WILL OF THE GRASS

CHAPTER 12
“Ingredients for life,” said the backside of the truck. They mean food, but really food is only 1
ingredient of life. Life has so many more ingredients such as pain, happiness, laughter, joy,
tears, and smiles. Life also has hard work, easy play, sleepless nights, and sunbathing by the
ocean. Love, hatred, envy, self-assurance, and fear could be just down aisle 3 ready to be
bought when needed. How I wish I could pull ingredients like these off shelves in a store.
Debbie put her hand into the hole, sliding her hand down as far as her arm could reach. She
wiggled her fingers hoping to touch something, but all she felt was air. She shifted the weight of
her body to try and reach an inch or two more down the hole. Her fingers still touched nothing
but air.
Colors bounced around in her head. They mixed and threaded themselves together. Even colors
that had no business being together. They were all one, yet distinctly separate at the same
time. How was she going to explain this to the others?
He was an expert but not in a discipline that anyone could fully appreciate. He knew how to
hold the cone just right so that the soft server ice-cream fell into it at the precise angle to form
a perfect cone each and every time. It had taken years to perfect and he could now do it
without even putting any thought behind it. Nobody seemed to fully understand the beauty of
this accomplishment except for the new worker who watched in amazement.
Terrance knew that sometimes it was simply best to stay out of it. He kept repeating this to
himself as he watched the scene unfold. He knew that nothing good would come of him getting
involved. It was far better for him to stay on the sidelines and observe. He kept yelling this to
himself inside his head as he walked over to the couple and punched the man in the face.
She had a terrible habit o comparing her life to others. She realized that their life experiences
were completely different than her own and that she saw only what they wanted her to see,
but that didn't matter. She still compared herself and yearned for what she thought they had
and she didn't.
Dave wasn't exactly sure how he had ended up in this predicament. He ran through all the
events that had lead to this current situation and it still didn't make sense. He wanted to spend
some time to try and make sense of it all, but he had higher priorities at the moment. The first
was how to get out of his current situation of being naked in a tree with snow falling all around
and no way for him to get down.
According to the caption on the bronze marker placed by the Multnomah Chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution on May 12, 1939, “College Hall (is) the oldest building in
continuous use for Educational purposes west of the Rocky Mountains. Here were educated
men and women who have won recognition throughout the world in all the learned
professions.”
As she sat watching the world go by, something caught her eye. It wasn't so much its color or
shape, but the way it was moving. She squinted to see if she could better understand what it
was and where it was going, but it didn't help. As she continued to stare into the distance, she
didn't understand why this uneasiness was building inside her body. She felt like she should get
up and run. If only she could make out what it was. At that moment, she comprehended what it
was and where it was heading, and she knew her life would never be the same.
Welcome to my world. You will be greeted by the unexpected here and your mind will be
challenged and expanded in ways that you never thought possible. That is if you are able to
survive...
The red line moved across the page. With each millimeter it advanced forward, something
changed in the room. The actual change taking place was difficult to perceive, but the change
was real. The red line continued relentlessly across the page and the room would never be the
same.
The desert wind blew the tumbleweed in front of the car. Alex swerved to avoid the
tumbleweed, but he turned the wheel a bit too strong and the car left the road and skidded
onto the dirt median. He instantly slammed on the brakes and the car stopped in a cloud of dirt.
When the dust cloud had settled and he could see around him again, he realized that he'd
somehow crossed over into an entirely new dimension.
They had no proof. He knew that they knew he had done it but they didn't have any proof. It
was a huge distinction and it was the difference between him keeping his freedom or being
locked away for decades. They continued to question him, probing him for information that
they could use against him or find the proof they needed to put him away. He smiled and
continued to block their every inquiry by feigning his innocence for a crime they all knew he
committed.
Pink ponies and purple giraffes roamed the field. Cotton candy grew from the ground as a
chocolate river meandered off to the side. What looked like stones in the pasture were actually
rock candy. Everything in her dream seemed to be perfect except for the fact that she had no
mouth.
It was a good idea. At least, they all thought it was a good idea at the time. Hindsight would
reveal that in reality, it was an unbelievably terrible idea, but it would take another week for
them to understand that. Right now, at this very moment. they all agreed that it was the
perfect course of action for the current situation.
I'm going to hire professional help tomorrow. I can't handle this anymore. She fell over the
coffee table and now there is blood in her catheter. This is much more than I ever signed up to
do.
Sleep deprivation causes all sorts of challenges and problems. When one doesn’t get enough
sleep one’s mind doesn’t work clearly. Studies have shown that after staying awake for 24
hours one’s ability to do simple math is greatly impaired. Driving tired has been shown to be as
bad as driving drunk. Moods change, depression, anxiety, and mania can be induced by lack of
sleep. As much as people try to do without enough sleep it is a wonder more crazy things don’t
happen in this world.
His mother had always taught him not to ever think of himself as better than others. He'd tried
to live by this motto. He never looked down on those who were less fortunate or who had less
money than him. But the stupidity of the group of people he was talking to made him change
his mind.
It's always good to bring a slower friend with you on a hike. If you happen to come across bears,
the whole group doesn't have to worry. Only the slowest in the group do. That was the lesson
they were about to learn that day.
Wandering down the path to the pond had become a daily routine. Even when the weather
wasn't cooperating like today with the wind and rain, Jerry still took the morning stroll down
the path until he reached the pond. Although there didn't seem to be a particular reason Jerry
did this to anyone looking in from the outside, those who knew him well knew exactly what was
going on. It could all be traced back to a specific incident that happened exactly 5 years
previously. here weren't supposed to be dragons flying in the sky. First and foremost, dragons
didn't exist. They were mythical creatures from fantasy books like unicorns. This was something
that Pete knew in his heart to be true so he was having a difficult time acknowledging that
there were actually fire-breathing dragons flying in the sky above him.
After hunting for several hours, we finally saw a large seal sunning itself on a flat rock. I took
one of the wooden clubs while Larry took the longer one. We slowly snuck up behind the seal
until we were close enough to club it over its head. The seal slumped over and died. This seal
would help us survive. We could eat the meat and fat. The fat could be burned in a shell for
light and the fur could be used to make a blanket. We declared our first day of hunting a great
success.
She tried to explain that love wasn't like pie. There wasn't a set number of slices to be given
out. There wasn't less to be given to one person if you wanted to give more to another. That
after a set amount was given out it would all disappear. She tried to explain this, but it fell on
deaf ears.
Sarah watched the whirlpool mesmerized. She couldn't take her eyes off the water swirling
around and around. She stuck in small twigs and leaves to watch the whirlpool catch them and
then suck them down. It bothered her more than a little bit that this could also be used as a
metaphor for her life.
She sat in the darkened room waiting. It was now a standoff. He had the power to put her in
the room, but not the power to make her repent. It wasn't fair and no matter how long she had
to endure the darkness, she wouldn't change her attitude. At three years old, Sandy's stubborn
personality had already bloomed into full view.
A two-inch layer of freshly fallen snow covered the yard. Stacey peeked outside. To most, it
would have been a beautiful sight worthy of taking a photo to put on Instagram. For Stacey, it
meant something different. The first snow of the year brought back the witches as the fairies in
the yard had to seek shelter to avoid the cold.
He was an expert but not in a discipline that anyone could fully appreciate. He knew how to
hold the cone just right so that the soft server ice-cream fell into it at the precise angle to form
a perfect cone each and every time. It had taken years to perfect and he could now do it
without even putting any thought behind it. Nobody seemed to fully understand the beauty of
this accomplishment except for the new worker who watched in amazement.
Twenty-five hours had passed since the incident. It seemed to be a lot longer than that. That
twenty-five hours seemed more like a week in her mind. The fact that she still was having
trouble comprehending exactly what took place wasn't helping the matter. She thought if she
could just get a little rest the entire incident might make a little more sense.
The alarm went off at exactly 6:00 AM as it had every morning for the past five years. Barbara
began her morning and was ready to eat breakfast by 7:00 AM. The day appeared to be as
normal as any other, but that was about to change. In fact, it was going to change at exactly
7:23 AM.
She closed her eyes and then opened them again. What she was seeing just didn't make sense.
She shook her head seeing if that would help. It didn't. Although it seemed beyond reality,
there was no denying she was witnessing a large formation of alien spaceships filling the sky.
There was a time when he would have embraced the change that was coming. In his youth, he
sought adventure and the unknown, but that had been years ago. He wished he could go back
and learn to find the excitement that came with change but it was useless. That curiosity had
long left him to where he had come to loathe anything that put him out of his comfort zone.
What if dogs were racist? Would they care about fur color….. “son, only play with other tan
dogs”? Or maybe it would depend on breed, “honey, only play with other German Shepards,
never poodles”. Better yet it could depend on occupation. “I’m a sled dog while you’re only a
running companion, leave me alone”. Maybe the neighborhood they live in could be the way
they choose which dogs to associate with and which to shun? Size could be the determining
factor, “see how tall that dog is, they are probably dumb”. Luckily dogs don’t discriminate. Just
watch at a dog park. Big black and white dogs wag their tails and play with tiny tan dogs. A
service dog chases after the same ball as the off-duty police dog. So if dogs don’t discriminate
then why do we?
She has seen this scene before. It had come to her in dreams many times before. She had to
pinch herself to make sure it wasn't a dream again. As her fingers squeezed against her arm,
she felt the pain. It was this pain that immediately woke her up.
Indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her
consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish. It was like a shadow, like a mist
passing across her soul's summer day. It was strange and unfamiliar; it was a mood. She did not
sit there inwardly upbraiding her husband, lamenting at Fate, which had directed her footsteps
to the path which they had taken. She was just having a good cry all to herself. The mosquitoes
made merry over her, biting her firm, round arms and nipping at her bare insteps.
Benny was tired. Not the normal every day tired from a hard day o work. The exhausted type of
tired where you're surprised your body can even move. All he wanted to do was sit in front of
the TV, put his feet up on the coffee table, and drink a beer. The only issue was that he had
forgotten where he lived.
The red glow of tail lights indicating another long drive home from work after an even longer
24-hour shift at the hospital. The shift hadn’t been horrible but the constant stream of patients
entering the ER meant there was no downtime. She had some of the “regulars” in tonight with
new ailments they were sure were going to kill them. It’s amazing what a couple of Tylenol and
a physical exam from the doctor did to eliminate their pain, nausea, headache, or whatever
other mild symptoms they had. Sometimes she wondered if all they really needed was some
interaction with others and a bit of the individual attention they received from the nurses.
Betty decided to write a short story and she was sure it was going to be amazing. She had
already written it in her head and each time she thought about it she grinned from ear to ear
knowing how wonderful it would be. She could imagine the accolades coming in and the praise
she would receive for creating such a wonderful piece. She was therefore extremely frustrated
when she actually sat down to write the short story and the story that was so beautiful inside
her head refused to come out that way on paper.
Cake or pie? I can tell a lot about you by which one you pick. It may seem silly, but cake people
and pie people are really different. I know which one I hope you are, but that's not for me to
decide. So, what is it? Cake or pie?