BLOGS

Not Dead Yet

In my LinkedIn account a writing group asks the question is the short story a viable medium today or should people just write novels.

The Short Story is very much alive today.

Not only is it alive but it must continue to thrive. There are far too many writers out there who believe that telling stories is about stretching out a tale. They have learned the greatest tricks for embellishing and creating tangents which don't add to the story, only extend it. The short story forces you to choose. To chose something, anything, and get to the heart of the matter. Telling the story.

Is the medium for stories harder to fit into? Maybe, but I don't think so. We are living in an age where the issue is not finding someplace that will take our work, but competing against an entire planet of people who have the capacity to place their work into the arena with yours. A battle-royal of literary significance takes place whenever we write now.

Believe it or not this is a good thing. Pretenders will fall by the wayside, even as books such as Twilight get their moment in the sun, that time will pass. Only writers who stay the course, master the craft and connect with reputable distribution methods (whether that be through self publishing, small press, or the Big Six (er...Five)) opportunity waits around every corner.

There are 300 channels on television waiting to have something to be seen there. Internet television is growing at an exponential rate as well. Thousands of magazines, online and print pop into and out of existence each year, like the quantum foam underlying the universe. Blogs, news services, radio programs, movies, all sit waiting for that vital resource that short story writers have: crazed imagination willing to delve into the darkest corners of human experience to find the light (or more darkness, if that is your thing). We live in an age where, if we do our jobs right, force companies to acknowledge the value of the CREATIVE engine, we could conceivably change our world.

Doubt it? Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Ridley Scott thought so. He based his career of off that very short, very strange story. He and Phillip K. Dick altered the consciousness of a society, asking questions we didn't know we would ever have. There is a future out there for writers, short stories or novels, but only if we are willing to seize the opportunity before another movie producer or television hack decides we should have another variation on Sleeping Beauty or Hansel and Gretel.

Find your niche and fill it. Create your world, your view of it, populate it with beauty and dysfunction, reflect the world in all of its glory. Then release them again and again until they blot out the sun.

Make your place in the shade.

Thaddeus Howze

Hub City Blues

Veni, Scribo, Vici ("I came, I wrote, I conquered" from the Latin)

Water ice is abundant in Mercury's dark polar craters. NASA/Johns Hopkins Uni Applied Phys Lab/Carnegie Inst of Washington

Nature: Stores of ice confirmed on Sun-scorched Mercury

The Great Recession is fading into the pages of history; mainstream America is rising from the ashes. However, the revival of the Black community will be a much more difficult task -- full recovery may depend upon Science Fiction.


The growth of our economy is directly related to technological innovation.  For example, the Internet has tansformed barefooted entrepreneurs into overnight billionaires. E-commerce is booming. Smartphones and "apps" are transforming the way we communicate, sell and buy. More astounding inventions are soon to come.  What was fantasy yesterday is becoming science fact, today. Autonomous cars will replace taxi drivers. Factories will be completely controlled by robots. The tourist industry will be literary out of this world. Home schooling will include getting a university degree while sitting on the edge of your sofa bed. We will have to adapt daily if we want to thrive in the 21st century. But where do we get the tools to rebuild an entire community in this new age?  We can start by reading more science fiction.


I and many of our colleagues here are seeing an impressive surge among African Americans who are buying sci-fi (also called speculative fiction) paperbacks and e-books.  Speculative fiction brings a sense of wonder and motivation to young and old readers. Sci-fi celebrates the successes of Black astronauts, scientists, engineers and innovators engrossed in 21st century activities.  Spec-Fic can provide a practical path to new career choices, and help to close any tech gap that might threaten the Black community. In the chapters of any well-conceived speculative fiction tale are visions of prosperity and personal fulfillment that Black populaces can eagerly embrace.


Recently reelected President Obama acknowledges that the dynamics of America have changed. Employment opportunities that dried up during the Great Recession are gone forever. The World Future Society likewise predicts that, "Many recently lost jobs may never come back. Rather than worry about unemployment, however, tomorrow’s workers will focus on developing a variety of skills that could keep them working productively and continuously, whether they have jobs or not." Science fiction stories are a treasure chest of ideas to enhance our lifestyles.


Urban novels and hip hop fiction gave the publishing industry profitable inroads to literary enthusiasts of African heritage. It helped to ignite a reading frenzy. Booksellers and public libraries stocked their shelves and databases with publications that offered gritty tales of dark mean streets filled with outrageous, streetwise gangsters and sly, mini-skirted vixens. But another wave is on the horizon; a rising tide of titles that offer hi-tech space ships, super soldiers, and savvy world geniuses.

These fantasies can become realities with a little hard work.

Tell your friends and colleagues to buy more Black Spec Fiction. It will change their lives and improve our communities.

SPREAD THE WORD!

Fermilab Lecture Series Presents: Physics Slam

Ten: The Lockdown Upliftment Presidential Speech

 The next day the town holographic images display screens say "Come one, come all in today's uplifting of the federal lockdown law by the President". Thousands of people gather around the New Boston White house. Others tune in from their hi-iPods and videophones from their jobs to listen to this speech. Then the six-cloaked figures walk through the crowd of people to be in front of the President. An Incbot and a federal officer aim their weapons at the cloaked individuals. "That won't be necessary guards, those individuals saved my life,” the President said as he stands on the podium. "My fellow Americans in this modern day world of this federal and international world lockdown, there have been riots needless deaths here and all over the world, people fighting against each other people fighting against the lockdown and this all must stop. But in this recent and serious incident that my staff and I were in was in when air force one went down. I discovered that there are people here and perhaps all over the world that fight. Not just to fight for the sake of fighting but they fight for a free world. Therefore my staff has already begun to message the other world leaders to uplift the restricted access lockdown law and pardon all those who were incarcerated since this law was set. Today everyone's access card is expired. Let us return to a free nation, a free world. A free people On this day at this very moment in history the Restricted Access is now uplifted may god bless you all and may god bless the other world countries and may God bless America" he said. Thousands of people throw their restricted access cards in the air and rejoice. The six hooded individuals pull their hoods back Gail, Mike, Peter, Shana, Lee and Nicole all smile and clap their hands and rejoice with on another. Then they look back at the President, he looks down at them. "Thank you all of you, this country thanks you and the world thanks you. If there's anything you need or want just come to my office." he said. "We don't want any materials Mr. President all we’ve ever fought for and the rebels who fought for many years before us was freedom the return to a free world the way it use to be a century ago." Shana said. "You have my word and promise and thank you again in your group's valor and sacrifice in my protection". The President responded. Then all six all get back on their hover cycles and ride into the dusk sunset as the loud crowd continued to cheer. 

The President and other world leaders board their space cruisers and depart the city of Hong Kong. The U.S Air Force One hover cruiser flies out of China's air space , across the vast Pacific Ocean en route to the U.S. As the cruiser reaches U.S air space. The President looks out of his window and looks at a view of water of where the state of California one was. "My God, so many of my life's memories rest there, so many lives lost may God have mercy on their souls" he said. The cruiser fly across the wastelands of the war and nature torn U.S and then it finally reaches the rural wastelands of Massachusetts. Then and explosion occurs on back turbine engine of the ship Where did that come from" one robot pilot said to the other" Never mind about that we got to take evasive action, ALL ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE A CRASH LANDING" We are coming to close to the ground for any possible emergency ejections. I urge all members of the cabinet to brace yourselves for an impact RGPUY signing off. The ship crashes into the wastelands in the rural wastelands of the Massachusetts state. Then the nearby marauders approach the ship they viciously assault and rob the dead and injured white house personnel who crawl out of the burning spacecraft. The president crawls out bloody from the wreckage. He looks at his crew being tortured. "Nooo! Stop", he said then his hits the dirt ground. The leader of the marauders walks over to the injured President. He pulls out his jagged edged knife. Just as he is about to cut the commander-in-chief’s throat. "Let him go" the grey hooded cloaked man said. "What if I don’t rebel" Then you will leave me no choice but to kill you and your people if you don’t". The cloaked man responded. Then five more cloaked figures appear on the scene as the land the hover cycles they get off their vehicles and walk surrounding the 30 savages The six cloaked figures pull out their guns and assorted weapons. "Wait! I challenge you to a duel if you beat me the President is yours to do with as you please but if I win you let him go, he lives" The cloaked figure says to the marauder. "Okay rebel" he replied as the throws the president to the ground. He lumbers over toward the short-cloaked man. "I’m going to squash you like a fly" he said. The marauder draw his fist back and throws a punch then the rebel uses ancient martial art kung fu style of fighting to beat the huge marauder he punches and kicks the marauder the marauder fights back the cloaked man blocks all kicks and punches the strikes the marauder six times in the liver but not before the leader of the marauders cuts his face with a razor blade. The skilled cloaked stands in a kung fu position waiting for the marauders next move but the internal damage of the stabbing hand strikes to his midsection of his torso send him plummeting to the ground. As the other cloaked rebels and the remaining people of the president’s crew watch. The cloaked figures stand protecting the injured president and his crew. The fight begins as the six-cloaked figures battle the marauders outside of the downed president’s space cruiser. Meanwhile one of the president’s members crawls to the ships cockpit and presses the distress signal alarm. The fighting continues and then in the distance Incbots and federal patrol officers appear flying federal armed officers and Incbot transporter hovercraft shooting at everything and in site. One of the cloaked figures walks up to the President he pulls off his hood and reveals his face "Uplift the lockdown Mr. president". Everyone lets go he said. The six-cloaked individuals get back on their hover cycles before more troops and Incbots arrive.  A federal patrol officer walks up to the President. "Sir, are you hurt, do to need treatment". The people who took off in the hover cycles wearing the cloaks did one of them hurt you sir?" he asked. "No . . . they, they saved my life from those savages". The President responded.

Eight: The Protest

The next morning, the people walk the streets overseen by the federal security patrols and the Incbots. But on this morning there is spray painted stenciled writing on the walls of the buildings and on the sidewalks of the city. The writing reads "UPLIFT THE RESTRICTION". The news flashes on the giant video screens in the city and inside the café. "Street violence has occurred close to home in the streets of Boston last night as the federal patrol officers engage in a gunfight against the night people of the street but then some unknown cloaked vigilantes appeared on the scene and joined in the battle against the officers, some of night people were captured but unfortunately the armed cloaked individuals In other news the U.S President is scheduled to return to home to Boston from the World Confederation Summit in China after a 12 day meeting with other world leaders that went no where they all agreed in favor of the Restricted Access I’m RPG 2Y6 reporting for New Boston News" The next morning at the loft. "The access cards are ready for those who need them,” the security robot said. "Good, are you sure these will work?" Lee asked. "Yes, they should work I copied and programmed magnetic strip code from the city's central security system" the robot replied. Let's go back into town and try them out,” Peter said. Gail, Shana, Nicole Lee, Peter and Mike split up and go use their access cards to get into places throughout the town they get in general stores and other that they once could not get into the this time. They pass out printed flyers to passers by in the street urge the citizens to rebel against the lockdown law when the President returns some of the people acknowledge the some of the people take the flyers and put them with their belongs. Some of the rich people who walk the streets reject the flyer offerings. The flyers read, "Stop the civil wars and the street violence Peace Protest against the federal and world restricted access locked down law. Pardon all those who are incarcerated by this law. Let us return to a free world". Nicole, Gail and Shana use the iPods and email there friends in other states to rally here in Boston to protest in front in the main center of city in front of the new Boston Presidential White House.

Seven: The night people

As the night falls on the streets on the desolate outskirts Boston the people begin to clear the streets at the respected lockdown curfew times. The night people take to the night streets they come out of sewers and ancient subway exits the only hovering vehicles that are out at this time are federal patrol vehicles and vehicles that are owned by the rich and wealthy millionaires fly high between the towering buildings of the city. The lowlifes of the night come out armed with sharp edged and metal clubbing weapons breaking into any areas that they can in search for food. Three men two women use there weapons to break into a store from the inside floor of the building. They break and bust open boxes containing canned goods they raid the food isles. As they sit down and begin to eat their findings. Suddenly a laser blasts blow two men and three women and four children into oblivion. The Incbots and federal security patrol officer begin to rid the street once again of the night marauders. The marauders charge the officers. The age old night fight between the night people and the federal security officers unfold. "Let's get them,” one of the night people yelled out. They charge the federal officers and Incbots.  Some of the night people use the laser weapons and grenades that they have captured from previous night battles. Engaging in close fighting some of them use their primitive weapons against the 12 ft. tall Incbots. They manage to cut the vital wires of some of the Incbots putting them out of action. As an Incbot has a woman and two children lined up in the cross hairs of hid laser cannons, Suddenly his head explodes. Then an armed cloaked figure appears in the night "Take your kids and get out of here return to the underground" it said. The several-cloaked figures take part in this battle against the federal patrol. One of the federal patrol officers used his communication instrument and send out a message for reinforcements. And then more Incbots and federal officers appear by the numbers they land on the ground and help out in the battle. Some of night people are captured while others retreat back into the rubble underground the, cloaked figures elude the security officers as the to retreat into the darkness without being captured. " The federal officer makes his report as he speaks into hi-tech video image cellphone " The savages are retreating, all that weren’t killed we captured, we had a few casualties sir we lost some men and some of the Incbots. However those cloaked figures appeared again firing at us. Unfortunately the got away sir" the officer said. "Good, we will get those cloaked individual sooner or later, report back to base". "Yes sir", the officers get into the vehicles and vertically take off into the starry night sky. 

Six: The Loft

A robot sits in a loft on looking at a hi-tech home alarm system. He sees an incoming blip on the scanner. "In coming vehicle on scanner Shana. "Check it out" Shana replied. "Checking vehicle now. The robot scans the incoming vehicle using the hi-tech security/x-ray cameras mounted outside the loft. The scanner reads: Life forms 3:Race: White. Black. Asian: The other two women inside the loft arm themselves with laser pistols and then they walk over to Shana and the robot. "Who is it?” Nicole asks" "It's our guys, returning put your guns and ammo away girls" Shana responded. "Maybe we should send the dogs out there just to be sure it could be anybody, it could be those guys that we got into a fight with at the bar" Gail responds. "Yes, send out Bruno and King" Shana replied. The robot signals the a huge German Shepard and a Rottweiler. The dogs run down the stairwell and out into the street they stand and watch to see who comes out as the women watch through the security cameras. "If they both start barking then we take action" Nicole replied. The car doors open up. Mike, Lee and Peter get out, the dogs greet them with happiness in their return from the city. Then the three men and the two dogs walk up the stairs and into the house. "What’s going on out there in the city street?" Shana asked. "The same shit we couldn’t get anything to eat down on Tremont St. because we didn’t have any access cards" Mike responded in anger. Then he almost crushes on of the server robots in the main street café, we had to calm him down before he got killed" Lee said. Yeah! The lockdown law is still on everywhere. We can get into anywhere because we are not rich or we don’t have access cards or some off us don't, we got to be off the streets at a certain time or else we get killed without question by the federal patrolmen and those 2000 lbs. of junk Incbots" Shana replied. "The President is still overseas talking about every other thing accept the lockdown law" Nicole responded. "This is going on everywhere all over the world, I talked to people on the videophones in the middle east, china, Russia, Japan, South America and Africa its all over" Gail said. "We have to take stand and get the President to uplift this lockdown then maybe if he agrees then he can perhaps get the other world leaders to do the same. Peter said. "We can't just walk up to the state house and tell the president to request for the president uplift the band when he gets back. Plus we are not a United States anymore, its every state for themselves, Boston is the last refuge now we our the new capital of North America ever since Washington D.C. was wiped out from natural catastrophes " Lee replied as he finished practicing his martial art skills. "We have to send a message out to our other friends in the remaining states and other countries and step up the revolt against this world lockdown and restore world freedom and the way things used to be years when you could go where ever you wanted to go and to what you wanted to do before the lockdown started" Shana replied. " In order to do this we all have to get new access cards, because the one’s that were issued to us by the city are expired We all have to get access cards to get into the places that we cant get into but, we need to do it without going down to the access card registry" Mike responded. " I can plug into the city's security mainframe system to process access cards for everyone so that you can get access to places where you need to go to accomplish your mission sir" the robot said. "That's illegal, but we can give it a try to do you think you can do it" Nicole replied. "Yes, but you have to give me some time". The robot replied.

Five: Girls fight out

At a bar in a very low class and street scum part of the city there is a neon lit sign that blinks on and off inside the bar window. "NO ACCESS CARDS NEEDED, CASH ONLY". "What can I get you three beautiful ladies, you know we don't see women as beautiful as you three around these parts you three must be from the inner city". The old clunky rusted robot bartender asked". "Just three beers please" Shana replied. "Three beers coming up" he responded. "Anything to eat ladies?" he asked. "No way! I'm not eating anything, it stinks in here" Gail said. "Smelly air wakes up your soul, sure I will have the cheese nachos please" Nicole said. "Cheese nachos coming up". "Here's your three beers and your cheese nachos ladies,” the robot bartender said with a smile on his face. The three women sit on the old bar stools the bar and look around at the different races of middle to low to very low class men and women who mingle and dance to the latest music from the digital jukebox. "We have to figure out how we can find away to put and end to this restricted lockdown law,” Shana said holding her bottled beverage in hand. "Yes, but how, we cant just go up to the hill and knock on the president's door and say hey Mr. scum ball uplift the lockdown law" Nicole replied. "This shit is ridiculous, no internet access no one can't go into certain places without access cards and that asshole Meeks is bashing peoples heads in and locking people up in jail for nothing the shit is fucked" Gail said. "Are you married sweetheart,” a big lumbering bearded dirty man said startling Nichol as she eats her nachos. "Phew!! Your breath smells like ass get the hell out my face" Nicole said pushing the man away from her. The hands of another man wrap around Gail's waist. "Oh hell no I am not with this it's on". Gail said. Gail turns around and cracks the beer bottle over the man's head. The man wipes his face off with his hands "You Bitch!!" he said. He lunges at her with a clinched fist Gail blocks it with her left fore arm, the throws another punch at her she blocks his punch with she right forearm then she returns with a two quick punches to the man's face backing him, she stands in a martial art kung fu ready stance “Come on you want some more" she said. The man charges her "I'm gonna kill you bitch" he charges her again and he kicks at her she ducks his kick she goes to the floor and punches him in the testicles, she gets up and jumps up and kicks the man in the face sending him crashing to the floor. Shana pulls out a concealed laser pistol. "Try it I dare you" Nichole said as she pulls out a portable digitally operated illuminated switchblade on the other bearded man. Then a laser shot is fired inside. "That will be it girls, I will take it from here. These scumbags were just leaving weren’t you scumbags,” the robot bartender said holding a long, heavy laser machine gun. Two other scoundrels help their beaten comrade up of the floor and walk out the door. The people go back to mingling and dancing to the music after the fight is over "punks" Gail said. "We're out of this trash heap too, come on girls lets go home,” Shana said.

 Four: No access cards, no service

Meanwhile 1500 miles north back in the Boston Café. "Access cards please,” the server robot requested. "Sure" Peter replied. The three hand their access cards over. The server robot walks over the computerized access card verification system at the café counter. With his three metal fingers, he slides one card through the system responds in red digital words "access restricted", he slides another card through the system responds in green digital words access approved, he slides the last card through and the system responds in red digital words access restricted. "Hmmm!" the server robot said to himself, he walks back over to table.  Mike and Peter your card accesses are currently restricted, however Lee your card access is approved" the server robot said. "Hey wait a minute, we have money" said Peter. "Yeah we're not broke" Mike responded. “This is a highly privileged establishment money is not accepted here please leave the premises or I will signal the patrol officers to remove you" the server robot replied. "Why you low down piece of metal shit" "Mike said a he gets up in anger and grabs the robot by his neck. Everyone in the café stops and turns their heads to the attention of at the outraged man. “Mike, Mike, let him go man, it's not worth it, we can go some place else plus look outside" Lee said. Mike turns around and looks outside through the glass window and sees the federal patrol officers holding their laser rifles and pistols looking up and down the street as he continues to hold the neck of the server robot. "Put him down Mike, if you don’t they will kill you, there will be another time". Mike puts the robot back on his two feet. “You’re right Lee, man I'm not trying to get killed out here arguing with a talking piece of scrap metal, plus I have my Shana to live for” Mike replied with a smile. "Come on guys, let get out of here" Peter said. The three guys get up from the table and walkout the café.  “This access zone law has everything all fucked up. We cant walk down Newbury St. anymore because we aren’t rich, we can't get anything in that damn café because we don’t have those access cards." Mike said. "I can see why people are rioting all over the world". The President and the other leaders of the world have to uplift this law or otherwise the killing, rioting, destruction and incarceration will not stop" Peter replied. We are not perfect either, we done some damage blowing up buildings and started a few riots of our own in the past Peter" Mike said. "Yes Mike, we did but we never shot or killed anyone and if we did we didn’t mean to. We are at a constant battle with all those marauders who are out to just blow up and kill anything they can to scare the federal government into uplifting this lockdown law. We have a purpose to try to get the federal government on Beacon Hill to uplift this ban that is why we do what we do" Lee responded. Lets go home and check on the others. The three men get in a hover car and then the car takes off vertically and then moves horizontally becoming a small part off the everyday traffic of hovering vehicles in Boston.

Three: The Jacksonville Prison System        

Meanwhile at the Logan star ports hundreds of handcuffed people are being escorted on to huge transport hover ships by the INCBOTS. "Single file, keep it moving people", the metallic being says. They walk up the planks and into the ships. They are loaded on to the vessels.  The hatches of the ships close up. “All aboard sir and ready for take off sir", the Incbot says as he reports in to the human patrol officer who watches from the holographic digital monitor from inside the control tower above. "Good, good you have no incoming ships in your vicinity all ships are clear for take off. Then the thrust engines begin to rumble and then of the ships rise up vertically and then within minutes they’re gone. The ships cruise down the east coast picking up other prisoners from other city star ports. The ships finally reach their destination they land on the docks of a fifty-foot steel wall prison compound that surrounds the entire city of Jacksonville, Florida. The prison officer gives Incbots orders to report to their stations. The heavy armed Incbots stand on the flight decks outside the prison city walls. The ship hatches open up; the mechanical planks are lowered down on to the deck. Then Incbots and patrol officers walk down the planks and then the reluctant prisoners follow behind. They are all lined up on the flight decks in rows of threes just below the prisoner transport ships. Using digital image illumination display projection systems, the patrol officers’ project twenty foot tall computerized documented texted images in mid-air. The Chief security prison officer sits up in the prison security tower. He speaks into an advance audio speaker system that echoes across the swampy marshlands. He speaks in a southern accent. "Prisoners I instruct you to read the projected image in front of you. The projected image reads. I am a prisoner who has committed a crime against the federal government lockdown law. As a permanent prisoner of the Jacksonville Prison Security System I am on my own and if I shall attempt to try to escape this prison I will be incinerated without question. Some of the prisoners read the images out loud others just look at the images and say nothing. Other prisoners cry in their capture, other prisoners swear and curse the patrol officers who project the images that light up the humid night. Then three prisoners break away from ranks, they run down the ramp, the Incbot looks at the patrol officer. "Do it", the officer responds. The Incbot raises his arm, it targets the three escapees then with his laser cannons mounted on his forearms his shoots the prisoner automatically incinerating them. "Let that be an example to you all, from here on out you are on your own", he said. The prison transport officers deactivate there projected images from their iPods and then they walk back up on to the prison ships followed by the Incbots. And then the prison ships vertically take off from inside the flight decks of the main prison yard. The prisoners look up at the ships as they fly up and over the city prison walls.

Greetings and salutations,

I’m excited to announce the release of Reign of the Good King! This is a revised edition of my 2008 novel, the second book in the Good King Saga, an epic fantasy series. This is the first time it has been released as an eBook. Here’s more about the book:

Edgar Winefellow ascended to the throne and is now King of the Six Lands. However, his life does not get any easier. Enemies lurk in the dark and in plain view, and Edgar soon realizes that not all citizens of the Six Lands are willing to embrace his idealistic views. Old foes and new tormentors enter the stage, leaving Edgar confused as to who is truly his friend and who is really his enemy.

It’s available from Smashwords and is coming soon to the Kindle, Nook, and Kobo stores.

To help celebrate the release of book 2 in the Good King Saga, I am offering Crowning of the Good King (The Good King Saga, Book 1) for free on the Kindle on 11/30/12. Download it here. (If you don’t own a Kindle, you can still take advantage of this offer. Click here to download free Kindle apps for your PC, Mac, tablet, and phone.)

Thanks for reading!

Words = Life,

A. Jarrell Hayes

EPISODE TWO: A Tale of W.O.E.S. concludes in Part V! While the DROMEDARY continues its journey to the HESTIA System unaware of what they carry, a PROMETHEUS GROUP Security Team prepares to intercept the Transport. Only the Security Team knows what lay inside the mysterious Gray Transport BOX and they're prepared to do what is necessary to get it under their control! The answers and more questions will be found in The PAnd0RA Ultimatum part 5!

Free download at smashwords

Michelle, a slender, brown girl of 18 leaned against the magnolia tree watching them. The couple got out of their car: a white man around 35 with windswept short blond hair and his elegant wife also in her thirties with shoulder length black hair. They looked casually rich in their designer jeans that were wrinkled in all the right places.

They’d parked their jaguar in the driveway and now stood on the lawn envisioning, Michelle was sure, lofty possibilities for the house she’d grown up in as a child.

It was a two story sprawling wooden house with a wide porch and what used to be a swing; before Katrina had splintered it into shards of wood that now lay tossed over the lawn and steps like broken teeth.

The demon storm had destroyed the inside of the house too – photographs, old hats and clothing she and Simone used to play dress up in, antique furniture, were gone now. All that couldn’t be salvaged had been gutted and piled in the front of the house. But the frame, as if immune to the elements had fought the hurricane and won. Unlike Grandmere Angelique who’d died of a stroke.

She pushed her braids out of her face and fought back tears. Hurricane Katrina in her fury had torn through New Orleans. Like a woman scorned, she’d ripped and destroyed the city, leaving its children homeless, hungry, in shock, crying for their brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, tossed to the four corners of America – like their ancestors before them.

Her parents André and Louisa had fled to Baton Rogue. André had begged his mother to come with them — had tried to force her out of the house. But Angelique refused. “I’ve seen storms before, Cherie. They come and go. I’m not leaving my house, non – it needs me to keep it safe…”

Michelle had found Angelique’s body in the attic. She’d hid there when Katrina hit.

And now these people, these strangers, wanted to buy it. What do they know of the scent of magnolias in the air each morning, or the taste of the Mississippi?

She’d pleaded with her father to keep the house. But André had said no. “The water damage is too bad and now the insurance company won’t pay!” He spat these last words bitterly. “Thirty years, thirty years Mama pay them bloodsuckers, eh? And now they won’t fix her house!”

“We can fix it Papa!”

André only shook his head. “No Cherie, it’s just a shell, not worth saving.”

She remembered playing in the backyard with her sister, Simone, both running from her grandmother giggling on stubby little legs, past the vegetable garden and wild roses… until Angelique would collapse on her white lawn chair laughing with them.

“Time for a snack, eh?” And grandmere would shoo the little girls through the backdoor into the kitchen for sweet cakes and milk.

Michelle remembered the mantelpiece and the sepia photographs that lined it too. Photos of Angelique when she was young, and Grandpere Henri who’d died when Simone was just a baby. There were pictures of her father as a solemn eyed toddler too, wedding pictures of him and her mother Louisa, of her Great Grandmere Cosette; and one photo of her lover André.

Angelique told them of their family history: how their roots could be Angelique told them of their family history: how their roots could be traced to Dahomey, Africa, where men and women were great warriors, before the French had enslaved them. Grandmere told them that their ancestors had fought in the revolution too under General Toussaint to free Haiti, and some later made their way to New Orleans.

When they were older, the sisters learned the history of the house. Cossette had worked as a laundry woman. She was also a great Vodoun mambo, who’d first met their Great Grandpere André Dumont, a rich white man, in New Orleans. And Cosette had petitioned the loa to give André sight into his own heart. Soon after, he became smitten with her dark beauty and strength. But to publically proclaim his love would have meant death for them both. So he hired Cosette as his maid, and on his deathbed willed her the house. Michelle remembered her father shouting, when he first caught grandmere telling his daughters about Cosette. She’d never seen him so angry! “You never tell them these things again!” He’d raged, his café au lait face twisted with emotion. “Such stories to tell little girls!”

But when they were 14 and 12 the sisters had snuck away to a Vodoun ceremony. Michelle remembered holding tight to Simone’s hand in the moonlight, watching…With the sound of the drums punctuating his movements, a young man stepped into the dance court wearing a cane in the crotch of his pants.

The drums accentuating his movements as he skillfully spun with leaps and pirouettes…suddenly he shuddered, and fell to the ground as if in the throes of a seizure…then he became an old man, walking laboriously with a cane.

It was Papa Legba, the ancient loa who stands at the crossroads of life and death – the honored one who is called before all others.

One by one, the loa appeared and rode their human horses. The sisters watched wide eyed as a woman fell to the ground and became a serpent… as another transformed into a growling panther…

Previously published in Genesis Science Fiction Magazine 2010

Cover art and design by Quinton Veal

Copyright 2010, 2012 Valjeanne Jeffers all rights reserved

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