Path Less Taken: The Phoenix Files Vol. 2

 

Path Less Taken

excerpt from Chapter 1: Dreams

Jane sat in her office, reviewing case files on her laptop. "Most seem straightforward. I'll let others handle them," she thought, taking a sip of her coffee. MK arrived after her last class, asking about the next assignment Father Patrick had mentioned. She entered the office with a messenger bag slung over her shoulder, wearing a red and white striped tee shirt with faded jeans, and her hair cascading loosely down her shoulders. 

Jane told MK that Father Patrick had left a file for them in the teacher's lounge the previous day. "You're excited to start this new assignment. Are you sure you want to join? Are you prepared? It involves potential portals and other dimensions," Jane mentioned as she got up from her desk and walked to the water dispenser. MK thought for a moment. She sighed and sat down on the chair across from Jane's desk. Jane returned to her desk, sat down, and placed her stainless-steel water bottle beside her. 

 "I understand why you're questioning me, but I assure you, I am ready. Besides, we've been delaying major assignments for a few months now." Jane gazed into MK's beautiful blue eyes, eyes that could see beyond what she could see; she nodded. "MK, let's discuss it. Mainly about the dreams, okay?"

MK hesitated. "My dreams are intricate," she admitted. MK got up and went to the coffee maker, noticing that Jane had made coffee earlier. She added sugar and cream to her cup before sitting down and placed it on a coaster with a South of the border design. "I still dream about the mono-yellow labyrinth, but lately, my dreams have been even stranger and more vivid," MK explained to Jane. Jane’s brows furrowed; a solicitous look shadowed her face.

 “What?” Jane looked at her with a mix of curiosity and worry, urging MK to elaborate on her connection to the mysterious Backrooms. MK hesitated for a moment, aware of the unsettling nature of her experiences. "In my dreams, I find myself in different settings - suburbs, farms, even a city but it feels empty, like there's no one around. And then there's this man," she shuddered, as if reliving a haunting encounter. In the towering skyscraper overlooking the bustling city, a figure with pointed ears and an enigmatic, pale complexion stands by the window, his face concealed from view.

Clad in a suit of greyish blue, he engages in conversation with me, his words shrouded in mystery."
“What does he say,” asked Jane, she is perturbed by MK’s revelation. MK paused and continued, “I see him experimenting on some of those unfortunate people that stumbled into his territory. He is dressed in a white overcoat like a doctor, I am unbale to see his face, it’s blurred out. I sense evil when I see him and one time, I think he saw me watching him. 

He said, “Ah, princess you’re here.” I woke up with a start.” Jane took a moment to reflect, releasing a deep sigh. "It pains me to witness your torment," she expressed, "but unfortunately, since this creep resides within your dreams, I am unable to extract and eliminate him." Jane paused, sighing once again. 

She had a hunch that someone from the Backrooms was attempting to reach out to MK. Feeling powerless, Jane yearned to sever the ties between that individual and MK, yet she understood that MK had to take matters into her own hands. With another sigh, Jane swallowed her frustration. “I think that if you find out what his name is, maybe I can have Father Patrick look him up. He might be one of the scientists that became trapped in the Backrooms when the accident happened. Maybe he lives somewhere within that Hellish place and developed psychic powers.” A perturbed look shadowed MK’s face. “Don’t worry, we’ll work on this and stop the connection, I promise.” Jane reassured her and reached out to hold her hand, but Jane hesitated to confess her true feelings for MK. MK reciprocated by holding Jane's hands and she changed the subject to the missing person case in Yosemite Park, expressing surprise and curiosity about the situation.  “So, where will we be going next,” asked MK. Jane showed her the file.

“Katy Lois Tyler missing in Yosemite Park? Probably one of those paranormal cases, right? Jane agreed, with a nod. "But how?" MK inquired.

"Well, it says here she's been gone for three months. She has two sons and a husband who loves and miss her," Jane explained.

MK's enthusiasm was evident as she eagerly asked, "So, when are we departing?" Jane, on the other hand, mentioned that Father Patrick would contact her for additional guidance. She got up, went to the table where she had kept the donuts, took one, and returned to her desk. Lost in her thoughts, MK didn't pay much attention when Jane sat back down. However, Jane noticed the distant expression on MK's face and inquired about what was troubling her. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” responded MK.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I've got your back, and this task will be just like the rest." She reassured her. MK nodded in agreement, expressing gratitude for the support. "You mean a lot to me, we're a team in this fight together." Jane comforted MK, helping her push away the dark thoughts from her mind. Both had unsettling dreams, and Jane's dreams take her to the Backrooms where she was searching for MK but encountered a Hound. As it attacks her, she slowly begins to transform into the same creature. She can sense her body changing into something grotesque and repulsive, feeling the agony of each bone twisting into a vile and supernatural form. The man from MK’s dreams, hints at her being an entity from the Backrooms but MK keeps Jane in the dark about what he revealed. MK suspects that the mysterious man in her dreams was once human but has yet to uncover the full extent of his relationship with her. MK notices a flyer on the desk and brings up a local church festival to raise money for the poor, shifting the conversation away from their previous somber discussion. “Good, this is what we need before we go off again. I can’t wait.” The festivities will involve rides, game booths and food venders. “Well, where do you want to have dinner tonight?” Jane asked.

“I guess we can go to Manuel’s Mexican food. I’m feeling Mexican today,” said MK with a chuckle. Jane smiled and nodded. 

Later that evening, Jane and MK found themselves enjoying a delightful dinner at the restaurant. “Hey, fancy meeting you two here,” John joined them at their table and greeted Jane with a friendly remark. Although surprised, Jane was pleased to see him there. Curious about his presence.

MK inquired, "What brings you here?" While taking a sip of her margarita. John explained that he was already at the bar when he saw them come in, finished his drink, and decided to join them because he had something to ask. There was a serious expression in his eyes, causing Jane to furrow her brows with worry. “What’s wrong?”

“Well, I just wanted to ask you both if,” he paused. “If you are having dreams,” he said and took a sip from Jane’s beer.

 “John, I don’t think this is the place to talk about this,” Jane responded. He nodded.

"So, you're going to the festival, right?" MK mentioned. Jane gave her a glance.

"Oh, I assumed he already knew," MK apologized. "Why is the Padre sending you to Yosemite?" he inquired, grabbing a tortilla chip from a bowl near Jane's plate, dipping it in guacamole, and eating it. Jane sighed, "We're searching for a missing person with a supernatural/paranormal link, and that's why the organization is involved." He gave a nod. "Are you both prepared for this task?" MK nodded in response. "We're all set," she glanced at Jane. Jane smiled and confirmed, "Absolutely."

"Alright, if you need assistance, you know where to reach me," he assured her. Later, after Jane left MK at her apartment, she returned home. John was waiting outside her door. They entered her apartment together, and she secured the door behind them. “Do you want anything to drink other than liquor,” she asked as she exhaled and walked into the kitchen to get a cup of water and took a sleeping pill of 25milligrams. It wasn’t a prescription pill, just the standard off the counter pills. John noticed. “You never needed to take anything to help you sleep. Are you sleeping well?” he asked. Jane sighed and walked to the sofa and sat down next to him. She took a better look at her dear friend and noticed that he too must not be sleeping well. “I think all of us have been having unusual dreams,” she said.

 “Unusual is not what I’d call them,” he said as he took off his boots and placed them on the floor.

 “John, do you want to spend the night here?” he nodded. “I don’t know if you or MK have been having nightmares of the Backrooms but sometimes, I swear they seem so vivid that I’m back there again.” He put his head on her lap, like a child needing to be comforted. “Yes, you can stay the night here, you can take the couch. It’s a bit lumpy but…”

“I know you save your bed for MK,” he joked.

“Does she know how you feel about her? Have you told her?” Jane smirked and shook her head.

“John, my love life is none of your business, anyways, I don’t think it’s the right time.”

 “Uh-huh, well one day she will pick up on that feeling. I think she swings both ways,” he smiled and shrugged. “Shut it,” said Jane. John sat up and Jane got him a blanket and an extra pillow. She sat next to him. “What kind of dreams do you have,’ he asked her. "I have returned to the dreaded Backrooms," she said, her voice trailing off.

"And then what?" he inquired.

"Well, I encountered a Hound while searching for MK, and I endured the excruciating transformation into one of them," she explained. A heavy silence hung in the air. John swallowed hard; his breath shaky.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

"In my dream, I found myself trapped in the Backrooms, consumed by the desire to hunt you down and end your life because you had become one of those abominations. I felt a looming danger threatening my very existence," he confessed. Jane gasped; her eyes filled with worry as she gazed at him.

"But it won't happen, John. These dreams are mere illusions, not reality. I believe they are being sent to us from the Backrooms, but we must resist their influence. We share a bond, you were my mentor, and I was your apprentice," she reassured, injecting a touch of humor with a Star Wars reference. "I never want to return to the Backrooms, but if you find yourself there again, I will implore Father Patrick to bring me to your aid." Jane nodded, understanding that if she ever transformed into a Hound, John would have no choice but to do what must be done. Surprisingly, they all had a restful night's sleep, including MK. Their minds were free from any unsettling dreams. However, Father Patrick's experience was quite different. He was tormented by a forbidden desire that haunted his dreams, a secret that remained hidden in the depths of his being. 

As he sat up in bed, he whispered, "The Light." Taking a moment to catch his breath, he got up and made his way to the bathroom. Filled with uncertainty, he prayed for strength, asking for God's help. While pouring water into a Dixie cup, he caught a glimpse of the mirror and saw a woman with dark hair and captivating hazel blue eyes. Startled, he dropped the cup, but the woman smiled and blew him a kiss before vanishing. He closed his eyes, let out a sigh, and returned to bed.

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The Phoenix Files

 

 

 

Excerpt from a Twist in Time

 

(This is an excerpt from A Twist in Time: Something’s in the Sky chapter 2

It is mid-February; Alyssa took up a class located somewhere in Riverside County to learn how to use a gun. She wanted to learn and always thought it would be fun to take up a sport. Though her husband was the gun lover in the family, she wanted to see what all the fuss was about. She was a quick learner, surprising her coach and herself. Her husband normally goes on weekends with his buddies to the local shooting range, but she never would join them, in fact her motive for learning how to use a weapon is simple…Summer Lynn. She would never really use her skill to kill an innocent animal, but lately her thoughts have swayed to the dark side. When Alyssa goes to the shooting range, she made sure to give them another name, she does not want her husband to know about her extracurricular activities since he goes to the same shooting range also. She gave the instructor her mother's address just in case he wanted to know where she lives. As she practices her skill, it gives her time to contemplate her marriage. It seems odd to some that learning to master a weapon is a way for her to relax. Her best friend Lynda once said, “Don’t worry about it, just divorce him already. He’s nothing but a waste of space.” Alyssa thought about her kids and how that would hurt them if she did divorce her husband, they are young, and it would scar them. 

“If only I can fulfill my fantasy in killing that bitch who is ruining my marriage,” she thought as she shot another round straight into the bullseye, dead center. Others in her group clapped and cheered. “Good Trista you stayed focused. Your skills have improved, I am proud of you,” her instructor said, as he gave her a friendly hug.

“You really have it down to a T,” another student chimed in. Alyssa smiled and nodded. After her class was over, she drove home and found her kids playing outside while her husband barbecued in the backyard. She has never told him that she suspects his infidelity, in fact she’d rather that he thinks she’s naive about the whole thing. “Honey I was wondering if you would consider a babysitter,” he said.

 “Why?” she responded.

“Well, I was thinking that maybe we should take a trip like how we used to before we had kids, you know,” he flipped the burger patties on the grill. “Oh, well I have my mom to take care of the kids, free of charge, and we can take a trip anytime you’d like just say when,” she said and smiled, grabbing a coke from the ice box.

“Well, I was thinking of hiring a coworker I know, she needs the extra money, and I am willing to help her by getting her to babysit for us once in a while,” he suggested. Alyssa jutted her chin forward slightly, pursing her lips. She took a sip from her coke, eyed him suspiciously under her sunglasses.

“Who is she?”

“Her name is Summer Lynn, and she is a good person but she’s suffering a bit of financial hardship.” Alyssa was drinking her coke and nearly choked on it when he mentioned her name.

 “That fucking bitch?” She set her coke down on the wooden picnic table that sits close to the barbecue homemade grill that her husband and his friend built out of bricks. “Why don’t you invite her over? I would like to meet her,” said Alyssa. “Sure, I will. I am so glad I married a wonderful, nice woman like you.” Alyssa’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him. He did not notice her cold expression, and the derisive undertone in her voice. “I can’t wait to meet her,” she thought. “Come on kids let’s eat,” Alyssa called out to them. Their pet cat ran toward the table and jumped on top. “Oh no you don’t, not you Kitty,” Alyssa grabbed her and set her down on the ground. “Go on now.”  

“My kids are growing so fast. Richard is in 9^th grade and the other two are in middle school,” she sighed. “How time flies.” A week later, her husband invited Summer Lynn, the 28-year-old woman, over for another barbecue. She has light brown hair, coffee colored eyes and a flirty smile. Summer was wearing a pair of old jean shorts, a pink tee shirt, with mauve colored Nike shoes. 

 Once a month the Castros throw a barbecue for family and friends if the weather’s good. However, the family that goes to their barbeques are just their family and Alyssa’s mother. Alyssa very rarely sees her brother. Their divide happened years ago due to politics; the one thing Alyssa was never interested in politics, but because she voted for a president that her brother and her parents did not like it, well it affected their relationship.

Her mother always insisted that she apologize to her brother, but she doesn’t realize that the divide was not caused by Alyssa but by her brother’s asinine convictions over politics, her father is no different. His beliefs are just as headstrong and annoying. She remembers her mother agreeing with her father over things she vehemently opposed to, her mother accepted that her marriage was fine and beautiful, but Alyssa knew better. Alyssa doesn’t see her marriage as perfect, nor would she lie to herself and others that it’s perfect, she’s real and keeps it that way. Alyssa invited two of her friends, Lynda and Maggie, the neighbors next door to join them.

Maggie knows nothing about her husband’s infidelity, but Lynda does. “Your mother didn’t come?” asked Lynda. Alyssa shook her head, “No she was busy today.”

“So that’s the whore, huh,” Lynda whispered to Alyssa, as she watched Summer Lynn walk toward the barbecue. Alyssa nodded. “She looks like a dumb blonde to me,” added Lynda, they both giggled. Maggie didn’t know what was going on but caught on quickly. She had no idea that Victor was cheating on Alyssa, but it didn’t take much to see what was going on. Summer Lynn walked over to the group and sat down on a lawn chair next to Alyssa. The four ladies’ chitchat while the men talked amongst themselves, enjoying a beer. Alyssa’s sons were playing badminton outside away from the group. Alyssa’s house is a standard family unit, large backyard, and a small front yard, with a desert landscape, perfect for the region they live in. “Will you ladies excuse me, I’m going to get another beer,” said Summer. She stood up and walked on over to the ice box that was next to the barbecue.

Alyssa’s eyes followed her. Her husband glanced at Summer, their eyes met, and Alyssa could see the attraction between them. She glared at them. “So, is she going to be your babysitter?” asked Maggie, eyeing Summer Lynn dubiously. Alyssa shook her head, “No, she will not be my babysitter, never,” she snapped. Maggie exchanged a concerned glance with Lynda.

“Why not? She seems like a nice person,” said Maggie. Lynda gave Alyssa a sidelong glance.

 “I have my mom who lives nearby so she can take care of my kids whenever my husband and I need alone time,” she said. Summer returned and sat next to Alyssa.

“So, Summer, do you have kids?” asked Alyssa, with a touch of satire. Summer ignored it.

“Oh no, not me, I don’t have time for them, and I’m not married. I’d rather be single and enjoy life.”

“Yeah, enjoying yourself with another woman’s man,” thought Alyssa, as she took a sip from her coke, her nose flared, and she sighed. “Mom, can we go inside and play with our Xbox 360? It’s kinda boring out here,” Alyssa’s older son Richard, asked.

“Sure, go ahead.” She smiled and kissed her son on the forehead. Richard, David, and Josh went into the house. She turned to Summer. “I know my husband wanted you to babysit for us, but my mother lives nearby, and she loves taking care of my kids so, no offense but I don’t need a babysitter at the moment,” stated Alyssa, firmly. Lynda gave Alyssa a clandestine wink.

“If only you knew how much I want to kill you, bitch,” thought Alyssa as she eyed Summer. No one would’ve thought that Alyssa had dark thoughts, thoughts that would be concerning to some people.

 “Oh well, that’s fine then,” she left it as that and did not pursue the conversation any further. Victor stepped inside for a moment, unbeknownst to Alyssa. “Excuse me ladies, I need to go to the bathroom,” said Summer and existed toward the house. Summer walked in and headed to the bedroom, where Victor met her. He closed the door so that the kids wouldn’t interrupt. “So, what happened?” Summer shrugged.

“I think she knows about us,” she said.

“No, she’s naive, she’s too into herself to see anything else, don’t worry she will never find out,” he said. He hugged her and kissed her full tender lips; he patted her behind playfully.

“She gives me a daunting feeling of dread.”

“Why? She’s not a crazy person, she is gullible and will never know about us,” he reassured her.

“I don’t feel comfortable with her around, I should go,” she said.

“Okay, see you tomorrow at the same place,” he said as he stole one last kiss. He walked outside, headed toward his friends sitting on the picnic table. Alyssa noticed, that Summer stepped out soon after he did. Lynda stared at her as she approached them. “Well ladies I am going to leave, I have to get up early tomorrow for work, it was nice meeting you,” she shook their hands and left. The rest of the evening went smoothly, without Summer there, the thickness in the air dissipated and a calmness flowed over everyone.

That evening, Lynda spoke with Alyssa on the phone. “So, when are you going to tell that bastard that you know?” she asked.

“Well, my cancer is in remission, and everything is going well Healthwise, I think I will be doing it soon but not yet,” said Alyssa.

“Why wait? I think you need to get rid of him. He’s only gonna cause you more grief.” Alyssa nodded. For a couple of weeks, Victor has been spending more time with his friends at the shooting range, or so he told her. Alyssa knows better and he was in fact upset about her rejecting Summer as a babysitter, but Alyssa doesn’t care she’d rather spend more time with her children than him. Her children are everything to her, she goes to their plays at school whenever their classes perform for the holidays, she goes to teacher conferences, she is always there, however her husband is like a ghost, just someone who’s there in name. “My kids mean everything to me; I don’t care about Victor he is not important but a part of me feels disheartened by the revelation of his affair; I am shocked that this is happening to me considering that I had cancer and he stood by me at the time. I suppose it was out of obligation. Now that my cancer is in remission, he wants to be free to have sex with whomever he wishes,” Alyssa told her mother on the phone. Her kids are in school, and her husband is at work. “Honey, I think Lynda is right, you should seek a divorce,” her mother advised. Alyssa sighed, “Yes, I know,” she responded. She is surprised her mother even suggested it. A week after the conversation she had with her mother, she was sleeping peacefully, her husband snoring next to her, and her children lost in their dreams.

Their cat is downstairs on the couch napping but there is a stillness, an uncanny presence in their house; not noticeable, not even to the cat. Its image shimmered as it made its way to the master bedroom where Alyssa and her husband slept. The intruder uncloaked and stood silently over her, watching as she slept soundly. He touched her cheek and Alyssa jumped with a start; her eyes shot open to see a monster staring down at her, with large ebony almond shaped eyes, hungry with desire. She let out a scream, but the creature waved a device over her head, and she fell asleep again. Dark dreams engulfed her mind. Blood swam all around her, dead bodies lie all around her; anger filled her heart. The next two months Alyssa was abducted and taken to a Ny’Karin ship, for evaluation. She did not remember anything about the abduction. One evening, she sat alone in bed, reading a book while her kids slept in their rooms. Her husband was out with his friends or so she thought. Her eyes became weary, and she set the book down and rested her head on the pillow. Nightmares of blood and anguished flooded her mind. She woke up several times that night. 

Months had passed and it was now June. The crickets chirped outside as the summer night breeze lightly blew into the room through the open window, gently caressing Alyssa’s bare leg. “Alyssa, you know what you must do. Kill that woman. She has brought you unhappiness, do what must be done,” a voice sounded in her dream. She awoke with a start and rubbed her eyes. Her husband was home, which was a surprise to her, she turned and looked at the clock.

 “3:45 am,” she mumbled and fell back to sleep. It is the weekend, and she took her kids with her to the market. They picked out what they wanted to eat and as they headed to the car in the parking lot,

Josh, her youngest son, looked up at the sky.

“There’s something in the sky mom,” he pointed.

“Come on you, don’t dawdle,” said Alyssa, with a smile.

“Yeah, shit head, don’t dawdle,” her older son teased and ruffled his younger brother’s hair. Josh grimaced and playfully punched him.

“Guys, stop it,” she warned. David laughed at his brothers antics. She got her kids in the car and packed the groceries in the trunk and stopped to look up. Ominous clouds hung overhead.

 “There’s something in the sky, watching,” she thought. When she got home her husband wasn’t there. Not a surprise to her but she expected that he would be home. He’ll lie to her and say he was at work. She doesn’t care anymore; she made her choice. She’ll deal with Summer soon enough.

 

One Month Before the Invasion

Alyssa is devoted to her skills, while her husband continues his philandering, she carries on as if she is naïve to his cheating. “So, are you going to go out with the boys tonight?” She asked him.

“Yeah, we’re just going to hang out at Caleb’s Man Cave at his home. You should go out with some of your friends too. Take the kids to your mother’s,” he said as he grabbed his Dodger blue wind breaker from the closet. Alyssa’s eyes narrowed as she gave him a cold silent stare. “I know they’re going to meet up with her somewhere,” she thought. She sighed. “I think I will just stay home with the kids, besides all my friends are busy with other things,” she responded. He shrugged and walked out of the room toward the garage door, and she heard the door slam shut.

The garage door opened, then closed after he left. She quickly went into her room while her kids watched TV. She pulled a medium-sized wooden suitcase from under her bed. In it is something she bought with her personal credit card. She laid it on her bed and closed the door so her kids wouldn’t walk in. “There you are,” she pulled out a black silencer pistol. 

“I think I should follow the trail of breadcrumbs he carelessly leaves,” she said. She asked her mother to come over and watch the kids so she could step out for a moment. Her mother arrived thirty minutes later.

“So that good for nothing husband of yours isn’t here?” her mother asked.

“Yes, he’s not here but it’s fine, I won’t be long, but if I am, just trust me that things will get resolved soon,” said Alyssa with a decisive tone. Her mother gulped.

“Okay, be careful. If you confront him, it can get ugly,” she warned. Alyssa nodded. “Kids be good for your grandma,” she said and fronted a smile. Alyssa figured that her husband and Summer would meet on the far side of Elsie Lake. People go there to fish and picnic but not swim. During the Summer months there are higher levels of bacteria in the water.

(this is an unedited excerpt from my book, A Twist in Time: Somethings' in the Sky. Since this book is still in the works, the content might be subject to change during the final editing process.)

Chandra's Quest

 

 

 

 

Excerpt from my new book Women's Stories: A Collection of Unbelievable Short Stories.

 

(I wrote this book using another penname, CG Heandez. Please visit link to download it. This book is available as a paperback on Amazon)

Chapter 1: Every Barbie Loves Pink

 

My name is Stacy Tomas L. I was married to my husband, Tim, for 6 years. We decided not to have children, it was our prerogative, an equal agreement. I work as a realtor and am doing very well financially; my husband owns a small construction company. Though I loved my husband, he became obsessed with that Barbie movie after we had gone to see it. “Honey, I want to make some changes to our house,” he told me when I was enjoying a cup of coffee and reading one of my favorite romance books.

 “Why?” I asked. “Are you bored with the way the house looks?”

He hesitated, “No, I think it would look better with a different paint job though,” he responded as we were having breakfast. I sipped on my coffee while eating a donut, I set my book down next to the bread-and-butter plate that I use for my donut. He looked at some architectural plans he drew out on paper, I only assumed it was for his work. After I finished my glazed donut and my coffee I stood up; put my coffee mug on the counter by the sink. I looked out the kitchen window, and noticed a van belonging to a painter’s company, it was parked at the front of the house. My house is one of the luxurious models that I bought with my first three sales.

Of course, we’re still paying the mortgage but that’s understandable. It's a 30-year mortgage. As far as I’m concerned, my life was perfect until we had gone to see that movie. My husband wanted to paint the front of the house, but I had no idea the horror he had planned for me. Our house is painted the standard earth tone colors, beige, brown and rust red trimming, it is the basic colors of the model homes we bought in this community. It has stairs going up to the front door with handrails on both sides. Two columns decorate the front and a couple of planters are set beside the columns. The inside of the house is spacious, with a luxurious staircase leading to the second story. Everything in the lower level of the house is open and spacious. There are four bedrooms and two and a half baths, and the half bath is downstairs. The master bedroom is every woman’s dream, a large walk-in closet, a spacious bathtub separated from the shower, two sinks and a large mirror; the house has tile flooring, which is the way I wanted it. After work, I arrived home and to my horror I stared in awe at the front of the house. “What the Fuck,” I mouthed. Even though the painters hadn’t quite finished the paint job, I could tell that the color was not to my liking. “Tim, where are you?” I called out. Tim walked into the Livingroom; I sat on the brown sectional couch. “Hey, so how do you like it?” He is referring to the outside of the house. I sighed, “Um, I hope this is a phase you’re going through because you know how I feel about Pepto-Bismol pink,” I said setting my arms akimbo, my brows bristled, clearing I was confused.

“I decided to make our house a real-life Barbie house.” I was floored.

“What?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “I wanted to do something different, and I think you’ll like it. Every Barbie loves pink, right?” He gave me a hug. “So, he thinks I am a Barbie? As if.” I thought he was joking; he must be kidding.

“Um, if this is a joke, it’s not a good one, I’m sure that the HOA won’t think so,” I reminded him. He shrugged. Later I the evening while we were getting ready for bed, he started fondling with my hair. “Honey have you ever thought about dying your hair blonde?” I was brushing my teeth, and I gave him a sidelong glance. I rinsed my mouth and tapped it dry with the towel. We both got in bed. “I will be going to visit my mom in Utah, do you want to come?” He pondered. ‘Um, no, I have some construction work that needs to be done, sorry babe.”

“Okay, I’ll be gone for a week, you’ll be fine?” I asked. He nodded. “I’ll miss you but when you get back, I’ll have a nice surprise for you,” he said with a coy smile on his face. “Well, no more dramatic surprises,” I said, and I turned off the light. The next day after work I got in the tub to relax and wash away the stress of the day. The paint job was halted, so I assumed that he was going to get the painters to repaint the house back to its original colors. After I got out of the tub, I blew dry my hair, got dressed in my pajamas and went downstairs. My husband was on his laptop in the kitchen, ordering a few things for the house I suppose. “Can’t wait to show her the new casa De Loren,” he smiled. Yes, my last name is Loren. A few days later, I left to visit my mother in Utah. “Honey are you and Tim doing well?” she asked me. My mother had noticed my distrait expression. I fronted a smile, “Yes we’re fine mom, it’s just that he’s been acting weird.”

“What do you mean,” she asked, as she poured herself some tea. “Well, it seems like Tim suddenly became a bit obsessed with pink. I don’t know, maybe something else is going on with him.” I told her what he did to the house. “Well, maybe he’s trying to get your attention.” Stacy grimaced and rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s some way of getting my attention.”

“Buy some pink underwear, that might placate him.” My mother joked. She thought it was silly but something about this whole thing seemed weird. The week at my mom’s was pleasant, my mother lives in a community where all the one-story homes have a quarter of an acre lot, and beautiful landscape. There is no HOA, but everyone takes care of their homes. I have been contemplating a move to Utah maybe in the future, maybe in the same community as my mother. My drive back to California was pleasant but I had wished my husband was with me. “I hope he did well while I was gone,” I thought. I called him a few times while I was at my mother’s house to see how he was doing.

 “Hey babe, I’m on my way home. What have you been up to?”

“I’m fine honey, I can’t wait to show you something,” he said, with a giddy tone.

“Well, I hope it’s a new paint job on our house.”

“Yes, that’s taken care of. I can’t wait till you’re here,” he said. She smiled. “Well, I can’t wait too,” I blew him a silent kiss and hung up. When I arrived a couple of hours later, the house was back to normal. I smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. I walked into the house. I was shocked. The jarred expression on my face turned into anger. “What the Fuck?’ I mouthed. The walls were pink, the couch was replaced with a pink sectional. The lamps in the room had Victorian style pink lamp shades. A pink coffee table sits on top of a tacky pink faux fur throw carpet at the center of the floor. I wanted to hurl; I was beside myself. I walked into the kitchen, and it too was painted pink, the table was replaced with a retro style 50’s pink table and chairs. She gasped. “At least he didn’t paint the cabinets pink.” The cabinets are white in color, the trimming was white as well. She slowly toured the rest of her house; some rooms were left unchanged. “He probably didn’t have enough time to paint them,” she said to herself. As she ascended the stairs, the handrail was painted pink but the carpet on the stairs was still white. The upstairs does have carpet in the rooms, but they too remained white. “He must’ve had help to paint this, no way he did this by himself,” I thought to myself as I looked at the wall in the hallway, it was painted pink. I let out an exasperated sigh. When I opened my bedroom door, I walked in to see a décor of pink everywhere. My bedspread was pink with cute floral print on it, the walls were pink, there was a pink faux fur throw carpet on the floor much like the one downstairs, and pink rose petals leading into the bathroom. The tub had already been filled. He used pink bubble bath soap in the water.

“Oh my God,” I mouthed.

“Where is he,” I said tightly. Anger seethed in my eyes as I searched for my husband. “Tim, where are you!”

“Hey babe your home,” he said with a big smile. He gave me a hug, but I pulled away.

“What the Fuck is all this?” I pointed around the room.

“I changed some things in the house, I hope you love it. I do. That Barbie movie really inspired me,” he said. I just stared at him, jarred. “What the Hell is wrong with you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” He looked at me perplexed. “I feel fine, and I bought you some new clothes too,” he walked over to the closet, I followed. I stood there with my arms crossed, trepidation loomed over me. A look of dismay shadowed my face when he opened the double doors of the closet. Almost all my clothes were gone, replaced by pink suits, and pink dresses, even pink heels. I was speechless.

 “What have you done?” I mustered up to say after a long silence. “I can see you’re surprised,” he said.

“Surprised, I’m furious?” I shouted; my face flushed. “Who gave you the right to get rid of my clothes?”

“Babe, I thought you felt as passionate about that Barbie movie as I did,” he said, with a perplexed look on his face. I stood there, with my arms akimbo and a livid look on my face.

“Well, if you’re going to be critical about this then you should leave this house,” he said, angrily. “What! Fuck you! I bought this house, not you. Look I don’t know what the Hell is going on with you, but you were once a rational, loving, and respectable husband three weeks ago; I don’t buy the whole obsession over the movie and now you want to change everything to mimic Barbie lifestyle, it’s stupid! Tell me what’s really going on,” I demanded. He was silent and walked out of the room. I followed downstairs. “I feel that we needed a change, frankly you’ve become boring, for the past three years, we have fallen into the same rut and,” he paused. “And what?”

“And I want something different,” he said. I thought that maybe this was his way of expressing his displeasure with what he called a boring life. But to go this far, just to get my attention, this goes beyond normal. Then it occurred to me that maybe he had met someone who was into the whole trendy pink thing. Probably a young, blonde. I pondered. “Alright, who is it?” I asked, suspecting that he’d been cheating on me. He said nothing and grabbed his keys from the key bowl and walked to the garage. I heard the garage door open, and he left. I was alone in a Pepto-Bismol pink house. Thank God that the outside was painted back to normal, or I would’ve heard from the HOA. He was gone for the night and at this point I did not care. I thought about what he said. “Has our life gotten boring? NO, he’s insane. Someone else has been feeding him lies and turning him into someone I don’t recognize.” I did not sleep well and the next morning, I grabbed one of the pink suits in the closet and put it on. It had pink embroidered flowers on it. I looked in the full-length mirror, sighed and shook my head. I headed to the office. Everyone stared at me. My heels matched my clothes, even my clutch purse. I felt embarrassed. “Um, Stacy I like your new outfit,” said Lindsey, a new young intern. Lindsey has light brown hair, blue eyes and can pass for a Barbie herself. I stared at her.

 “You know, you and I are almost the same size, would you like to have my suit? I’ve got a bunch of pink clothes in my closet, if you like, you can come on by later and take your pick.” Lindsey looked at me confused.
“Sure, if that’s okay?” I nodded and smiled. Later, in the evening Lindsey stopped by. When Lindsey walked into her house, she was shocked to see the Barbie-like interior of the house. I am genuinely a conservative woman, so she was jarred by the look of the house’ interior. I grimaced and rolled my eyes. I understand the expression on my co-worker’s face, it’s jarring, exactly how I felt when I first saw the house. “Yes, my husband went a little,” I paused. “Overboard with the paint job, but this whole mess will be remedied soon, I hope.”

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Excerpt from In the Company of Elves

 

Chapter 5: Melissa & the Seven Elves

 

   Morning broke, and Melissa was the last one to rise. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. Keefe’s bed was made, and Fagan’s sleeping bag and pillow lay neatly on a chair in the corner of the room near the window. She found her dress on Keefe’s bed. Arowyn and the others were not in the room. Everyone was up early. Melissa could hear talking and the sweet smell of breakfast.

 “I wonder what elves eat,” she thought as she slipped on her dress eager to find out. She found a brush on top of a chest drawer in the room and combed her hair.

 “I hope they don’t mind me using this,” she said to herself. “After all I came unprepared for this trip.” She grimaced and rolled her eyes, letting out a soft sigh. A soft knock sounded at the door.

 “Milady, breakfast is ready.” Nolan said. Melissa smiled. She joined the elves at the table. Breakfast was interesting. There were vegetables, lightly toasted mushrooms, along with large grubs and freshly baked bread. A pitcher of water was next to another pitcher with raspberry juice. Scrambled eggs were on a long platter ready for eating. Melissa is intrigued.

“Where do you keep your chickens?” She asked. “The chickens belong to the community, and they are in a chicken coop in the far side of the village.”

She did not see bacon or ham. “Don’t you guys ever eat ham, bacon or sausages?” Nolan’s eyes shot open, and he shook his head. “We do not eat meat,” he responded. “Most elves are vegetarian, however in this community, we occasionally eat fish,” Adain added.

“Oh, so you are Pescatarians?” asked Melissa.

“I suppose we are. We Elves are a race of beings that have a great respect for life,” said Nolan. “Paradoxically some of the greatest assassins and knights in all of history have been elves, not to

mention some of the best archers in the world,” Keefe said. “Wow I didn’t know,” said Melissa, intrigued by what he revealed. She ate her breakfast as if she had not had breakfast in a long time. “Going through that wormhole or whatever it was, really made me hungry,” she stated. The sauce is quite good, made of natural herbs and vegetables. Melissa did not touch the wine. She drank the raspberry juice that Nolan made instead. Something tastes like tofu, but she isn’t quite sure what it is, nevertheless she enjoyed her breakfast very much.

“Who cooked the breakfast? It is good.” She said, as she finished her drink.

“Arowyn cooked this meal,” said Demetrius. Melissa smiled at Arowyn and winked approvingly. Arowyn smiled back with a twinkle in his eyes. Later Melissa spoke to Arowyn about her stay with them.

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Can You Copyright Titles, Names and Slogans?

 

What can be copyrighted?

Recently an author published her book called Chandra’s Quest. I can’t believe the shock I felt. Yes, I was a bit irked by the fact that someone else used the same title as my book but upon looking up the copyright rules, well here is what I found:

Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases. In some cases, these things may be protected as trademarks. In general, book titles are not eligible for copyright protection. The U.S. Copyright Office views book titles as “short slogans,” not intellectual property. The underlying theory to this notion is that there may be other instances where the same or a similar title is equally appropriate.

Yes, it’s true even though an author copyrights their written work, it doesn’t mean the author owns the rights to the title, and names in the book. Slogans & short phrases is different and might be protected by trademark. 

The difference between the Chandra's Quest by Barbara A. Miller and my book is that they both are of different genre. My Chandra's Quest is sci-fi/fantasy, Miller's book is general fiction/romance. I read a few pages from the sample book, it seems to be a western type of romance book. 

After I revised, In the Company of Elves, I published it on KDP. A few years later another author published her book using the same title. However she did write a fantasy book much like my book but there are significant differences between the two. 

I copyright my books with the Copyright Office so I am not worried. Bottom line is that names & titles are not copyrighted even if the author sent their manuscript to the copyright office. 

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