Though the campus was a bit of a maze, Glory eventually found the cafeteria and a very bored Robert who was relieved to finally be going, ice cream or no ice cream. As they made their way to the car, he announced, “I don’t like that guy,” before she even had the opportunity to ask if he’d enjoyed his ice cream.

“Yeah, neither do I,” she agreed quietly, “but we can’t let him know that or Jacoby could become the least of my problems, capiche?”

“Yeah,” he replied glumly before brightening. “So are we going to eat out for dinner too? I’ve never eaten out three times in one day before!”

Glory snorted. She’d heard that teenage boys were hungry all the time, but she was beginning to think Robert had a black hole squirreled away in his guts. “Hey Robert… wait in the car for a minute. I think… I just saw someone I know,” she announced suddenly, pushing the keys into his hand and darting across the campus to a walkway between two buildings.

The day had gone from overcast to threatening while she’d been underground, and it looked as though there might be a torrential downpour any second. The student body was conspicuously absent, possibly taking alternate and drier routes to their next classes. Surely a campus as old as Arkham’s had to have maintenance tunnels between the buildings.

The passage appeared empty for all that it was nearly as dark as any pitch black alleyway in the wrong part of town. She could see a dim block of gray light at the far end of the two buildings, but a winged elephant could have been hiding in the darkness between, and she would have been none the wiser. Glory could have popped her sword for light but if there were any of Professor Scott’s flunkies lurking nearby, she didn’t want to give them another reason to drag her down into one of their holding cells for possible vivisection. Besides she was trying not to use the thing. She had no idea how sentient it might be, if at all, but every time she thought of letting it out, she had to wonder if the thing was somehow influencing her, making her think it was a good idea. She obstinately refused to release it unless someone’s life was at stake.

“My imagination,” she muttered, turning to go back to the parking lot. Before she could even take a step into the light however, she was grabbed by the back of the shirt and swung into a wall. Anyone else would have been seriously injured, but she only squeaked in surprise as the breath was knocked out of her. “Crap, you do have camouflage,” she gasped on the ground. Twinges of pain in her chest told her that she’d probably cracked or broken some ribs, but the pain quickly faded.

“You’ll get me down below,” hissed Tacita Ruggle’s former slave. In his rage, his appearance fluctuated between that of the man with dreadlocks and his other scalier form. “or I’ll rip your fingers off, one by one.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t do that,” she grunted as she climbed to her feet, her ribs giving another little twinge before snapping back into place. Sneaking snake had probably let her see him to lure her over.

“I know you’ve been below. I can smell it on you, and that bastard Scott.” He hoisted her against the wall by her shoulders, lifting her off her feet. His eyes glittered dangerously in the dark as he glared at her. “I’ll… kill the boy if you won‘t…”

“Don’t,” she growled angrily, feeling the sword very much on the verge of letting itself out. “I said I can’t, not that I wouldn’t.” He dropped her and she landed on her feet, forcing her hands to unclench. “Do you know what a starstone is?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I don’t have one on me, and that’s what they use to open their locks, alright?” Glory  replied, stomping her anger down flat. He hissed something that was probably a curse. “I have one back at my house though.”

“It’s useless to me. I can’t touch it.” he muttered, turning and slapping a wall with his bare hand. A crack of lightning momentarily lit the dark walkway. Even with the impending storm keeping students away, they couldn’t continue this meeting. Despite the impending storm, some brave soul might decide to cut across campus, rather than under it.

“Look, you want my help? Then you don’t need to touch it. I’m assuming it’s your daughter below.”

He spun, glaring at her accusingly. “You’ve seen them?”

“Scott tried to impress me by showing me his prisoners. I saw your daughter,” she clarified.

“Chusi,” he whispered, “But not Tanith.” He clenched his eyes in obvious sorrow, but snakes couldn‘t cry. They had no tear ducts. Instead the heavens finally opened up, letting loose a flood of icy cold raindrops which instantly soaked her to the skin.

“I’m sorry,” Glory replied, and meant it. She didn’t care about Scott and his colleagues’ politics. The serpent man cared enough about his family to put his life at risk, and that was human enough for her. “There’s something I have to do before I can help you, but hopefully if I’m successful, it will make Scott and his people more trusting. We‘ll need to meet after… but I don‘t even know how long it will take.” She rubbed her face, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“Why should I trust you?” he demanded suddenly, back on the offensive. “As soon as I’m gone, you could go to Scott and tell him I’ve been here.”

“Do you remember how we met?” she demanded a little disgusted for all that she understood his fears. “I know you were coerced into stealing those children, not that I imagine you have a lot of love for humans in general, but I could just as easily have sucked the life out of you with my sword when you attacked me just now. You did stay long enough when Tacita was killed to see my sword, right? But I don’t like people who threaten kids, any kids. It doesn’t matter to me if the kids in question are human, ghoul, shapeshifter, or serpent-person.”

“Naga,” he muttered, some of the tension going out of him.

“So come back Monday night at midnight and hopefully I’ll be here. If not Monday, then Tuesday,” she promised, hoping the draug wouldn’t end up killing her outright. He nodded and faded away into the dark without another word. “Hey, naga! What do I call you?” she demanded suddenly.

“Ehecatl,” she heard after a moment and wondered if he was clearing his throat or if that was his name. As he made no further sounds, she quickly ran back to the car and Robert.

Finally after several seconds of disturbing rattling, the elevator came to a stop. The doors gave another half-hearted sh-tiiing as they opened on an entirely different scene. This level was brightly lit. A man in a lab coat looked up as the doors opened, giving Glory a sidelong glance and nodding at Professor Scott.

The professor rubbed his chin with a knuckle as if deciding what to show her first. With a nod, he said, “Come along then, Ms Lewin. Let me show you what we do here and perhaps what we can do for you, if you’d care to join us.” Glory couldn’t help but find it creepy the way he ping-ponged from stern to friendly without a moment’s notice. Was this what the secretary had been talking about?

This sub-sub-basement was as unlike the level above as day was from night. Well lit, well kept corridors extended in three directions, though there was little indication as to what would be found by following them. She supposed that anyone who made it to this level would already know where they intended to go. The man in the lab coat had already continued on his way down the left hand corridor. Professor Scott followed after him.

What, stairs? Glory thought incredulously as they turned a corner. How much lower can we go? But the professor opened a side door into what seemed to be a kind of video room. Half a dozen monitors lined the wall and flicked randomly between imagines, some clearly showing figures in rooms, some showing things much less recognizable. Clearly this was a monitoring station of some kind.

The two men watching the screens gave Glory a curious look before turning their attention to Professor Scott. He waved them back to their work, leading her over to one of the keyboards and a row of monitors. It made her wonder how far up in the hierarchy he was. Obviously pretty high if he could bring her down here without asking for permission, or maybe he’d already been given the go ahead if he thought she could be convinced they were on the side of the angels.

“These are currently all of the creatures in our custody,” he explained proudly, gesturing at the screens.

“Intelligent?” she asked, leaning forward to stare at the screens as they flickered from one cell to another.

“Some,” he replied, giving her a hard stare, probably for being a killjoy, “but none of them friendly, I assure you, and all of them dangerous. For instance…”

He typed something into the keyboard and one of the screens jumped to a dimly lit cell. There was something in the corner, curled up in a ball. She didn’t miss the fact that the professor tapped one final button before the creature erupted in a fury of thrashing. An electrical shock perhaps, just to get the ball rolling? She recognized the creature as it unfolded to its full height, slamming itself into the walls in rage, adding more claw marks to the already battered metal. With another tap of the keys, the professor brought the lights up so she could see it in all its demented ferocity. She doubted it was the same creature she’d seen months ago in the bowels of a facility so very similar to this one, but it could have been. It was certainly all malleable shifting flesh, large then small, furred then smooth. It swelled, doubling its body mass like a puffer fish before shriveling until it resembled a desiccated corpse.

“A ghoul?” she asked in some surprise as the thing loped back to its corner, letting out a mournful wail before curling back into its ball with much whimpering and muttering.

Professor Scott looked disappointed, as if she‘d unwrapped all her Christmas gifts early. But he brightened after a moment, eager to tell her what they knew about the creature. “Yes, very difficult to take alive. This one was an adolescent when we discovered its clan living in the desert necropolis of some forgotten city. Never did identify the city. It was a real blood bath,” he announced with obvious relish. “By the time it was over, all the ghouls but this one were dead or run off. He just suffered some minor wounds. Very resilient. We think they may be the missing link between man and so-called shapeshifters.”

“You don’t have any…”

“No, no,” he replied regretfully. “They tend to look like everyone else or like the animals whose forms they borrow. Very hard to detect in either situation, and they don’t react to the normal wards according to our records. Not mythos creatures, technically speaking. We’ve yet to verify a single sighting of any were-animal in this century. Some of my colleagues are content to consider them urban legends or unusually talented ghouls or extinct.”

Glory hid her relief well, giving no clue as to her real thoughts as she scanned the screens. So MU wasn’t responsible for the facility in Sybar City. Still she’d have to warn Officer Hart about the potential threat.

Her eyes widened as she caught sight of another cell. “That’s a…”

The professor glanced at another screen and smiled gleefully. He typed a command into the computers and the screen stopped its jump to the next cell, zooming in on the small figure sitting on a cot. “Ah yes, I believe young Robert’s police report included mention of a serpent-man. Very rare.”

“But, she’s just a child,” Glory protested. A scaly child with snakes for hair, but still, she had parents somewhere surely. Someone must miss her, be worried about her.

“Don’t let her size fool you, Ms Lewin. The serpent-people are very dangerous, vicious. They can paralyze with their spit or poison with a bite. The older ones can supposed control the weather, though we’ve yet to see any evidence of this. As I said, they are quite rare. This is only one of two we’ve ever had in custody, the other being her mother.”

Glory didn’t ask what had become of the child’s mother. If the professor didn’t see fit to explain her absence, then she could only assume he was in some way responsible for her death and possible dissection.

to Chapter 7, page 10

..I watched bored around,  i noticed a white arm grabbing my friends shoulder, my friend didn’t even turn around. I blinked and the arm was gone, still i followed my memory and looked at the direction where it had come from. A small shining white body was twitching in the corner besides the door. My pulse was rising and i was more scared than i ever had. But then the first light for the encore flashed and the creature was gone. I looked at my friend, she was cheering at the encore already..

So you believe in Ghosts? Is there spirits wandering around?
I’m not a religious or a very scared person, just a normal girl.
But i do believe in ghosts, not that anything big supernatural has happened to me.

I think mostly i wanna believe, cos knowing of stuff like that would make me special too?

The only really weird thing that has happened to me is the story i started this entry with, but I’m still confused if my eyes just lied or was that ‘real’?

Mabye I should ask around people what they think of ghosts?

Oh i just remembered another thing that happened me..
i think i will end this entry with it

...It was midday and everyone was at work. I was walking alone to work, i had been having a awful headache.
As i stopped to light a tobacco i saw in my eye corner a black long shadow fast catching up with me. I breathed in the smoke and started walking fast again and as i turned to the right i looked back, but nobody was there. But this time i saw a black person slowly walking a hundred meters in front of me…

Now i was catching up with it?

…lol

Demon Hunter: The Chosen one

Tonight, I’d like to chat with author Cynthia Vespia. Her project Demon Hunter has evolved into a trilogy, the kind of fiction that will compel you to sleep with your lights on. Demon Hunter: the Chosen One has attracted many readers, and Part II, Demon Hunter: Seek and Destroy will be out in print November 27, 2009. Cynthia has been a freelance journalist since high school, and has penned several other novels before joining Aspen Mountain Press. Stop by her website, www.CynthiaVespia.com; her trailers are awesome to see. She brings all her writing experience to the printed page. So let’s hear what Cynthia has to say about her Demon Hunter project.

BARBARA: Could you tell your readers a little about Demon Hunter? Would you summarize the theme by saying, “Be careful what you wish for?”

CYNTHIA: Absolutely. We can all find ourselves secretly wishing for a certain aspect of our lives to change but sometimes you get your wish and it winds up not being worth it, or not what you thought it would be. And sometimes it IS what you were looking for…but things don’t always come easily or run smoothly.

Demon Hunter really plays on changes. Life changes, changes of the soul, changes of who you thought you once were or where you were going. Costa Calabrese has just uncovered the truth about his past. Some truths should never be revealed. When you learn you’re the son of the world’s foremost and feared hunter of demons, life’s rules inevitably change. As his lineage is uncovered he must stay one step ahead of the demons who are intent on the destruction of his famed family. With the aide of companions he meets along the way, Costa will travel the great expanse of the land walking in his famed father’s footsteps and taking up the role his blood line now demands of him…whether he wants to or not.

Exploring the classic theme of good versus evil, Demon Hunter blends the highly popular elements of dark fantasy with the proven concept of high-adventure novels where believable, down-to-earth characters take the reader on a journey. It is the story about a nobody who becomes a somebody in the bloodiest of ways.

BARBARA: I was impressed with your book trailers especially DH on YouTube.  How do they work for you? How did you set up YouTube?

CYNTHIA: Thank you, I make most of my own trailers. I believe that even readers are very visual by nature. Let’s face it, these days everyone has a touch of ADD! We want info now and we want it fast. Not everyone has the time to read a blurb; but if you can encapsulate your story in a compelling 2 minute trailer and hook them with the imagery, they are far more likely to seek out your novel for the big read. YouTube is a great place to host your trailers. It gets millions upon millions of hits per day. I essentially started my YouTube to showcase my fitness videos and the video editing projects I’ve done work on in the past. From there I segued into using it as another vehicle for my writing by displaying the trailers.

BARBARA: I see you’ve been a freelance journalist since high school. Could you describe a typical writing day for you?

CYNTHIA: Really no two days are alike…it’s chaos. I juggle a lot of different things (way too much right now) and I’m a terrible procrastinator. But if I have a deadline in front of me, watch me fly. Right now as I work on the third and final installment of the Demon Hunter trilogy I find I get drawn to it at odd hours. If my Muse is awake and wanting to play, I don’t dare deny her, I just go with it. It has honestly been a long while since something kept me up late or woke me up early to work on it so that tells me that DH3 is going to be something very special.

BARBARA: Demon Hunter and your other works have enjoyed great reviews, I notice. Do you have any forthcoming signings or writing events? Where?

CYNTHIA: As of this writing I’m making the rounds on the interview circuit to promote the release of Demon Hunter: Seek & Destroy. It’s the second installment in the DH trilogy. You can catch me on Reader’s Entertainment Radio on 9/13 at 8:30 est. and on Sin City Sessions on 9/25 at 9pm. And as always stay up to date on my official website www.CynthiaVespia.com where you can find the latest news and developments.

BARBARA: Do you think e-books will eventually outsell paperbacks? Why or why not?

CYNTHIA: I don’t necessarily think they will outsell paperbacks. Readers are always going to want to have the feel of a book in their hands. But I do think e-books have found their niche and they are here to stay.  It is the era of technology and you have to be ready to embrace every possible angle. My trilogy of terror Demon Hunter is a proud component of the e-book agenda via e-book publisher Aspen Mountain Press. You will see a lot more e-books and e-book readers in the future but there is no fear that bookstores will go out of business…people enjoy it as a social gathering, and most bookstores have great coffee too!

BARBARA: What is the once piece of advice you’d give a writer trying to promote their work?

CYNTHIA: Marketing and promoting your work is as important as writing the novel in the first place. You can write the Great American Novel but if nobody knows it exists then you’re going to have a hard time. You have to be a marketing machine. No one is going to be behind your work as much as you are. Even the biggest publishing houses can only delegate so much time and money to new authors. The rest is up to you. And my best advice would be to think outside the box. If you’re doing what everybody else is doing, someone is always doing it better…you need to do something different so you stand out from the pack and get noticed.
 
BARBARA: I notice that you’re a fan of Dean Koontz. How do you feel the up and coming dark fantasy writers compare with greats like Koontz and King?

CYNTHIA: Oh yes, Koontz got me started on my career as a writer! There will only ever be one Koontz and one King, but some of the new writers coming up have some really unique story ideas. Not everything is black and white in this world and I like when an author mixes shades of gray. There are so many really great authors out there getting lost in the shuffle of the mediocre writers due to the simple fact that they just don’t get enough exposure. I’d like to invite readers to step outside their comfort zone next time they’re picking out a book and try on a different author. You may find a new favorite. An easy way to do that is to get an e-book. They are convenient and not very costly. Demon Hunter: The Chosen One is running for $6.00 per download at AspenMountainPress.com

BARBARA: I hear you’re working on a new novel, a dark fantasy, but the rest is a military secret. Can you give us a few hints?

CYNTHIA: I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you! Heh, heh…no, I’ll let my stories slay you instead. The secret is out…Demon Hunter was always meant to be a trilogy. The second installment titled Demon Hunter: Seek & Destroy will be out on Nov 27, 2009. The main players are back from The Chosen One and this time they find their adventures take them out to sea, to the land of the dragons, and straight down into the pit of Hell. There is also a love triangle of sorts added to the mix with some very surprising outcomes. I am currently writing the third and final chapter to the series…I can’t give away too much here, but I will say the opening chapter alone will take you by surprise!

Demon Hunter: Search and Destroy

BARBARA: Can you tell us a little about the Fiction Writer’s Guild and how they help authors?

CYNTHIA: Anytime you’re part of a group of authors, you can always benefit from exchanging ideas, critiques, and the latest news events. Just be choosy in whose advice you seek.

BARBARA: Where may people order copies of Demon Hunter?

CYNTHIA: Demon Hunter is available online via AspenMountainPress.com, or at my official site www.CynthiaVespia.com

Cynthia Vespia
Author of Thrillers and Fantasy Novels
www.CynthiaVespia.com
www.myspace.com/demonhunternovel

The man at the bar in the dress slides down the bar and schmoozes. Face made up and a cape. Leering and red-eyed. “What have you come as?”

“For you, mainly disappointment and minor embarrassment, possibly with a hint of a reminder of your own misguided inflated self-worth”

He’s serving us pints later.

And Lara Croft is sat behind me, middle-aged and overweight. And the slutty witch in the mask keeps staring at me. Directly. Not hint of deception. It’s brisk.

Behind the girls stand the vampire and the ghost, hovering. Grinning. They’ve never been this close. I sit and they scurry.

And Scooby Doo and a wind-up doll are entertaining as we watch. The three witches to our left, obese and rotten, applaud and wish. The dance floor is open space. But in comes the short skirt swaying and the fat friend shuffling and they taunt into some kind of separation. We’re watching two shows. There’s, and Scooby’s.

“Confident or drunk?”

Jade considers.

“She can move. And she’s not ugly. The former.”

Two lads try their luck, but the luck’s out. It’s a solo dance. And the band whip it up and the girl sways sideways and tempts more in. Soon they’re all up there swaying.

And the old man from the start. The one who shouted “ABRAHAM ABRAHAM” to the Dracula question, his mullet rippling, he’s up there too. Smiling.

We weave through ghouls and goblins and witches and wizards and bats and devils and we wink goodbye to Wonder Woman, still trying his look, red eyes redder.

To think, we didn’t dress up. On Halloween.

It leaves you without the excuse.

Being Halloween and all, I figured I should something something with that sort of theme. Besides, I’m getting REALLY sick of self portraits. I need someone to model for me! Mum put these little candle holders out today, and I thought they might make for an interesting photo. Not too interesting, but it was something else to help me learn a little bit more about lighting.

In this image I slowed the shutter speed way down to let the ambient light from the candles register and create the yellowish glow and highlights.

EXIF for first picture:

Canon 350D/ Rebel XT
6 seconds
f/22
ISO 100
Canon 420 EX @ full power through small softbox camera left.

Canon 350D/ Rebel XT
1/200th
f/13
ISO 100
Canon 420 EX @ full power through small softbox camera left.

Need a last minute Halloween recipe? How ’bout Dead Witches Fingers? They’re suitably ghoulish. See the Wolfy Chicks blog. Author Judith Graves shows you how to make these delightfully gruesome treats.

Pair them with Blood-flavored Ice Cream–a recipe by author Kitty Keswick.

Two treats sure to make your guests howl.

In no particular order:

1. The eyelashes are a nice touch, don’t you think?

2. Check it out, here.

3. Impromptu ghostification using table decorations (tealights).

4. Some cheerful Athenian street art.

5. Zombie boy and his mistress from the future.

Here’s the opening spread from Where’s My Mummy? This scene shows Mama Mummy getting Baby Mummy ready for bed—but Baby wants to play one more round of hide & shriek.

Since they’re mummies, I designed an interior to look like the inside of a pyramid, with lots of Egyptian details.  The legendary art director at Candlewick, Caroline Lawrence, felt the setting didn’t convey enough ghoulishness, so she asked me to redraw the scene with a gothic interior.

Revised sketch with gothic details below.  Architecture geeks will note the new shape of the columns, rough-hewn stone walls and groined vault arched ceiling.

I changed the oil-burning lamp to a candelabrum, but doused the candles in the color version because they were causing me lighting/shadow problems.  I kept the sarcophagus bed from the first sketch.

The light is coming from a single source.  More dramatic and easier to paint.  Also, the viewer’s eye naturally looks to the light source, which is where I put Baby Mummy.

Halloween is just around the corner.  The decorations are up, kids costumes bought, the pumpkin is awaiting carving, and we’re putting off buying the candy so it doesn’t get eaten before Halloween.

In honor of Halloween, I’ll be sharing a few ghouslish tidbits.

Today’s feature story is a flash fiction story (1,000 words or less) called “Knock on Ginger“.  It is about (yes you guessed it) the game we have all played at some point as kids.

A Halloween did you know:

Did you know that Halloween has Celtic roots?  According to an article on Wikipedia, in the festival of Samhain the end of the harvest was celebrated with tones of the  festival of the dead, a festival honoring deceased community members.

Quoted from source:  Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain

“Celtic Reconstruction”

“According to Celtic lore, Samhain is a time when the boundaries between the world of the living and the world of the dead become thinner, allowing spirits and other supernatural entities to pass between the worlds to socialize with humans. It is the time of the year when ancestors and other departed souls are especially honored. Though Celtic Reconstructionists make offerings to the spirits at all times of the year, Samhain in particular is a time when more elaborate offerings are made to specific ancestors. Often a meal will be prepared of favorite foods of the family’s and community’s beloved dead, a place set for them at the table, and traditional songs, poetry and dances performed to entertain them. A door or window may be opened to the west and the beloved dead specifically invited to attend. Many leave a candle or other light burning in a western window to guide the dead home. Divination for the coming year is often done, whether in all solemnity or as games for the children. The more mystically inclined may also see this as a time for deeply communing with the deities, especially those whom the lore mentions as being particularly connected with this festival.”

And as a final note I’d like to share with you  HALLOWEEN 2007 (cue spooky music):

Halloween Princesses

Greetings, one and all, and welcome to the second of our very special theme weeks – Vampire Week! Brain-Cravers took center stage last week, but this week belongs to the Bloodsuckers!

As we are apt to do, we start out with a very special micro-hero from EG, and boy, is it a special one! See, over the weekend, EG was able to watch a special episode of Wolfman Mac’s Chiller Drive-In. Wolfman Mac is the latest in the fine history of Horror Hosts (such as Sir Graves Ghastly, The Ghoul, and Dr. Shock) that we’ve had in the area. This weekend’s movie? None other than that 1922 silent classic, Nosferatu!

Inspiration struck, and the Steve Austin Book Club is proud to present one of the most famous vampires of all time, Count Orlok!

Keep a lookout, because we’ve got a week of vampire goodness ahead!

While going through my email this morning, I clicked through to the Kraft Foods newsletter. It’s always hit or miss on these things for me, but today was a jackpot! I am totally making this “Ghouls-in-the-Graveyard” meal for my kids! They love hot dogs and mac-n-cheese so it’s perfect! I love that it uses actual items that kids already like! Plus it’s just really cute! I mean, who wouldn’t love those cute little hot dog-ghoul eyes?!

Just in time for Halloween!  Here’s a poem I wrote a year or so ago.  Enjoy!

A Witch’s Brew And Ghoul Stew
My rendition of the old rhyme.

Bubble bubble, toil and trouble.
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

Grain of sand and newt’s eyebrow.
Toe of frog and a dead man’s hand.

Ghoul’s eyeball and leg of bat,
Simple rat and an ounce of fat.

Bubble bubble, toil and trouble.
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

Werewolve’s heart and tongue of dog.
Scale of snake and spleen of frog.

A centaur’s hoof and Angel’s wing,
An owl’s claw and evil wasp sting.

Bubble bubble, toil and trouble.
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

A griffin’s beak, sea serpent’s eye.
A talon where dragon things lie.

Unicorn’s horn and Cerberus tooth,
A Phoenix feather and a vampire’s youth.

Come now and mix up this brew
But not before stirring it through and through

Now just stick it in the freezer for ten heart beats….
Wow! What delicious and wonderful treats!

Com podeu comprovar voltant per el blog, una de les principals fonts d’inspiració, en cuant a criatures, son els relats d’en H.P.Lovecraft, que tot i que no em sembla un gran escriptor sí té un univers prou ric i seductor per als afeccionats a lo tétric. En aquest cas es sobre el relat anomenat “Pickman’s model” que os recomano encoratjadament, es curt i ràpid de llegir, i per els que diguin, es veia a venir, tinguin en compte que es va escriure allà als anys 20.

Pickman's model

BOO! Its finally here! The long-awaited Halloween Clothing Catalog of 2009! So much has changed from last year; it was my first Halloween post! So lets get rolling!

Starting off, the first cheat is hidden in the small mushroom to the right of the big mushroom on page 3 (counting the color pages as the first two pages).

Hidden in that mushroom, making a return from all the way back in 2006, is the BLACK CAPE!!!

Finally something exciting! But its kinda sad because its no longer rare… There is only one more rare cape (the Lime Green cape)…

Now looking over at page 4, click the light above “The Royal” wig to get the Ghost Costume. Its odd that its hidden being one of the signture Halloween items… Part of me is glad but the other part of me wonders why the other classics (Clown and Skeleton) didn’t return…

The next item is the Black Superhero Mask, which made its first (I believe its first, or atleast first in a long, long while) reappearance in last year’s catalog, is on page 6. Click the Blizzard Wizzard penguin’s foot (the one he is sticking out).

*Sigh* That’s it for the Halloween Items… On page 7 click the mouse of the Laptop for the Black Bowtie.

This is the last item… *sigh*… Now if you can’t guess it, look: Something is missing. Incase you didn’t know, there are two of the same hidden items in every catalog. Click the piano on page 18 (for a clearer area, look at the encircled area) for the Red Viking Helmet, but if you open and close it 3 more times you will get the Blue Viking Helmet. No Gold Viking Helmet liek last Halloween Catalog….

That’s it guys! SCARE-OFF!

~Powerflare

If you ask any living human of sound mind and body, They all know that the most basic need to survive is water and food. Depending on where you live, the abundance of natural sources of fresh drinking water would determine your priorities in terms of storing and transportation of these daily needs. It is important to note that water from a municipal source indoor faucet is NOT, I repeat NOT, a natural source of tap water. Access to potable water is the primary consideration for any historical civilization that thrived. (if someone want’s the debate this I will concede Riyadh of Saudi Arabia, with the exception of that city, feel free to challenge this concept.)

Since a large part of the human population is not living within 10 minutes walking distance to a natural source of fresh drinking water, we will discuss that first. First of all, regardless of climate, Dehydration will weaken and kill a living human much faster than starvation. The recommended daily allowance (RDI) of water is 8 glasses (16oz per glass) of water a day. Drinking more would be particularly healthy. This is a disputed fact by experts but there are more doctors agreeing that drinking MORE than 8 glasses would be good for the body metabolism, than those saying it is not.

Living on 4-6 glasses of water a day would be acceptable, especially if your located in places where climate with low humidity. To determine your body reaction to humidity in a particular area, stand outside in high noon, with the sun unobstructed, the amount of body water released through sweat will give you a good idea how much body water you lose in correlation to your location.

Regardless whether you live in location with access to natural source of fresh water or not, water should be stored in plentiful quantities, The nearer you are to the water source the less you should store. But they should still be of significant amount to at least last a month for all water needs, for all members of the colony.

The reason for this is you never know when you will be attack by a hostile force and would require your faction to dig in and button down if the attacking force is too superior to sally forth.

Water needs are not limited to drinking water, it is important to wash dishes and utensils to prevent bacterial diseases, it is also necessary to clean wounds, sterilize medical equipment and control heat stroke. Sometimes a life or a limb is decided by small amounts of clean water.

By today everyone knows how to store water so that will no longer be discussed, everyone knows that rain is fresh water and that can be collected using basic or advanced apparatus. Salt water can be desalinated using commercially available equipment or a simple evaporation/condensation apparatus which any high school student should know how to build.

Swamp and other fresh but polluted water, can be cleansed using a stiff filtration process then boiling them for sterilization. Commercially available water purification systems and tablets should also be researched. There’s a debate among survivalist about purification systems and tablets. The advocates of people saying that purification systems would clean more water than tablets in relation to the weight and bulk they have are not wrong. They also say that purification tablets have expiration dates and cannot be used for long term survival.

Purification tablets however are lighter and would be better for traveling. If your not carrying any water, the bulk  that purification tablets are negligible providing weight and agility advantage during fast travel and combat. So in my opinion it is prudent to store both, a base camp should have and use the filtration device if it has water access and patrols should carry the purification tables for mobility.

Transportation of water can be done in three ways, commercially available plastic indestructible chug bottles, Military Canteens with steel (boil-able) covers, and the new Military Camel back hydration unit. All these items are cheap and can be used at a daily basis and are good equipment for camping, and other sports related activities.

In the end, the moment any group decides to settle down for more than one day in a particular location. Access to potable water should be a primary consideration. If a group will decide to settle on a particular location on extended periods of time access to potable water is imperative. There is a reason why the first civilizations of man and all major cities are near water. It is the source of life. Men can survive two to three times longer without food than without water.

Food however is another primary concern, a person, today or during the apocalypse with enough food to eat is stronger, faster, and have better morale. It is important to note that the colder the climate, the higher the food requirements of a particular individual. Pregnant women also require more food than an average individual. If the survivalist colony is stable and secure enough to care for infants, pregnant women are a nutrition priority. Growing children in cognitive years are also nutrition priorities. The proper development of children should be in any colonies agenda to ensure the strength of the colony in the next generation. This will be discussed further in the post <A Href=” “>Children of Dune.</A>

Study major food groups, it is important to know the difference between a carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals. All are required by the body to function and the lack of a particular food group could result to diseases, nutritional deficiencies and stunted growth. Physically active individuals, which should be the case in every survivalist groups also require high food intake. However this is the ideal situation, but since it is necessary for the body to adopt to less food while doing more physically strenuous activities available to the modern urbanized man during a more the apocalyptic scenario. Food rations should be carefully controlled to slowly adopt to the new environment. Adult women store more fat than men, They would require less food if the situation is desperate. This may sound a sexist advice, but that is a scientific fact. It should be considered only when the food situation is becoming desperate.

Food storage and preservation should also be studied. Ancient methods of pickling, drying, and salting should be studied and mastered by any survivalist. Fortresses should contain ample supply of canned and microwavable instant meals. Take close note of expiration dates and prioritize the consumption of food with earlier expiration dates. The reason for this is self explanatory.

Commercially available preserved food is also available for purchase. The military ready to eat meals (MRE’s) are a good example. They are scientifically studied to provide a field combat individual enough nutrients to last for the maximum of one day per pack of MRE. They are small, properly packaged, easily consumable, and have impressive shelf life. Dehydrated foods are the same, They have much longer shelf life than MRE’s but require water to eat. Both should be stored by a survivalist in their fortress. Conduct a research of commercial and authentic MRE’s and Dehydrated foods. They come at reasonable prices and before SHTF, It is prudent to store and consume small amounts of these for testing.

Fresh foods should be consumed immediately . They are a priority in terms of consumption and left over food should be preserved or used to feed animals, or used as fertilizer. Almost all types of vegetables/fruits can be pickled and all meat can be preserved. Study culinary methods of different cultures. ANY ARTICLE of FOOD is being preserved using pre-Jesus Christ method by at least one culture today.  Do not simply dispose of food. Most fresh food can be recycled to be consumed the next day with proper storage. Colder climates will also extend the shelf life of any sort of food.

Agricultural development should also be a priority task for a stable and secure colony. Prioritize food that require less real estate to grow. Grains such as wheat, rice, barley require vast amounts of real estate, time, and in the case of rice running water to grow. Potatoes and Beets however require less care, land, labor to grow. They are also less conspicuous to raiders. Root crop carbohydrates are also easier to prepare for consumption and more importantly; Both provide carbohydrates and as such can be used to place that particular food group. Proteins can also be found in vast amounts on root some crops and beans. They grow faster and require less resources to harvest than domesticated meat.

Small animals such as goats and chicken provide meat, milk, and eggs. It is important to note that only the females of the species produce milk and egg and only one strong buck is required to fertilize entire flocks. For early domestication development, raise animals that will scavenge for their own food. Animals such as pigs have higher food requirement than what they produce before they are ready for consumption.

Vitamins and Minerals tablets are very important in the early stages of the apocalypse. Since it is unlikely that any survivor group would be able to build a stable and secure colony with control over vast amounts of agricultural land, food supplements with shelf life over 3-5 years can provide the survivors sufficient nutritional balance for a more healthy survivor. This may sound to idealistic, but the point of the matter is, that a healthier individual is stronger, have better metabolism, and stamina. This is a huge advantage in open warfare.

Logistical rationing is one of the most utmost priority of any survivor group, Raiders and Theft will be a constant problem. Posting guards will not guarantee anything. The guards themselves may steal the stored food, or can be bribed, corrupted, or just plain incompetent. Mandatory inventory checks, by different departments are necessary. To protect from internal theft. Transparency is the key. The entire group/colony should be aware exactly how much food/water/supplements the colony have. Daily/Weekly reports are necessary depending on the size of colony and stock. This way everyone will know if there are discrepancies on stock and a fair investigation can be launched immediately.

It is my personal experience on the field and in my modern urban environment that a physically active adult can survive with the maximum of 2 meals a day. The body metabolism can easily adjust to this nutritional intake. Study the Recommended Daily Allowance of humans. This is the ideal food intake of the average human. A percentage less of the human RDI will not affect the overall health of the body and can easily adopt to the situation. Genetics also play a part. Some people are genetically obese especially with age. Lessening the food intake of these individuals not only save food for the entire group/colony but it will be healthier for them. If you think this is not fair, ask a nutritionist or doctor now.

The Caucasian, Race store more fat than any other human racial diversity. Their genetic requirement to consume large amounts of food are bred out of the need for extra body fat designed for living in colder climates of the world. They are followed by the Arab, Native Americans (including Latinos), Africans, Orientals and lastly the Pacific Islanders. Depending on the group location food rationing should be adjusted. This is a last resort during desperate times. It is imperative than men and women of this human sub racial diversity understand this before implementing such policy. The last thing any survivor colony needs is a civil warfare due to skin color discrimination.

Study food groups and RDI requirements now, Conduct experiments on your own body to maximize your metabolism. Perform physically strenuous exercises and check your changing food / water requirement.   Depending on your racial ancestry and current location (Pacific Islanders now live in colder climates and Caucasians now live in temperate ones). Adjust your food intake. Diversify the food that you eat, experiment with foreign cuisine, Do this slowly and check your metabolism. Ask advice from a doctor or a nutritionist. If the apocalypse never arrive, it will at least be guaranteed that you will be a healthier, sexier, more cultured individual.

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