MULTIPLY Writing Prompt #14: The Horror of it all

La Traviata by Verdi was an opera always worth a visit and Doreen had seen it at least twice. Living in the eastern part of London the Sadlers Wells Opera company’s theatre was not far by underground, although she had to change trains at the Bank station from the central line onto the northern line to arrive. It was very late on a Friday evening when the opera was finished and she made her way to the Angel station in the London area of Islington. Usually her friend came with her but on this particular evening she was alone, her colleague being in hospital after an unexpected appendix operation, so she decided to go on her own. Doreen had often visited the opera house and she really did not want to miss this performance, as it was one of the last in the theatre. It was 1968 and the Sadlers Wells opera company were moving.

She arrived at the Angel station and took the lift down to the platform. The Northern Line was the first to be built in the darker ages of Victorian London and also the deepest underground line so there were not many escalators on this section of the London underground. A story is told that there is a haunting between the stations of Angel and Old Street, but Doreen put this out of her mind. She had never actually seen this mysterious ghost, and no-one really knew why it should be there. The platform was empty when she eventually arrived and the train rumbled into the station accompanied by the screeching of brakes when it stopped. The doors opened automatically and she was glad to be in a compartment that was empty. She made herself comfortable on the first available seat she saw, as it would be a short journey, just a few stations, before she arrived at the Bank where she could change onto the central line. The train moved on and Doreen was accompanied by the rocking movement of the train as it swung around the curves in the tunnel. After a few minutes she had arrived at Old Street station where a group of young men entered the train. They were very loud, one of them emptied the contents of his stomach on the wooden floor and the smell of beer was very strong. Doreen was not feeling very comfortable but decided to keep quiet and hoped they would not notice her. Unfortunately this was not the case.

“Look a young lady, all on her own” said one of the men rather loudly He seemed to be the leader of the pack.
“Let’s keep her company” and he sat on the empty seat next to Doreen and lit a cigarette, although there were signs on the windows with the words “No Smoking”. Doreen was frightened of these men in their leather jackets and strange piercings on their noses and lips, especially as her seat neighbour had already put his arm around her and was getting very near with his stinking breath.
“What have we got here” he said “look boys, this young lady was at the opera this evening, she’s clutching her programme, must be an intelligent one this one” and him and his cronies found this very amusing, laughing and leering at Doreen. It was then that the train pulled into Moorgate station. Doreen was preparing herself for an escape, but was still being held firmly by the drunken seat neighbour. She breathed a sign of relief when a railway worker entered the carriage.
“What is going on here? Leave that young lady alone, otherwise you will have dealings with me and the railway.”
The man that had entered walked over to Doreen’s seat neighbour, took him by the neck of his shirt and threw him out onto the platform.
“Now are you going to leave voluntarily or do I have to help” said the man.
The remaining members of the gang of boys decided it would perhaps be better to leave. If they attacked a railway man and injured him, it would not be a good idea and they all left the compartment as fast as they could.
“All right Miss?” asked the man.
“I am now thank you” Doreen answered.
“Do you have far to go?” he asked
“No, it’s just one station more. I have to change trains at the Bank for the Central Line.”
“So do I, Miss. Perhaps I can accompany you until you get on the next train. There is no telling what a rough pack hangs out on these trains late in the evening. If you don’t mind me mentioning it, but you seem familiar. Have we met before?”
Doreen looked at the railway man dressed in his dark blue uniform. He must have been approaching retirement age with his grey hair which was thinning in the middle. He also seemed to have developed a middle age spread around the waist.
“Perhaps” answered Doreen “although I cannot remember exactly. Have you been on this train before at this time in the evening?”
“No, I don’t think so. I am only on the Northern Line train this evening as my colleague did not arrive to work today. He had an accident. I am just representing him this evening; otherwise I have been working on the District Line for the past forty years. Is that a programme you are carrying from the opera” he asked “I thought Sadlers Wells moved away from the Angel about forty years ago.”
“That might be” answered Doreen “I just happened to find this programme on the seat where I am sitting.”
This seemed a strange answer to the railway man and it did make him a little nervous.
The train pulled into the Bank station and Doreen and her protector left the train.
“Excuse me Miss” he said “I think you are taking the wrong direction. We have to climb the spiral staircase, the lifts are no longer working in the evening.”
“I know, but I am on the spiral staircase.”
“But you are walking downwards, and down there in the darkness is nothing, just a pit with a metal cover to stop people falling further. When they built the line in the nineteenth century they had to make all sorts of places to dump the earth they had scooped out; being a railway man I know a lot about these old parts of the stations.”
“I thought you might” said Doreen and gave the railway worker a strong push. He tumbled down the stairs and landed at the bottom, weakened by the fall.
“What do you think you are doing? I could have got killed. Is this the thanks I get for helping and protecting.”
“Yes” answered Doreen “and you are familiar, although now at least forty years older. Think back in time forty years ago when you were a young man and were working on the Northern Line and look at me closely. On that unforgettable evening for me, it was probably the last journey you made on this route before requesting the transfer and what was the reason for the transfer? Are the memories coming back? Just take a good look at me.”
The railway man turned pale and looked at Doreen. He was shocked by a memory that crept into his mind. Something he would rather have forgotten, but Doreen was also looking a bit different. Her eyes were staring ahead, dead eyes and no movement. They resembled the eyes of a corpse.
“Do you remember entering the railway carriage and seeing me alone after my visit to the opera, clutching a programme of La Traviata. You also took the seat next to me, as the drunken pack that you threw out of the train. It was your arm that I felt around me on that evening, but I was on my own and had no chance to defend myself. Do you remember touching me everywhere and telling me to be quiet and then do you remember raping me? I am sure you do, or perhaps I was just the first of many. Do you know what, I don’t care. The moment when you put your hands around my neck and squeezed the last breath out of my body I was looking at you and swore to get revenge one day. When the train stopped at the Bank station you dragged my lifeless body down these spiral steps, took the lid off the pit and threw my dead body into the darkness. I suppose you went home afterwards feeling proud of your conquest. You don’t have to be shocked. Yes, I am dead, open the lid and look in, you will see my bones. Since that evening I have been waiting and watching to see you again on the last Northern Line train in the evening from the Angel; a suitable name for the station, don’t you think? You see I want peace and want to join my mother and father in their eternal resting place, but first of all I had a job to do. I think my work is now done.”

There was the sound of metal scraping and the lid lifted from the pit on its own. The last thing the railway worker saw was the bottom on the pit, although it took a couple of days until he died, but he never left the pit again.

Doreen was happy, she had won her freedom and decided to leave the dreary railway of the Northern Line and walked upwards into the light and to her waiting family.

Writing Prompt #14: The Horror of it all

MULTIPLY For Kira

Are they looking? No human to be seen. Did they know that the gate is open? Is it just a trick? Shall I take the chance or not? Oh the decisions in a cat’s life. I cannot really complain, I have been training my humans for the past year and they do follow quite well. There is always enough to eat, now and again a treat, some chicken or tuna fish and there is plenty of water. I did try to tell them that the water in the toilet is the best vintage in the house, but somehow they were not in agreement with that. It seems that humans just want to keep that water supply for themselves. Of course, I have lots of sleeping places I can use. Their beds are quite comfortable during the day and I even have my own cushion on the top of the play centre, very useful for keeping everything under control.

I have often been outside in their garden, chasing birds and butterflies. Up to now the birds are just a little bit too fast for me, but if you catch a butterfly, now that is a delicacy. This garden thing is quite good, but there the fun ends. I have often wondered what lies on the other side and now the chance is there. Of course, thinking about it, I do not really know what is on the other side. Here I am quite comfortable; get a tummy tickle now and again and a stroke between the ears. I have them all organised and I am the Queen. Out there, in the unknown, I might not have it so good. I think I will just walk over to the gate and put my nose out to see what is on the other side.

Smells quite interesting, a few scents I have not got in my collection up to now.

“Who are you” a voice came from the branch in a near bye tree.
“I am the chief cat around here. What are you, you do not look like a cat, but something I might be attempted to make a meal of.”
“I am a squirrel and live in this tree and you can only eat me if you catch me and I would not advise a climb up here.”
“I do not think that would be a problem, we cats are good climbers.”
“I am sure you are, but have you thought about afterwards?”
“What, afterwards?”
“Everything that goes up, should come down again, but you cats sometimes do tend to show off. I have seen many cats stuck up a tree and not knowing how to get back down again. The humans sometimes have to climb up the tree and carry them back. Now I am sure that would be degrading for a cat like you.”

This squirrel seems to know what he is talking about, I think I will leave him to his nuts and twigs, but in a way that he does not realise that he has got one over on me.”
“OK Squirrel, I think I will leave you in peace. You look a bit thin and not worth a meal and I have just had a fish supper at home with my humans.”

Funny creatures these squirrels; imagining they are more intelligent than a cat. So I think I will walk a bit further. Now this is going to be a bit tricky, I don’t mind a drink of water now and again but this water is moving very quickly and blocking the path. It is even too wide to jump over.

“Just what do you think you are doing here? Look a bit lost. Since when do cats swim?”
“We don’t have to swim; we drink water, not live in it. You look like an overgrown rat with big teeth.”
“You don’t have to be insulting; I am known as a beaver and need the teeth for chomping down wood to make a dam on this stream. By the way the bigger the teeth the more attractive, just ask my wife.”
“Yes he is right” said the wife “he is the most beautiful beaver here and when the children are born I am sure they will all take after their father and have wonderful big teeth.”
“Well I think I will just leave you to build your dam. Streams are not my sort of thing.

There are really some funny creatures living outside of my home. What is that I can hear, oh no, human voices accompanied by a sort of loud noise, commonly known as barking.”

“So here we are Fido, now we can let you off the line and you can have a nice free run in the woods.”
“Wuff, Wuff, I can smell cat, wuff, wuff”
And I can smell dog. Where is my gate, run for my life. Where is the familiar smell of my home and my humans.
“Wuff, wuff, cat is very near I can see him. Now for the chase.”
This is getting very uncomfortable, shall I turn, stand my ground and just give a ferocious growl or just run for my life, hoping that I find the way back.
“Hey cat, let’s have a game. I will chase and you will run away, but they call me the cat basher where I live, so you better be fast.”
Decision made, run for it.
“Hi cat” called the squirrel from the tree “you are in the right direction just keep going. You spared my life, so I will help you.”
“Thanks squirrel, come and see me some time.” And cat just kept running until he saw the welcoming open gate.
“Why look, Tiddles is back again. We are so happy and now we will shut the gate.”

So that was the story of my great escape. It was a nice trip but I was glad to get home again. Please stop laughing, I did not choose the name of Tiddles, that was my Mrs. Human. Oh, and the dog. Well he stood in front of the gate barking and then his humans caught up with him and told him to leave the nice little cat alone. I am now curled up in on my perch on the play centre and have found that there is nothing like home. I have decided to go into the garden again tomorrow, but no experiments with open gates. I know where I belong.

For Kira

MULTIPLY United Friends Challenge #136: Human v Feline

Sumax's Challenge

Are you your brother's keeper? If so, why? If not, why not?
Write a short story or essay on responsibility and any boundaries pertaining thereto.

I use the term "brother" in the loosest possible context.
Within the parameters, go where the Muse takes you - It's entirely up to you.

“Now this might be a tough one cats, I think I need help.”
“What’s the problem Mrs. Human.” It was Nera. “Well me and Tabby did have a brother, but he sort of disappeared when we were kittens, he took over a home somewhere else.”
“You mean he was adopted by someone.”
“Mrs. Human, when talking about being my brother’s keeper it really stops there. Kittens are not adopted they take over, and as soon as we are finished with the maternal milk tap we do our own thing. “
“You don’t have to take it so exact Nera. It is based on something from the bible.”
“What’s that?” asked Tabby
“It’s a book that a lot of humans have at home with lots of stories telling you basically how to behave I suppose.”
“Well that human that asked if he was his brother’s keeper was not really behaving, was he Mrs. Human, although I must say he sounds very feline.”
“I suppose you are right Tabby, he had just killed his brother so decided to answer a question with another question, but I don’t think it would be a good idea to start a theological discussion with you cats, it would be too complicated.”
“What’s her problem Nera?” asked Tabby
“You know, she always changes the subject when she doesn’t know what she is talking about” answered Nera.
“Excuse me cats, but I don’t have feline discussions with you on the Bast theory or whether he really existed or not, so I think we will leave that part of the discussion.”
“Of course he existed” Fluffy is now involved in the conversation.
“Mrs. Human we must agree, of course Bast existed, he was the top cat at that time, but it was many years ago and he didn’t have a brother.”
“There are lots of paintings and statues of him” said Nera.
“She’s right Mrs. Human, you even have some history books full of it and I heard that humans have to learn about our great civilisation in the school. Anyhow to get back to the theme, we cats keep no-one. We look after I, me and myself.”
“Yes Tabby, I did notice that from time to time; although I was quite surprised yesterday when Fluffy was outside in the garden and had a meeting with the neighbour’s cat Roshti. Fluffy is blind, but she attacked Roshti spitting and showing her claws and Roshti was ready for a fight. Poor little Fluffy would have had no chance, but I noticed that Nera suddenly appeared on the scene and Tabby was there as well. It was then that Roshti ran off; you were really looking after Fluffy and showing that you were your brother’s keeper.”
“Forget it Mrs. Human” said Nera “we could not care less about Fluffy and he is not our brother. If he wants to attack Roshti on his own, that is his problem. Tabby and I were concerned about any territorial claims that Roshti might make if he had won the fight. We certainly don’t want a big red cat moving in here. By the way Tabby and Fluffy don’t forget to spray around the next time you go out, just to prove the point.”
“Cats I am disappointed. I really thought you look after each other.”
“Mrs. Human, now be honest. Do you really care about everyone?”
“I try to but it doesn’t always work. It just lays in the human nature that I do not consider everyone as meaning it well with me. When I was a child I lived in a part of London which was not very wealthy. People did not have a lot of money, it was a working class area. We would play in the street and the door to our house was never locked. We could go in and out as we pleased and our parents always knew what we were up to. This is no longer the case. Things have changed a lot over the years. Doors are locked as you just cannot trust all any more. If you left your door open, someone might steal something. If you leave your car unlocked, there is a fair chance that it would be gone. There are people that say give me money and I will return it with interest, but they are perhaps just cheating and you never see the money again. They don’t care about other people or their feelings, the result being that today I am very careful. If I really know someone well and see that they have problems, I will try to help, but only then.”
“We cats don’t really have such problems. We trust no-one and take what we want.”
“You are right there Nera” said Tabby “although I remember when you got locked in the cupboard once and Mrs. Human did not notice it; I just kept scratching on the door and she opened the cupboard and released you.”
“I don’t remember that Tabby.”
“Of course you don’t, you just walked out of the cupboard and went to the food bowl. We were kittens then, so I suppose I still had a sort of lingering feeling for my litter sister.”
“You see cats, there was a little bit of care for each other at one time.”
“Hey forget it Mrs. Human. I don’t even remember what my mum looked like and my dad just disappeared before we were born. Let’s forget all this brother’s keeper stuff, it just doesn’t lead anywhere. Mrs. Human you just supply the food, clean our box out and make sure we have a tuna fish meal once or twice a week and we are happy. And make sure we have a nice place to sleep. By the way Mrs. Human, talking of nice place to sleep, you should clean my cushion, it is full of cat hairs” said Nera.
“Mine too, Mrs. Human” added Tabby “I think Nera sleeps there sometimes.”

So that was a ideological discussion on the theme of “Am I my brother’s/cat’s keeper” from a cat’s point of view; they are nobody’s keeper, but we humans? Answering the question “am I my cat’s keeper” the answer is definitely Yes and as far as other humans are concerned, I am just very careful.

United Friends Challenge #136: Human v. Feline

What did we do today?

I was quite proud of myself today. Now being retired I sort of decide now and again in a fit of energy to start cleaning all that stuff I did not clean so well over the last few years. As a working woman I sort of squeezed the necessary jobs in when I could. Windows were cleaned on Saturday mornings, bathrooms and showers once a week when I had the time, although thanks to the fact that my husband was retired a few years before me, he did quite a lot. There were a few things that never really did get as much attention as they should. Windows are easy to clean, but the surrounding bits need a bit more time. We have blinds on our windows as can be seen in the picture. As you can see this blind is clean, shining and really showing itself from its best side (the rays of light coming out of the blind were from the photo programme, but I thought it looked even better). Anyhow this afternoon I decided to attack this metal blind. As it is on the ground floor it was not so difficult. I had a water supply from the hose in the garden so the first part of the work was to turn the water on full power and wash the whole thing down. Yes I did remember to close the window first of all. I must say it was quite dirty, even a bit of green deposits at the bottom. I noticed about 20 homeless spiders running in all directions when I started.

After the initial shower of the blind I took a cloth and did it all from hand. Unfortunately the blind had two sides and it was not so easy cleaning through the spaces of each layer, but after 45 minutes work I was more or less finished. It was a piece of cake afterwards to clean the window underneath. To use a german word which I have never been able to translate into another language, I felt quite "kaput" afterwards but was proud of my work. The mad things that come into your head when you are retired. This was the second blind I did in two weeks. Now I only have another five and then I am finished for the year.

The morning was also quite profitable. We went shopping as usual and I noticed there was a special offer in the gardening department of geraniums. Now basically I am not really a member of the geranium fan club. They are ok, but a bit sort of boring. Everyone has geraniums in their window boxes. On the other hand I did have a large box waiting for something to be planted. Last year I put begonias in it, although wonderful flowers, they got a bit top heavy for the stalks and bent over quite often. Geraniums do at least what you want them to do.

I had another problem. This big box I had needed some topping up with earth. Now geraniums prefer a heavy sort of earth with no peat and I did not have this earth. As luck would have it one of my neighbours is doing some sort of agricultural wonder in her garden and had a delivery of earth, but too much. She asked me if I could use it and when I had a look found it to be exactly what I needed, so that was the first stroke of luck, I did not have to buy any earth. I only had to carry the earth across to my garden.

Eventually I arrived at the gardening department of the store. The geraniums were pink or red. Husband said get a mixture, but I said that one colour would be better and so I got 10 red geranium plants. They were selling for 1.90 Swiss francs each instead of 3.80 Swiss francs and combined with a special token I had for 10% cheaper in the gardening department, I had quite a bargain. I have a new hobby since being retired. I have started intensively studying prices and special offers. It is really quite fun. I never used to have the time when a working woman, just a quick look around the shop and grab what you need. Now it has slowly developed into a field of study. Even my choice of vegetable is influenced. Today we had Swiss chard which was quite reasonable. I would have got kohlrabi, but they were very small and for 2 Swiss francs per piece, I found that a bit expensive.

Anyhow, they were the highlights in the day of a retired person. Tomorrow I will have fun cleaning the kitchen, a half hour job, so I usually combine it with giving the doors a quick wipe over. I might even put a few seedlings in the garden I have been growing since March. Oh, isn't life exciting. And presenting my window box with the geraniums. They are naturally now quite small, but they will grow I am sure.

MULTIPLY Visual Aid #5 Haiku

Welcome rain returns
Refreshing, wet and cleansing
Cats are unhappy

Visual Aid #5 Haiku

MULTIPLY Creative Challenge #48: Lure

I was lured by thoughts of relaxing sleep
No alarm to tell me to rise
I am just relaxing in my own time
Not having to rub sleep out of eyes
Being able to plan a full day
Having no must or at once
No-one telling me what to do
Just living a life of substance
Just two years and then I will be free
My working life will be at an end
I can do what I want and lead my own life
In my calendar no longer week-end
Each day of the week is the same as the last
and will be the same as the next
Sounds almost boring, this not being the case
just read on in the following text
My two years of waiting have now been cut short
I am retired already they said
After twenty-nine years working it was now time to go
This thought was strange in my head
The arrangement was fair, was treated with respect
so I started to look at the truth
I was still quite active and fit more or less
Although no longer in youth
I rise in the morning and enjoy cleaning up
I now have the time and the lust
I go shopping for food and my husband comes too
We take time, there is not a must
I used to shop at lunch in between
and eat quickly before going to work
Now this is all gone, I can cook what I want
In the background no office does lurk
Afternoons are good, I can read or can write
Perhaps have a talk with a friend
I am very happy and lucky as well
I have so much free time to spend
I enjoy my retirement, it’s better than I thought
For my person it is really a cure
No, I do not miss the work, do not miss the stress
The call of work is no lure

Creative Challenge #48: Lure

MULTIPLY Poetry Posse - Week 26 - Free Verse

Hunting for food every day
Not knowing if I find some or not
Fighting for my rights to live
in a place that is mine
Being attacked by unknown machines
Just because I follow a scent
Having no-one to protect me
When attacked by the neighbours
No comfortable warm place to sleep
Being preyed upon through the night
by unknown enemies that threaten
I treasure the life that is mine
I may not be free but I am satisfied
I have servants that look after my needs

Poetry Posse Week 26 Free Verse

MULTIPLY United Friends Challenge #135: Father and Son

Dio and Flagon's Challenge

Dio was busy sweating away at his abacus. “Do you think I can count the dwarfs as dependents?” he asked.
“On what grounds?” Flagon inquired.
“On the grounds that they are insane and it costs me money to get them out of jams.”
“I suppose you could write that off as a business expense,” Flagon pondered.
“So how do you claim your cave of treasures anyway?” Dio said, somewhat crankily.
“I offered to have them send tax auditors to count it.”
“So did they?”
“Yes, they were delicious.”

Well tax time is upon us, so give us a story or poem about it. It can be humorous, a tale of woe, or whatever else you desire. Of course there is a 10% penalty if you don't get it submitted in time...

The tax man cometh again this year,
so what are we to do
Just bite into the sins of the past
and try to see it through
“Hey dad I know what is best
There is a simple way
I will let you use my computer
I am sure there will be much less to pay
“Are you sure” answered dad “Do you have a programme?”
“Of course I do, just look,
It’s really simple, a fool can do it
It will let you off the hook”
And so dad and son sat down together
and son showed dad how to work
but dad was not so very happy
untold problems did lurk
“What about the transport,
I am sure I can deduct for my car”
“But dad you tried that last year
your journey does not go so far.
Now if you worked out of the town
or somewhere without a bus
you would have no big problem
and could deduct without a fuss.”
Be glad you have a son
That needs such devoted care
You can get so many benefits
Just fill out the form, but beware
Make sure you tell them I don’t work
although I help at the shop
We don’t want to give them too much info
if they knew I was earning you would cop
What did you say dad, deductions for the dog
But Jenny is a poodle

I don’t think she could move a log
Now that could cause a strudel
The dog you need is a big one
ferocious and ready to help
Then the tax people think you would need it
to protect and not just to yelp”
“So son, I have filled in the spaces
Now what do I have to do
This computer is very misleading
Does it not have a menu?”
“You know what dad, it’s better
if you leave me to do the job
I am sure I could cope quite well
And your head is beginning to throb”
“Very well my son I trust you
But don’t forget the gold”
“I didn’t know we had any”
“not all should the taxman be told.”
“You mean to leave that out
Oh dad I am not so daft
there are things that are better not mentioned
the tax man does not laugh.”
So the father left his son to it
He was sure his choice was good
He knew the tax people were bad
And not like Robin Hood
They stole from the poor , did not give to the rich
But kept it all for themselves
There was not justice in this financial world
The truth was kept on the shelves
Next day his son had to go to school
‘twas there he met his friends
“Had fun yesterday with my dad
The tax form I helped to amend”
The friends told that they were also busy
Their dads had to take the same route
Be thankful for the talents of children today
They are able to perfectly compute.

United Friends Challenge #135: Father and Son

MULTIPLY Pictures to Words #15 Haiku

Heart strings now broken
Memories of tunes linger
Play me again please

Pictures to Words #15 Haiku

MULTIPLY Mono Monday Plus #40 (MM #54)

Once again I was in town, this time on a small shopping trip. It was a lovely Spring morning and instead of going to the supermarket outside town we decided to do the shopping in town, combining it with a cup of coffee at one of our street cafés. It was from my comfortable seat that I took this photo. I was not so satisfied and so I did the following.

I did another take, but this time just the rooftops. I found there was too much going on in the main square for a decent photo. By the way, perhaps I had mentioned it before, but the place is known as "Friedhofplatz" meaning cemetery square, so it is not advisable to do much digging there. It always seems to uncover some sort of skeleton somewhere from the olden days.

Anyhow now being satisfied with my rooftop picture I put it into Piknik and did a monochrome, twiddling a bit to achieve the depths I wanted. This time I kept the red rooftop colours. Did a bit of a vignette and frame in Piknik and here is the result.

Larger Size

And now for my plus. It is almost a bit late for posting an easter picture, but I decided to do one. I don't really eat a lot of sweet stuff (diabetic) but now and again break the rule and Easter is one of those times, especially as my Mr. Swiss always gives me some sort of Easter present. This year it was one of the "famous" Swiss chocolate easter bunnies from the company Lindt. They are quite well known here and always have the famous bell around their little chocolate necks. I took a few photos of it with the intention of producing a family. I looked for a suitable background, and found one of some daffodils I took in the garden. Actually I was not so pleased with the photo as it was a difficult take laying in the dirt and I only managed to get half of what I wanted, but it formed a good background for my easter bunnies. I decided to just keep the yellow of the flowers and transformed the rest into monochrome. That was my background layer - all in Piknik. I then put it into CS3 photoshop as the basis layer and bunny picture then arrived. I isolated it and put it onto the background. Eventually I had one chocolate bunny looking straight ahead, probably the mother, and the others lined up. I altered the sizes of the children to make each one smaller than the other. I did this in four takes and flattened each take, just to be sure. Then it all went back into Piknik for the frame. Here is the result. Wishing all a happy Easter

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Mono Monday Plus #40 (MM #54)