The Witches Curse

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The Witches Curse

The day was done. I yawned and closed my eyes, settling into the oversized barrel chair that swallowed me into its cushions. The fire crackled and danced in the hearth, spreading warmth into the room. 

Granma gently tapped me on the shoulder. She handed me a steaming cup of hot chocolate, not the kind made from a package and water, but the old-fashioned kind made from real whole milk and Hershey’s chocolate syrup. It smelled delicious. 

I blew the steam away, bringing the cup ever so gently to my lip and slurped. “Oh, this is really good and just what the doctor ordered. Thanks, Granma,” I said with a big exhale and smile. 

“You’ve earned it, and after the long day of chopping wood, I thought marshmallows were in order,” she said, dumping a handful of the tiny puffy treats into my cup.

“Happy New Year!” I said and held my mug up to Granma, where she clinked hers to mine softly.

“Happy New Year! I’m so glad you came to live with me after your mother disappeared. We need each other, and I love you fiercely,” Granma said and kissed my forehead before she sat in the matching overstuffed chair.

“I love you too, and thank you for standing up for me. I pray that mom finds her way back.”

“Amen!”

We sat quietly in front of the fire, sipping our cocoa, “Do you think nature will align and open the portal so she can come home tonight?” I asked, recalling the witch’s curse that had been cast over our family.

“It has been ten years, and every New Year’s Eve, I make cocoa with marshmallows, sit before this fire, and wait to see if a thunderstorm will strike exactly at midnight,” Granma explained.

“I don’t think it will be this year. The sky was clear and bright all day,” I said and sighed. Granma nodded. 

“Here we go with the countdown, six, five, four,” Granma said as the big clock in the hall chimed. 

Just then, the front door flew open with the last stroke of the grandfather clock. I jumped up and ran for the entry, the wind blowing dead leaves and dirt in a whirlwind into my face. Granma followed. “Is it the witch?” I asked, shielding my eyes and out of breath.

I heard Granma gasp. My vision cleared, standing before us was the witch, and behind her was a flash of lightning with the loudest clap of thunder I’d ever heard. “Who is it?” I screamed.

“The Tart has returned,” Granma whispered and fainted onto the floor.

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Pixies and Dragons Live Among Us

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Just another one of my silly stories...

 Pixies and Dragons Live Among Us

The sidewalk below Joanie’s feet growled. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder and down the vacant dark street. The rain had drenched the area moments before. The umbrella dropped below her head as she stared in wonderment, goosebumps pricked her skin. She saw nothing, no movement, no cars crossing at the intersection behind or in front of her, nothing.

“Where did everyone go?” she muttered and continued toward her new apartment. 

Joanie had been lucky. The housing in this area of Chicago was hard to come by, and the list for this flat was lengthy. “You must be so tired from moving that you’re imagining things,” she berated herself.

She turned and began her trek toward the new apartment. Stepping off the curb, her boot landed in a puddle. The foul smell of sewer filled her nostrils, making her glance down the alley. “Man, its dark tonight, and what is that odor?” 

“Grrrr!” the sidewalk said again. 

Her breath caught, and her pace quickened. “What was that?” she said as her head jerked in all directions. “Maybe the previous tenant’s accident wasn’t an accident after all.”

“Grrrr!” This time the angry noise came from a grate in the gutter below her feet. She’d heard that a maze of tunnels existed underground, but never thought any of it was true. Just then, a flame shot up and out of the vent. 

Joanie screamed and ran. Her breathing came in short pants as she fumbled with the umbrella and yanked on the locked door leading to her building. “Combination? What’s my code?” she shouted. A man saw her struggling with the keypad and came to her assistance.

“Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said as he stepped aside to let her in through the glass door.

“No, actually, I think it was a dragon…” Joanie said and waited for him to make a snide comment. “Close that door!” she shouted as he stared at her.

“Dragon? Okay, do you really think this glass door is going to keep Henry out?” he said sheepishly.

“Henry?”

“Oh, yeah, you’re new here, right?” he asked. Joanie shook her head, trying to blink and refresh her dry eyes. “He’s just welcoming you to the neighborhood,” the young man about her age said and smiled.

“Are you kidding me? The next thing you’ll tell me is that the pixies cleaned my apartment while I was at work today,” Joanie said curtly.

“Oh, I don’t think pixies clean, but they are mischievous. If I were you, I’d keep a spare set of keys around your neck,” he said, pulling a string out of his shirt, showing her his car key and door key.

“Really? Is there anything else I should be on the lookout for?” Joanie asked.

“Why don’t you come in and dry off. I’ll fix some tea and fill you in on our special block.”

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Podcast discussing 5 questions commonly asked

TD Cooper and Frank Weeden discuss 5 questions commonly asked of writers.
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#writing #amwriting #authors #authortalk #frankhweeden #tdcooperbooks

Unwanted Gifts

Unwanted Gifts

Unwanted Gifts by TD Cooper

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#writing #amwriting #authors #authortalk #frankhweeden #tdcooper

It was midnight. Dark as the inside of a black cat and pouring rain. I couldn’t sleep and wound up downstairs in the kitchen, where I put the kettle on for some hot tea.  While I was waiting for the water to boil, I poured a bowl of Cheerios and headed for the couch. A solid, thunderous knock pounded at the front door. The cereal flew into the air and crashed to the floor, spilling everywhere. I’d poked several into my mouth and was chewing, but when the sudden noise startled me, I inhaled the tiny bits and coughed uncontrollably.

As I gathered my wits, my first inclination was to ignore the midnight caller; after all, I was home alone. My husband was a police officer, and with this storm, there’d been an accident on the interstate. Everyone was required to respond to the emergency. Ted was happy to go, me not so much. Being eight and half months pregnant made me uneasy about being alone on a night like this one. Let’s just say I was restless, and my thoughts raced. 

I considered who was at my door. It might be a neighbor with a problem or someone with car trouble. I knew better than to open the door for a stranger. Even though we lived in a small, safe town, creepy things can happen anywhere. How many times had my husband pounded that thought into my head? 

There’d been an unsolved murder of a young woman a month ago in the township west of us. Ted told me they didn’t have any suspects. He wouldn’t share any details, but I knew the killer had done horrible things to her. I puffed out my cheeks in an exhale and brushed the hair out of my face.

The baby kicked, and I jerked out of my contemplation. Was the baby trying to tell me something? I rubbed my ribs on the left side. Just then, the phone rang… I jumped again. “What is happening, are the spirits trying to send me into labor?” I muttered.

“Hello?”

“Hey, babe, how you doing?” Ted asked.

“Someone is at the door, and I’m scared,” I whispered.

“I’m around the corner, don’t answer it!” Ted instructed with a professional authority to his voice. I froze. 

The baby kicked, reminding me to breathe.  I rubbed the tiny foot that was poking me in the rib again. The doorknob rattled, and the door shook. Was it Ted or my unexpected visitor? I turned off the lights, picked up a butcher knife from the counter, and ducked behind the wall separating the kitchen from the family room. I waited, hoping my big belly wasn’t giving away my position. The next few minutes felt like hours.

“Kami! Kami! Are you alright.” I heard Ted’s voice shouting.

I breathed, closed my eyes, and thanked God before I answered. “I’m right here,” I said.

“It’s okay, come and look,” Ted said as he barged in and ran straight for me. He made a face at me and set the knife back on the counter. I shrugged and rolled my eyes.

Sitting on the front stoop was a china-faced doll with chubby cheeks and charcoal hair. She was dressed in a satin pink shirt and red pants and was sitting on a box of chocolates. There was no card or note.

“Did you see anyone?” Ted asked. I shook my head and stared at him. “I’m calling the department. I think this is a calling card from our killer.”