Well... I haven't been out of the apartment since Monday morning when I took the rent check to the management office! That was an interesting adventure because of the ice on the ground.
This is why I haven't left since. Sorry that they're underexposed a bit, but if I use the flash all you'll see is glare.
The view from the balcony:
Yes, that is 11 inches!
The weather guy on channel 3 just said that the total snow at 10:00 pm is 12 inches for Council Bluffs. It's shortly after that time right now.
All right... a few days ago I said I was going to try my hand at writing every day. I've been trying to remember to do it everyday, but have been a little lax. This morning I did three days worth. The topics were not related at all, but I sort of tied them together... even though the one for yesterday's topic may not seem to fit, it actually will in the long run. Here you go... an as of yet untitled work.
Esther stood in the doorway of her granddaughter's room. "You had the dream again, didn't you? Samantha?" The girl was just visible in the light of the lamp Esther was carrying.
Samantha was sitting up in bed and staring at the light, yet not seeing it. Slowly her eyes came into focus. "Oh, Grandma, what does it mean?" she whispered.
Esther went into the room and set the lamp on the table by the bed. Sitting on the bed, she gathered Samantha into a hug. "Tell me, dear heart. A burden shared is a burden halved."
Safe in her Grandmother's arms, Samantha sighed and began to tell of her dream, "I'm in that strange place as usual. It looks like a garden, but there aren't any flowers. I see a few trees around the edge, but there are rocks and pebbles where the flowers should be. It's night and the moon is out. The house across the way is lit up.
"I walk to the house. I can hear voices inside, but I can't understand them. At the house, I reach a door, but it's closed and I can't find the doorknob. It looks like it's made of paper and I can see a light glowing behind. Someone is moving in there. They seem upset about something.
"I try to open the door, but it is opened from within. A man is standing there and he looks through me at something in the garden. Before I turn to look, I can see in the room a boy lying sick on a cushion. Another man is sitting nearby, speaking in whispers with his eyes closed. It looks like he is praying for the boy.
"I turn to the man that opened the door and he's moved out into the garden. I follow him to the stone bench where sits a silvery figure looking at the moon. It's the ghost of the boy, yet it seems so alive."
Samantha stopped to wipe away a tear, then continued, "The ghost boy turns to look at the man. He looks so sad. The man speaks and all the boy can do is nod. The the boy turns and looks at me. His eyes, Grandma, his eyes look like green fire. They scare me so. Then he opens his mouth to say something and reaches for me. That's when I screamed. What does this mean? Grandma, I'm scared."
Esther hugged Samantha closer and smoothed her hair. "Hush, dear heart. It's all right. You're all right. Let me worry about it now. Go back to sleep. I'll leave the light here for you."
She stayed at Samantha's side until she slept again, then went back to her own room. "Well, Toby," she said to the old tabby on the chair, "it seems that Samantha has the gift as well. She is seeing people in need in her dreams. I just need to find out where she needs to go." Esther moved to a locked cabinet, opened it and brought out a crystal ball. Setting it on the small table,she shooed the cat off the chair and sat and began to scry. Toby curled up at her feet.
Esther was not sure how long she stared into the crystal, but in the morning she know what it was that Samantha needed to do. A long journey lay ahead for the girl, but a boy's life depended on her granddaughter.
* * *
"A year after your death, Tsuyoshi, your mother still grieves, as do I," Nakamura Takeshi said at the grave shrine. "She doesn't show it to anyone, yet I know she grieves." He fell silent then, alone in his thoughts.
Standing a respectful distance away, Nakamura's secretaries waited by the carriage. "How long do we wait, Ashida-san?" Yonaha asked.
"As long as he stays there," Ashida answered. "And show some respect. That is the grave of Nakamura-sama's eldest son. He has no heir now, except for the younger son."
"Younger son? I didn't know he had another son after the great Tsuyoshi. Where is he?"
"No one knows for sure. There was a disagreement in the family and the younger son left," Ashida stopped talking and nodded toward Nakamura. Yonaha fell silent as well.
Nakamura had finished his graveside contemplations and was returning to his men. He was a man that clearly knew he was a leader of men and his bearing showed it. However, the regal bearing had an air of sadness to it today. "Ashida-san, Yonoha-san, it is a time for forgiveness," he said. "It is time to bring my son Yoshihiro home. He was last known to be running a dojo in Kamakura. Find him and bring him to my office." He entered the waiting carriage.
"Yes, sir," Ashida said with a bow. As the carriage pulled away, he turned to Yonoha. "I guess we go to Kamakura."
* * *
Samantha O'Riley was trying very hard to be as normal as possible. She was fifteen years old and her birthday was a couple months away. She went to school and learned her letters and etiquette like any other young lady in Boston. However, Samantha O'Riley was a far from normal as she possibly could be. She had a destiny and she did not yet know about it.
The day started out badly. She had had the dream again the night before, so she had not slept well. It was another school day and the morning lessons did not go at all well. She had difficulty paying attention to Miss Sharpe and had been scolded several times. So when the lunch break came around, she was glad for the time away from the classroom.
In the schoolyard, Samantha sat by herself under a tree. She watched her friends and classmates as they ate and laughed in the yard. Then she noticed the moon hanging above the school building. It was noon and the moon was out and full above the school.
Samantha breathed in sharply as a motion caught her eye. She turned to the motion and gasped aloud at the sight before her. It was ever so slight, but it was the silvery form of a boy with eyes of emerald fire. He spoke, yet no words were heard. He reached for her hand and it was then that she screamed.
"Is she dead?" someone said.
"Don't be stupid, Penelope, she fainted," another voice said.
Then another voice, "Girls! Girls! Move away. Give her some air." There was the sound of several girls moving about.
Samantha's eyes focused slowly on the face of Miss Sharpe.
"Miss O'Riley, what is the meaning of this? Why are you screaming in the yard?" Miss Sharpe was not happy, yet it seemed she was concerned at the same time.
Samantha looked at her teacher and classmates. "I'm... I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I don't know what happened. My head... hurts." She stood up quickly and said, "I have to go. I'm sorry. He needs me." She moved to leave.
"Who needs you, Miss O'Riley?" Miss Sharpe demanded.
"I... I don't know. All I know is that I'm the one that can help him. I'm the only one!" And with those words, Samantha ran from the schoolyard. "I'm sorry. Really," she called over her shoulder as she left.
The moon... Samantha thought.
The moon is the key...
Esther was waiting at the door when Samantha arrived home. "I knew you'd be coming, dear heart," she said. She welcomed the girl in and sat her at the kitchen table. "It's time I told you of your destiny. It has been laid before me at last."
Well... there you have it. A beginning of sorts. Sorry it was so long. And sorry if I don't hit all sites, but my timing is off tonight.
Laters!
Edit: this post took an hour to write and was actually all done on Wednesday night!
I'm hungry..... 
Still down... but incredibly tired on top of it all. 
Raining on the inside... 
How to piss off a Kitsune 
Wheeeee!!!!!! 
I have this terrible pain in the diodes down my left side. 
I'm going a bit stir crazy...but it may also be MS Access doing this to me.