Very expeimental landscapes designed in 3D. Some turned out quite well, and one especially nasty.

 Some of the above are variations I thought might look better, and some turned out very, very well. The first image a friend of mine said the boulders looked like poo. :)

I can't say that I disagreed with them, though that was not my intent. Sometimes when you're playing with textures they just don't turn out quite the way you intended. Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes...it's humorous at best.

Enjoy.

John

Hunger. Pain. Food. Must have food! "Food," new Rocketman Story. Not all monsters are made that way! Some will stay that way no matter what!

Food!
"A Rocketman Story"
By John Pirillo

Food!

The thought was like a hammer on its stomach and its mind.

Food!

It raised its snout and sniffed the air, drawing in the cold scents and the warm ones. The warm one was sweet like the food it loved to eat the most. Its tongue swept across its sharp fangs, which began to wet in anticipation of a fresh meal.

It leaped to the top off a rock about fifteen feet high and clung to it like a spider, its clawed hands holding it firmly in place. It sniffed again.

The scent jerked its eyes towards the horizon. It couldn't see anything clearly. But every once in awhile it seemed as if something glowed against the ground over the gulley that ran down from the mountain and to its side.

Food!

The thought drove it mad with frenzy. It was starving. It had eaten its full a month ago and lain in a kind of deep coma filled with strange memories and faces...small faces...ones it should have felt something for...something besides hunger. But it couldn't remember them that well anymore and the thought of food overwhelmed its memories and drove it in a great leap from the boulder it clung to.

It drove towards the wide, surging flood of water.

Food!

=======================================================

The fire crackled warmly in the bowl of rocks and dirt they had piled together in the deep gulley that lay at the foot of Rishikesh, deep in the heart of the Himalayas. The Ganges spun its surging song of joy happily as it crashed and splashed over the shoreline and boulders strew in its path to the sea. The stars were like sharp pricks of light ripped through a velvet cloth in the sky. The moon hung over the nearest mountains like a Guardian Angel keeping its babies safe. The high embankment that ran into their gulley kept the light smoke and flickering fire safe from the eyes of any passersby's.

And there could be some. But not the kind you would want to welcome with open arms. Unless you wanted your neck shredded and your heart torn out. That's what happened to the careless here. Hearts sold for extremely high prices in the Black Market of Delhi.

Harry felt a great sadness descend over him as he thought back to the old days when he and his best buddy, Jim, would hike these ranges, looking for challenges. They weren't mountaineers, or rock climbers, just very young kids happy to explore regions that were forbidden to them. Both their parents would have been horrified to know what they were doing, risking every day. But such is the folly of youth that never dwells on death and dying, and thinks it's immortal and above danger.

"Jet."

"Yeah, Harry." Jet answered drowsily from a blanket on the opposite side of the fire. "Do you ever miss the good old days?"

"Since when were they ever so good for me?" Jet asked, his voice steeped with fatigue, but also a latent anger.

Harry looked at his friend. "That bad?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Harry waited. Jet always wanted to talk about it.

Jet rolled over, propped his head on his hand, and then looked through the fire at Harry. "My school teacher beat me for looking at a white girl. My father beat me for me getting caught looking at a white school girl, and my mother disowned me for looking at a white school girl. I was damned and kadoodled by everyone."

Harry grinned. "Was it worth it?"

"Hell no!" Jet cursed. "I nearly got away with it, but Mister Kinder, my teacher, caught me again. I darned near got hung when he brought me to the Principal. Both of us didn't know he was the head of the KKK back then."

Harry stiffened. "That bad?"

"Yeah. Harry, that bad." Jet rolled over onto his back, his thoughts reliving those years. "Black kids got a burden on them by just being born. You wouldn't know anything about that."

Harry nodded. "Maybe. But being Catholic has sure got my ass kicked a lot of times by those who hate us."

Jet rolled over to look at Harry. "That bad?"

Harry nodded. "But I'm sure that getting beat up every day after school for being Catholic, spit on by grown-ups when you passed them on the way home, and having cops throw you in jail for looking at them cross-eyed. I suppose that's not as bad as what you've gone through."

"Nope. Nowhere close."And that was the end of the conversation.

Harry lay down. The Rocket suit was a new model. It laid to his right. Jet had one too. They were testing them out. So Harry had suggested a long flight. To India. Jet had smacked the ceiling at first, telling him that they might get eaten alive by Abominable Snow Men. Harry had laughed. "There are no such things."

Jet shook his head. "Harry, maybe not in your timeline, but this one..."

Harry felt a cold shiver run up and down his spine. He was afraid to ask, but he did anyway. "How?"

"One of the first things Hitler did...after blowing up half the world's capitals with nuclear bombs was to experiment."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Lots of experiments. That's how the Sturmgiganten got born. Genetic manipulation and a few other...more gruesome things."

Jet sighed, throwing an arm over is eyes as he remembered.

"One village my team was sent to clean out, had a whole pen filled with werewolves."

Harry sat back up. "You're kidding? There's no such things!"

"In your..."

"Timeline...yeah, I know. But werewolves?"

"Harry, you got a lot of catching up to do."

"Evidently."

Harry lay back down. "Jet."

"Yeah, man."

"Do you think we're actually making a difference?"

"You mean by blowing up all those arms depots and destroying Sturmgiganten?"

"That too."

Jet sighed. "I just don't know anymore. Ever since you brought me out of that hellhole of a life I had been stuck in, I've given that thought a mangling in my mind almost every day."

"And?"

"We're only two people, Harry."

Harry was silent.

They both fell silent and the warmth of the fire and flickering of the flames sent them into a deep sleep.

Harry fell into a world of has beens and might have beens. He saw a nurse, whose name he couldn't remember, but who he needed to find again so badly that his heart was breaking, and then she would vanish and he'd find himself struggling in the arms of this gigantic soldier, whose face resembled a gorilla's, but with pointed teeth and eyes sparkling with intelligence driven mad by pain and disfigurement.

He woke up with a start.

"Jet, wake up!"

Jet leaped to his feet, reaching for his service weapon, which he had left on the ground. He dove for it the same time as something huge leaped from above and landed where Harry had been lying.

Harry spun around and drop kicked the beast in its chest, tumbling it head over heels, nearly into the surging waters of the Ganges which would most likely have sucked it down to its death, but the creature was quicker, more nimble than that. It landed on its toes and sprung at Harry, claws reaching out for his throat.

BLAM!

Jet's weapon sent a single bullet into the chest of the beast. It fell to the ground and lay there. It didn't move.

Jet and Harry stepped near it, but not to near.

"It's one of those damn hybrids!" Jet cursed, raising its gun to fire again.

"No, Jet.Wait!"

Harry gently rolled over the creature. It had a woman's face, but her face was distorted, skin pulled back into the snout of a wolf. "Damn!"

"Double that." Jet snapped.

"She might have been a looker once."

"Not any more. I wouldn't date her if you paid me." Jet cursed.

Harry looked at her skin. He felt it. "She's starving."

"How can you tell?"

Her skin is loose. No fat. Probably lost most of her muscle."

"This probably saved our butts."

"Maybe."

"What do you mean, maybe?"

"Just..." Harry didn't like what he did next, but he was going on a hunch. Something flashed across his memory. A face peering into his. "Should we kill it?" The face asked.

"No. It's not a threat. It only appears to be."

"But it's our enemy."

"Haven't we killed enough in this war?" The voice had asked.

Harry had survived, brought back to life and succored b the rebels who had survived Hitler's devastating nuclear blow against the world. Everyone mistrusted him at first, but in time they came to know him better, and when they realized he was fighting for the same cause, they became friends.

Harry looked to Jet. "Help me tie her hands behind her back. Quickly."

"She's not dead?"

"Hell, Jet, you know you're the worst shot I've ever known."

"Saved your butt enough times."

But Jet helped him truss her up and sit her up against a rock. Harry went to the Ganges and soaked a hanky in the water, then came back and gently pressed it to her forehead, then her cheeks and her throat.

She made a low growling moan and her eyes flickered open. Then she tried to claw him, except her hands were tied behind her and around the rock she sat against. She struggled a long time, but both men said nothing and waited.

Finally, she settled. Harry held up a stick of jerky. "Hungry?"

The she creature's nose sniffed the air and she went wild again.

Harry waited. She settled down again. Harry came closer. "You behave and it's yours."

She looked into his eyes and they narrowed a moment, then she relaxed. He nodded. "Good." He pressed the jerky towards her mouth and she nearly took his hand off too. He let go and she ravaged the jerky, swallowing it in seconds.

She growled at him, and then sniffed the air, looking around.

"Damnit, Harry, you might be onto something."

Harry got out a bigger piece of jerky. "A bit at a time and I'll let you have even more."

The she creature considered him a long time, as if weighing whether to eat his hand or the jerky, then she nodded her head slightly.

"Damn!"  Jet cursed. "She has some brains left after all."

The she creature howled at Jet and he dropped back. "No offense, lady. But I'm not used to good looking dolls trying me out for a muffin meal."

The she creature looked back at Harry and he slowly eased the longer jerky towards her. She didn't try to snap at his hand this time. She nibbled on it, and he pushed it gently all the way into her mouth. When she was through, he repeated the process.

"Jet!"

"Yeah. I know." He sighed. "Ante up!"

Jet grabbed his own jerky and tossed it to Harry and continued to feed the she creature. Her eyes lost some of their ferocity and her snarls lessened, and finally her head drooped forward. She began to make light dog sounding snores.

Harry picked up his rocket suit. Jet did his.

Harry dumped all their food at the foot of the she creature. Jet did the same.

"It's going to be a long empty stomach home, Harry."

"Yeah. Ain't it always, pal?" Harry asked with a smile.

They went behind the rock and loosened the rope.

"She'll be outta that in ten." Jet said.

"And we're outta here in five."

Harry threw on his rocket suit, adjusted his helmet as Jet did the same and they ran for the Ganges. They leaped into the air. Their feet barely touched the waters before they were airborne and roaring into the air.

The she creature's eyes snapped open on the sound and she growled angrily, and then noticed that her arms and hands were loose. She snapped the rope free, and then jumped to her feet. She was about to run after the men, when she felt the food at her feet.

She looked down, confused, surprised. Then her nose got the better of her. She dropped to a squat and began shoving the food into her snout, as her eyes watched the two men arc upwards and then blast across a full moon.

When she was through eating, she threw her head back and howled at the moon, giving thanks to her luck...and maybe, just maybe a little thanks to the men creatures that hadn't really hurt her when they could have.

Puzzled as she thought about it, she shook her snout, and then loped off back into the hills.

Food! She thought. Maybe. Just maybe. Friends!

Unearthed. A short sci-fi film about a mission to an uncharted planet that goes horribly wrong.

On the edge of space, a mining ship, The Ezekiel, finds an uncharted planet that reveals signs of a possible fuel resource. Two crew members undertake a mission to the desolate rock to take samples for later analysis. The mission goes well until they unearth a dark and terrifying truth.

Good enough to eat...almost! Angels of light. Swirling carousels of color. Fractal Flame Gallery.

Kiernan and Angel experience a paranormal event that will change lives forever. Romance and adventure in the unknown.

What is romance? What is true love? How can knowing what is on the other side make such a big difference in our lives? Does romance cross the divide of the living and the dead?

Without further ado, here is the third of the stories in my paranormal romance stories:

Kiernan and Angel

Angel first met Kiernan when she was five. They were on the slides at Marywood Park, a small new spread of playground toys, and shrubbery overlooking the Bay. As a kid she never really noticed the Bay much, except to note that it was an awful lot of "wahwah" as she would often tell her Mom, when she pointed to it. Kiernan was two years older than her at the time, and big enough to push her on the swings, which he did after she slid down the curly slide and landed on top of him the first day they met.

He'd rolled over laughing, and tossed sand at her. She tossed it back. He tossed it back. In moments they were both half buried in sand and the other kids waiting to slide began yelling at them to move or crying. Some parents came over and gently moved them away. Their parents. They were both single. Juliet Stiles was her mother. Henry Moorehead was Kiernan's father. It was a strange thing for them to meet that way, but both were quite shy, so nothing much came of it at the time. They just smiled at each other, said goodbye and took her and Kiernan back to their respective benches where they scrubbed us clean with moist towels, or by hanging us upside down to dump any loose sand in our clothing.

She remembered Kiernan giggling like a madman as Julie tickled him while holding him upside down over her shoulder, him kicking and screaming with pleasure. She didn't laugh much then, or later. She was still sad about her Mom going away. That's all she could understand at the time. After all, she was only a bit over a year old, heading towards two.

She just remembered this warm body that would cozy up to her at night and tell her funny and strange tales about beings that lived on other worlds and would come to earth to make people think and be happy. She called them Angels, just like she named her baby, her, Angel.

It wasn't until about ten years later when she was approaching twelve that she ran into Kiernan again. He was the class nerd. Two grades ahead, one year to go. She was an early bird. Smarter than most and probably going to skip most of high school and go straight to high school. It was the gift her genius father had left for her...an I.Q. that caused eyebrows to rise when they heard it. She didn't care much about what anyone thought about it, or her I.Q. She was interested in only one thing. One day proving that there was life after death and building a machine that would broach the dimensions between mortal man and immortal man so she could see her Dad again.

She had become so obsessed with science and math that she hardly even looked at boys, except when they stuck their faces in front of her and waved their hands, as if she couldn't see them. Which, no shame to them, she couldn't. Her mind was always busy, busy, and busy. She came up with a thousand and one ways to do it. To make the transition machine. Or the Angel Bridge she named it.

She remembered how excited she'd been when she'd run home from school that Monday and shown her mother her design for the Angel Bridge. Her mother had done all the right things, smiled, nodded, said "Yes, Honey, great idea." Then she'd returned to ironing the clothes. She'd put down the artwork and chipped in to get everything done. She wasn't a typical genius who ignored everything but what she was obsessed with. She had a sense of determination, purpose and resolve that also included an open door to taking care of the daily routines expected of a child of her age.

Anyway, she'd become so driven about her project that she had hurried from the library on day, her work in her hands, when she'd collided head on into a young teen backing away from his locker with an armful of books and folders. He went flying one way and her the other. He spilled everything on the floor and she as well. But the first thing he did was not to make fun of her, or to get mad, but instead to say. "Sorry. I'm such a butt!"

He helped her pick up her work, then without another word or expectation of thanks; he went about gathering his own paperwork, folders and books. It was a good time it was lunch time or it would have been a far worse disaster. Finished, he closed his locker and turned to leave. But she was still standing there where he had left her.

She clumsily reached out a hand, managing not to tumble all her work to the floor again in the process. "Thanks!"

He awkwardly took her hand. "I'm Kiernan."

She dropped all her stuff again.

He gave her a blank stare, and then hurriedly began helping her again after setting his own stuff down on the floor. She dropped to the floor and helped him, then broke into laughter. "I'm Angel. The baby that dropped on you at the park."

He frowned, finished helping her, gathered his stuff, and then got up. "Gotta get to class. Nice bumping into you, Angel." He said the bumping part with a big grin, and then hurried off.

Angel noticed he had forgotten something on the floor. She hurriedly scooped it up, and then stuck it into her jeans pocket. She stared after him a long time, until the bell rang, and the kids spilled from the classes for second lunch and the others came pouring back from the cafeteria. She stood there until the next bell and was late for her class, but her teacher didn't notice, she was too busy picking up broken pencils that the rowdy boys had been tossing about the room.

The rest of the day went swiftly. She rushed home to tell her Mom who she had met. Her Mom listened quietly, her face looking strained as she listened. Finally, she'd gotten up and went into her bedroom, after giving Angel a kiss. Angel heard crying coming from the bedroom. What an ass she'd been, she thought to herself. I just reminded her of Daddy. She even felt a little down herself at that moment, but briefly. She worried more about her Mom, who refused to date anyone since the tragic death of her husband.

Angel was dumping the pockets of her jeans to clean them when she saw the piece of paper Kiernan had dropped. She read it. It had an address on it. His address. Wham! Teenage bells began ringing as a plan began to shape in her brilliant mind. No Angel Bridge this time, but something maybe just as good.

Next morning she got up earlier than usual and faked an invitation to a picnic. She stuck it in an envelope, and then mailed it to herself with another address on the envelope to indicate the sender. It was the name of Kiernan. She made a second envelope and addressed it to Kiernan. She mailed both of them on the way to school, smiling the rest of the day after she had mailed it.

That same day she suddenly got worried. What if? So she had carefully done some sleuthing and found out some details about Kiernan's home life. When she got what she wanted, she almost fainted with relief, because her impetuous invitations might have ignited something really nasty otherwise.

Two days later, and on a Friday. She got the letter and ran upstairs excitedly to see her Mom, who was working on an internet website for the company she worked for...Ignatius, Deplorum. A kind of wacky group of nerds who made their living doing crazy designs for personal and commercial use.

"Mom, I just got an invitation to a picnic. Can I go?"

Her Mom read it and smiled. "I don't know."

"Pulleaseeee!" She begged.

Her Mom's face ignited with a big smile. "I don't really have to work then. Okay. We'll do it. Do you have their phone number?"

"No, but I already told Kiernan we were coming."

Her Mom broke into laughter. "You're such a brat some times." Then she snatched
Angel to her and gave her a long hug. "Love you."

Angel wrapped her arms about her Mom and rode the tide of happiness streaming from her and her Mom. Maybe it she hadn't done such a dumb thing after all.

The trolley stopped near the street they lived on and she and her Mom got on. A very nice looking gentleman greeting them. "I'm Mister Corday and I'll be your conductor to the Rose Park."

Her Mom thanked him and they both went to the back of the trolley, adjusting their picnic baskets they had brought to fit comfortably at their feet. Neither said much as the trolley rattled up the hill, occasionally stopping to pick up other passengers, or to let them off. Finally, they reached the top.

"End of the Line." Mister Corday announced on the trolley speaker system.

They both thanked him as they got off. He gave them a smile and said. "I've heard nothing but good things happen in that park."

His Mom gave him a startled look. "Park?"

"Rose Park, Madam. You are going there, are you not?"

"Yes, but how...?

He gave us both a wink as he shut the doors. "Let's just say a little angel told me."

We both watched the trolley turn around and head back down the hill.

Her Mom quickly forgot about the man and we headed towards the road that led into the park. We found the entrance and there about halfway down was a man and Kiernan. Kiernan saw her and waved briskly. He came running up the levels. Breathless, he stopped before Mom and smiled. He put his hand out. "I'm so glad you could come."

"Why thank you, do I know you?" Her Mom asked, perhaps recognizing him a bit.

He didn't hear her question, because his father had finally caught up with him. He interjected himself between Kiernan and her Mom. "I'm Kiernan's father. Henry."

"Oh my God. Déjà Vu!" Juliet cried out. "You're the father of the boy my daughter fell on when she was a baby."

"Guilty as charged." He grinned.

For a brief second the entire rose garden lit up and Angel and Kiernan gave each other startled glances. They had both seen it, but their parents had not. The roses had lit up like miniature suns for a moment, so bright their eyes hurt.

For some reason their parents hadn't seen a thing. Their eyes couldn't leave each other as they descended to where the picnic was planned, both totally forgetting about their son and daughter as they talked, and laughed.

Kiernan fell turned to Angel. "You're good!"

"What do you mean?" She asked. She suddenly realized he might have caught onto what she'd done. Neither her Mom nor his Dad had asked about who sent the letters. Both assumed it was from each other. She could be in deep, deeep trouble. Suddenly, she didn't feel like a genius anymore.

He pointed to their parents. "I haven't seen Dad this happy since Mom..."

He stopped, choking on the last word.

Angel touched his arm and smiled into his face. "Ditto."

She turned and he turned to watch their parents sit down and continue talking on the nicely spread picnic blanket.

As they talked he could see his mother standing in white light behind his father, and she could see her father in white light standing behind her mother. The ghostly figures turned to look at each other, smiling, and then they looked up the layers of roses towards the children.

Kiernan and Angel both broke into tears when the ghostly parents smiled, then waved goodbye and vanished in a tunnel of white light that whisked them away.

Henry and Juliet got married six months later after many happy days of meetings in the Rose Park. As to Angel she and Kiernan became best friends and he even gave her ideas for her Angel Bridge, but somehow that project slid further and further into the back of her mind as time passed by. For hadn't she already created her Angel Bridge. As she and Kiernan watched Henry and Juliet kiss gently, she knew she had built her Angel Bridge and it had worked. Perfectly.

People being frozen to death by a mysterious, evil cult. Sherlock Holmes and Watson must stop the terror before London is destroyed!

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson discover a trail of frozen bodies that leads them to an ancient cult that has mystical powers and the ability to summon demons. Will they be able to discover who the leader is and bring him to justice before Victorian London is shattered by the violence of the cult?

A Baker Street Universe tale, this story brings in the help of Nicolas Tesla, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Jules Verne, and H.G.Wells. Even with this Fellowship of Baker Street, will the famous detective and Watson be able to rein in the terror of death that is spreading throughout Victorian London?

The Master Detective Tale is now at Amazon.Com and Smashwords.Com for 99cents

Purchase it now at Amazon.Com and Smashwords for 99cents to read it right away!

Raging Against the Darkness at Amazon. Tons of out of this world excitement and adventure!

Raging Against the Darkness! at Smashwords. The action never stops!

An evil cult terrorizes London. People die the freezing death. Holmes and Watson must stop the terror before London is shattered!

How to Draw Mike from Monsters, Inc.

Stargate SG!-1, still the best of sci-fi shows in a long time. Here is a Nostalgic tour of the show. Video.

God I miss Jack!

The sarcastic Colonel, then General added so much dimensionality to the sci-fi show and gave it a brisk, happy thrust.

The friendship and comraderie among the SG-1 Team was fantastic and remindful of how we all need to cover each other's backs and work as a team to save the world!

Enjoy.

John

Billy, "Adventures in the Rose Garden Love," By John Pirillo. Billy and the Bully both had a lot to learn. A lot of it...really scary!

Continuing with this weeks theme of love beyond the grave...or as I call it paranormal chicks meet guys and paranormal guys meet chicks...or you could say angels take the lead in helping us poor mortals figure it out.

Anyway. Today's story is from a boy's point of view.

Enjoy your visit to the Rose Garden again.

John


Billy
"Adventures in the Rose Garden"
By John Pirillo

"Hey there, Billy Boy." Snickered the bully next to his locker. Harold, a huge guy, who had been held back two years now. His final year, but not soon enough to stop him from making Bill's life hello.

Bill tried to ignore him, but Harold slammed his ham fist down on the locker bottom, causing Billy's lunch to spill all over the floor.

"Now look what you've done!" Billy complained, and then looked at Harold, realizing he'd fed the mean machine by blurting that out.

Harold's eyes narrowed, as if that were more possible, because he had the face of a pig, with narrow set eyes and slabs of Jell-O like fat jowls under his chin. He must have weighed in at about two hundred and fifty pounds.

"Sorry." Billy barely managed.

"Oh, you'll be sorry, all right, Billy Boy." He grinned. "Really, really sorry!"

Billy thought it was all over for him as Harold raised the fist of destruction, but Mister Cobbs, the next door teacher, who instructed in Math, happened to step out that moment. "Hey there Billy! How are you and your...friend doing?"

Harold glared at Billy, and then gave Mister Cobbs an innocent look. He put an arm around Billy's shoulder like they were the best of buddies. "Me and Billy were just discussing the nature of politics in the world."

"Really. How fascinating." Mister Cobbs commented innocently. "I'd love to hear that discussion."

"Billy, I'd heading for the cafeteria, could we talk on the way?"

"Uh..." He looked over at Harold, whose eyes narrowed to slits, but who let go of him. "Sure, sounds great. Just let me pick up my lunch. It spilled when I opened my locker."

He started to bend down and Harold dropped down too, and as he helped Billy sack his food, he whispered in his ear. "After school. The Rose Garden."

Billy nodded and got back up. Harold smiled at him, gave him a shoulder punch that rocked him, but didn't knock him down. "Well, good buddy, see you later."

"Sure thing, Harold." Billy answered and let himself be led away by Mister Cobbs.

As they walked Mister Cobbs looked pensive, as if he were weighing things in his mind. Billy had seen him do that a number of times before he clobbered a kid with suspension or after school detention.

"I think that Harold might be staying after school today."

Billy's face lit up. "Really!" On Mister Cobb's look. "I mean, really. What has he done?"

Mister Cobb didn't say anything. He just smiled at Billy, and then he spoke up. "Sometimes big problems can just blow away. And sometimes we have to face them."

Mister Cobbs gave Billy a friendly pat on the shoulder, then headed for the cafeteria without him.

"I thought you wanted to talk with me?"

Mister Cobbs grinned. "I just did."

Billy ate his lunch outside in the quad, as he always did. Alone. Everyone knew he was a push. Their slang for a kid that was a nerd and afraid of anything and everyone, but computers. He didn't think that was fair, though he had to admit he loved computers.

He sighed after he finished gobbling his apple down, and then went to the computer lab to do a Google on the Rose Garden. He wanted to know how many entrances and exits there were. As he settled into his chair, he began typing into the search engine. Immediately, a beautiful photo of rows of roses came up. He punched it with a mouse click, and then began to read. As he did he was surprised when the screen went blank for a moment, and then it lit up again showing the garden at night and the roses glowing like tiny stars in outer space.

He was stunned, and then shook his head.

"Must be a new Google animation." He sighed.

Before he could exit the page, it went blank and then the original photo returned. He studied the information below it, shoving the weird thing that had just happened into the back of his mind. Finding nothing he wanted, he was about ready to give up. Dissatisfied, he narrowed his search to ways in and out.

Still nothing.

He put his head in his hands. He was going to die and there was no way out of escaping that terror from the primordial age. Neanderthals, his father called them. Kids like Harold.

"One day you'll have to deal with one. We all do." His father had told him.

"Then what?"

His father didn't answer.

His thoughts were shattered by a girl's voice.

"Trying to figure out a way to dodge your girlfriend?"

He looked up. Across from him on the other side of the computer was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. She gave him a smile that lit up the room. Literally. He gave it over to his imagination, just like the image in the computer screen, and then grinned at her.

"Don't have one."

She shook her head. "Why not. You look cool to me?"

He felt shocked for a moment, then stuttered. "Uh...really?"

She laughed, but not at him. Warmly. Cascades of silver blonde hair fell over her eyes a moment, until she shoved them back. She reached a hand between the computers. "I just love computers, don't you?"

"Uh."

She giggled. "Cat got your tongue?"

He grinned, relieved at her sense of humor. "No..." Shyly. "You do."

The bell rang. Lunch break over.

She stood up to go.

He ran around to block her path. "I don't know your name."

She smiled. "Tell you what. Let's meet after school and exchange names."

"Sounds cool."

"Then it's a deal."  She said, and shook his hand, much to his surprise. Her hand when it touched his, caused an electric shock to jolt up and down his arm. His heart skipped a few beats. He stepped out of the way and she walked towards the exit.

"Wait!" He cried out.

She stopped and looked back. A sly look on her face.

"Where?"

She nodded to the computer she had been seated at. "Check the note I left for you."

Then before he could ask more, she exited the room.

He rushed to the computer and saw a pink slip of paper. Blank. He flipped it over and then felt his face become flushed with heat and far. "The Rose Gardens."

"Oh...crap! I am so...so...dead!" He uttered, his voice croaking from the sudden dryness of his mouth.

He spent the rest of the day, looking over his shoulder for Harold, who seemed to have disappeared, and for the girl, who also didn't seem to be around. Finally, he just surrendered to the inevitable destruction of his life with the hope that he just might snatch a few moments of happiness before it was crushed by Harold, the Monster, as all the nerds called him.

The last bell rang and he lockered what he didn't need. Which was pretty much everything. He always managed to get his work done at school in whatever free time he had. Then he took a deep breath and walked for the exit and the street.

As he passed Mister Cobb's room he saw Harold seated in the room, looking at some work he was doing. Billy sighed a breath of relief, then his grin vanished as Harold looked up and gave him the three finger salute and a look that harbored everything horrible imaginable. Mister Cobb didn't see it, but Billy did.

His spirit crushed again, he dashed for the exit, made it outside, then headed for the bus, which would take him to the Rose Garden. He caught it just as it was about to pull out. The driver, Mister Corday, stopped the bus and let him on.

"Driving the bus today?" He asked.

Mister Corday accepted the fare, and then smiled. "Trolley every other day."

"See you tomorrow on the trolley."

"You bet, young man. Where you heading? No wait. Let me guess?"

He began steering the bus into traffic. Billy hung on for support to the pole next to the driver's seat. "The Rose Garden."

"That's just crazy!" Billy cried out.

Mister Corday grinned. "Where else would a young man be heading to in that direction? No ball park. No video games. No eating places."

Billy just grinned. Mister Corday always made him feel good about himself for some reason. "Go have a seat, young man. Don't want you getting hurt or something."

Billy nodded, and then slung himself into a seat opposite the driver. He watched the man as he steered the bus expertly into traffic, slowing when he needed to, speeding when he could, and then pulling over for more passengers.

Finally, after about half an hour the bus pulled up next to the entrance to the Rose Park. "Here we are, Billy."

Billy got up. Hesitant to exit, for fear of who might be waiting somewhere. He started to sit back down again. Then he saw a familiar face. The girl. She was on the other side of the gate waving at him.

"Looks like you're going to be having fun." Mister Corday noted, as Billy descended hurriedly from the bus.

Billy looked back. "Wish me luck."

"Luck?" Mister Corday answered. "I'd say you had all the luck of the universe at this moment."

He pulled the bus away from the curb and drove off, leaving Billy staring at the empty road.

"Hey!"

Billy turned. The girl was beckoning to him. He gave her his best smile and hurried to meet her. She closed the gap and reached out a hand. He took it. He didn't know why he did. He'd never done anything like that before. If his father or mother had seen him do it, they would've simply had a meltdown. It was just plain nuts!

They went to the top bench in the park and sat down. The sun was getting low in the sky. They didn't say a thing at first. It was just so beautiful.

"I'm Mary."

Finally! "I'm Billy."

"I know. My brother talks about you all the time."

"Really?"

"Yeah." She said with a grin. "But he's kind of a slob."

"Yeah. Sis is kind of like that with me."

She giggled. "Sometimes family feel more like strangers."

"I'll buy that."

"Sold."She replied with a laugh.

He laughed too.

She suddenly tensed. "If you ever meet him, remind him about the G.I.Joe I found for him."

"Why?"

"Hey!" Harold's voice thundered from behind Billy.

Billy jumped up, his body starting to flush with fear. He turned slowly around. Harold stood at the top layer, looking down on him. He had two very large friends with him. "Time to balance the books, buddy."

"Harold. This is just not cool. What have I ever done to you anyway?"

"Exist."

Harold signaled to his buddies and they spread out to approach and block Billy's exit on the left and right as Harold moved down through the rose bushes to confront him at the bench. Billy suddenly realized that the girl had vanished.

He looked around frantically.

"No one's coming to your rescue, little dude." Harold said with a nasty grin.

He raised his massive fist of destruction as his buddies grabbed each of Billy's arms to hold him in place. "Prepare to meet the fist of destruction."

"Mary!" Billy cried out, worried that she might come back and get caught in the middle of the beating.

Harold's grin froze. "What'd you just say?"

"Mary."

Harold gave an almost invisible wince, and then leaned closer. "Mary who?"

"I don't know her last name. She just said she had a brother who's kind of a slob and that sometimes family feels like strangers."

Harold's face blanched, but he kept his fist cocked. "What does she look like?"

He described her. Harold's face grew blood red with anger. "You little sonuva bitch, I'm going to tear your lungs out through your throat for digging into my personal life!"

He didn't know why he blurted it out, but Billy suddenly said. "She told me to remind you of the G.I.Joe she found for you."

Harold's face turned pale as a ghost. He waved his buddies off and they walked away, looking disappointed.

Harold sat down on the bench and began to cry. More and more.

For some reason Billy couldn't explain he sat next to him. "Why are you crying? You're lucky to have a sister as beautiful as that. Only ten minutes ago she was here telling me about you."

Harold looked up from bloodshot eyes. "You can see her?"

Billy afterwards realized he could have been dead for doing it, but he laughed in Harold's face. "Harold, she held my hand and told me what I told you. She's as real as you or I!"

Harold gave Billy a look that was just plain filled with awe and terror and then he got up and left, leaving Billy seated by himself. The girl never returned.

He went home, more disappointed than he could explain to himself or his parents who wanted to know where he'd been, and then what had happened. When he told them, his father and mother looked at each other in disbelief and then at him.

"Son." His father said, carefully choosing his words.

"Harold's sister died two years ago in a car accident. She was run down by a drunk driver in front of Harold's home. It was in all the papers that week."

Billy froze for a moment, and then went into deeper shock.

When he went to school the next day, he was still in a shock of sorts, not looking at anyone or anything. Finally, he headed to Mister Cobb's room. He went in.

Mister Cobb looked up. "Billy, what's wrong?"

"I fell in love."

Mister Cobb's face lit up, and then he frowned. "What's wrong?"

"She's dead."

Mister Cobb didn't know how to respond to that, and before he could Harold came into the room and handed some homework to him.

"Thanks, Harold."

Harold turned to Billy and offered a hand. "I'd like to start over. If you can forgive me."

Billy stood stock still, his mouth hanging open. Mister Cobbs was in shock too.

Harold grinned. "And if you ever talk about my sister again, I'm going to..."

He rushed forward and Billy expected the worst, as did Mister Cobb who jumped up to get between them, but instead Harold put his arms around Billy and Mister Cobbs.

"I'm sorry."

Billy went home that day, with a new friend and a beautiful memory. That weekend he took a bus to the cemetery where Mary was buried. He placed a bouquet of daisies on the gravesite, and then smiled. "Thanks!" He said, his heart filled with wonder and grief at the same time.

He worked his way through the cemetery towards the entrance where his father and mother were parked. As he closed in on it, a young girl about a year younger than him stepped from the side of a tree. She gave him an imploring look. "Can you help me find my dog? He ran away."

Billy went to his parents and told them, and they came out to help. It took them all of ten minutes. Finally, they cornered the little rascal. A tiny terrier with big brown lovable eyes. It licked all over the girl's face, who laughed like an angel.

His mother and father exchanged looks when Billy asked. "How'd you get here?"

"The bus."

She freaked. "Oh my God! I missed it. I have no way home!"

Billy looked at his mom and dad and they nodded.

"I think you do."

She smiled at him.

And just past her shoulders he could see a swirling mass of white light and a beautiful blonde girl in it, waving at him.

"Good-bye." He whispered.

The girl he had helped looked startled. "You're leaving me?"

Billy smiled. "No, not you. Just a memory and an angel that I loved once."

Then he took her hand and they walked with his parents back to the car. He didn't know her name, but he would. This week he had found love, lost it, made an enemy and found a friend, and now who knew what the future held. He smiled as he opened the rear door to their Ford Explorer for her to climb inside.

He grinned and when no one was looking, waved back at the place he had seen Mary. "Thanks!

Then he climbed into the car beside the girl and his parents drove him and her off into the future. Uncertain. But certain to be sure of surprises. Some bad. Some good.

Paradise is here! Brand new swishes and swirls. Fractal Flame Slideshow to massage your imagination and heart.

Will I ever run out of images like these. Yes. I'll have images like those, which I haven't posted yet.
:)

Enjoy!

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Plume, "Adventures of Love," By John Pirillo. She had two weeks to live, but she had a garden of roses and love to last her a lifetime.

Plume had only two weeks to live, but she was going to meet a young man who would love her forever.

Read it now on www.johnpirillo.com, my author site.

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The Invisible Man, Secret Experiment TV Episode

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Heaven's Gallery. Dazzling. Beautiful. Mystical. Curls and wispy clouds of twirling color and delight. New Fractal Flames.