The new neighbours moved in next door about a month before your family moved out.
The two things weren’t connected. Your old house had been sold weeks before because a new consultant role for your mum meant moving a hundred miles away, but nonetheless your disappointment at leaving the friends you had was tempered by relief you wouldn’t live next door to your new neighbours.
They weren’t difficult, weren’t aggressive or noisy. They just unsettled you, and from some conversations which your parents didn’t know you’d overheard they unsettled your parents too.
The parents walked in a stiff and slow way, as if they were both recovering from an accident. The father was very tall and very thin, and would often stand up an upstairs window, not looking at you or your house or even the street, just up at the sky.
The children were a couple of years younger than you, about seven or eight, and you thought they were twins although they weren’t identical, one had fair hair and one dark. They’d often come out into the front garden, but they didn’t play in any way that you recognised. The fair-haired boy just stood very still, staring at nothing in particular, for hours. The dark-haired boy walked slowly round his brother in a circle, not stopping, just round and round. Spying on them from your landing window, scared in case the fair-haired boy stared at you, you noticed that while his brother walked he did something with his fingers. It wasn’t a steady count, but he flicked them in and out repeatedly in what you thought was some kind of pattern.
After the move and the excitement and terrors of a new school you started to forget about them, and would only remember occasionally to tell the story in drunken after-hours conversations at university. When you graduated you moved further north from where your parents lived, now retired, and you found yourself in a career without ever meaning to.
In your early thirties, you travelled to a conference in the town where you grew up, and thought it would be interesting for your mum and dad to see what the old street looked like now. You had a couple of hours before your train back, so you caught a bus, and as you walked along the familiar crept up on you. Everything seemed smaller than it did in your memory. The vast space of a play park you used to walk to was a pokey little scrubland, and it was much closer to your street than you remembered.
Then you turned a corner and there was your house, much the same as you remembered it, but with a rowan tree laden with berries in the front garden, and solar panels on the roof.
And next door, a tall shape stood at an upstairs window while in the garden, a fair-haired boy of about seven or eight stood very still, staring at nothing in particular while a dark-haired boy walked slowly round him in a circle, flicking his fingers in and out repeatedly in some kind of pattern. You didn’t take any more photos, and this time you found it much harder to forget the new neighbours.
Monday, 31 October 2022
A SHORT PIECE I'VE JUST WRITTEN!
Halloween was always a great time to be alive, even if you were undead! I always loved this holiday as I got to go outside and fit in with the rest of the Living Humans that rattled around on the dark streets, I never seemed to scare the people that I walked along with, they smiled at my "Costume and Make-up" and give me compliments on my style! I loved the sweets, I think that is one of the things I always miss when at the end of the evening, I go back underground and snuggle in my spooky crypt, wishing for Halloween to come around again!
CALCATA
Calcata; an ancient Italian village located on top of a volcanic cliff in North Lazio. Its history goes back more than 3000 years, starting with Etruscan-Faliscan civilization.
THE TEMPLE OF BACCHUS
The Temple of Bacchus at Baalbek, Lebanon, ca. 150 AD.
This stunning Roman temple, still very well preserved, is actually larger than the Parthenon of Athens.
This stunning Roman temple, still very well preserved, is actually larger than the Parthenon of Athens.
SNARL
Last night I watched this British short horror film on Amazon Prime.
It was only 20 mins long, but it was quite good. I wished they had expanded upon it and made it longer.
The setting is - England. 1934. A young man, Elijah, has been captured and accused of being a werewolf by Clyde, a self-famed bounty hunter from a nearby village. As Elijah is brutally tortured in a vain attempt to get him to confess, he suddenly finds himself secretly released by two villagers, Faye and her younger brother Benjamin, who believe he is innocent. Then that's when all hell breaks loose!
I do not know any of the actors or the director, but they seemed to have done a decent job, considering the length of the film and the low budget.
I will personally rate this short flick a score of 6/10.
It was only 20 mins long, but it was quite good. I wished they had expanded upon it and made it longer.
The setting is - England. 1934. A young man, Elijah, has been captured and accused of being a werewolf by Clyde, a self-famed bounty hunter from a nearby village. As Elijah is brutally tortured in a vain attempt to get him to confess, he suddenly finds himself secretly released by two villagers, Faye and her younger brother Benjamin, who believe he is innocent. Then that's when all hell breaks loose!
I do not know any of the actors or the director, but they seemed to have done a decent job, considering the length of the film and the low budget.
I will personally rate this short flick a score of 6/10.
Sunday, 30 October 2022
CLIFF VILLAGE
This village is built on a basaltic cliff more than 50m high and spreads about 1 kilometers long.Castelifollit de La Roca, Spain
VAMPIRE WALLABY
Back in 2013 a Wallaby in Highgate Cemetery. And it's been caught on camera hopping around.
Maybe it's a Vampire?
Maybe it's a Vampire?
INTO NOTHING!
It’s a crowded street, peak shopping time before Christmas, and the clouds are pressing down hard and grey, there’s a chill drizzle and a spiteful wind, so most of the crowd on the street are pressing on quick from where they’ve been to where they’re going, heads down until they reach the next blast from a warm air curtain in the doorway to another brightly lit shop.
Which is why you might be the only one who notices. At first you think you’ve just seen it wrong, a twitch of your eyes, a moment of inattention. A man appears a little way ahead of you, in amongst the shoppers, as if he wasn’t there a moment ago. He appears troubled, frantically looking around. And then he’s gone. Just like that. He was there, and then he wasn’t. He filled space, and then he didn’t. You look to see behind other shoppers, convinced someone had stepped in front of him, and then you see him blink into life on the other side of the street, just for a moment, even more distressed now, pushing at the air as if at a wall.
Then he’s gone, and the pavement where he stood is empty.
You look around, to see if anyone else has noticed, but they haven’t, and then he flashes into being on your side of the road again, his mouth open as if he is shouting, banging on the air around him, tearing at it with his hands as if trying to open it up.
Then he’s gone, and you don’t see him again. It was all very quick, but as you stand there in the rain and the wind and the crowd moving around you, you think that in that last moment he didn’t just blink out, but something dark wrapped around him and pulled him away, into nothing.
Which is why you might be the only one who notices. At first you think you’ve just seen it wrong, a twitch of your eyes, a moment of inattention. A man appears a little way ahead of you, in amongst the shoppers, as if he wasn’t there a moment ago. He appears troubled, frantically looking around. And then he’s gone. Just like that. He was there, and then he wasn’t. He filled space, and then he didn’t. You look to see behind other shoppers, convinced someone had stepped in front of him, and then you see him blink into life on the other side of the street, just for a moment, even more distressed now, pushing at the air as if at a wall.
Then he’s gone, and the pavement where he stood is empty.
You look around, to see if anyone else has noticed, but they haven’t, and then he flashes into being on your side of the road again, his mouth open as if he is shouting, banging on the air around him, tearing at it with his hands as if trying to open it up.
Then he’s gone, and you don’t see him again. It was all very quick, but as you stand there in the rain and the wind and the crowd moving around you, you think that in that last moment he didn’t just blink out, but something dark wrapped around him and pulled him away, into nothing.
SPELLWRITER'S BRACE
This writer's hand brace allows you to prepare four extra spells from your spellbook whenever you finish a long rest. The spells can be no higher than 5th level and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. When you do, the prepared spells appear on the skin of your arm as abstract spell tattoos that represent them. You can prepare the same spell multiple times in this way, taking the necessary time in order to do so, to create multiple copies of the same spell tattoo.
As an action, you can touch a willing creature and speak the brace's command word to transfer one of your spell tattoos to it, causing the spell tattoo to disappear from your arm and appear on the creature instead. You can only have one tattoo transferred in this way at a time. Transferring a second spell tattoo causes the first one to disappear.
A spellcaster with a spell tattoo can expend a spell slot of the tattooed spell’s level or higher, using its spell save DC, spell attack bonus, and spellcasting ability to do so. Once the spell is cast, its tattoo disappears. Any spell tattoos created by the brace disappear when you finish a long rest or remove the brace.
As an action, you can touch a willing creature and speak the brace's command word to transfer one of your spell tattoos to it, causing the spell tattoo to disappear from your arm and appear on the creature instead. You can only have one tattoo transferred in this way at a time. Transferring a second spell tattoo causes the first one to disappear.
A spellcaster with a spell tattoo can expend a spell slot of the tattooed spell’s level or higher, using its spell save DC, spell attack bonus, and spellcasting ability to do so. Once the spell is cast, its tattoo disappears. Any spell tattoos created by the brace disappear when you finish a long rest or remove the brace.
Saturday, 29 October 2022
GET DUKED!
I've just watched this British Horror Black Comedy on Amazon Prime.
Four inner-city urban youths are sent to the Highlands of Scotland to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
They then encounter masked posh hunters who try to hunt them down as the "Urban Youth" are destroying their way of life, what with their crime, drugs, and the hip-hop music, etc.
They meet a bunch of oddball farmers, and very stupid police officers who are searching for Bread Terrorists.
This film is rather funny and very daft with beautiful scenery, some neat action scenes, and average acting from the young characters.
Teamwork is everything, even if you are lost among the sheep!
I will rate this movie a score of 5/10.
Four inner-city urban youths are sent to the Highlands of Scotland to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
They then encounter masked posh hunters who try to hunt them down as the "Urban Youth" are destroying their way of life, what with their crime, drugs, and the hip-hop music, etc.
They meet a bunch of oddball farmers, and very stupid police officers who are searching for Bread Terrorists.
This film is rather funny and very daft with beautiful scenery, some neat action scenes, and average acting from the young characters.
Teamwork is everything, even if you are lost among the sheep!
I will rate this movie a score of 5/10.
LEVERAGE: REDEMPTION
This afternoon, we finished watching this 16-episode season 1 of Leverage: Redemption on Freevee.
This series serves as a sequel/revival of the original Leverage series.
The cast is pretty much the same, except for their leader Nate, whose character has been killed off. This new series has two new members, one being Noah Wyle (Librarians and E.R.).
The premise is pretty much the same, grifting bad guys and bringing them to justice.
Each episode is brilliant and full of action-comedy capers.
I was a huge fan of the original series and this one is really good.
I can't wait for season 2 which will be out next month.
I will rate this season a score of 9/10.
This series serves as a sequel/revival of the original Leverage series.
The cast is pretty much the same, except for their leader Nate, whose character has been killed off. This new series has two new members, one being Noah Wyle (Librarians and E.R.).
The premise is pretty much the same, grifting bad guys and bringing them to justice.
Each episode is brilliant and full of action-comedy capers.
I was a huge fan of the original series and this one is really good.
I can't wait for season 2 which will be out next month.
I will rate this season a score of 9/10.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS TOWER
The Devil's Tower south of Dakota Wyoming in America, is a mysterious rock and a lonely rock amidst the plains
ROCK FORTRESS
Sigiriya or Sinhagiri is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka.
CASTLE OF THE MOUNTAIN
Built in the 1240s, Castel del Monte is a 13th-century citadel and castle situated on a hill in Andria in the Apulia region of southeast Italy.
SPIRAL MONASTRY
The magic and mystery of the legendary ‘Quinta da Regaleira’ located in the UNESCO village of Sintra, Portugal.
TEMPLE THEATER
It is one of the most evocative archaeological sites in Italy, a Temple-theater complex discovered only at the beginning of the 2000s in Monte San Nicola, in Pietravairano of Caserta province. Lying at 410 meters high in the Sannio area, dates back to the late Roman Republican period, 2nd-1st century BC.
TREE TOWER
The Torre Guinigi: a 45-meter-high fortified tower-house built in the 13th century, with holm oaks growing in hanging gardens at its top. Luke, Italy.
Friday, 28 October 2022
BULLET TRAIN
I've just finished watching this action-packed comedy thriller on Amazon Prime for £3.49 to rent.
It has a huge ensemble cast of great actors and different story plots that all combine at the end.
It has a Smoking Aces/Kill Bill feel to it and it was great!
I won't reveal the plot or the actors as such, but I'm sure you can work them out via the movie poster below.
The main star Brad Pitt was actually quite good and I'm not a huge fan of his work but the twins! were the best.
The film is filled with a lot of action, decent stunt work on par with a Jackie Chan movie, and the comedy was good too. the ending had a brilliant old school stunt which I liked.
I will rate this movie a score of 9/10.
It has a huge ensemble cast of great actors and different story plots that all combine at the end.
It has a Smoking Aces/Kill Bill feel to it and it was great!
I won't reveal the plot or the actors as such, but I'm sure you can work them out via the movie poster below.
The main star Brad Pitt was actually quite good and I'm not a huge fan of his work but the twins! were the best.
The film is filled with a lot of action, decent stunt work on par with a Jackie Chan movie, and the comedy was good too. the ending had a brilliant old school stunt which I liked.
I will rate this movie a score of 9/10.
CHRISTMAS DISPLAY
I loved these decorations.
When I was a kid, I use to go to school in the morning and come home to a magical Sitting Room filled with beautiful Christmas lights and tinsel all over the place.
When I was a kid, I use to go to school in the morning and come home to a magical Sitting Room filled with beautiful Christmas lights and tinsel all over the place.
Thursday, 27 October 2022
DEATH RACE 3: INFERNO
I have just watched Death Race 3: Inferno on Netflix.
This is a direct follow up to the second movie starring Luke Gross (Bros fame), Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, and Dougray Scott.
It is quite a good action flick and this time around; the setting is in South Africa with a whole load of new criminals to bash heads against and kill each other with their cars.
I am going to look for the 4th film in the series if Netflix, has it?
I will rate this action flick a score of 6/10.
This is a direct follow up to the second movie starring Luke Gross (Bros fame), Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, and Dougray Scott.
It is quite a good action flick and this time around; the setting is in South Africa with a whole load of new criminals to bash heads against and kill each other with their cars.
I am going to look for the 4th film in the series if Netflix, has it?
I will rate this action flick a score of 6/10.
MR. BOBBY
It’s not uncommon for small children to have imaginary friends, although it can be a little unnerving at times. Maybe your child will tell you that their best friend is Mr Bobby, and you’ll overhear your little loved one whispering to the walls, or leaving out milk in a saucer, as if Mr Bobby was a cat.
Mr Bobby isn’t a cat, and nor is he imaginary, and he does drink milk, amongst other things, and he is your child’s friend and will be until that age at which the magic drains from the world like colour into black and white, and your child will forget, at which time Mr Bobby will move on somewhere else. He lives in the walls and almost certainly will cause no harm to you unless you say that one wrong thing which really, really upsets Mr Bobby and makes him come out of the walls.
It’s unfortunate, and I do apologise, but I’m afraid at the moment I can’t remember what that wrong thing is. If I do remember, I’ll be sure to let you know.
I had a number of special friends when I was young, but my home was haunted, and I have always acted like a beacon to the weird and spooky!
btw, I had to do a double take on the title of this tale, as I thought it said Mr. Blobby, and any British person knows how scary that character really is!
Mr Bobby isn’t a cat, and nor is he imaginary, and he does drink milk, amongst other things, and he is your child’s friend and will be until that age at which the magic drains from the world like colour into black and white, and your child will forget, at which time Mr Bobby will move on somewhere else. He lives in the walls and almost certainly will cause no harm to you unless you say that one wrong thing which really, really upsets Mr Bobby and makes him come out of the walls.
It’s unfortunate, and I do apologise, but I’m afraid at the moment I can’t remember what that wrong thing is. If I do remember, I’ll be sure to let you know.
I had a number of special friends when I was young, but my home was haunted, and I have always acted like a beacon to the weird and spooky!
btw, I had to do a double take on the title of this tale, as I thought it said Mr. Blobby, and any British person knows how scary that character really is!
DEATH RACE 2
Last night I watched this sci-fi prequel movie to the 2008 film starring Jason Statham.
This prequel stars Luke Gross (Bros fame) as the original character of the name of Frankenstein.
It follows his origin and the origin of the Death Race Match.
It also stars Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, and Sean Bean.
It is quite good action flick if you want to watch a mindless car racing movie with a lot of tough looking criminals trying to win the prize of their freedom.
It was a nice distraction from the world for about 1hr40 mins.
I am planning on watching the next instalment tonight.
Both movies are on Netflix in the UK, as for the rest of the world, you will have to do your own searching.
I will rate this action flick a score of 7/10.
This prequel stars Luke Gross (Bros fame) as the original character of the name of Frankenstein.
It follows his origin and the origin of the Death Race Match.
It also stars Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, and Sean Bean.
It is quite good action flick if you want to watch a mindless car racing movie with a lot of tough looking criminals trying to win the prize of their freedom.
It was a nice distraction from the world for about 1hr40 mins.
I am planning on watching the next instalment tonight.
Both movies are on Netflix in the UK, as for the rest of the world, you will have to do your own searching.
I will rate this action flick a score of 7/10.
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