She's a Mean Old H4 Bus

Chapter One: Marlin

It should have been a normal rush hour ride from Brookland Station, past Georgia Avenue, through Columbia Heights, then down through that damnable bottleneck—a place some of the drivers still secretly called Spanish Town, though it wasn’t much of that anymore. But Marlin noticed, as he worked the lever for the door and let people in all through Mount Pleasant, that something was powerfully wrong.

At Mount Pleasant and Irving Streets, the mean teenager (Marlin had been there himself and swore the kid was a gangbanger) got on the bus. Then, at Mount Pleasant and Hobart, the Asian guy (Marlin was sure he had two girlfriends) got on. He was the one always leaving gum on the seat. At Mount Pleasant and Park Road, the angry black girl with the quiet face (probably something to do with her always staring at the young Asian guy) got on, and she was the one who blocked the back door. At Eighteenth Street and Park Road, the old lady who could barely speak to him through her other language, but kept on speaking to him anyways when he was trying to drive (she was far too skinny for an old lady, even)… all of these people were his worst costumers,

Snowball Fight in Mount Pleasant

The snow today reminded me of this short story about how a really lopsided snowball fight brought two taciturn DC neighbors together. Totally a shameless re-post!

Blizzard of 2009                                

by J.Ingram

Dear Mr. Tannenbaum,

Please consider the following before you file criminal charges, or whatever:

A few years ago, I also threw a snowball at Dr. Somiley.  Maybe you don't remember his family?  They were at the open house.  Dr. Somiley was a dentist.  Also, no one liked him either.  Not that I don't... dammit, I can't cross that out.  I hate handwriting things, which means I have no intention of re-writing this either.  But considering how late it is after being up all night, and that I want to get it through your mail slot before you leave the house, I hope you will understand.  Well, in any case, like a lot of the more terrifying dentists, Somiley had one of those names that matched his profession.  It should have been my first warning, I guess.

I don't know why I aimed the snowball at the old man's head. 

Revenge of Prince Poas

DAMSEL

Chapter 20, Revenge of Prince Poas

Prince Poas passed his fingers through the smoke of the man he loved.

“How are you, today?”

This day, on any day… that you are gone. And you will not speak to me.

The advisors of Poas were there as well, smoking. They were discussing the battle a night ago. The time for exulting the Prince on his first brave kill… “I vow it will be my last, also!” Poas had shrieked afterward.

No, no, no, hush, shhh… it is done. It needed to be done. And, the warlord’s body was laid out somewhere in the desert.

Now, Poas passed his hand through the smoke again. Beneath that, a bud of flame. And beneath that, a dull lantern.

They whispered about him more deeply.

“A man who is a warrior is not to act like this,”

Revenge of Prince Poas (coming soon!)

"It's been a while,
I know I shouldn't a' kept you waiting...

But I'm here now."

- Britney Spears 

That's my way of saying that I'm going to get my writing groove back, dangit!  More to come, after I restructure some things on the blog this week. To my readers who keep showing up for some reason... what the hell is wrong with you?

I mean, *I* had a life while I was away...

DAMSEL

Chapter 20, Mist Maven III: The Revenge of Prince Poas

WARNING: The following video has nothing to do with my novel. And, it's a throwback... and, it also makes me wish I was a science fiction writer. Sigh...

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1 Tie Me to the Tree :: 2 But First, a Snack of Strawberries :: 3 Five Love Stories :: 4 Robin in the Hood :: 5 Even Crispy Children :: 6 A Good GAFE 7 Last Chance through the Flames :: 8 On the Rogue, Damascus :: 9 White Wall :: 10 Saint-Makers and Uniform Wearers :: 11 Tempering the Ruecross 12 Miccolangiolo's David :: 13 Dragon's Den :: 14 Away to Arusalem, part I :: 15 Away to Arusalem, part II :: 16 Sorry--several sad turns of the hour glass you can't ever get back :: 17 Adam and Eve :: 18 The Mist Maven, part I :: 19 Mist Maven II - Of Flirting, Folly, and Fairies :: 20 Mist Maven III - The Revenge of Prince Poas (coming soon!)