Topic Generator: Thoughtless Painting

“Morticia what are you doing?”

“I am painting Drac.”

“You are doing what? Vampires do not paint, unless in red and we decided to spend a quiet night at home with no excitement.”

“It is my new hobby Drac. Instead of sitting around and knitting new socks for the Winter months.”

“But I love new socks, they keep my feet nice and warm.”

“I gave you a new pair for your 650th birthday and it was so difficult to get the colour of the bat wings correct.You have only worn them twice.”

“I know, but bats with pink wings are not my thing.”

“Sorry, but I had run out of red wool at the time. Anyhow I have to concentrate on my painting.”

“Why a painting? We have a painting of Primrose, my favourite were wolf and I do not want it to be removed from the wall above my coffin.”

“No problem Drac, this is an impressionist painting and it will be perfect in the dining room.”

“We have a dining room?”

“Sort of. Now and again Primrose brings something home and shares it with us.”

“So let’s see this masterpiece.”

“What’s that?”

“The name is on the painting: it’s a bleeding tomato.”

“Since when do tomatoes have blood? I know they are red, but that is where the similarity ends.”

“But I did complement the painting with some blood stains.”

“You do not waste blood on paintings.”

“Stay cool Drac, it was just the remainder from the last plastic bag from the blood bank. There is always a residue, and so I sprinkled it over my painting. That is called Natural Surrealism, using biological elements, almost organic.”

“I see, and what is that other stuff on the plate?

“I had to borrow that from the neighbour, as we do not have potato or sausage.”

“Of course we have sausages Morticia.”

“I know but only blood sausage and that would have made a mess in the kitchen, I do like to have a clean kitchen you know.”

“All looks a bit thoughtless to me, just using up leftovers. On the other hand it would look quite good in the kitchen, makes the room a little more habitable. Anyhow all this talk of food, I now feel hungry. Put away your paints and canvas. Let’s take a flight to the blood bank, I heard they have fresh supplies of our favourite group.”

“Good idea Drac, I will continue tomorrow. Let’s call in at the witches coven on the way. I believe she has a new wool coloured with deadly nightshade liquid. That would be a nice striped contrast to the scarf I am knitting for you, black and belladonna look so well together.”

“Yes, good idea, I really need a new scarf. The old one has so many teeth marks from the last halloween get-together me and the boys had down at the cemetery.”

“I remember, that was when they had to carry you home.”

WordPress daily prompt: Finite Creatures

At what age did you realize you were not immortal? How did you react to that discovery?

First of all let’s have a photo to counter balance this happy go lucky theme (one of my photos taken in Germany). Yes one day we will no longer be here due to some sort of uncontrollable happening. At what age did I realize this? I do not remember ever thinking about it in my younger years. This only happens when you become a golden oldie and notice in the newspaper you have constantly less friends and acquaintances and if you do not know what to do to occupy the time, then there is always funeral you can attend.

I could have posted a photo of one of the local cemeteries, even an international cemetery view, but they all look the same. A stone, a mound and words saying perhaps  “We will never forget” or the good old “R.I.P.”. So how did I react to the discovery that one day it will be my funeral everyone will be attending and celebrating with a meal and a glass of wine afterwards (if I have any friends left). One day my daily prompt, or daily anything, will no longer appear. Where has she gone you  might be asking. Did she at last get her Pulitzer/Nobel prize for her fantastic writing or has she robbed the bank and disappeared with the money.

You will not know, you will never know because my time will have come. I will be watching the daisies grow from the roots or perhaps be just a shower of ashes in the wind. There is always a possibility that I will join the vampire clan. winging my way through the darkness of night to find a new victim containing a fresh supply of blood for my needs. If this fails I can always fly through an open window of the local blood bank at the hospital and who knows? I might even find a bottle of the red liquid with the name “Mrs. Angloswiss” remaining from the earlier days when I was a blood donor.

You may think this is a morbid piece of blog to read, doesn’t she have anything better to do with her writing time? And you are right, but I did not choose the subject. The first time this prompt arrived I was younger and really making efforts to write something worthwhile, to leave my mark on the blogging world. Today I am just writing for the sake of writing because I cannot think of anything better to write about.

Even the weather is too hot and humid to take a walk in the neighbouring countryside, usually to the next cemetery which lays just around the corner. I am currently living in a dark world and luckily can escape to the porch to write in the open air. Indoors the atmosphere is oppressive, the dream of every vampire’s day. There is no light. The sun has been banned. All the blinds are closed (we have no curtains) and the windows shut to ensure that no ray of sun or fresh air enters the apartment. Temperatures outside are an average of 30°C and it has been wind still, although today there is a warm breeze trying to compensate. This morning we even had a shower of rain, which has become a rare commodity over the last month. Now and again I enter the apartment to be confronted with words “Shut the door” as fear has arrived that a breath of fresh (all be it warm) air might penetrate the darkness. Of course this is sensible to maintain cool temperatures during the night. My neighbour across the field has found the correct solution. She lives alone, is also a golden oldie, and sleeps outside on her porch. I have thought about this, but my felines complain. They do not need a human body sharing their summer sleeping quarters.

Now I will leave you, not permanently, but my writing task is now finished and remember, you are not immortal. There are facts that should be fixed in writing for the case that the daily prompt might want to know all about it.

WordPress Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees

Tells us about a time you did a 180 - changed your views on something, reversed a decision or acted in a way you ordinarily don't.

It was so long ago, that it really does not feel like 180 Degrees any more, just a different way of life. I suppose I should return to the beginning of it all. I do not have a lot of time left to write, too busy with a different life style.

A few years ago I had a telephone call from Joan, my best friend at the time.

“You must come Morticia (that was me), it will really be something different from the ordinary holidays. Everyone goes to the South of France or Italy, sunbathing all day on the beach, but Eastern Europe has now opened up its gates to be explored.”

“I don’t know if Romania is my sort of thing, visiting churches and monasteries.”

“But the holiday brochure talks of good food, gypsy romance and sights you have never seen. Besides it is only a hop away on the plane, and the arrangement is quite cheap. Do you have any other holiday planes for this year?” was Joan’s closing comment, so I decided why not. A month later we were in Romania,at  a place called Bistritz, somewhere in the middle of the Carpathian mountains where the wolves and bats say goodnight to each other. OK, I know what you are all thinking, but thoughts are a thing of the past. Actions speak louder than words it seems.

So let’s cut a long story short. No good crying about spilt blood (sorry I meant milk?).

On the second evening of our holiday with a difference, we were attending a local village get together. One of those things organised for the silly West European tourists. Nothing special, but the red wine was flowing and so was the spicy food. We were sitting on wooden benches outside. It was a warm evening and the moon was shining, a full one of course. It was then that I met Drago. I think I met him. He was suddenly sitting next to me. Now that was a man. Tall, slim and the deepest darkest eyes I had ever seen. I was probably on my fourth glass of wine already so I did not notice the details such as long white eye teeth and a pale complexion. His strong arms were tightly around my waist. No chance of escape, but who wants to escape?

I had lost Joan out of sight already. She had teamed up with Fred, one of the members of our group. I was glad, she was happy and I could do my own thing. I suppose I was really doing Drago’s thing. Conversation was not exactly flowing, more actions than words. I can tell you when I looked into his eyes, they were deep pools of dark mysteries. Monochrome is the word, just black and white, some shades of grey and I was floating on another level. It seemed I was looking down onto a world full of melting landscapes composed of forests, black pools of steaming water, and now and again I heard a wolf howl in a mournful lonely tone in the distance.

I think that was when it happened.

“You ‘ave such beautiful skin” said Drago “like silk and satin” and I felt his tongue caress my neck. So now you are in the picture, I bet you think he was a vampire. Yes, he was, an undead, a thirsty one, and so he quenched his thirst on my jugular vein (I think that is what they call it).

Let’s jump a bit and I awoke the next morning in my hotel bed, of course, what did you think? There was a pounding at the door and I heard my name being called. I jumped out of the bed and opened the door knowing that Drago had come for me. He had not come for me. It was Joan asking when I was going to appear at the breakfast table. It was the day of the excursion to the local monastery.

I fell back, blinded by the light streaming through the windows in the corridor. My eyes hurt and I had a pain through my head as if it was splitting.

“Are you ill” asked Joan “you look very pale and your eyes are sort of bloodshot?”

“I don’t exactly feel very lively” was my answer “and I am definitely not very hungry.” I stumbled back onto my bed. Joan shut the door and of all things drew the curtains. The sunlight came streaming into the room, which gave me the rest. I ran to the bathroom, Joan followed, and she helped me to a cold shower.

An hour later I arrived at the local monastery. At least it was an old stone building and inside it was dark and cold, although I had bought a cheap pair of sunglasses at the hotel before leaving. I told Joan to go ahead and visit the monastery, I would prefer to relax outside on the stone steps. Nice and cool and shady.

I felt very tired, although it was some time in the afternoon. I then heard him calling my name. I turned my head to the direction of the voice and saw a door open where stone steps were leading downwards. Yes it was a day room for vampires known as crypt to normal living humans. Drago was waiting and threw me a dead rabbit, so I finished the job off. Feeling refreshed I returned to the normal world. The coach brought us back to the hotel in the early evening. I told Joan I was still feeling a bit shaky and would have an early night.

Vapires do not have early nights, they just have nights. I will not bore you with the sordid details, but it was my first excursion as a vampire. And so the holiday continued.

I arrived back to my home country. I had collected a lot of 180° stuff now.

1. Sleep during the day in a room with the curtains drawn

2. Stay out all night until the sun rises enjoying life with the occasional visit to a blood bank or find a victim

3. Don’t enter any churches

4. Avoid garlic in food at all times

5. Avoid people wearing crosses around their neck

6. Make investigations to find a quiet crypt, preferably in the basement of an old chapel, where you can sleep during the day without unnecessary disturbances.

7. No longer admire yourself in a mirror, there is no point as you cannot see yourself in any case, but others might also wonder why you have no reflection.

Now and again Drago would fly past to see how things were going. He gave me a lot of tips about what to avoid and he brought me the latest vampire fashions from the Carpathians. It was a good job that black suited my pale complexion. I did not even have to buy lipstick any more, I had the most beautiful deep red lips.

Drago told me my 180 degree turn on life was there to stay, but it would be a long and rewarding unlife if I followed his example.

WordPress Daily Prompt: Call me Ishmael

Take the first sentence from your favourite book and make it the first sentence of your post - Dracula by Bram Stoker

Tomb in the Imperial crypt in Vienna (my own photo)

3, May, Bistritz – Left Munich at 8.35 P.M. on 1^st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning, should have arrived at 6.46, but train was an hour late.

Let me introduce myself. Morticia Harker, yes that’s right. I am one of the descendents of the Harker family. Great grandad went on a business trip many years ago to castle Dracula. He did return, but over the years it seems he changed a little. So did his wife Mina, but no problem, it just stayed in the family.

Thank goodness this time the train was on time, I hate travellng during the day. At 8.35 the sun is shining and that is not good for my complexion or my nature. You wonder why? Jonathon and Mina Harker were my great grandparents. Ok, no big deal, but unfortunately I seemed to have inherited their negative genes. You do not believe in vampires? In that case just forget me. That man on the train did not believe in them either. I had my special sexy dress on and used all my charms. The last thought on his mind was a vampire. We both had fun, but poor man is now suffering from quite a loss of blood. He will recover, no doubt. Oh Jonathon and Mina, what were you thinking of. Dracula was basically a nice guy, just misunderstood.

“Tickets please. Thankyou mam. We have a small delay I am afraid. One of the passengers was taken ill and we had to arrange an emergency transport to the hospital.”

“I hope not too serious guard.”

“No, I don’t think so. Seems to have injured himself somehow. No idea how it happened, but lost quite a bit of blood.You are travelling further to Bistritz? Your connection leaves in an hour from Vienna.”

“Thankyou, but I prefer the night train.”

“No problem, there is a train at midnight from the East Station.”

I do not like travelling during the day. The light really bothers me. It is a shame really. Vienna must be a lovely town. My godfather Dracula (oh yes, it stays in the family) recommended Vienna. It has the biggest cemetary in Europe. He also said the best place to spend the day would be in the Imperial crypt in Vienna. I should just go there and hide in one of the tombs. With my super vampire strength I should have no problem in lifting the lid. They are all made of solid material, mostly metal. Nice and cool and dark. In the evening I can crawl out in time to catch the train. A chauffeur in a limousine will be waiting for me at the station in Bistritz.

I just love those family get togethers. My great grandparents will be there as well. It will be so nice to see great grandpa and grandma Jonathon and Mina again. I love hearing the stories of the days gone bye. Shame that Van Helsing cannot join us. I am sure he would have had a lot to tell, but he was too busy holding crosses up in the air and sprinkling water all over the place.  He even died a "natural" death, whatever that is. Mum and dad wanted to come, but they were delayed. Dad had an emergency situation at the blood bank where he works. Seems that blood had been disappearing and the police had been called in. Probably the blood I am bringing with me as a contribution to the family meal. They just love the rhesus negative sort. Has more “oomph” Godfather Dracula said. Mum is working night shift at the local burial parlour and needs her beauty sleep during the day.

Now I have to climb down the sewer.

“Hi rats, how are you all keeping?”

“Fine thanks. Nice to see you Morticia. Anything new?”

“Not really. Oh yes, I have been offered a film part in “Return to Transylvania. Apparently I am ideal for the role with my pale skin and wonderful white teeth. They said I don’t even need any makeup.”

“Great, we are glad fo you. By the way a few of our relations have been invited to you family get together. They will be dealing with the entertainment. “

“Just perfect. And now I must hurry, before the sun gets too strong.”

“You know the way Morticia” said the chief rat “just along the main sewer until it branches off to the right and then up the ladder, lift the manhole and you are opposite the imperial crypt which is just opening.”

“Thanks rat. Good night everyone.”

Now to take a well deserved rest after the exhaustions of the night.