To the Miners in West Virginia... God Be with you All

I was reading my last blog and suddenly, I felt a little shame come over me. I was thinking about a cup of coffee and a donut. And then I thought about how truly trivial that sounds when compared to what is happening in West Virginia right now. A dear friend of almost 15 years and her family sit somewhere outside of a mine that had an explosion 3 days ago. To date 25 miners are known to be dead. Four remain trapped inside of the mine. Where, they are unsure. Alive? Also unsure. There are pods that they can reach for safety but it is not known if the last four found their way to it.
I take this moment and this space on my blog site and dedicate it to the 25 people that have died and to those that remain in question. The family that is dear to our home waits outside the mine, hoping, praying, that their husband, father, friend, brother... All that he is to these people, is safe somewhere inside. I pray for them and cry for them and believe with them, as it must be. Families go down into the mines every single day, knowing the dangers and yet also knowing that it is the only way to feed their loved ones or keep them in clothing and a home. I read the words of some that say "Why would they want to work in such a place?" Why? Because it is where they have made their living for generations. It is what they know and what they do to survive.
I say "God Bless" them and God bless and be with the families that have lost their loved ones. I also say "Pray" for those that still wait, a cup of coffee or a donut so very terribly irrelevant to them right now. I offer my love and caring and prayers for the families of the miners and pray God brings to them some measure of peace and strength through what I can Only imagine has to be the most terrifying moments of their lives. God Bless you My friend and God Bless the Miners.

How do You define "comfortable?"

What really does it mean to be "comfortable? I hear people say all the time, "I don't need to be a millionaire, I just want to live comfortably." I sit back and think about what that means. I am sure it means something a bit different to everyone. I will be the first to admit that a Million dollars WOULD make me feel comfortable. ;) But the truth is that the measure of being comfortable is as simple as this to me. I want to have enough money that all of my bills are paid with out hesitation. I want to own a nice vehicle and have plenty to eat. I have all three of those things. So am I "comfortable?" No, I do not consider myself comfortable when it comes to actual cash flow. I am certainly Not without, but not rich by any standards. So what do I consider to be really comfortable?
I love coffee. I crave and trust me, lol, I Need coffee in the morning to turn from "Mr. Hyde" back to myself. I enjoy donuts now and then. Perhaps, according to my "not as trim as I would like" physique, I enjoy them a bit too often. At ant rate, I enjoy things that are not so huge but that make me smile. There are mornings that I do not have the 3 dollars it takes to grab a coffee and donut. When that happens, it is not my stomach Nor my Physique that suffer. It is my mind. I work to keep money flowing from the sale of my novels and Internet work. I bring in a nice income and live nicely. But those times, which everyone I think has or has had somewhere in their lives, that I reach in my pocket and realize I do not have the funds to grab that coffee and donut are what separate me from living nicely and living comfortable.
So, when someone asks me what I define as a "comfortable" living... I say a hot cup of coffee and a cake donut, anytime I want. Silly? Simple? Too much to ask for? Well, I don't really know how to answer that but I do know that it is what I measure where I am with my life.

A Sign of the times...

Watching the news, I can not help but wonder where it is we are going in this world. Who will be held accountable for the things that are happening? I read about the scientist that are playing with the atom. Perhaps "playing" is a bad word to use as there is nothing fun nor o.k. with what they are doing. Their machine, that can create a powerful beam that is stronger, more devistating than 100 Nuclear Missles, has been tested again! It thrilled them to know they are so close to full strength. This machine has the potential to pull, through it's powerful magenetics, planets and atsroids from space and lay them right in our front yard!
Called by many, the "Doomsday Machine," it has all the needed power to destroy our planet and yet... we continue to tease fate. Under ground in a remote area of Switszerland lies a creation that man should step away from. 2012, the year set for the real test. A "test" that could jeapordise our very existance. Strange that it is the same time, predicted according to the scolars by the Mayan calender to be the end of times.And then... who will be responsible? Who will have to stand up and say "I did that!?" Are we really, as the {most intelligient} species, really too smart for our own safety????

Where do we draw the line????

As I sit here this morning, enjoying my coffee and thinking about my day, I see once again, the world has not disappointed me. I expect it to surprise me and astonish me... perhaps at times even disgust me and it has come through on all counts again. With Spring here and weather more perfect than I could ask for, I was prepared to sit and write about Spring. And then, something grabbed my attention that made my Spring write pale in it's presence.
Enter "Rapeplay."Yep, you read it right. THIS is the newest game to be introduced by the world. Japan has created and announced the animated game that allows you to be a rapist and in order to WIN, you must plan, attack, rape and then convince a woman to abort the child. If you do not complete every task, you are tossed in front of a train by your victim.
I sit an stare at the words I have written here and think "Really? Someone created a game of such vile disgust, a role play that promotes an act so heinous that we shudder at the very thought? I am reminded very quickly that the Bible says that in the End Days, anything man can imagine, he will be able to create. That Satan will be leashed on us and the anti-Christ will try to destroy all that is good and right. Do we need go much further than THIS!?!?!? IS it possible that we, as a people will truly allow a game that will teach our kids, some possible up and coming rapist and some that need only a little encouragement or Practice to follow through?
What we, as a people have the ability and the responsibility to do, one human to another, is to make certain that this game or anything even close to it, Never, Ever be allowed to be sold. Ban it and go to those that designed this game and take away their rights and ability to ever create another game. We must send a message that THIS is NOT O.k. And that we will NOT sit back and watch this game touch the lives of our people. I can not convey to you the depth of how my mind and heart feel, knowing that a game like this was even "Imagined", let alone that it was made.
We live today in a world that watches violence as a past time on our televisions. We seek out the worst horror movies and the scariest and filthiest movies, because we have become bored with the "you shoot, I shoot him" shows that are available today. We want MORE, More!!!! I am certain, beyond doubt, that if you had an arena, placed 3 or 4 randomly selected "Christians" in the center, added a lion or two and let the battle one another, you would fill the arena daily. Might even have to add a second show in the evening to accommodate all of the people that I Know would go to be a spectator. That is where the level of "what is hot" is today. If you think for one second that if Rapeplay is released, no one will buy it then you are sadly mistaken. It would sell and then, we would have people learning how best to Rape!
Ask yourself if you want your children, your brother or sister, your friends down- loading a game that will show them and allow them to hone up on their rape skills? Where do we draw the line as to what is going to be part of our world? What takes something to place that it is NOT Allowed? I hope your answer is This Game. I can only say this! Please just say NO to this disgusting game. Your mothers, daughters, sisters, friends will become the victims of this horrible game if it is allowed to surface! Do Not Allow this to happen. It might not be "just a game" one day.

Looking for extra income? I know right where to send you.

Survey sites that DO Pay!!!! My Proof...
Yes,yes, I know, you have tried them before and they aren't worth the time. Well today, I want to try and show you that it IS worth the time. I have been doing surveys a very long time. I have seen the Good, the Bad and the Oh believe me when I say... The Uglies! I spent many hours doing surveys, weeks of opening and closing and waiting to reach that "cash out" point only to find that the site was a scam.
"Oops, we are sorry, you "sneezed" wrong and so we are cancelling your account." OUCH!!! Through trial and error and good friends, I found a few that pay out and pay out nicely. Today, in a semi-self serving and reaching out to help moment, I am going to share some proof of a few sites that have helped greatly in my quest to do my Summer vacations and Christmas shopping. Now understand that if anyone reading this is a millionaire or even a "thousandaire" if that word exists, and simply doesn't need extra money, pleaseeeee, send it to me. ;)I can always use an extra 20.00 or 50.00.
Yessssss, I know... I could have just planted the proof and gone away but the truth is I love to write and take every opportunity to do so. So please, bare with me as i prove to you that this time next year, you could be blessing a lot of people with gifts that cost YOU nothing. That's a Christmas gift all in itself. As I post these sites, I ask only that you do one thing for me. Use the URL's that I add here to sign up under me. That way, we both get a gift from this. The Pics at the top of this blog show the proof. The Urls are down here. Please don't let this pass you by. What a blessing these sites were for me at this giving time of ">year.http://www.treasuretrooper.com/385263
This next one, the only way to get recognition for you joining under me is to add your e-mail to my referral. I will simply show you the payouts minus the name. If you wish to join, contact me, please.

Opinion Points Redeemed # Request Date Sent Points Redeemed Cash Value
1 12/8/2008 In Process 500 $50.00
2 11/24/2008 12/1/2008 100 $10.00
3 10/10/2008 11/3/2008 300 $30.00
4 09/6/2008 10/15/2008 50 $5.00

SurveySpot... There ARE more but for now, just imagine that these are only one month of pay and only for these three. Even at this amount per month, you would be putting nearly 70.00 away per month times 12 equals 840.00 at Christmas time. Can you use some of that? I hope so. Please check these sites out and get ready to have a "out of pocket free" Christmas next year. From me to you. Darrel

Strength in family...

This topic has been on my heart for many years and it is more important as well as potent than almost any matter we face today.
I can only write this by means of what I have been taught and learned over the years. Satan and the world has long sought ways to separate the family dwellings. The reason is, to take away the strength that is in the many. In order for the world to control us and Satan to reach each person, there had to be a separation of family ties. The strongest part of the family has always been the dinner table. It is where we find out what our children are doing and who they are seeing as friends. The world knew that if they could separate the family, they could gain control of the children and cause a gap in the ties that make a family strong.
The T.V. is said to be one of the greatest invention of our time. I say it was and remains the most destructive invention ever created. The T.V. tray became the place of choice to eat our meals. No longer were questions and conversations about what our children are doing asked. No more would we laugh together at our happenings or know what classes our children were taking, passing, failing. The conversation was replaced with the words "hush, I want to hear this part" or "I am trying to watch this show!" Our children follow our lead and when we get too involved in something other than their lives, they will take it elsewhere. The cost of t.v. taking the place of our children is immeasurable. The price is way too high and the loss too large to even imagine.
Strength is always more effective in numbers and as we watch the breakdown of our family ties, we are in fact witnessing the fall of our future. Satan is winning and we are losing the most precious gift of all. The computer has come to us amidst the already unstable structure of our families and added more separation. To have to walk into a computer room to have a conversation with our children is a sad state of affairs. It is just one more wall being built between us and our family. If we lose contact with our children and our family, then we lose everything precious to us. We need Discipline. We can take our children back. We can become strong as a family again. But first, we have to choose to do so. We must weigh the facts and find where we are lacking and then, shut the t.v. off or close down the computer if we are to regain our place as a family.
Can we reverse this fall? Can we become a family as it was meant to be? You would find, I believe, that your children would be most responsive to the change. They yearn for our attention and grow from our actions. We do have the power to make our family what it was before we had t.v. and computers. We must choose to do this because our home is not the only place that suffers for our separation from the dinner table. The whole country is truly at stake when we choose to watch a show over listening and talking with our family. No one will starve while waiting for the entire family to sit down. If a show is THAT important to you, record it and watch it after you have spent time with your family. You will find that you didn't miss a thing on t.v. And if you must turn the t.v. on then watch a family show that it is ok for your children to talk and ask questions during. You might learn something new about your kids AND yourself. It is up to You.

Balancing the Scale...

Spring has Sprung... I think. Sixty degrees when I went to bed and snow on the ground when I woke. Sounds like Spring to me. Well, at least in Iowa, U.S.A. So, I do the balancing act, as I do every year. I rush to get things done when it is nice and then huddle in the warmth of the house when the nasty weather rears it's head again. While thinking about this, I had another thought. Isn't that really what I do with my Life? Try and balance the good and the bad, while trying to process what makes me a good or bad person?
I look back through my life and try so hard to see the "good" man that many have tried to show me. As a youngster, I surrounded myself with those "less fortunate" than me. That is not to say I had More. It is writing of a time when I was my blind Brothers eyes and I made friends with kids that had any and every physical affliction one could imagine. My father was sometimes leery of opening the front door because he wasn't sure who would be standing there. Would it be the deaf kid from next door? Maybe it was the kid that was born without a nose, save the two holes that made up the center of his face. He might even find the boy that was born with one breast that grew like a girls while the other stayed flat like a boys. Whether they were blind, crippled, slower in thought or just Different in some way from other kids, they made up the group I hung with and called my friends. Money nor material things meant nothing to them. Friendship was the most valuable commodity and sadly sometimes, the most easily traded.
I played the balancing act in those days too. I would slip away to the river to meet friends that had No afflictions from time to time. But the two worlds rarely met and when they did, they simply were not compatible. I grew up following the same pattern. One side of my world, being a hero and the other side of the Spectrum, I was "freak" because no one could understand why I would hang with kids that were so unlike me. Was I a good kid or was I merely someone that felt more comfortable with kids that depended on me, looked up to me and appreciated me just for being there? I am still processing that one after 45 years.
Enter, present day. I think my father is still a little afraid to open my front door. He might still find someone standing there with afflictions that make them unacceptable or at the very least, avoidable by the rest of the world. Still trying to balance my life but now, it is for a different reason. I am trying to decipher of I am a good man or a not so good man that surrounds himself with reasons to look good to others.I want to believe so badly in my heart that the good and kind things I do today are because I simply have a good heart. I want to feel inside that I Have reached out to those "less fortunate" because of a love that was instilled in my soul many, many years ago and not because I am trying to find a balance in my life.
DO I Make any sense to you at all??? Welcome to my little world of Bipolar and uncertainties. Of black and white and Grey and Abstract thoughts. What truly gives cause to someone, anyone, calling me a good man? I have hidden from the world a often as I could. I have loved and left and have cheated on hearts that loved me simply because I was me. A confusing occurrence all in and of itself. Issues in my life that find me driving to the Lake, early on a calm, dark Spring morning, to sit, headlights on the river in front of me, and cry. To try and convince myself that I am worthy of the love and the friendships that are part of my daily living. To tell myself that I reach out and help people enough to balance the hurt and pain I cause those that choose to love me. Do the words "Good Man" apply to me, even though I have hurt so may over the years? For every wrong I do, making certain I do something that is right... Is that balancing or do the wrong always weigh more than the good?
I guess that I wonder... can one truly balance the scale once it is loaded with so much sorrow and remorse for causing someone to cry? I wonder...

Abductions and Until Death Do We Meet

Until Death Do We Meet and Abduction
Two powerful novels that will have you wanting to see the next page as quick as you can!!!

eroomservice.com...Modern Furnishings for a modern home.

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Remembering...

Four years... how quickly they seem to have passed. On this day, four years ago, my entire life was about to change in ways I could not imagine. Something would happen that I truly believed in my heart and soul that I myself would never see. After a long night of sleeplessness, I took my Sheila to the emergency room. Our doctor did all she could to make Sheila comfortable. Morphine was given freely. Hushed chatter was going on in the corner of the room. Still... my mind did Not go where I think so many other minds might have gone. Holding her hand tightly, I looked up at her Doctor. "I am going to send her to Mason City. I can not do anything more here, Darrel." Still, I simply nodded and got ready for the trip to Mason City Hospital as I had done more times then I could remember, over the past 24 years.
In Mason City, we waited for doctors to decide what they were going to do. Hour after hour went by and Sheila and I did what we had always done. We talked in between her drifting in and out from the medications they gave her to keep her from hurting. We talked about nothing and everything. There was no need to talk about anything final because I never, ever had allowed myself to believe that anything other than her getting better and coming home would happen. My faith and belief in God to watch over her was as it always had been. Total and un-wavering.It is how we lived our lives since she had gotten ill, one year after she and I were married. The strongest, most beautiful lady in the world was laying in front of me and I simply waited for the Doctors to say "Take her home... she will be fine."
Four years... It seems like a forever ago sometimes and yet, today, it seems like yesterday. It all comes rushing back to me and I realize that though I have now continued my life and have my family to finish out my life with, Sheila is Still so much a part of everything I have done with my life.
I live with the memories of her beautiful love and her smile that always said "It will be fine, good looking." I remember kissing her as she was wheeled into the operating room at 1a.m., on a windy but promising early morning. I remember seeing all the signs that Spring was peeking it's head in after a long cold winter. Leaves danced around my feet and swirled into the air, like a cat chasing it's own tail. A light jacket was all I needed to step outside and grab a quick smoke. And I remember NOT ever thinking that in an hour or so, Doctors would come to tell me she was going up to recovery and I could see her soon. I see myself, falling to the floor, begging through uncontrolled tears for the surgeon to tell me she was o.k. Asking him if he was sure about what he had just told me! I was certain that he must be wrong! She Always got better... Always. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Four years ago tomorrow, my whole world changed. Life as I knew it would never be the same. My daughter and I would get things together for the memorial. Plants and flowers and cards and people would fill our lives for the next little while. And when it was quiet, we would try to figure out what it was we were supposed to do now. I would begin a journey that would take me through the walk of "If I had taken a moment to think "What if...?" If I had thought for a second that maybe, just maybe, God was going to take away her pain and suffering forever by taking her to heaven to be with him. I live not with things said, but with the words that were Not said. I only said "I love you, forever." Was it enough? Did I show her for ever that I Would love her? Did she know that there was no one in the world that could take me away from her? Does she know that now? I have so much to tell her. I have so much to show her. IS she happy that I have finally moved forward and that love and life are mine to hold again? So many things I would have said and done if I had known that she would Not come home ever again. Can I tell her now???????????????
"I love you, My Sheila. I will always love you. Though life and love have found their way into my heart and life, You are and will Always be my First true love. The memories that are private and only yours and mine will live on forever in my soul. The tears I cry are bitter-sweet. They are for the Love that I was so blessed with for 24 years. They are for the moment you left this world and I realized that nothing would ever look the same in these eyes again. That Spring would burst forth as it always has, and yet... it would not ever feel as it did when you were here. A new Spring is coming. New life and new memories are going to hang on my wall. Laughter and smiles and discoveries will be plentiful. And You, my love, will watch them happen from heaven. Today, tomorrow and forever I love you, And I Miss you as I know I always will. {Just feel it...}"
I write today for memories and the beauty that was my Sheila. And I write for the therapy that it is to my soul. Thank you, to who ever reads this, for being patient and understanding. March 8Th, 2006... my world got a little smaller.

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Time... dictator to the world.

Time... it means so many things to people. Something that so many consider important, but for different reasons. It dictates our lives even if we don't want it to. We start our day by a clock that wakes us. We eat because it is "time" to eat. We sleep when it is that time too. Andddd, we love it when we have a day off so that we can set the alarm for much later and sleep in. Wait... "we?" Nope, that would not be me nor anyone that is bipolar or any other disorder of the mind.
How are we different? What sets us apart from the "norm?" My sleep habits are not dictated by an alarm clock. Sometimes, I wish it was. I start my day normally before the alarm has a chance to wake me. I eat when the mood strikes me and sometimes, if depressed or really having what I call a "Bipolar" day, the mood may not strike me at all. If not for others around me, I would for certain eat only every few days. I sleep when my mind allows me to sleep. That sleep is usually Very late at night, or early in the morning, however you choose to look at it. Sleep for me is a nap for most. Three hours feels like 8 and my body is rested. As for the mind, it never stops nor rests. Thoughts race through my head and wake me in the night. I flip over, I toss and I sit up, sometimes to light up a cig and take a few puffs.
Time has very little meaning to me. I think that most bipolar people are this way. I may not get the desire to begin a project until 3 a.m. and then I am ready to go. I may decide that 8 p.m. is a great time to do things outside. Not really unlike regular people, I think, I wish that there were 3 hours of dark and 21 hours of light. Dark is not a necessity for sleep for me. I can sleep virtually any time, any place, including stair steps. I do NOT recommend them for sleeping as waking suddenly, not realizing you are still on the steps can be a little dangerous and painful. I AM talking from experience on that one.
If it stayed light 21 hours a day, then this crazy, bipolar...{ooops, did I use the "C" word? ;)"}mind of mine could function on it's own time. I could stroll outside in the middle of the night and gather my thoughts. I could sit outside and write in my newest novel with the air outside touching my face, inspiring me to tell my readers how wonderful it felt. I could work in my garden at 2 a.m. and walk around the lake just because I needed to clear my head a little. Maybe I am not so unlike others. I don't know. I hate time telling me when I must do something. I hate the fact that I may suddenly need to go somewhere at the same time that I decided it was a good time to do something else. I hate that "life" sometimes gets in the way of "Living." Does that even make sense?
Give me a world that life happens because you created a reason for it to happen,. A world that you do things when they strike you and there is no time to start nor any time to end. Just a world that i can stop and smell the roses or sit down and cry a river and not have something staring me in the face. I function in "their" world because I truly must. I disconnect from the world more often than I care for the world to know. Only those that love me know when I have. At least Most of the time. I know my responsibilities and they do Not weigh me down. I love so many things that life gives to me and the blessings that fill my day and night. It truly is about time... a time dictated world that sometimes interferes with my need to unplug from it's chaos. A world that makes me so anxietic and leaves me feeling lost and a bit jerky and clicking... terms known to anyone that is or loves a bipolar person.
Time... something I am out of right now and wished I was not. I think today, I could write non stop and never ever empty this mind of mine. It is over flowing and I wished I knew what to do with it all. Wow!!!!!! "And that's all I am gonna say about that." Forrest Gump.............

For those that Love Us... Thank you always

Reaching out to those that are bipolar or that love and/or care for someone that is, I open my mind and my heart today. While shopping with my family a few days ago, I was taken back a bit by the realization that I truly am "high Maintenance." But this isn't about those that suffer from this disorder today. This is about those that love us. The ones that deal with our ways every single day.
I watch my family while we are in the store and they watch me closely. I sometimes wander through the store and then find myself standing... staring at whatever happened to catch my attention. I wait patiently, time meaning very little to me at that moment, for someone know to come along and touch my hand. At that point, I am free to roam once again. It isn't as if I can not go into a store alone. I can do that and as long as the crowd doesn't get too rude or over-whelming, I am good to go. It is simply that my mind wanders sometimes and I find myself extremely anxietic. Life for me and most bipolars is that way anyways. Even on my good days, the world is disconnected from me and my thoughts. The wrong time, the wrong place... the wrong anything for me, leaves me unable to accept the way the world is today.
Shards of yesterday and yester-year fill my mind and I find myself some-where between reality and what is real only to me. Those that love me and care for me can see these things and reach out and touch me, bringing me back to a world that isn't truly compatible with me. Our loved ones never know which "flag" is up. Is it ok to touch me? Is it alright to bring up certain subjects? Will her kisses make me slip back into reality or will they take my mind far away to where I fear that I am unable to bring myself to a place of comfort. Will a spoken word set me off on some wild moment of jerking and clicking and talking to "myself?"
Our loved ones have little choice but to live in our world a lot of the time they are near us. We ourselves easily slip into a mode of happy or not happy. We can leave the world that we fear and go away to a place that our loved ones are unable to touch us in. We can shift from happy to sad and back again and never think about it. We can be extremely excited about nothing at all and in a single instant, we are sad beyond anyones imagination. Nothing out of the ordinary for us but the ones that love us are left to deal with those roller coaster rides and somehow be there to pick us up when we fall out of the roller coaster car. They try to minimize the damages and sort out whether we are approachable at the time or not. We could write a book titled "how to go from sane to psycho and back in 30 seconds.
I wonder... do you tell the one you call safety Thank you now and then for all they endure? It isn't simply day to day emotions or ideas of grandeur that they must deal with. It isn't just the fears that We have they must try and calm or understand. It is living with the knowledge that the very person they love, the one they worry about and walk with and try to hold when ever they can that they must deal with. It is living with the knowledge, though not necessarily the understanding, that this person they love so deeply could wake up one morning and say "I don't want this any more. I am leaving." The knowing that every single day is both brand new and a carry over from the day before and the day before that and as far back as the issues may be. They endure and love us anyways.
Living with a bipolar person is not something everyone can do. those that stay with us through it all are precious and blessings. Take the time to thank them now and then. Let them know that you DO know all they must endure to be with you. And please, trust me on this one. They Do love you... They Must. Other-wise, they would not bear the brunt of where our minds take us. They would simply go away from us.

The Half-lings... The End??????

One by one the Humans died. Some tried to run to the safety of their vehicles while others simply closed their eyes and fired their rifles until they were empty, waiting for the final blow that would end their lives. The beasts fought side by side with the She-cats and discovered that perhaps their hatred for one another had been a fight that was no longer theirs.
Leandra fought with a savagery that she did not even know she possessed. She killed the humans with fury and hatred. A hatred she knew would never be appeased by only killing these men. She called out to her kinsmen.
"These men have families, lovers or someone they care for just as we do! We will hunt them down and wipe out their legacy as they have ours tonight. We will do this as one tribe, one pride, to ensure the safety of our species and for vengeance for the loved ones they have taken from us. Who will fight with me!?!? Beast-men, your leader lays in a cave, possibly dieing from the wounds inflicted by the man that called himself Michael's father."
"We will fight with you, Leandra! So say the Beast-men!" The Beast-men raised their weapons in the air and roared.
The screams had stopped and the two groups stopped to lick their wounds. They had defeated the humans at a high price. Over half of the Beast-men and She-cats had been killed. The sun slowly rose above the trees and shined it's light down into the forest. Beasts changed to humans as did the She-cats. They sat together, looking at one another. Leandra went to the cave that Michael's was in. She prayed that she would not find him dead. She needed Michael in her life and could not imagine him Not there. Entering the cave, she found Lori, sitting beside Michael's body. She had covered him completely, from head to toe, with her coat and under-shirt. Leandra felt her heart skip and tears began to flow, even before she reached him. Lori reached out her hand to steady Leandra's walk.
"I did everything that I could do for him, Leandra. I just didn't know enough of how to treat me."
Leandra fell to the floor beside Michael. She grasped his hand in hers, the tears flowing steady onto the floor. She rubbed his hand on her face and kissed it gently.
"Tell me he is just healing, Lori. Please tell me he isn't gone. He was the one that saw the true me. He knew me enough to know I would fight at his side forever. I need him, Lori." Her statement sounded more like a plea to Lori.
"There is no pulse, Lea. There has not been one for hours. He is gone."
"No-o-o-o-o!" Leandra grabbed Lori and tossed her to the floor. For the first time in her life, Lori felt afraid of Leandra. "Go," Leandra screamed in what was almost a growl. "Leave here and never, ever look upon our kind again! If I see you after this day, I Will kill you for the human that you are!"
"Leandra, please,' Lori cried out. "I am Not one of them. All of the humans are Not like those men that killed Michael! Do not do this to me! I am your friend."
"I will turn my back for a moment. When I look back again, if you are still here, I will simply kill you!"
Lori could see Leandra beginning to change. She knew in that instant that Leandra meant what she said. The She-cat would only see a human now. No longer would she see Lori as her best friend. She would see her as one of many that killed the man she loved. Lori turned and ran as fast as she could out of the cave and to her car. never looking back, she drove away from the forest, her eyes so filled with tears she could barely see. Today, she had lost the best friend she had ever known. A friend she trusted with her life and now, feared for her life because of her.
Leandra kissed Michael once more and covered him. She went to the entrance of the cave and climbed to the top of the entrance. Calling out to her pride, in moments she was surrounded by She-cats and Beast-men.
"He is gone! The humans took his life! I need you to pull the cave walls down around the entrance so that no one can enter here again!"
The creatures joined forces again and soon the entire front of the cave was crashing in around the entrance. They all sat in front of the cave when it was sealed and bowed in reverence to the man... the Beast-man that had changed their worlds forever.
"Today, we lost a great man," Leandra growled. "We will stay in hiding and one by one, avenge the man we all loved and my Mother! We will start with the families of the humans that tried to erase our species from the face of the earth! After they are all gone, we will kill humans entire They are annihilated or we... are all dead! Are you with me!?!?!?!? YOU are my family, now! Who will fight with me!?!?!?!"
The roars and screams and raising of clubs told Leandra that she would not fight alone. She cried as they all walked into the deep forest...

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It was dark and cold. He could not see his hand in front of his face. His body ached when he tried to stand. How long had he been here? Where was Lori and Leandra? The cave dust on his clothing and the bats hanging near him, their feces rank, told Michael he had been here for at least a week. He walked to what was once the entrance to the cave. He began to move the boulders, one at a time. This was going to be a long day. He would find Leandra and together, they would make a life together. He loved her with all he was and he would not stop until they were standing side by side...

The Half-lings Pt 7

Michael returned quick and the group gathered close around him. They were ready to end this battle once and for all.
"I will not lie to you. Some us you will die tonight. These men are fully armed and want to kill us badly. They will not stop until everyone of us are dead... or they are. We have to fight with all of the animal instinct we were born with. Abandoned the life of being half human for now. Let the wild animal in you take over. We must fight as they will fight... to the end. None can be allowed to escape to come back another time! But remember, Michaelie is Mine! I will be the one to kill him!
A strange group, She-cats and Beasts together, fighting for the same cause. Survival of their species. Together they slipped into the forest, all in one movement. They broke off into groups, a mix of She-cats and Beast-men. Calamine was following Michael and he stopped her.
"You are a leader, Cal. You need to lead some of the groups in the opposite direction of me. Leandra trusts you to lead in her absence and that is good enough for me. Together we can defeat these creatures."
"You are right, Michael and Leandra was correct in saying you were a great leader. You two will lead together perfectly. I will take a group to the left and you go to the right. We may need to come in behind them to have the advantage."
"You are wise and we will do things your way for now. We will meet in the center behind the humans. Be safe, Cal."
Shots could be heard from the center of the forest. The humans were finding She-cats and beasts that were lost and trying to find their families. Some were unaware that the two had joined as one. They passed one another in the forest, both hoping neither saw the other. As Calamine or Michael found some of them, they quickly explained the plan and moved on.
Michael sniffed the air, searching for the one scent that he knew would make him toss all reason aside. He wanted to find the man that was his father and ask him before he killed him why he hated him so. The screams from the forest only served to make his anger grow. He wasn't even sure now if he would have the strength to ask the question. He might just simply Kill Him.
"I can smell the creatures, Men! We can kill the cats easier now that we have killed their leader. They will be confused and wandering!"
"Michaelie, why are why finding both so close together? I thought the cats and beasts were enemies?"
"I have heard that the Beast and a She-cat have found each other. Perhaps they are closer than we think. That is why we Must kill them tonight. They can not be allowed to breed! The leader of the Beasts will fall tonight at My hands. Injure him, subdue him, leave him near death but Do Not Kill him! He belongs to me!"
The men walked on, separating into two groups. They searched the forest, listening for any sounds of the animals. They were killing them as quick as they found them. Many cats and beasts had died in the past few hours of darkness. It was few and far between now. The men wondered where the others were. They knew they had Not killed them all yet. Not knowing where the animals had gone to left a bit of fear in the men's minds.
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Michael saw Calamine and her group coming in from the side. She saw him and nodded to him. As they neared the center, Michael felt something touch his shoulder. He turned to see Leandra behind him.
"What are you doing here!?!?! You are not strong enough to fight!"
"Michael, I am better and I will not let the one I love fight without me beside him. We will not argue about this. It is simply done. Let us go finish this."
She took her place with Calamine and thanked her for standing in her stead. Suddenly, the trees moved in front of them. Birds that had been sheltered in the trees took to flight. The animals all turned towards the sound of the trees. As the tree's parted, the animals found themselves face to face with the humans. Both humans and animals stared at one another, neither certain what to do. Michael sniffed the air. He found the scent he was searching for. At that moment, the men raised their rifles. Cats and Beasts scattered into the protection of the thicket. Shots rang out and screams filled the air. Screams of both humans and animals filled the forest. Animals began to attack, slipping below the bullets and wrapping them selves around the legs of the shooters. Pulling them down to the ground, the animals killed them quickly. Blood now covered their coats and the ground looked like a red river. Men died now, un-mercifully at the hands of the beasts and the deadly claws of the She-cats. Some of the men tried to run into the forest to save themselves. They were killed as they tried to find their way out. The battled raged on for what seemed to be hours and suddenly, the animals slowly taking control. Michael saw the man he would kill. He raced from the crowd and approached Michaelie. "So, you have found me, have you?
Michael resisted the desire to kill the man in front him. He needed an answer to his question. Michaelie tried to raise his rifle but Micheal stripped it from his fathers hands.
"I need to know why you hate me so."
His father stared at him. His eyes were filled with both confusion and hatred. He stepped back from Michael. He spoke with animosities in his voice.
"I hate you because you are what I fought to Not be. I found a way to lead a normal life. I found your mother and she did Not tell me she was a freak! I fell in love with her and wanted a Son that was normal. She gave me you and so i killed her! I hate you because of the creature you are. I want you dead because I do NOT want my blood-line tainted and corrupted by the creature you are! I want you and the other creature dead!!!!"
Michael looked at the man before him. He felt nothing for him nor did he care any longer that this man was his father. He sliced through the air and his claws caught the man's face. Michaelie screamed as blood covered him and Michael. He reached out to Michael but Michael stepped back and watch his father fall to the ground dead. As he snarled at the dead man a stinging sensation surged through his shoulder. The power of the bullet ripped at his body and sent him to the ground. Three men surrounded Michael and raised their rifles.
"You are going to die, Beast!" He aimed his rifle at Michael's head and began pulling back on the trigger. "Goodbye, you freak!"
"He may indeed die, human, but today is Not the day!"
Michael looked up and saw Leandra standing behind the men. A Beast stood beside her, growling low. the man's finger pulled back and the shot rang out like a bomb being set off. Micheal's body jerked as the second round hit his back. He screamed in pain and clawed at the ground.
"No, NO, this isn't happening!!!" Leandra moved as she watched Michael's body writhe in pain on the ground. He teeth dug into the mans neck and she ripped his throat open. "You will die now, you spawn! All of you humans are going to die. This I swear to you!"
The beast beside her grabbed two of the men at once and slammed their bodies together over and over until they were lifeless. He growled and then knelt down and picked Michael up. "We will not leave him here. I will find the girl Lori and she will care for him! He will Not die, Leandra!"
"He can't!" Leandra screamed and raised off into the forest to kill the rest of the men. The screams that filled the air now were of humans dieing. The only other sound was Leandra, screaming and growling and Killing...