First Line writing Prompt: I stood there waiting at the space port

Sibyl

 I stood there waiting at the space port with everyone else. Even though this flight was unusual, it had sparked little interest. I was just there, like the others, casually observing the event as I took my meal break. 

We were a small silent group each thinking our own thoughts. My thoughts, I am sure were much like the rest- asking the same questions that no one dared give voice. Rumors were that life was again possible on earth but earth to me was just an entry in the archives. I wondered about the place though and from the images, it seemed to filled with much beauty and color. 

The broad doors behind us opened and a keeper carrying a tiny animal creature walked down the ramp. Our eyes met in that sparse moment as they passed - mine and Sibyls’. 

I don’t know why I stepped out of my place and followed. Perhaps, it was because we shared the same name or maybe it was the terrified pleading look I saw in her sad eyes. Who knows what makes a person do things. 

I knew little of animals except the basic knowledge provided by the archives. I’d never even seen one before today. It was said, however that they were vicious and hateful but I was intrigued none the less. 

There were two seats aboard the Blaster, one for the human and one for the animal. The human seat, of course, was optional but I could go if I wanted to. I was of eighteen years and female. Those were the only requirements for a human passenger. The keeper pointed to a seat and I sat down and secured my strap. Then he strapped the quivering Sibyl next to me. He went out and retuned in a moment with two baskets. Provisions for the trip I guessed. I saw fruit on top, bananas I believe they were called. I hoped there was some human food in there too as I had eaten very little of my meal/

The keeper closed the door, pushed the button on the launch pad and we were off. I don’t know why these machines were called “Blasters” because they made no sound. The only sounds I heard were the whisperings of our breath and the beating of our hearts.

Sybil unstrapped herself and moved towards me. She put her arms around my neck and laid her head upon my shoulder. She remained in that position a long while. At last her quivering stopped and I felt her begin to relax.

She lifted her head and peered into my face. Her eyes were two bright stars. She began examining my hair. She selected a single strand and stretched it out full length. She continued in the same manner until all my hair was loosed from its binding and floated free. 

I spoke to her in quiet soothing tones repeating her name over and over. She responded with a strange low humming. She stroked my cheek with her tiny hands and I was sure I had made a new friend. 

I reached back and took a banana from the basket and offered it to her. 
She stared at it a moment and then bit off the end of my thumb.

Blood erupted from my wound like a fountain spray. I watched fascinated as the drops coagulated and formed into many angry red splotches. 

I touched the button marked “emergency” and my injury was instantly encased in clear plastic. There was no pain and the blood disappeared rapidly and was soon gone. I had no clue how or where it went.

Sybil sat in her seat calmly watching me. When she was sure she had my full attention, she pointed to a smooth control panel where colored lights flashed on and off in rhythmic pattern. 

Just below that, I noticed a small sign. There scrawled in ancient cursive handwriting I read, “Do not feed the animal”.    

         C copy write By Deborah J Lindsey September, 2016 

Writing Prompt: Create a new world

-Create a New World- Writing Prompt

I suppose a proper beginning would be to “look up” the word, “world.”

The “Look up” method as opposed to research is usually best. “Look up” satisfies the quick curiosity most of the time and will never make you late for a train.

Back in the old days, before modern travel and convenience, Webster’s Dictionary was the way to go. Webster’s, back then was a real hard copy book that you could hold in your hand. Well, maybe not in your hand as a Webster’s Dictionary was quick thick and heavy.

Using Webster’s was fairly safe. All you had to do was to jump in, get your information jump out. The train usually never left the station and there were no side tracks or scheduling problems and most assuredly, no derailments or lost trains.

Still, a person had to be on alert. There was danger.

Once, I decided to read each and every listing in Webster’s. Yes, A-Z - aristocrat to zephyr. Fool hardy, I agree but a noble undertaking to say the least.

Of course, I never accomplished my goal and I believe that this one failed trip is the cause of much of my emotional distress today. My thought process was somehow altered. Often I find myself seriously disliking trains and at times, even hating them.

Now days, it seems to takes me hours to find the train I started on but more often than not, I never find it. In fact, I lose my train completely.

“One box car shy of a full load” or “senior moment” as I’ve heard it sometimes referred to .

Anyway, the main problem is with all of the “sees”.

For example, take the word kangaroo.

Kangaroo: kan guh roo / noun/ marsupial native to Australia. From the family Macropodidae (macripods) meaning “large foot”

(see: Australia, see: Joey)

“Sees “are far too complex for most adults much less a simple child. A trip to “see” Australia could and most certainly would end in disaster. Managing the tickets, what to eat, what to wear, where to go to the bathroom, and grumpy conductors, just to mention a few obstacles would overwhelm even the strongest constitution and Imagine if you will, the number of folks named “Joey”- thousands, perhaps millions! Consider as well all the “Josephs” and “Joes”. Impossible!

“The World Book Encyclopedia”, In the old days, was also a real hazard to health and wellbeing. In fact, I would dare say more dangerous than Webster’s but children were never warned.

 In fact, if a family could afford a set, they were the envy of the neighborhood and children having the advantage of this educational tool were considered to be naturally brighter, smarter and more adept than most ordinary children and much more desired by parents.

World Books came to you personally in the form of a retired lady school teacher.

“Research! Your child will need these books!” The teacher baited. She dangled Volume “F” in front of us.

“Just look at this frog”

We stared google-eyed.

“Your child can dissect him right here-page by page. “

She moved the magic pages back and forth. “dissecting” the frog and then putting his parts back together. (Do kids still dissect frogs?)

There was a human body too in Volume “H“ Where You could remove all the organs and put them back together page by page just like the frog but the frog is what really sold the lot.

We had a set in our home and those books along with my early experiences with Webster’s caused me to become an addict.

It innocently began with the simple “look up”and then before I knew it, I had moved on to the hard stuff- research..

“Sees” can be managed if one is watchful but the “sees” are greater and more intense in the volumes. There are so many possibilities.

This is what happens: “sees” develop into “book worms” and these “worms” travel hither and thither from one volume to another growing bigger and stronger all the while.

 They become so bloated with data, maps, illustrations, charts, tables of contents and indexes that you become totally lost and fall into a stupor. You may wake up several days later buried beneath piles of volumes and When you finally dig yourself out, you may discover, as I can attest to that fact first hand, that you have somehow acquired a baby kangaroo, married a bloke named Jack and are scheduled to speak at a “Big-foot” convention in Toledo. Be careful!

World
noun \ war-ald
1. the earth: and all the people and things on it
2. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1

Deborah J Lindsey September, 2016