Hold The Door

It's late so I'll keep this short.  I wrote a short, short story (also known as flash fiction) and submitted it to a writing contest.  I haven't done this in a while so figured I'd give it another shot.  If you'd like to read it, it's called HOLD THE DOOR.  It has to do with good manners and how sometimes they can backfire. 

Here's a link:  Hold The Door

You'll have to sign up for a free account but that's a good thing because then you can rate my story!

On the published story front, the people behind the anthology are shooting for a June 26th release date.  It sounds like I wasn't the only one to forgo the payment so that's kind of nice to hear that my fellow writers are equally as generous for a worthy cause.  Anyway, there's a spider roaming around in the room so I have to kill it now.  Poor thing shouldn't have stepped out from its hiding spot...

Signs of Summer

I realize that summer is quickly approaching with the arrival of the infamous June Bug or Phyllophaga crinita.  For those of you who do not know what I'm talking about, imagine the beetle creatures from the Jim Henson movie THE DARK CRYSTAL.  Okay, can you picture the Garthim? The black beetle guards?  Imagine them in all their hideous glory.  Now change that dark color to a coppery brown and shrink them down to about the size of an acorn and you have what we Midwesterners call a June Bug.  In fact, they really do look like an acorn that can fly and grab onto you and make creepy buzzing sounds as they try to get in through the screen over the window. 

As I sit here, one of the little creepers is trying to buzz through the screen on our window on the second floor.  It's hot so I have the shade up and the light on so I can see what I'm doing.  I never understood why insects are so attracted to light? Didn't they ever see POLTERGEIST? Zelda Rubinstein who played Tangina made it perfectly clear that we should all "stay away from the light".  And yet this idiot June Bug keeps buzzing at the screen so I walk over and I stand and stare at the beetle - watching it hover over the barrier that must confuse and bewilder the simple creature.  After my brief observation, I take my middle finger and press it against my thumb to form a circle.  I aim my finger at the bug and with a flick, I send the obnoxious critter tumbling into the darkness.  Maybe something will eat it.

Now I'm sitting back down to type this entry and not even five minutes later, the little beast is back - beating at the screen and trying to get to me and the light.  Yep, summer is almost here alright.

For more information on these fiends, check out this website:  http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/bimg139.html