the bottom, they stopped short in amazement. Instead of the horror scene that they’d witnessed yesterday, today they found an empty basement.

     The basement appeared to be a great deal smaller than before, thought Mike. The opposite wall seemed to be much closer. It also lacked the wide staircase that had led up to the three huge doorways. And where were the doors? There was only a blank wall facing them. And the floor was dry—as if it had never been wet.

     “Where are the wild animals and the deep pit into nothingness?”  Mike searched all four corners of the room, trying to locate the elaborate devices that had been used against them. He couldn’t believe how quickly everything had disappeared from sight. Where were the pointy cages and sharp saws? He looked up into the blackness above and could see only an empty ceiling with pipes. And where were Tom and Edward? All that were visible were pipes and a boiler—just like an ordinary basement.

     Todd said, “We’ll figure this out…it’ll just take some time. This was a game that went wrong; we’ll track down the owner and make him sorry that he had ever arranged this travesty.”

NO ESCAPE

TRAPPED

 

 

Where do the lights lead you?
Follow them and you shall see.
The hallway is long and dark.
Closed doors line the walls on either side.
Should we open one?
Let’s try this one.
There are steps leading down
to the basement.
We enter.
The door slams shut.
It’s locked.
We walk down the slippery steps.
Below, we find a pool of water.
Huge cages are falling from above.
They have sharp and pointy edges
that are trying to trap us.
They almost caught one of us.
Now circular saws are descending,
lined up in straight rows.
What do we do now?
This has been one of the many adventures
from the book, The Dead Game.

THE DEAD GAME -- DAY 78

Who doesn’t love a horror story?

THE DEAD GAME — DAY 78

     Sheriff Sam had his hands full that morning. Not only did Shana want to go to End House, but also Mike and David, who both refused to leave Carl’s side. Earlier that morning he had called for reinforcements to help with their search for Louise. Police of neighboring towns and state troopers were busy scouring the beach and park for any sign of her. He hoped to find her alive and well—and not just her lifeless body, like the others that had been found on the beach.

     Deputy Carl was busy loading Mike and David into his car with a very exasperated look on his face. Sam couldn’t understand why Carl always acted irritated whenever he was asked to do his job. It was time to replace his indignant deputy with newer and fresher talent.

     He said to Shana, “You’re coming with me, but don’t wander off by yourself in the house. I know how independent you can be.”

     “You don’t know me well enough to predict any of my actions!” Her face turned a bright crimson red. He enjoyed pushing her buttons to test her reactions; and again, she didn’t disappoint him.

     “That could be very easily arranged.” Sam walked to his car. He knew that in time Shana would be all his; he just had to be patient a little while longer.

ESCAPE ROUTE

Some days I want to escape to the wilderness.
Camp out under the stars.
Feel the dirt beneath my feet.
Jump into a cold lake or stream.
The ground feels hard and it does
get cold out at night.
I would need a little cabin to sleep in.
Maybe a stove or an oven to warm my food.
It might get a little lonely in the woods.
It would be nice to have some cabins or houses nearby.
Okay, I’m back where I started from—in a house with heating,
a microwave, a TV, and a computer.
It was a nice dream while it lasted.

• 308
• dream getaway woods forest wilderness alone lonely cabin stars cold trees people camping houses microwave TV compurter civilization

Do you ever want to pack a small bag
and take a road to wherever it may lead you?
To try out new things and meet new people.
Each day would be a new adventure.
You’d be off the beaten path and end up
in a small town, maybe in a small diner.
People would know each others names.
Okay, I know it’s beginning to sound like
an episode from “Cheers” or “Gilmore Girls.”
But it does sound nice.

THE OCEAN

I love watching the waves.
The ocean stretches as far as the eye could see.
It has been here before my existence,
and it will continue after my existence.
It embodies strength and resistance.
It will continue on despite what
humanity does to it.

THE DEAD GAME -- DAY 77

All readers must remember that this murder mystery takes place in a seaside village in Florida.

      Todd took her by complete surprise. “Of course I do! I’m not going to rest until I find out who was responsible for that awful hoax! I’m very worried about Tom and Edward; they could still be alive somewhere in that dreadful house.”

     “We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready. Be sure to stick close to my side again so that I can keep you safe.”

     “Like glue,” said Linda.

     He winked at her before she dashed upstairs to get ready.

     Sheriff Sam had his hands full that morning. Not only did Shana want to go to End House, but also Mike and David, who both refused to leave Carl’s side. Earlier that morning he had called for reinforcements to help with their search for Louise. Police of neighboring towns and state troopers were busy scouring the beach and park for any sign of her. He hoped to find her alive and well—and not just her lifeless body, like the others that had been found on the beach.

SEND IN THE CLOWNS

SEND IN THE CLOWNS

thedeadgameblog:

I was looking through pictures online to find one
that would cheer me up on such a dreary day.
Look what I found!
An elephant with its baby made to look like a circus.
A circus can be fun with balloons and lights.
Don’t forget the elephants and tigers.
A circus can also be scary.
There are clowns and men throwing knives.
That’s it!
My mind has drifted to the creepy again.
I guess that’s why my book contains a scene
in a circus, where someone is being chased by
clowns and knife-throwers.
The character doesn’t know if she’s in a nightmare or actually
running for her life through a maze of mirrors.
You can’t teach an animal new tricks—in this case me.
A circus will always be a frightful place for me, and my
dark thoughts will always lead me there.

IMAGINE

 

 

This is also a sign of an over-active mind.
Instead of watching the water, the viewer
is imagining a sequence of boxes.
I would imagine something more in the area
of palm trees or dolphins.
To each his own imagination.

• Feb 26
• 19603
• ocean boxes imagination think thoughts dolphins palm trees peaceful green water

flowersgardenlove:

This would be a great place to think
and write stories.
I need a place like this.
I’ll just have to make one up in my mind.

pixography:

Jacek Yerka

Some days my mind feels like this picture.
I look at something simple like a small island,
and my mind conjures up a complicated story.
Instead of a simple island, I end up with a road leading
from a brightly lit house surrounded by fancy gardens.
This road then flows into a river on a bed of rocks.
It can be fun to have an over-active imagination,
especially when I have a place to post my thoughts.

TAKE A WALK

cornersoftheworld:

When my father used to tell me to take
a long walk on a short pier,
I had a picture like this in mind.
Maybe he wasn’t trying to get rid of me,
but pointing me in the right direction.
He was telling me to open my mind
and look out at the water.
He loved the ocean with its changing
moods and colors.
Now when I look out at the ocean, I think of him.

THE DEAD GAME -- DAY 76

THE DEAD GAME — DAY 76

     Early next morning, Linda drew her living room drapes wide open to gaze out at the sparkling white beach and the deep blue ocean. It was a beautiful Saturday morning with plenty of bright sunshine. Fishermen could be seen taking out their boats. People were jogging along the beach. Dogs were running around while children were laughing and playing. She couldn’t believe what had happened to them last night. For a moment, she thought that she’d imagined it all; but she knew that she didn’t have such a vivid imagination.

     From the kitchen she heard strange new sounds. Then she realized that it was Todd preparing breakfast.

     “I could get used to this,” she said.  She entered the kitchen and found Todd frying eggs while coffee brewed in her coffee maker on the counter.

     He looked  cute and disheveled in her frilly white aprons over his shirt and jeans. He brought food over to the kitchen table. His dark hair, still damp from the shower, hung over his high forehead. His dark eyes sparkled as he served her.

     He sat down at the table across from her, giving her one of his infamous grins. She couldn’t believe that he was sitting here in her house, eating breakfast with her.

     She noticed that her two usually aloof cats were rubbing themselves against his legs. Todd said, “They were hungry, so I fed them their cat food. Is that all right?”

     “Sure. They don’t like strangers; but if they like you, that’s great.” She couldn’t believe how silly she’d sounded…maybe silence would work better in her favor.

     They ate their breakfast in silence, but it did feel good just being with Todd. Too bad it took such awful events to bring us closer together.

• Feb 25
• book excerpt small town danger fishermen village serene quiet night creatures moonlight secrets revenge romance suspense mystery

Come visit the unknown.
What lies deep below End House?
Are there demons or vampires?
Don’t open the door,
unless you want to find out.
THE DEAD GAME.

so-personal:

I love doors.
You don’t know what’s behind them,
unless you open the door.
On the other side, there could be
something magical.
Or something earth shattering
and deadly.
In The Dead Game, the magical door
opens to any place that you imagine.
But there is also a second door in
Oasis, Florida.
This door opens to your worst nightmare.
Where is the door now?
It was in End House but the house was destroyed.
Was the door also destroyed?
Read The Dead Game and find out.

THE DEAD GAME --DAY 75

     At Sam’s office, they found the restless group waiting for them.

     Sam stood before them and explained their current situation. “End House has been wiped clean of all the props that were used in the deadly game. There are no candles, no bodies, or blood. It is now just a deserted house. And we can’t find Louise anywhere: she’s not in the gazebo.”

     “Louise could still be alive.” David stood up.

     “It’s too dark outside to search for her tonight….We’ll

begin our search early tomorrow morning,” explained Sam.

     Todd looked into Linda’s troubled eyes, seeing her shock and fear. “How could everything have been cleaned up already? What about the basement?” she insisted.

     “We checked the rooms upstairs. Everything is gone. The basement will be examined tomorrow.”

      He came to a quick decision and said to Linda, “I’m

sleeping on your couch until we figure out who was responsible for tonight’s prank.”

      “It was much more than a prank! Louise might be dead! And we don’t know what happened to Tom and Edward!” Linda shouted in reply.

     Todd watched her face turn bright red in her growing agitation. He understood that she was upset about her missing friends. He replied, “Of course I understand that it was much more than a mere prank. We must remain calm if we want to figure out this mess.”

     “I think it’s a great idea for you to sleep at Linda’s apartment….Maybe I should sleep on Shana’s couch.” Sam turned to Shana and asked, “Are you going to argue with me?” To everyone’s surprise, Shana gave him a sweet smile.

      “What about us?” David asked.

      “I’ll be right next door if you need any help. All you have to do is call out,” replied Sam.

      “I’m still afraid,” protested David, while Mike rolled his

eyes at David’s incessant whining.

       Deputy Carl slipped into the room and offered, “I can sleep on your couch.”

      David relaxed. “That will make me feel much better.”

      “Maybe not safer,” murmured a worried Todd.

      It was already 3:00 a.m., so Todd and Sam drove everyone home.

      Meanwhile at End House, levers and doors creaked open and shut, covering up any evidence of the game that had taken place that fateful evening.