Wordsmiths Challenge #5: Changes

“Ready Bill, time to go.“

Bill looked up at the prison warden, feeling a little uncertain. It was true and not something made up, his twenty-five year prison sentence was now finished. For good behaviour five years had been deducted.

“Not bad” thought Bill “I now have it behind me.”

Bill was not really totally happy about leaving the place that had been his home for many years, but he knew that Her Majesty would one day let him go. He thought back to the beginning of it all. Admittedly he had got his just deserts, he did strangle his wife and it was murder. At the time his lawyer pleaded manslaughter, Bill convincing the lawyer that it was not intended but an accident. The jury did not believe this and neither did public opinion. Bill was not really surprised, but at least they tried. He did decide to strangle his wife after finding that she had been having an affair with his brother. He was a young man at the time, just twenty-five years old, and his feelings were hurt. His nerves just ran away with him. His family naturally disowned him for the crime and he never got one visitor in the twenty-five years of prison life.

Prison life needed some getting used to. Arising every morning at the same time, breakfast, dinner and tea at certain times and doing the same jobs in the workshop. It was all organised and so boring, but with time Bill accepted his fate. He even made a few friends, but most of them were criminals also “doing time” for murder; perhaps a robbery that went wrong, or just killing because there was no other way to do things.

He did not paint a picture of being put into prison under false pretences. Oh yes, he was guilty and now after so many years was again a free man. He was surprised that it happened so quickly, but it seems that a lawyer who had just completed her examinations decided to make a name for herself (yes, it was a lady) and was digging up some old cases with the intention of finding whether things were settled in a proper way. She decided that although Bill had killed his wife, he certainly had a reason for doing it, and it was probably one of those short circuit actions, that he had regretted since. Convinced that here a criminal had suffered enough she brought up his case for revision. Times had changed and the court decided that leniency would be appropriate and Bill was given an early release.

Not only had the law changed, but a lot of other things as well.

Bill left the prison dressed in new clothes given to him for his new start in life. He was surprised to receive blue jeans and a t-shirt, but it seemed that this was now the general fashion. He was even given an address of somewhere he could stay for the first months until he was standing on his own feet again. It was a large building in an area of the town near to a shopping centre. There was a cinema showing the latest films near bye and a few restaurants with the usual fast food. Some of it was familiar to Bill, but not all.

At first he was overwhelmed by the people on the street. There were so many, and he was confronted by people from all countries. Smells wafted in the air of food that he really did not recognise. Where were the places where you could order a plate of fish and chips, or a meat pie? They were gone and replaced with the Curry house, or Mario’s Pizza parlour.

He lived in a tall building and had a small apartment, which was being paid for by the state, until he found work and could pay himself. Just a bedroom, living room and kitchen with shower, but that was enough for Bill. It was sufficient and he was glad to have his own four walls at last. He was somewhat taken aback to find that his rooms were on the twelfth floor of a building which seemed to have another ten floors above. He was surprised by the height of everything he saw on the streets. When he went in (to the prison) houses were houses, two or three floors at the most.

He even had a television, in colour. He switched it on, but soon gave up. There were so many channels and switches to operate; he left that one for the time being. He now had his first evening in front of him and decided to visit the cinema which was just around the corner not really caring what the film was, but being able to move amongst normal people again.

His first shock was paying the entrance fee which to his twenty-five years ago thinking was exorbitant. He eventually found an empty seat, lit up a cigarette, and relaxed. He was confronted with a torch light shining into his eyes.

“Excuse me sir, but here you cannot smoke.”

Bill thought he had probably chosen a wrong seat and there were now no smoking areas.

“Sorry, Miss; can you show me where the seats are for smokers?”

“We have none sir, cinemas are a non smoking area. You must either extinguish your cigarette or leave.”

No, things were really not like they used to be, so Bill left. He walked along the road looking for a place for a bite to eat. It was then he saw a familiar restaurant where they always sold hamburgers and still did. He walked in and went to the counter to place an order. At least this was still working as normal, although it seemed to him that the food just did not have the same taste as it used to. He felt tired and left the restaurant deciding to go home.

It was now dark and there were few people on the street. He was just passing a dark turning when he was confronted by three young men.

“Now, what have we got here. Looks like he might be worth it. What do you think boys?”

Bill was startled “are you talking to me?”

“Don’t see anyone else here, perhaps the gentleman would like to accompany us down this street here.”

“I don’t think......”

Before Bill could answer he felt a strong push and landed on the ground in the dark alley.

“So now let’s see what we have” said one of the boys and they started to search through his pockets.

“Looks like he only has a purse with a few notes in it.”

“Can’t be Fred, look a bit close, he must have a mobile somewhere.”

“OK Mister, where is it?”

Bill still felt sore from fall on the concrete, but decided it was better to give an answer to this pack.

“What mobile, what is a mobile?”

“Hey Fred he is acting stupid, he says he hasn’t got one and don’t know what it is.”

“You mean he has been having us on. Well no-one gets away with that” and the boys decided to teach Bill a lesson for not having something most people would have and even being so stupid as to pretend he did not know what it was supposed to be.

They were not very nice and Bill soon knew what it was like to be beaten up feeling the thuds of heavy boots against his ribs. He eventually lost consciousness. He woke up some time later, no longer in the dark street, but in a hospital.

“How are you feeling” asked the nurse.

“Like I have been run over by a lawn mower” was Bill’s answer.

“Looks like you have been beaten up from one of our street gangs. Did you recognise anyone or anything” asked a policeman who was also in the room.

“It all went so quick officer” Bill said “No, I didn’t recognise anyone. They seemed to have wanted something called a mobile.”

“And you didn’t give it to them. That was a mistake” said the policeman. “It is better to give them what they want; otherwise they can get a bit rough.”

Well Bill was a little surprised, even shocked. What was this world coming to? He had a bad conscience for killing his wife twenty-five years long, although it was partly her fault, he was still sure. Today you get nearly killed by a few teenagers still wet behind the ears because you don’t have something they want and the law tell you that he was wrong and should have given it to them.

After a week Bill was able to leave the hospital. His broken arm was healing slowly and it no longer hurt so much, although he had to visit the doctor once a week to see how it was progressing.

Bill now sat in his room night for night, frightened to go out to a world that he no longer recognised.

He then had an idea. The next day he paid a visit to the office of records to look up details of the proceedings which allowed his release. He found the information he wanted.

“Felicity Chambers, 4 The Rise, Belgravia”; just what I needed. At last he had the name and address of the young lady that was the reason for him being today a free man. A thought crossed his mind “Felicity?” they don’t even give their kids normal names these days.

That evening he spent the remainder of the money donated by Her Majesty’s prison for his fresh start in life on a taxi to Belgravia. He was sure he had no need for money any more. This time he did not strangle the lady that opened the door and invited him in. She thought he had come to thank her. He would have strangled her, but her boyfriend was in the kitchen and heard the commotion, so she was rescued. Actually Bill did not really want to strangle her, he just wanted to return to his nice cosy cell in Her Majesty’s Prison where every day you had the same routine, got three full meals and knew that a walk through the prison exercise yard was less dangerous than walking the streets of London.

MULTIPLY United Friends Challenge #184: Fotune favours Fools

Caffeinatedjo's Challenge

Take any familiar proverb/saying, such as:

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
People in glass houses should not throw stones.

Then write either a story about your choice or write what it means to you.

Please Note: You DO NOT have to use the phrase/saying in your piece.

Perhaps a small explanation. We have a saying in German which is a bit of a favourite of mine - sounds so good "Der dümmste Bauer hat die dicksten Kartoffeln" which translated means "the most stupid farmer has the biggest potatoes". I had to search and it seems in English it would be "Fortune favours Fools".

My first acquaintance with Cedric was when I started school as a six year old. It was obvious in the first year that Cedric was perhaps not as quick to understand things as the rest of the class. We were all reading the second book about the adventures of Janet and John and poor Cedric was still studying the developments of the cat sitting on the mat in the first book. He just was not as fast as the rest of us in picking up the pieces. There was talk about him staying in the first class for two years.

At this time it was approaching Easter and custom was that each one of us in the class had to grow a daffodil at home. The bulbs were supplied by the school and on a certain day we had to bring them for judging. Mine had a flower on it, but was very reluctant to open. Others had no flowers, and some just died of thirst. Not Cedric’s however. He brought his daffodil to school showing proudly three flowers and they were big, being surrounded by a mass of green healthy fleshy leaves. Needless to say Cedric’s plant won the first class certificate. He could still not multiply five by five, but his daffodil was the biggest and the best.

Somehow he stayed in our class, battling his way through years of maths and learning how to express himself correctly in english, accompanied by low marks. Of course, someone had to be last in the class, but it always seemed to be Cedric. I would add that his results in the daffodil competition were maintained. We were somehow all convinced that one day he would become a gardener.

When school was finished, most of us continued to college. On my first day in college, who did I see: it was Cedric.

“Hi Cedric, glad to see you” I said suppressing my surprise at him actually being there.

“Hi” was the answer “I think we are in the same class” and we were.

Apparently he failed miserably at the written entrance examinations, but exceeded in the physical tests. He could run faster and jump higher than anyone in the class. After a test with the football team, the college decided that they had to have Cedric and so he was signed in. Again he was the bottom of the class in all the examinations, but saved many matches on the football field and brought many trophies to fill the glass cabinet shown proudly at the entrance to the college.

One day our college days came to an end. We all proudly received our certificates. Cedric unfortunately received none, but was given free entrance to the local football stadium as a compensation. He was very happy.

Our ways really did now split and it was at least twenty years until we had a college reunion. I had got married in the meanwhile and was the father of two children. Life had been good to me, I had a job, a wonderful wife, but it was not easy making ends meet sometimes with a growing family.

When I arrived at the hall with my wife where the reunion was being held, I parked my middle class car on the parking space and was climbing out just as a Rolls Royce with chauffeur parked next to me.

“Hello, said a familiar voice. How are you keeping? Let me introduce my wife Sabrina.”

OK, you are not going to believe this, or perhaps you do, but I was looking into Cedric’s face. Perhaps somewhat more round, a little less hair, but the same eyes resembling that of a faithful dog that was looking for a master.

“Oh fine thanks, Cedric.” It was then that I noticed Sabrina. A curvaceous blond, immaculate make-up and dressed in something that did not look like it fell off the back of a lorry, if you know what I mean. The lady was top quality, although I still preferred my average housewife model who also gave Sabrina her hand, being social. I just had the feeling that my wife had a sort of automatic dislike of her, but women are funny sometimes.

“Nice car” I said “and a chauffeur. Looks like you are doing well Cedric.”

“Oh, that; yes , well I did have a bit of luck on the national lottery."

“You mean you won something.”

“Sort of, I won the lot. Just shortly afterwards I met Sabrina. She was the answer to my dreams so we got married and we have been together since.”

“Well that’s fine Cedric, glad that everything went well.” Although I did have a funny feeling about Sabrina, but she was looking at Cedric with money signs reflecting in her eyes so I suppose they were happy together.

“I was just lucky, especially when my uncle Leo died in America.”

Now I was losing the thread somewhere.

“Your uncle Leo.”

“Yes, the family really forgot him as he wandered of many years ago. He never got married and struck lucky on his farm. Started digging and oil came out of the ground. There was no-one around to take over after his death.”

“Don’t tell me Cedric. You inherited it all.”

“Yes, I suppose I did.”

Otherwise my wife and I had a lovely evening seeing old school and college friends and talking about old times. Someone wanted to warm up the old story about Cedric having the best daffodils, but I said to forget it. It might be embarrassing for him.”

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MULTIPLY Creative Challenge #72: The Wind in my Face

Flying over horizons
Infinity beneath the hooves
Flanks steaming
Born to be free
Know no limits
Riders of the sky
Champions of speed
Filling lungs with the breath of clouds
Midst in a tempest
Living boundless
Feeling the wind in my face

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MULTIPLY The Dare: Autumn

Am a few days late, but better late than never I suppose. The problem is that Autumn seems to have decided to arrive a few weeks later this year. The leaves are changing their colours and starting to fall, but not in great quantities up to now. We still have sunny days and warmth, something called an Indian Summer I believe.

I then saw that Autumn was really only just opposite in the neighbour's garden. She had planted a few pumpkin seeds and I think she is just as astonished as we are to see the result(s). There are actually two of these pumpkins in her garden, both quite large. I decided they had really deserved a place in my photo collection so here is one of them.

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Poetry Posse Week #50: Fall

The Autumns of my life are many
Perhaps coloured in red, yellow and brown
Like the thousands of leaves that have fallen
The red ones were spent in childhood
Starting a new year at school
New teachers, new things to learn
New friends perhaps, friends that have stayed
Bright Yellow a time of hope
Looking into the flames of a warming fire
Or out exploring the museums of life
In a town where history was preserved
Then a golden yellow
watching my children grow
Enjoying their Autumn games
Collecting chestnuts,
walking on mountain paths
Watching the changing scenery
Brown is now upon me
I am now in the Autumn of my life
I sit outside on the warmer days
Watching the trees fold up their branches
Drying remains of flowers
A slow process, as my life now becomes
Perhaps a little melancholy
But there will be many Autumns to enjoy

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MULTIPLY United Friends Challenge #183: The Reporter

Sumax's Challenge

The hospital porter wheeled the gurney down the basement ramp and along the corridor leading to the mortuary. Robin’s body was now stone cold. It had been a long two days leading up to this end. Were this a film, there would be a fade-out to flashback and maybe, just maybe, things might have panned out differently. If only Robin had taken the … but it was hopeless to conjecture. The mortuary double doors crashed back into place and the porter and gurney were gone.

Robin can be a male or female and of any age you wish. Create for me a character and a situation which led up to the above ending to your short story. Let your imagination soar. You do not have to use the final paragraph in your story if you do not wish to. If you do use it, it will not be included in the word count.

Word limit: Between 500 and 2000 words. No more, no less.

It was early morning and there was a lot to do today. Robin gave Rosita a last embrace and a kiss and began to get dressed, not really wanting to, doing things you have to do and want to do are just not the same.

“Do you have to go Robin?” she asked “it was so good to feel your arms around me.”

“All good things must come to an end” answered Robin as he was pulling his clothes on “and you know what is happening today.”

“Yes Robin, how can I forget. It is the day when we will at last know what will happen in this country. Whether we can again breathe free air on the streets, or if we are still under the watchful eye of the General’s police and army.”

“Right Rosita and I am now on my way home. The night was wonderful as always, but I have to earn my living during the day so that we can enjoy the nights.”

Robin kissed Rosita once more and left.

He lived on the other side of town, where the foreign population were housed. Working as the foreign correspondent for an international newspaper for some time in this small republic, he had got to know the people, their way of life, and their politics. The Colonel was the man in charge in this country. What he said was law, and if anyone did not agree then they would perhaps be found floating in a river, or lying in a field somewhere in the country. The richer were getting richer and the poorer had less. This was the Colonel’s politics. Today was election day and everyone was obliged to vote. This was also law. This time there was a difference. The Colonel had an opponent: Julio Rodriguez.

As a young man Julio had smuggled himself on board a ship to America. He came from a poor farmer’s family and had seen the way his family were treated by the Colonels regime. Working all day for a piteous wage, they owned only the clothes on their back. All land in his country belonged to the government. Julio was determined to change things, to enable the farmers to work on their own land.

He was lucky in America and worked hard. He had studied law and after some years had now returned to his family and country. He founded his own political party and soon had many followers. It was the first time in this country that the Colonel had an opposition.

Robin had met Julio Rodriguez and had interviewed him for the newspaper. The Colonel was not very pleased as he found Julio Rodriguez to be a rebel and in his opinion he belonged behind bars. After the interview was published, Robin had a visit from General Renaldo Gomez. Robin was warned that any such further interviews would result in Robin being put under house arrest. Robin was not a man to be put in his place by a corrupt government, and his meetings continued with Julio, but under cover of the night and in secrecy. It was on one of these occasions where he had met Rosita, Julio’s sister.

After Robin arrived home he decided to take a shower before going out on the streets observing the developments of the voting. He was just drying himself and his telephone started to ring.

“Robin Chalmers”

“Good morning Robin. Julio Rodriguez here. Have you listened to the radio or watched the television up to now. It might be of interest.”

“No, Julio, but I will switch the radio on.”

He then heard that the Colonel had won the North, South and West sections of the city. The North was mostly inhabited by foreign workers, such as Robin himself, the West was the wealthy part of town where business people lived and the South belonged to the government where ministers and their families were living. This was no big surprise to Robin.

“I have heard the news Julio, but up to now nothing really surprising, the Colonel always had these sections in his hands.”

“Yes Robin, but the East results have not yet been counted. That is where my people live and work, more the country areas, and I think I have a good chance to win. Unfortunately I have just received some bad news from two of my men which might be interesting for an article in your newspaper.”

“Tell me Julio.”

“It seems that in a certain warehouse the Colonel’s soldiers have been collecting voting boxes from the East. They are replacing them with their own votes.”

“You mean that a voting fraud is taking place.”

“Yes, Robin, it is. It is obvious that we will not win this first vote, but these votes would mean that the Colonel could no longer govern the country on his own and with time I am sure we would uncover so many frauds that we would be able to topple the government. The voting population in the East part of town is more than double of the rest.”

“I am with you Julio, tell me what to do”

Julio then told Robin where he could meet two of his men who would take him to the warehouse where he could take photos of the swindle taking place.

Robin left his house to make his way to the meeting point. He decided to walk. It was not far and he could melt into the crowds on the streets, in the case that he might be followed. He soon arrived at his destination and met the two men.

“Is this the warehouse?” asked Robin

“Yes, but we must be careful, there are civil guards everywhere.”

Robin saw a fire escape and decided to try that. He was sure he could take a few photographs through the windows. He climbed the metal stairs and the two men stood at the bottom keeping an eye on the surroundings. It was true, there were many boxes piled in the warehouse. He managed to pull up one of the windows and was just preparing to climb into the room when someone grabbed his arm and pulled him through the window.

“Now this is a surprise Mr. Chalmers. I thought you would be in town taking your photographs of our voting day for your newspaper. I don’t think pictures of a warehouse would be interesting for your readers.”

It was General Renaldo Gomez.

“Surprised Mr. Chalmers. Yes I am sure. You know you cannot trust anyone today. Money talks all languages and I am certain that the two men who accompanied you here can now afford to buy some meat for their dinner. Oh no, perhaps it might be that the daughter of one of the men will now be back at home when he returns. It is really surprising how much a father is prepared to betray for the sake of his daughter.”

“General Gomez you are the most despicable person I know. You would sell your own mother for more wealth and power.”

“Unfortunately Mr. Chalmers, my mother is no longer alive, although I am quite sad about that. However, perhaps you might be interested to know that I am not as alone as you think. I happened to meet a very nice person this morning. Say hello to Mr. Chalmers Rosita, I think you know each other.”

Yes, the general had another trick up his sleeve and Rosita was pushed into the room by two of the general’s men.

“I think we now understand each other Mr. Chalmers. You will now give me your camera and go home. There is nothing for you to take photos of here and I am sure your readers will have no interest in reading anything about our elections. What did you say? Oh, Rosita, yes she can go with you. I have no further use for her, although I feel a little bit jealous. She really does have some hidden talents but I think she prefers your company to mine.”

“General, what did you say. Rosita what has happened?”

“Please Robin, let us go” and Rosita was crying.

Robin left the warehouse with Rosita. As he reached the bottom of the fire escape steps he saw that the two men were being transported in a van. They were both dead, killed by the guns of the civil guards obeying the General’s orders.

That night Robin asked Rosita to stay with him, but she said she could not. It was then that Robin realised to what extent the General had taken advantage of her. He knew he had no chance against such a corrupt government.

The next morning Robin was awakened by a knock on the door. Hoping that Rosita was there he opened. The bullet hit him between the eyes and he was immediately dead. He was stripped of his clothing and had no documents to prove who he was. Just another anonymous body lying in the fields somewhere in a foreign country.

The colonel could now celebrate his victory. He had once again been elected as the country’s leader. It was midday and he was standing on the balcony of the town hall in the main square of the town being welcomed by his people. His people knew if they did not welcome him they would be punished. They had no choice.

On the first floor of a building also overlooking the town hall balcony the sun caught the reflection of metal. To be exact it was a rifle. Rosita pulled the trigger and had a direct hit. She caught the colonel between the eyes and he was killed immediately.

In the meanwhile the hospital porter wheeled the gurney down the basement ramp and along the corridor leading to the mortuary. Robin’s body was now stone cold. It had been a long two days leading up to this end. If only Robin had taken the opportunity to stay with Rosita on that first day but it was hopeless to conjecture. The mortuary double doors crashed back into place and the porter and gurney were gone.

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MULTIPLY Writers Block Challenge #67

“XX1, just what are you doing. It is absorption time and your food is ready.”

XX1’s mother was annoyed. Since they had been living on the surface of the planet, the children just had too many distractions. How she wished they had remained beneath, but their leader had ordered that they could now show themselves above. The earlier inhabitants, known as humans, had almost died out. Just a few remaining settlements here and were left and the underground people had now moved up..

“I am trying some of that human stuff out mum; they certainly had some funny habits.” XX1 answered. “I still have not found out what the idea of that receptacle is. There are knobs on the wall that you can turn, but nothing happens.”

XX1’s mother decided to have a look. She climbed the stairs, which she did not like doing very much. She preferred descending and not ascending. Actually there was very little she liked doing since they had moved to the surface of the planet. Her partner and father of XX1 had studied during his youth and knew more about the planet. It seems that the underground population, their own people, had been developing over many years in their own way. They had lived so near to the core of the earth that they were never discovered.

“What is the problem XX1, and what are you sitting in? Those knobs, as you say, were for water. If you go close enough you can smell the water.”

One of the human problems was there there was no longer very much water, just a few puddles in the oceans that once existed. There was no actual weather, the planet now bearing temperatures similar to those under the surface. One of the reasons why the underground population could now survive above. They had eyes, but their usage had disappeared many years ago. They found their way without sight.

“Thought I would try it out, but it seems strange to me. You mean the humans sat in water, how disgusting. ”

“Other people, other customs XX1: they put their food in their mouth and swallowed it. We just absorb it through our skin."

“I also found something to put on my feet. They must have been funny people covering themselves up like that. Yuck, putting food in their mouth and swallowing it. That is disgusting.”

XX1 removed the strange leg and foot covers and followed its mother down the stairs to start absorbing. Today was her favourite food, earth from the core, mined by the core workers. XX1 preferred it to the surface earth, it had much more flavour.

And so life continued on planet earth. Admittedly the new inhabitants looked just a little bit different to the old, but that was the process of evolution, developing on a parallel basis to those living on the surface. Neither people knew of the other until there was no food on the surface. Only those that could adapt survived and earth was everywhere.

XX1 enjoyed life at the top and was looking forward to the next day. It found the receptacle was uncomfortable, but it had also found something much softer. It did not know that it was a bed. The days of burying itself in a mound of earth to sleep were gone. A new era was dawning upon the planet earth.

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MULTIPLY The Horror of it all: Dr. George Briggs

Dr. George Briggs had a job he loved. Since he was a boy he was interested in how the body works. Not just the on-the-surface stuff, but the details. Reflecting back to the times when he was training as a doctor, he found them to be the most enjoyable of his life. His first year in the university gave him the opportunity to work in the mortuary where the bodies of patients were kept. Dead matter: but that made no difference to George. He was fascinated by the details of their insides and outsides. Keeping the bodies nice and fresh was most interesting. He did have a proud feeling when the bodies were picked up for burial, knowing that some of his work contributed to their fresh appearance. He was never actually praised for his work, but achieving the best results for the pathology examination was reward enough. What he did not know was the nickname he had from the other students: “Grizzly George”.

With time George passed through all the facets of medical school, and was qualified, but pathology remained his favourite. He did not actually want to become a pathologist, but remained at medical school teaching other students the details of the work.

George had become quite a well-known authority in his job and financially he was well rewarded. He had never married, not that he wanted to marry, but he never seemed to be lucky finding the right partner. Perhaps it was the answer to his occupation that deterred a future partner. It was not exactly cheerful when someone answered “pathology professor” and went on to explain the details of the work. George just did not seem to realise that this remark could work in a negative way on a young lady, but George was human and had the same human desires any any other man. He soon discovered that he could have a girlfriend, if he paid enough, and that was the solution to satisfying his desires.

George also had a hobby. It started when he was a boy, to be exact it was when his father was driving and ran over a cat that had strayed at the wrong time into the path of their car. It happened just around the corner to where he lived. George’s mother started crying and his father was devastated. This seemed strange to George. He saw the poor creature on the road, not a very pretty sight, but that night he crept out of the house and took a closer look. He knew why, and put some of the cats organs into a glass jar he had taken with him for that purpose. After a while he had to throw them away as they did not stay as fresh as George would have liked them to. After the cat there were a few mice and birds, but always the same problem. The body parts just did not stay fresh. He managed to keep his curious hobby to himself, stowing his souvenirs away in the garden shed, and eventually mixing them with the compost heap in the garden.

Of course, when George began his studies, all his problems were solved. Now he could smuggle a few human parts out of the mortuary. Who missed the odd kidney or liver? No-one really, the bodies were sewn together again, mostly by George. The other students did not seem to be so keen on the work. He had also now learned how to preserve his keepsakes, although it seemed to his parents that his requirements for alcohol were quite high. George reassured them that it was important as a medicine student for certain experiments he had to carry out. He then kept his “collection” under the floor boards in his room and was glad for the day when he eventually qualified and could afford his own apartment. He just bought an extra refrigerator. Eventually he was in such a good financial position that he could buy his own house. He made sure that the cellar area was large enough to accommodate the many glasses with their contents. Now that he was professor, his opportunities were vast and he needed room.

He still paid his visits now and again to a certain part of town where women were easy to buy. One evening he was on his way when he saw a female figure waiting on the street corner.

“Going anywhere special mister? Need company?”

George decided why go shopping when the goods were already there.

“How much?” he asked.

The prostitute named him a price and he decided that would be just right.

"Where are we going?” George asked.

“At the moment, I don’t have my own place” she said. “I’m sharing with a girl friend and she is busy at the moment”. She gave George a wink as she said it.

George realised what she meant and invited her back to his place. He had a plan developing in his twisted pathological mind. “Why have a kidney when you can have all”. So the lady decided to accept and went willingly with George. On the way George noticed that his new friend had a few tell-tale marks on her arm, obviously she was a drug addict, but he did not mind.

They arrived at George’s house and the prostitute asked how he liked it. George said just normal would do, but let’s have a drink first to get warmed up. He prepared two glasses of whisky and the girl’s eyes lit up. She was not used to being spoilt like this. However, George had mixed something in her drink and she soon fell asleep, never to awaken again.

George had to think fast. He decided the deep freezer was the best place for the body until he had organised things. The first purchase he made was a glass tank, the size being high enough and wide enough to accommodate one human body. He then ordered the various chemicals he needed and filled the tank. He also did some shopping, buying the sort of clothes he liked to see a woman dressed in, telling the shop assistant it was a surprise for his wife. His taste was light chiffon that moved in the breeze, knowing that in liquid the same effect would be achieved. He soon had everything organised in the cellar and the young lady’s body was put into the liquid in the tank wearing the clothes George had bought especially for the occasion. He was quite pleased with the result.

There are some men that steal a painting by a master, lock it away and spend hours just looking at it on their own. So it was with George, but he like to watch his own personal human specimen. It seemed that the “specimen” he had in his tank was not missed. There was nothing mentioned on the news on the television or in the newspapers, but there was one thing that was bothering George. His “specimen” was not exactly a good one. Why buy a painting on a market stall when you can have a Van Gogh?

George went hunting. He wanted something perfect. He decided to take a walk to a better part of town near the park. He soon found his ideal woman. She was walking along the street; just someone that decided to go out at the wrong time in the wrong place. George liked her curves, her face, her hair, it was perfect, real class. He pulled up beside her and asked the way to a certain street. She bent forward to give an answer and before she knew what had happened George had injected her with a heavy sedative. As it was near the park, there were no people watching and George dragged her into the car.

She also never woke up, and was soon in the tank, the other inferior piece being removed and dissolved in another tank with acid. George of course dressed his new victim for the part. Now George was happy. He had a perfect “specimen” in his tank and could watch her for hours on his own.

This time there was a small catch in his capture. He had captured the police chief's wife. I suppose all criminals make mistakes at some time or another.

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MULTIPLY Images and Words #21: Blue/Blues

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