This blog was a combination of one I was working on and an idea given to me by the student I am working with, a wonderfully creative young man whose talents are just beginning to emerge.

In reality, every reader, while he is reading, is the reader of his own self.  The writer’s work is merely a kind of optical instrument, which he offers to the reader to permit him to discern what, without books, he perhaps would never have seen in himself.  The readers recognition in his own self of what the book says is the proof of its truth.

Marcel Proust

So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.

Dr. Seuss

Films that delve into history have the toughest audience.  They must satisfy the movie going public’s desire to see a good story, complete with a satisfactory ending –  with the reality that the study of the past offers us very few neat, self-contained happy endings.

Yohuru Williams

You only know what you know to get knowledge sometimes you have to go out and find it.

Cornell Thomas

Fear defeats more people than any thing one the world.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I read that every known superstition in the world is gathered into the horseshoe of the Carpathians, as if it were the centre of some sort of imaginative whirlpool; if so my stay may be very interesting.  (Mem. I must ask the Count all about them.)

From Bram Stoker’s Dracula

         “The world has changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth.     I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost.

From J R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings

I can think of younger days when living for my life

Was everything a man could want to do.

I could never see tomorrow, I was never told about the sorrow.

Bee Gees How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

      Night is not evil, some think so, but it is not.  It is only the time when the sun visits other parts of our planet, going from the Carpathian peaks of Transylvania to the swamps of Palm Beach.   From the abode of Vald Dracula to that of his son Alexis.  From the old to the new, yet both lands were born when the great continent of Pangaea broke up in the days of the dinosaurs.  It is all how one looks at it, perspective is the key to history and outlook, from reality and fantasy, from truth and myth.  It is all how one sees it, whose shoes one wears, whose eyes one sees with.  What one may see as tragedy another as farce, as drama or comedy, it all in the eyes of the beholder.  So, let us travel to the night of Palm Beach and see through another’s eyes and look upon the world in a whole new way.  The time is May Eve, soon it will be Walpargisnacht, or as the Celts called it, Beltane.  Winter was dying in Spring and summer was soon to begin as the year’s great circle continued.  Summer will die in fall at the time of Samhain, both are days when many spirits walk the Earth, in the fall many return to visit loved ones, but Beltane is different.  When Beltane is occupied by the full moon, as it is this year the night world puts on a spectacular display.  Under the bright Hunter’s moon of the time one can see both the Portal to Hell and the great Stairway to Heaven.

      Let us travel to the swamps of Palm Beach and see how two creatures will spend this time.  One is and young Ork prince who is called Jonathan and an old vampire named Barnaby Bosworth.  Barnaby was a Baobhan Sith, a Celtic vampire who once was a friend of Edward VI and came to America with the parents of Virginia Dare.  Jonathan was an Ork, whose father was one of the four Ork Kings in North America, descended from the forest Beiliai, and served in the court of King Solomon.  His father’s sign is Tigris (or the lion) while his mother’s is the Keresh (the deer), and they were noted for playing jokes and warning the animals of the forest of hunters.  Both had found a home in the dark swamps of Palm Beach and lived separately in this mysterious land.

      Barnaby’s journey to this land started in Tudor England were he was raised with Edward VI and, while not in a position to be a major figure in the young king’s court, he closeness to the king could have been an opening to a great life.  Sadly the young king died before his sixteenth birthday and the politics of the land turned against Barnaby.  He threw in with Lady Jane and this led to his arrest, he would have been executed, but he escaped the Tower and slipped into the northern part of England.  There, like his friends John and Richard, he fell into a coven of Celtic vampires and was transformed into a male Baobhan Sith. He later slipped back to London when Elizabeth was queen and later signed on as a soldier with the group that founded the Roanoke colony.  It was there when the natives threatened to destroy them, he and several others, including the young Virginia Dare, left to find a less dangerous country.  They failed, and to keep the young Virginia alive, he turned her into a vampire and they had traveled together as father and daughter ever since.

      Jonathan was the youngest son of Josiah and Ester, the rulers of the southern area of this land, but how they got that position is a long and complicated story that I will not burden you with now.  Orks are eternal creatures and age very slowly, while Jonathan looked 18 to 20, he was actually several centuries old.  He had been exiled to this swamp after an explosive argument with his parents, and given two servants, an elf named Miguel and a swamp troll called Ragnar. Elves were much like banshee, and could see death in a person, but unlike the Banshee, they had little to do with the mortal humans, except when they were seducing them for pleasure. He was the result of a union between a Spanish Conquistador and the fallen angel Tlazolteotl, a creature who sided with the devil when she revolted against God’s command to place humans above them.  She tricked the Aztec into believing she was the Goddess of Lust and lured many unsuspecting warrior into the deserts where they would be raped and killed.  Miguel, like many of the results of these unions, first lived in great luxury, until their mother grew jealous of them and either killed or ran them off.  Miguel had been exiled to this swamp and placed under Jonathan by Josiah to help training the young boy in the duties and ways of the Orks.  Josiah also placed the swamp troll Ragnar as the young prince’s teacher.  Trolls, also called Draugs, looked like humans, but wished to have nothing to do with them, especially the city dwellers that occupied the area around his swamp.  They were changelings who could assume any shape they pleased, but mostly assumed the shape of a great stone, and processed much wisdom, but little tact.  Both were excellent warriors, elves were archers who rivaled those of Nubia and trolls could cut through any army with their heavy axes. They had occupied this swamp for three hundred years, not always in harmony, but had become like a small family.

      Across town Barnaby was at the store, vampires could gain blood from several sources, one being red meat.  They could drink any beverage if they added blood to it, if not the beverage just ran right through them.  After digesting the blood in meat they turned themselves into mist and left the remaining meat for forest creatures.  As he wandered the store isles he sensed something, during the day vampire’s physical powers were lessened, but their mental ones stayed strong.  He was able to read both emotions and minds, and a vampire was always looking for fear, an emotion they could easily take advantage of.

      He moved around the store until he found the source of the mental disturbance, a young woman walking with a small carry basket, she was quit beautiful and had curly black hair.    In her late twenties her face was that of one in turmoil.  The vampire delved into her mind and saw that she had been molested by her uncle, molestation that continued to her marriage to a family friend.  Her husband was abusive and beat her, and finally she had enough and turned both men in, which her family reacted with total horror.  Her family sided with the men and she in total desperation, fled New Jersey in an attempt to get her life back and move on, but things were still not going well.  Her past refused to let her go and she was falling into deeper and deeper despair.

      Barnaby pushed deeper into her stormy mind and slowly began drawing her will to him. Her life was still spiking out of control and was a fertile hunting ground for the vampire.  Now, like a cougar stalking a deer, he hunted her and pulled her will into his control.  After about ten minutes she felt  tinged with terror, and turned to see the man following her, she gazed into his eyes and his mission was completed, she was now his.  Like wolves hunting elk, they race through a herd wounding several elk and then just follow the blood trail to feast on the exhausted animal, the vampire now only had to wait for nightfall and his prize was secure.  He then would drink her blood as he made her either a meal or a disciple.

      Barnaby waited until the sun was set and the night had a strong hold on the land to move out to find his prey.  She was not far away, sitting in her apartment dressed only in a long night-shirt that covered to the middle of her thigh.  Wearing nothing else she sat on her couch and had rivers of tears flow down her cheek as she tried to gather herself together, depressed and alone she sat there, until she felt a presence just outside her window.  She pulled apart the blinds that covered the large sliding glass that led to her a small screen in porch and there stood a woman in green.  Her long flowing hair and large mouth made her fairly beautiful, but the woman jumped back in fear, something told her that this woman was not a friend.  Feeling like a trapped animal she began to breathe quickly and heavily and suddenly she felt another presence, one at her door.

      The vampire placed his hand on the door and asked for permission to enter, as vampires cannot cross a threshold without it.  To the woman’s surprise she started towards the door, as she was totally under the creature’s control, fighting every step she advanced her hand to the doorknob and opened it.  There stood the vampire, his eyes now red as he was ready for a meal, he looked at her and with a hint of an old London accent asked to come in.  The woman wanted to scream and run, but instead she just backed up and said yes.

     The vampire advance across the room as the woman retreated until she was stopped by the couch.  He then placed both hands on her shoulders and ripped the shirt off of her body.  She now stood naked and terrorized in front of the creature.  Fear or desire made the blood sweeter and the vampire looked into her eyes and got both emotions to kick in.

      “Rather dramatic,” a voice from behind the vampire exclaimed with a comic sound to it.

      Barnaby turned and smiled, “Were are my manners, Lady Mary,  just some of my old English habits coming out.”

      They laughed a bit as the door closed and locked itself, the woman pleaded a bit, but neither listened to her.  She was no longer a person, but a meal, and both of the creatures were hungry.  Barnaby sank his fangs into her juggler vain and Mary chose her femoral, her favorite when feeding on a female. The woman struggled a bit, but felt the life flowing out of her body, as the creatures finished she collapsed like a bag of potatoes on the couch.  The two vampires licked the blood from each others lips and chin and disappeared into the night.

      The woman was found the next day when the landlord came to collect overdue rent, she was picked up by the sheriff and taken to the morgue.  As an undead entity she was aware of all that was going on, but could make no move or sound.  Her family refused to claim the body so after seventy-two hours she was sent to a funeral home, as the county paid the undertakers $700.00 a body to cremate those that nobody wanted.  All knew what happened, but this was Palm Beach County, thus nothing was claimed, except she had died of an overdose.

      Later that night she laid on the racks of the unwanted and feared she would be devoured by the flames of the crematory, but then she heard a familiar voice, that sound sounded comforting and not terrible.  It was the voice of Barnaby, who was talking to the man who owned the funeral home.

      “So, Carl, this do it?” Barnaby chuckled as he held seven one hundred-dollar bills like a hand of cards, “guess you got the same from the county.”

      “Person got to make living,” the director chimed in, “hey, I am just a business man.”

      Barnaby laughed and said that was what Al Capone use to say.  The men talked as Barnaby motioned to the woman who rose from the rack and walked to his side.  As they left he said to her, “Guess we can get you dressed and then maybe we can go to New Jersey, seems you got unfinished business there.”

      Jonathan was sitting near a small open space in the trees, looking at his two companions.  Sometimes these two just angered him to no end, he was supposed to be in charge, but they never really listened to him, and sometimes they openly mocked him.  They really did not mean it, least he thought that, but he was a prince and should be commanding more respect.  His brother always got more, there seemed nothing that he could not do, but Jonathan was coming to terms with it, but he still resented him at times.  Miguel instructed him in the art of fighting, as elves were masters at swordplay and hand to hand combat.  Ragnar taught him the history of the Orks and how to read the ancient writings of Solomon and Moses.   He worked hard, but sometimes felt as if he could do nothing, despite how much his tutors told him that he was better.  Ragnar always said that to find what held him back he needed to look in the silver sea and see the one who was he biggest nemesis.

      Miguel looked at Jonathan and began, “Your father said that we need to speak of the women with you,” he stopped and sweep his hands down his chest,  “if had this, you would need no instruction.”

      Ragnar laughed and said, “If that is the case, I might have to climb the stairway to heaven, since only God may be able to help him.”

      Jonathan looked at his two mentors and snarled, “First, I am not as helpless as you two say and second, are not I am supposed to be in charge, you are  my servants.”

      They both laughed and chuckled that he was right, but Jonathan heard no real sincerity in their voices, but he could not be so angry, he really liked these guys and knew that in a pinch they would be there for him.  He shook his head and smiled, he told them he had better things to do, there were hunters in the forest and he needed to warn the animals of the land.  These were not the regular hunters, they were five of the most vicious and nasty kind.  They did not even take trophies, they just killed and left the carcasses to the elements.  The Ork prince hated these guys and was planning more than just warning the animals, he was planning to deal with them more severely.

       As he walked another creature approached, it was Reginal, the sea creature that Jonathan befriended years ago.  The creatures long snakelike green and gold body glimmered as he moved through the trees.  He had short legs that resembled those of a turtle and each foot that  resembled a tyrannosaurs.   He had two long horns like on a Viking helmet and a face of a raptor at the end of a long giraffe type neck,  His eyes burned red and with phosphorus in his mucus membranes he could shoot fire from his mouth or nose, and on the end of his long tail was a spear like bone which he used like a dagger to capture prey.  He was the creature of English and Norse legends that appear on the old maps of the early explorers.

       “So young prince,” Reginal whispered as he swirled around him, “so what is it you need tonight, maybe to swim with the mermen and mermaids in the deep-sea?”

       Jonathan smiled, swimming in the sea with Reginal was one of his favorite activities,” no, we have serious business, I will not tolerate those killers any longer, I wish to deal with them tonight.”

       Reginal shook his head in agreement, they moved deeper in to the swamp and soon came to a lake, both slipped into the water, Orks could breathe either on land or sea, and communicated with the alligators discovering the five killers had set traps along the shore.  Filled with a controlled rage, which surprised Reginal, Jonathan noticed one of the five was still setting traps in the shallow water near the beach.  One poor creature had already been captured and killed by these monsters and Jonathan slowly approached the man.  Standing up in the shallows he walked slowly to the land and in the process was tripping the traps he came across.  The man on the beach saw him and ran towards the young prince.

      He snarled in a savage voice, “Hey boy, stop you little bastard.  You are gonna regret that you little mother fucker!”

      Usually, Jonathan would have lost his temper and would respond like a child who discovered someone breaking a toy, but not this time.  In a slow but strong voice he responded, “No, no, you are not going to keep this slaughter up.  I mean I can abide hunters who are looking for food, all predators do that, and while I hate trophy hunting, I will only warn the creatures of the forest of them and help them escape.  Maybe try to instruct those who trophy hunt, but I will not do great harm to them.” He stopped and collected himself as his rage built up in his entire body.  Then red-faced and with a regal tone went on, “but you and your kind just slaughter to slaughter, no, soon you might move on to your own kind, I have heard of your bullying and an abuse you have dealt to even the humans who you see as weaker, this will end.”

      The man just laughed and sneered at him, “just who do you think you…”

       Before he finished Reginal thrust his tail through the man’s body and presented him to Jonathan.  Jonathan simply said, “I am that creature’s friend and an Ork prince who is responsible for the creatures of this land, and you, like those you have slaughtered will now be tossed into the brush for the scavengers to feast on.”

       Jonathan and Reginal quickly moved through the trees, silently and invisible searching for the trailer the others lived in.  As the day turned into night, they found it on the outskirts of town and Jonathan posted himself on a tree branch overlooking the clearing it was in.   As he sat on the branch he felt a presence next to him, he turned and their was another creature. He looked into the mans face and recognized the two long hairs that extended from both of his eyebrows, his pointed ears and the dark purple uniform he wore with the two gold stripes on his arm.  He was an Allyonian, a space creature that hunted these wood for a different game, he was a hunter of humans.  The stranger looked at Jonathan and smiled, Jonathan smiled back, he understood that they may have a common objective.

        “So, Ork prince,” The young man began, in a tone that surprised Jonathan a bit, it held much more respect than usual, “you seek the men in the trailer, as do I, we need some bio diversity at the Troborg and they could make good specimens, hardly likely they will be missed.”

       Jonathan looked at the man quizzically, and whispered, “you speak to me differently than your kin have in the past, they usually call me Ork boy, but we do have common quest, I wish to eliminate these creatures, I will not tolerate wanton slaughter any longer. You seem very confident and commanding or a corporal.  So you need my help?”

       The young corporal smiled, “Need, no, want, yes, I am an Allyonian Guardsman, I need no help, but if I can use some to achieve a goal, I will take it.  As for my demeanor, ranks are only for organizational purposes, what one is what is inside, I can see from your demeanor you are a prince, that was not there before, but no matter, will you assist?”

       Stunned a bit, Jonathan quickly agreed and they  discussed how they would achieve their goal, capture the four men.  The plan they decided on was that Jonathan would turn himself into mist and slip into trailer.  Once inside he would overload an electrical unit and start a fire, this would drive the me out into the waiting arms of the Allyonians.  They waited for the evening to turn into night and listened as the men fell into a drunken sleep.  The two spoke of many things, Jonathan told the corporal about the things that Miguel and Ragnar always told him, that he looked at his problems through a dark and dirty glass that one day would be clear and to see who was holding him back he needed to look in the glassy, silver sea.  The corporal looked at Jonathan and laughed, he then told him that he needed to find that himself.  He went on to say that when one looks into  the glassy sea, one could be terrified and run away, one could become so infatuated with what one saw they would be captured by the sea and killed, but some, the ones processed by the best stuff, rose up and became great. Sadly many never have courage to even seek out that sea,  it depends on what  was already there.

       There much more Jonathan wished to ask, but he had no time for such things now.  He jumped from the tree and became a white mist before he hit the ground, moving quickly he slipped into the trailer that reeked of beer and marijuana.  Then he saw what he wanted, a big clump of plugs tangled around a power bar, the perfect means to create a fire.  He pointed his hand at the plugs and added and a bolt of lighting streaked from him to the power bar, exploding the trailer in a fearsome blaze.  Stunned they stumbled out of the burning trailer and before they could celebrate getting out, the Allyonians captured them and whisked them onto their waiting craft, they had made their quota and it was now time pack up and return home.  Jonathan watched as they left, he had more question, but they had no time for his questions, he watched the Allyonians take their prizes off to their ship and he and his creature slowly disappeared back into the swamp.

        Later that day Willie James stood in he entrance of the high school, his life was a wreck and he was at the of his rope.  An accident on 95, old story, large rainstorm and people who refuse to  slow down, it was one of the biggest Palm Beach had seen and his family, who were three of sixteen killed.  He had been placed with aunt who care little for him, and he just had no idea of what to do next. He had come in early, looking for either Mr. Bosworth or Ms. Brooks,  Both had been help over the last four weeks, especially Mr. Bosworth, who seemed to understand just what he had been going through.  Barnaby smiled when he saw the young man and took him into the media center where they discussed much and were joined by Ms. Brook, who comforted the young man.  Barnaby suggested that he come over to his apartment later and meet with his daughter, Virginia, which Ms. Brooks said was a very good idea.  Willie asked what he and the girl could talk about and Barnaby just laughed and repeated an old rhyme . “Ride a cock-horse to Banburry Cross, to see a fine lady on a white horse.”   It was an old saying that was  used to suggest that a pair become a couple. Willie did not understand that, but soon would.

        It was the night before the Walpargisnacht, and Jonathan was sitting in the swamp speaking with a Brownie(the helpers of Celtic shaman).  The Brownie, a young girl named Katie, was laughing and teasing Jonathan about his relationship with Miguel and Ragnar.   Usually this would send the Ork prince into a rage, but not anymore, now he just laughed and countered about her relationship with a certain young Brownie male. She was typical of Brownies, very short and spoke with a high-pitched voice, her flowing red hair and her love of small animals had always been why Jonathan had a soft spot for these creatures of the night.   Clothed in brown these creatures roamed the woods and sometimes, in harmony with fairies and leprechauns, could be enticed to sing the music of song, swamp trolls like Ragnar were one of the creatures that could get them to do this.

        The little creature then got a puzzled look on her face and quizzed the prince, “why did that young vampire, Virginia’s new friend, and that she-wolf kill and share that young city dweller last night, I mean I know they do that, but he did not look like their usual fare, I knew of him, he was not a thing whose death would go unnoticed, I mean Jonathan McDonald said he was a fat jerk from the high school.  It was really nasty and the wolf did not finish him, left a good bit, like they wanted it found.”

        “Not to sure,” Jonathan responded, “Ragnar said something about a jaguar stumbling into the Montana hills and running into the head of that land.  He clouds everything in those kind of terms.  I think the she-wolf is a teacher at the school and the new vampire is a student and the kid was one who had caused both of them lots of trouble, and he finally did something to really piss them off.  Besides the vampire is a new Baobhan Sith and needed hot blood on his first meal.  City dwellers have forgotten why they need to watch who they anger, Ragnar says that a snow leopard is also in danger, but seems to have mended his ways.”

        “Does your troll assign animals to all city dwellers, or does it mean something more?” She queried.

        “All humans have an animal spirit connected to them,” Jonathan answered, “in the old days they knew this and respected that connection, but the city dwellers have forgotten that, it is why many have lost respect for the creatures they share this planet with, won’t bode well for them, Ragnar says that too, seems he feels that something big is coming down the road, he won’t say what, but trolls usually are never wrong about that”

        The next morning Barnaby was speaking with Virginia Brooks, the young Social Studies teacher who was completing her first year, “so, you have just about survived your first year in school, how is it?”

        “Not bad,” the young lady responded, “have had good days and bad, but I think I am getting the hang of this.”

        “I also hear that a certain young man will no longer be a dark cloud in your class, ” Barnaby countered, noting that once again the school was dealing with a mysterious death of a student.  Some mourned, others experienced fear, but those who knew this County just shrugged, noting that one did not anger those of the night.  He paused and chuckled, “the boy had no class.”

        Ms. Brooks laughed and whispered, “and not much taste either.”

      Willie had joined them and echoed Ms. Brooks, “no he had no taste at all.”

       The group laughed and then continued into the day.  Willie and Ms. Brooks commented that both were going to the big party the were wolves were hosting in the swamp.  Barnaby was not, he felt the party was for the younger creatures and, besides he had his new disciple to party with that night.  It was eternal life through eternal death in eternal servitude for all vampires, especially for new ones.

        Walpargisnacht was the night that winter turned to summer, a time of great celebration for all the night creatures, especially ones with partners.  The Beltane time was for love, for death and terror, that was the Samhain, when the glorious summer turned to the winter of discontent.  The Samhain culminated on Halloween, a time when the dead joined the creatures of the night in a celebration of what had been.  Tonight was for what will be.  The  Walpargisnacht was the time when one started over and moved on and all those things that had to do with the future.  Jonathan hated it all, he felt he had no future and thus was to be confined only to the past, but lately he noticed a change in him.  He was not sure what, he felt Ragnar and Miguel had given him something new, but he did not know what.  Ragnar approached the young prince and smiling announced.

        “Jonathan,” he whispered,” you have a visitor, it’s your friend Jacqui she came to visit you on the  Walpargisnacht.”

        Jonathan short up and smiled, she was a good friend and he offered his and in greeting and responded, “so you have come to see my family’s hideous monster on this sad night.”

        Jacqui smiled, she had black hair and a dark complexion, with a childlike grin she walked over to him.  She ran her one hand down Jonathan’s arm and took hold of his hand.  She then placed her other hand on his cheek and kissed his lips, “I never saw you as a monster, really.”

        Jonathan was like one hit by lighting, as Miguel said the glass he looked through suddenly cleared and he saw the silver sea, it was a mirror.  He had been his worst enemy and was holding himself back.  Ragnar and Miguel had not given him anything, they had allowed him to bring out what was already there.  He was not being treated with new respect, he was seeing the respect that many already had for him.  He glanced back at his two mentors and whispered, “Thank you.”

        The two creatures then clasped their hands together like in prayer and bowed slightly to him.  He turned to Jacqui and kissed her again, then he summoned Reginal and the two rode off into the night, with Jacqui snuggling closely on his back.

        “My work is done,” sighed Ragnar, then he looked at Miguel and said, “guess you can make that trip to Italy now, it’s a good night the wind is strong and you should find to spirit highways easy.

        Miguel smiled and laughed, he had longed to go to the home of the elves, it was a place of many females and much partying, in other words, it was an elf paradise.  He laughed again out loud and looked at Ragnar and exclaimed, “Para Italia y mas alla de mi amigo.”

        Before he disappeared Ragnar responded, “Cabalga como el viento Miguel.”

        The elf shot like an arrow into the sky and Ragnar sat down in the field, soon he noticed another creature approaching, he laughed and said, “hello Charlie.”

        Charlie was a Sasquatch, and he responded, “Hey Ragnar, so what was up with your prince, looked real happy tonight.”

        Ragnar chuckled and looked up in the sky, he heard all the children of the night singing in a thousand differ tunes and he stood up and raided his hands and arms in the air and called them to sing an old Bee Gee’s song in harmony, without the words, just the music.  The land was now full of the song that spoke of a broken heart, all joined in whether humming or singing the notes to the song, even the were wolves howls soon were in harmony.  Ragnar looked at Charlie and explained, “that’s how you mend a broken heart and let one live again.”

        “Sad words, but beautiful music,” Charlie answered, “have question for you.”

        “What?” Ragnar answered.

        “The swamp is full of foreboding, many are saying that this wind is one of great change, it very cold and many say they have not felt one like this.”  the ape queried.

        “I have not see none like this since Rome fell, and this is colder than that  one.”  Ragnar solemnly answered, “a dark feudal future is descending on the city dwellers.”

        Charlie looked a little upset and Ragnar asked him what was wrong, Charlie replied,” it is what they call us, Skunk ape, why can’t they use the other names, like Sasquatch or Ragarou?”

        “Probably you all’s habit of farting when any city dwellers gets close,” Ragnar chortled.

        “That could be it,” the ape laughed, “I mean we can knock a buzzard off a manure truck.”

        They both laughed and Ragnar inquired if he wished to speak of anything, and Charlie said no, he was only looking for a place to spend some quiet time and enjoy the celestial display that he night was putting on.  Ragnar agreed, it was what he wanted as well.  he said,” Then we will sit in silence for a while and later discuss all things like carpenters and kings.”

        Charlie slipped into a palm frond patch and his dark fur made him invisible to all but the most trained eye, Ragnar slipped into a rock like state and both looked up at the dark  Walpargisnacht night.  To the right the portal to hell was visible and open, it was the deepest black of all things in the swamp and had silvers of dark blue, red and purple streaming through it creating the effect of a foreboding, angry sea.  The center of the night sky was dominated by the moon, with its bright white and silver shades shining down on this planet, like it had in the days before any life walked this place. The only constellation that showed itself was to the moon’s right, where Orion danced with the lunar object.   Ascending up to the left of the orb was the gold and white shining stairway to heaven, one could see those climbing the stairs.  ‘Listen to them, the children of the night. What  music they make!’, Bram Stoker’s Dracula said, and their music filled the air  but only a few of the city dwellers did, most had forgotten how and more importantly why.   They had not listened for a long time, not in the past, not now, but a feudal future would teach them to listen again.