Watch it snow Obliged to https://read.cash/@wakeupkitty/obliged-to-3cb370dd The online auction was over. Not only the three she hoped for showed up but so did 23 others. All bored at home due to the pandemic or was it a way to mislead the seller? Each name she noted, IP address included. Most address belonged to a private person except one. It turned out to be located in the neighborhood of the police office and belonged to an internet cafe. She stood up and stretched out.…
Unkind Watch it snow https://read.cash/@wakeupkitty/watch-it-snow-3bb06b26 That was what he was, always had been, unkind. Now he suddenly showed up in jail. She wondered who let him in. "You confessed?" "Yes." It surprised him she dared to look him in the eye and her 'yes' sounded firm. Firm enough to make him hesitate for a second. She waited for him to say more but he didn't. There wasn't more to tell or anything that could make these years of humilation, fear, amusement…
Seven bells Unkind https://read.cash/@wakeupkitty/unkind-014c82ad Seven bells the apartment counted and not one single resident took the time to add his name to it. If they didn't care why should he? He pressed each one of them several times and waited from a distance. All windows were dark but at least someone should be at home, all asleep perhaps? How come no one woke up and switched the light on? It remained quiet and dark. Again he pressed each button, a bit agitated…
The cartoon Seven bells https://read.cash/@wakeupkitty/seven-bells-5933c06a It was cold at the office. After 7 p.m. the heater was off to save money. From that time on at most one or two policemen were on duty. On duty meant they could be called while they stayed at home or during their sleep. The emergency number was a central one and most likely a housewife answered the phone. Someone's mother, a mother with a huge lack of sleep trying to make an income without leaving the…
Why do they care? My child asked me this question and keeps asking "Why do people care about the coronavirus, Covid-19, what's the fuss about?" To be honest I don't know and that's my answer "I don't know". The only one we could ask is those who do care, and except for one neurotic friend dealing with more anxieties as one can handle, we can not ask anyone to lighten us up. The question is the result of watching the news to distract us from the lemon of a car, the fog, mud,…
Farewell The cartoon https://read.cash/@wakeupkitty/the-cartoon-d6232bed "We wanted to see each other, despite a mutual reluctance to brave the bad-tempered congestion of high summer traffic." "The bad-tempered congestion of high summer traffic?" Give me a break Ben. This story took long enough and you can stop the formal shit. I have to end this case as soon as possible. The clock is ticking. Within a few hours, I hit the road. Let's see what we have now. A missing girl…
Changes, coronavirus & culture **Changes** Time passes by and these days it is as if we all need to tiptoe more. We already felt as if we 'walked on eggs' during the past years. The country (read: the government) has many issues to deal with since they agreed to change Europe into a better, new world for all. It's easier said than done since DNA, instinct warns us who can be trusted and who's the enemy. The statistics cannot be denied. Only 2% of the new community is good…
How are you? "How are you?" my child asked early this morning. It's the only child who checks on me and feels alarmed if I don't show up. If I die the others will find me long after my death unless they need me for something urgently. I am still in bed and don't feel too well. To be honest I don't feel to dragging myself out again. My belly hurts and my hands are stuck on it and I can't let go of it. I wish the homeschooling started again and I could do as I like for a…
Shelter (NaNoWriMo 1) This place where I stay, the cave, is a good and safe spot to be. No one showed me the way. It's all mine. Most of the time darkness reigns but that's no issue. I learned to deal with it after 'the dark days'. I can see plus there is no anywhere to go. 'Being safe and staying safe is what counts.' These words I remember very well. Someone told them to me long ago in another life. I forgot the name but can see the face and hear the words, these words.…
Moderating & notifications Diary of a moderator (November 7, 2020) *At times I wonder if I am the only moderator left, the only one left who reads, comments, and tips if possible.* I joined over four months ago and saw one change after the next. Each one had the goal to fight plagiarism and spam. Each time new rules were announced the platform became a bit better. Unfortunately it only worked for a short time. It's remarkable how easily people forget. Upvoting isn't…
The goals set It's November 2020. I decided to join #hasil2020 around December 2019. A bit weird if you consider only a few days earlier I said I would no longer set goals because it was pointless. But I did and... I wasn't the only one. It was kind of tragic to see after a month most already gave up on it so did one of the organizers. I posted many updates, mentioned those who said they set goals but each one of them disappeared. Was it due to the coronavirus? No, the virus…
Home (NaNoWriMo 2) Once I woke up it took some time to realize where I was. A greenish color shone at the wall I faced and as I turned on my back the same color I noticed on the ceiling. Later she, the woman who brought me here, explained it is mother Nature, her color. I am not sure it was she who woke me up since I always wake up. I did underneath the cupboard bed where I spent my life so far. I waited for what happened. Did I fell asleep? It's possible. Time never played…
Shrunk (NaNoWriMo 3) A name isn't bad at all. I don't know if it was me who chose it if it came with me at my birth but I became attached to it. She was the only one who called me although she didn't speak much. She had the power of words, could read and write even in languages I never heard before. If we didn't walk outside, searched for the right herbs, fruit, nuts, or mushrooms, I watched her while she cooked or read. She had many books and not one cover was the same.…
Messed up No school, no gymnastics, no one to play with just cleaning the house and hoping for the best. The best is a moment rest without her scoldings and fights... You can hope but it's not enough. The cleaning continues. Emptying cupboards, bookcases, more closets. What is stored in boxes has to be cleaned? Clothes need to be washed even if no one wears them. The curtains need to be washed too. They are taken off and my mother put them in order in the hallway. She cannot…
The magic ones (NaNoWriMo 4) "I can speak!" I felt euphoric but she tempered the feeling by shaking her head. She did it so fast and long I feared it would fall off. "Stop the shaking, you scare me," I screamed while pulling her at her shoulders and trying to hold her still. What was wrong with her? From one moment to the next she stood still and glanced at me. She completely calmed down and responded as if nothing happened. "My dear, you always talked, you always could just…
Screaming (NaNoWriMo 5) She lifted a mouse at its tail smashed it on a stone and fed it to her owl. Immediately it swallowed the entire mouse and stopped the 'gasping'. "You see how satisfied it is? Now it's your turn to feed one. You can feed yours while I do the other chicks." I hesitated. I never killed anyone or anything and those mice looked so cute. "What keeps you? You want to let her starve for hunger?" "Can't you do it?" I begged. She observed me for a while and…
Homeschooling again It was a last-minute announcement on Monday. 'Tuesday at midnight schools close'. Not every school. Daycare, 'kindergarten and till the age of 12 years old remains open. I can't say I feel sorry. I have had it with the fog, cold, driving up and down and the rest of the misery (once the youngest lost all bus tickets, student card, and more which cost a lot of stress) and waiting at the wrong bus stop plus the driving twice up and down because the schedules…
Storytime (NaNoWriMo - 6) "Take this." She handed me a small package. "This one is for you. We will add a bit more, something different and stronger, keep it safe. It's your personal aid kit. I possess one too." She showed me hers and together we inspected both kits with dry herbs, tea, tincture, syrups, and powders she had added to it. Although she wrote on each item what it contained she rehearsed it with me several times and kept doing it as soon something new was added…
The cloud above You feel that too? That dark cloud following you? The man on television read the news. He cannot remember the words he read them out loud. If there's no news left it's time for the weather forecast. A 'depression' is on its way. The man, he looks like a grey mouse in his grey suit. His face cannot smile. I never saw him smile. Perhaps he feels like I do, lives in an empty world. A world filled by fake news and fake people. A place where people want you to…
Luminous (NaNoWriMo - 7) "What do you think?" I thought it was amazing. Did we made silver or caught the stars from heaven? Even in the dark cabinet, it kept gleaming. "Is this how it should be?" I wrote on the blackboard. "You can talk to me, no need to write it down." Hypnotized she stared at the bottle. "I hope it won't affect the other medication. Perhaps we should separate them just to be sure." Just like her, I felt it hard to keep my eyes off the bottle. "Should we…
The end is near My goal is to write a book this month. I join NaNoWriMo 2020. It stands for the National Novel Writing Month which is November. It became quiet an event. A hand of writers started to stimulate each other. This writing month is no longer national but international and pep talks (the years before meetings for writers through the country could be joined) are given to help writers with their writing schedule, to motivate them and fight the writer's block…
Growing (NaNoWriMo - 8) Basil popped up in front of me. "Should we grow our meat?" "A splendid idea but you know you can't pick it off the trees do you?" He giggled and snapped with his fingers and immediately Rosemary stood next to him. "I didn't know you can do that too." "We all can but since Rosemary loves this kind of hocus-pocus we rarely use it. You can't imagine the chaos if we don't focus and keep snapping our fingers. It's merely used in case of need or to get my…
The dream (NaNoWriMo - 9) "You look... you look... so much younger..." "Ow, you are just flattering me. It's me, good old Rosemary. Get out of bed, the day started long ago." I stood up, stretched out and so did she. She kept surprising me. The last time I saw her she looked more dead than alive. This morning she looked reborn, younger, her hair was longer and shone like silver and she grew! "Gosh, have you seen yourself?" "Yes, dear this morning after I woke up and got…
A cold, closed case **Cold** It's what people are today and if it's not what they are they respond that way. I guess this is the new normal governments wants us to live by. No contact to others, no engagement. Not in real life or with help of the internet. The luxury of internet, social media and after that the pandemic of 2020 should have created more time for each other. What a joke. I hear so many complain but no one has time to text, sent a WhatsApp or msn message.…
What better time? "Living here literally means we are shut off of everything," my child says. Does it miss friends, friends, or life? This introverted child without any friends. I know some of its ideas about living elsewhere are not realistic. It never made friends because it never felt the need to do so. Before we moved over here it had sort of 'friends' at the schools it visited. I gave birthday parties but it ignored the guests and played alone in a corner. Today it…
Kruidnoten, the most eaten cookie. Here it is.... brown sugar. This sugar is **not** colored but not 'cleaned'. Still, it costs twice as much as the common white sugar. Its taste is different and it is mainly eaten with rice porridge and used in recipes for 'speculaas' (spiced cookies) and 'kruidnoten' (spiced nuts) Brown sugar is not always a great substitute. If you use it with the apples for your apple pie or with certain doughs and leave it rest you will find a pool of…
The Titans (NaNoWriMo - 10) "You can stay here but what will you do if you "You can stay here but what will you do if you all.." I gestured at her size. "It depends on how strong our magic is. I told you we are different, from abroad, some call us aliens although we prefer our name." "You mean Titans or the magic ones?" We sat on the sofa and went through the books on the first shelf. I did it before but I had no intention to give up. Not after I remembered Carmen did the…
The portal (NaNoWriMo - 11) "This book," Rosemary tapped on the cover, "it's not on the list. I checked it twice and it's not. Let's see if there are more." She placed the newly discovered publication on the coffee table and found three more. Unless someone had put them back, which wasn't very likely, we were right. The books did exchange. "No one put them there. Not you, not me, Carmen left ten days ago and the community will not, I should say cannot enter the house…
Baffled (NaNoWriMo - 12) The house felt cold as I woke up and my nose itchy as if I sniffed at pepper. I felt like sneezing any minute. Nevertheless I had a good night's rest. It still must be early since the sun not shone and it was extremely quiet outside. I pulled my dressing gown off the chair on my way to the kitchen. It was pitch dark all light was gone. Day or night the house was always provided with a certain light, what caused it? I started making a fire but…
Best kid of the class? **Classroom** It's the place where the bus-kid needs to show up on Fridays from now on, although the new restrictions order us 'we all stay home for 30 days'. With 'all' children at high schools are not meant. Daycare, kindergarten, and primary school continue. Parents need to work and these children are too young to be left home alone. Personally, I can't say it's a bad idea. The fact is most teachers do not have the quality to teach online. They just…
November 20, 2020 It's November and not only November but the 20st! The year 2020 passed by fast. It's homeschooling again and this year was good to force the nation(s) into the new normal. Many issues are solved now we are no longer allowed to go out, stay outside with friends, visit restaurants and have more than two visitors in our own home. Who ever thought it was so easy to dictate whole nations. The end isn't near since no matter how many are infected by the…
Morning edition... First thought: the newspaper, that piece of paper most people do not come to to read. Imagine how the one who delivers it at 5 a.m. gets out, suffers while you are still in your bed or... try to drag yourself out. In most cases the newspaper has to wait because it's reader is in a hurry. Off to work. A quick cup of tea or coffee, making lunch and a piece of bread on the way out that is called breakfast. The early news? It has to wait. The only reason the…
Wars (NaNoWriMo - 13) On my way home I bumped into Rick. "You like to see our training field?" He looked excited and I agreed. For the first time, I stepped into the world of the Titans. Their houses were built in a robust style but attractive for the eye. In the center was a cooking place and behind the last cottage, they made a training field. "What is the field about?" "We need to build our strength, we've been small and lazy for too long." "What do you mean by lazy, you…
Quirky (NaNoWriMo - 14) The training was easier than expected. Did the entire clan gathered? Many faces I saw for the first time. "With how many are you," I asked my friend. "With enough, at least that is what I hope. We are divided in 5 groups, a training together isn't possible." We ran, jumped, exercised techniques to get out of difficult situations and holds. It felt we were drilled to combat, although my friend called it self-defense. It was obvious not each one of us…
Emptiness In the afternoon we had handcraft at school. You are free to do what you like. The mothers are the handyman at school. They teach us how to use a hammer, nails, a chisel and saw. The headmaster is not present perhaps he hides in his room? After school, I went home and thirty minutes later I left for gymnastics again. It's still no fun to be there not good enough to escape from home, my always angry and complaining mother. I guess it says something about the gym…
It's time (NaNoWriMo - 15) Although I intended to spend the rest of the day alone and wasn't in the mood celebrating anything I had a great time trying out recipes and tasting the dough. According to my friend the pies were not exactly what she had in mind if it came to a birthday cake but she admitted they were quite special. "How about this one?" I laughed, "it even has a name." "Hermann the friendship cake, what kind of cake is that?" "It's old, it must be but the…
I think... "What do you think," the teacher asked. I don't think she is interested in about what I think or have to say. No one is. My parents are not an exception and I don't think my grannies are really interested. One granny is always bitter and busy knitting or coughing. I am not sure if she can think, ever thinks how I feel. Only if my mother scolds and curses a lot she says 'do not curse damn it'. I think that is not a nice word to use. My other granny is busy at her…
Back home (NaNoWriMo - 16) There was a strange wailing sound coming from the next room. From far I heard voices. Sleep-drunk I wrapped myself in the blanket and tried to ignore the sounds. This was not meant for my ears. For a moment I wondered what my life would have looked like if I was deaf instead of mute. The unfamiliar sound stopped, I curled myself up and fell asleep. As I woke up I felt refreshed. No longer I felt the need to hurry or stress out. Carmen was back…
Blox and N26 *Today I am not in the mood to write. I nearly finished my NaNoWriMo entry (already wrote over 51K words but the story isn't finished but my nights are short and disturbed and my days are cold and short too.* There is a mouse in the house! More likely there are mice in the house. They are no longer in the kitchen cupboard. I placed bags with poison through the entire house. It's eaten but so far nobody does (except for my friend's son his pony which is a…
Magic (NaNoWriMo - 17) "Splendid," she said as she checked the box Quirky gifted her with. "This is exactly what Wolf needs, how did you know?" She didn't wait for an answer as overjoyed as she felt. "Would you mind to...?" She gestured at the box and waved inside while she held the smelly heap named Wolf in her skirt. At least it stopped making that terrible noise which was a good start. My friend blushed and didn't know what to answer and looked at me. I winked at him and…
Sipping coffee You need to drink coffee to be able to sip it and sipping coffee is something we hardly do. We drink tea or just boiled water. We no longer care if some taste is added to it and to be honest most tea we drink these days taste like nothing. I thought I was the only one losing taste but the youngest no longer likes to drink tea. No problem it's winter which means hot chocolate time. We make it with real cocoa, water, and a bit of milk. Taking care of our weight…
Basil's story (NaNoWriMo - 18) "I missed yesterday's storytime... can you tell me a story?" "Actually you missed nothing except drunk men. I know many stories... what if I tell you about my life, what I did and heard?" "It's a story. I love to hear it." "Well then..." It's ages ago I was your age. I remember it well but it's not that I miss those days. Childhood wasn't the best part of my life. Not because of my parents they were great, understanding, real personalities and…
Skip Christmas this year *Intensive care doctor Diederik Gommers is the latest news. I guess if there isn't any it can be made up. His news is "Skip Christmas this year."* I doubt it will help the poor out of their debts since in the Netherlands Christmas is not a big celebration and it never was. Christmas in the Netherlands means a decorated (fake) three and a few people still have 'the star of Bethlehem' in front of their window. This is basically it. No decorated house.…
Quirk's take (NaNoWriMo - 19) "Gosh," was my first response as I saw him. Nervously he wobbled back and forth. "I couldn't help I overheard you," he whispered, "it's because... because you are always in my mind... and...," he stuttered and gave himself a harder time than needed," if you leave... if... I know... you didn't make up your mind yet... but if... I come along with you." He looked relieved that he finally confessed what upset him. "I hope this is what you want." He…
Ear wax It is what Shrek pulled out of his ear and used for a candle. Imagine you can do the same. Would people like it or find you disgusting? If it comes to body fluids we are rarely charmed by it. No one likes to whisper into a dirty ear, see a clot of ear wax while talking to you. Snot, drooling isn't charming either but imagine what life looked like if you have a lack of body fluids. More people than you think to suffer from it. Especially women and elderly people.…
A start without an end Why do people not finish what they, once so enthusiastically, started? There are many reasons or excuses why, what came in between and the truth? The truth is not only a lack of motivation but at times we do things too long or the situation takes too long which means it drains us. What drains, sucks all energy out of us takes our motivation, positivity, the will to fight for the goals we set and above all our enthusiasm to continue. What is the point…
No sweet potato She looked around quickly, to see if anything had been taken. The key in the lock was alarming but at first sight, the house looked the same as she had left it over a week ago to join friends in the Maldives. The key in the lock... It wasn't hers. She had checked her keychain three times and couldn't remember she ever lost it. With a clean handkerchief, she pulled it out of the spiral and studied it. This one was a copy of hers made by the same locksmith. Was…
Thanksgiving He had never seen so many homeless people in one place lined up. "We should have come earlier," the girl in front of him said to her companion. "We should but we couldn't," he admitted. "Without money there's no way the 'Good Samaritans' let us spend the night you know what the charge is." She nodded and he knew it too. Who had ever thought he would spend Thanksgiving in a home run by the 'Good Samaritans', Germans! For God's sake. They only asked 1 buck while…
Relief He could hear everything, but dare not open his eyes. Why did they always need to fight? Was it a common thing to do? Through the thin wall of his bedroom he heard him yelling, her screams. 'Stop raising your voices', he murmured while hiding underneath the blanket, 'please, have some mercy. If not on each other on me. It would be a nice start. I am not deaf... not deaf yet.' There was a time his world had looked better with closed eyes. If you pretend you are asleep…
The end (NaNoWriMo - 20) Of course my beloved mother knew about the spells Rosemary gave me and I tested them out. I doubt there were secrets for her. The fact she knew she mentioned herself. "You can trust her," was what she said without any introduction, "what happened to Quirk wasn't her fault. He is one of those rare creatures responding differently to medications. She didn't try to poison him. Just be conscious and not surprised if he turns out to be immune or allergic…
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