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Tal’s Tales #1: The Unusual Stranger In A Town Of Dust

Focus: Scenery and location.
The Unusual Stranger In A Town Of Dust

Dust and dry dirt covered the wide main road in this little town that was forgotten as the 2 suns met high in the sky. They caused the delicate vegetation to wither away and fragile creatures to seek shelter. In a few weeks, life would flourish. Soon this little town would be full of color and life from the now withered vegetation and fragile creatures. For now, it was only gray, beige, and unbearably hot. Until the suns passed each other, this town would remain lifeless.

Not even rain clouds would venture out of wherever they hid. The only storms that showed themselves were windstorms. These storms caused the dust and dirt to dance around the buildings with the passion and violence of an angry lover scorned.

A well-dressed stranger arrived in a bright blue metallic carriage powered by the latest travel technology, while the 2 suns still fought for the sky. He wore a rich violet suit with a lush emerald shirt. This unusual stranger was accompanied by an even more unique figure who was tinted silver. The silver one tried to cover as much as he could as he got out of the carriage. He carried a bag filled with medical and mechanical tools, while the well-dressed stranger carried nothing.

As they walked into the saloon, the doors swung closed. The wind welcomed them to town by dancing around the main road, causing the once clean and fancy vehicle to match its surroundings.

The stranger saw this through the dust crusted windows and tighten his jaw. His mouth nearly disappeared and his eyebrows furrowed. The dirt covering his carriage would not suit him at all.

He looked around at the saloon and it matched the rest of the town. It was gray, dirty, and lifeless, except for the barkeep that blended into the bar he was sitting at. “You’re either a week late or 3 weeks early.” He said not getting up from his stool.

Want More

All of the stories in this series can be found in the Tal’s Tales section of this site. I also post snippets on my Instagram account and Facebook page.

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Tal’s Tales: A Fun New Project Starting

If you watch my update videos, you will know my writing direction is shifting. I am moving away from articles and blogs. Instead, I will write more stories and poetry. As part of this change in direction, I have started a short story series called Tal’s Tales. The stories will be part of a larger story and use the same characters. However, each story will also be enjoyable as a standalone story. Each installment will focus on a different storytelling or writing aspect.

The major reason I’m writing this series is to improve my writing, so it is more engaging. A secondary benefit is that I hope to reach more of my target audience and show my fiction writing skills.

I’m starting with 30 story focuses. A few of the focus notes will be difficult to pull off, but being challenged is the best way to grow. I am excited to share this series with you and see where it goes.

Why am I telling you all this?

I am finishing up the article series Tiff’s Tips and have put my other series Love Nerd on the back-burner. I may post a few more articles here and there, but my writing focus will be on Tal’s Tales and my other project Royal Memories. Since this will be a shift for the site, creating a post about it seemed appropriate.

What are Tal’s Tales about?

Tal’s Tales is about a group of characters who travel the universe in a living spaceship. Each character is a different species. The overarching focus is how they interact with each other in different situations. It will feel like a wacky sitcom at points and will be a fun read.

Please, give any and all feedback. This is for me to grow as an author, so I welcome all feedback.

Let Me Live (A Poem)

poetry
Let me live among the stars
Allow me to dance a jazz-square
on the moon.
If not teach me
how to trap my dreams in reality.

I will soar high
above my common life
living in the clouds of my desire
then like gravity
you pull be back
to where I sit.

Let me fly.
Let me soar.
Let me live,
even for a moment more.

Instead you pull me
chain me
and remind me of my fears.
Road blocks are made
while obstacles rise
like you forget what’s inside.

My heart will soar
I will fly.
You may be helpful
reminding me of reality
but my dear mind
you know my heart and my soul.
They will win.
I will live among the stars
and dance on the moon,
so please just step aside.

Can I Meet Fantasy?

poetry

I do not want to live this life.
I want to dance with the pixies,
laugh with the werewolves
and maybe meet a fairy or two.

I do not want to live this life.
I want to see my thoughts
in air bubbles that are
taken away by the evening’s breeze.

I do not want to live this life.
I yearn to be free.
Free of things tied to reality,
where there is magic.

I do not want to live this life.
Yet, I know I have to.
I guess I will just depend on love
to be my magic
and honestly that is enough for me.

Fantasies (a poem)

poetry

Fantasies live in my mind
with trolls living under bridges
and Pegasus in the sky.
Magic creatures that you can not see dance and sing
wonderful dreams call out in the silence
“Come rescue me.”
They need to be set free,
so take my hand
and we’ll go on a rescue;
We’ll go on the adventure of a life time
you life time as I see it.
We’ll dance with the fairies
sing with the nymphs
and drink with the trolls
just follow me into the forest
that lives behind my eyes.

Inside the Listening Tree. (Short Story)

There once was a tree that was called the listening tree. It lived in a picturesque forest with blue and purple flowers growing at its base. People would climb this tree in the beautiful forest. They would sit on the many limbs of the tree and told the tree all their problems. For years and years the tree grew and people climbed the tree to talk with it. They left all their issues with the tree and some way or another the issues and problems left with the tree would get solved.

As more and more people talked to the tree and more and more problems were solved, more people heard and came. Soon people were traveling from far away to talk to this tree. By the time this time the tree was the largest tree most has ever seen. It appeared to the people who lived closest to the tree that the more people came to the tree the larger it became.

Every day for years and years every limb was covered with people chattering about their woes. Then one day only one came. It was a little girl with tears in her eyes. She could not even reach the first branch to climb up on the tree, so she sat down by the flowers and told the tree, “I know I’m not special and I know that everyone else’s issues are more important. I’m just a little girl, but I’m all alone and no one even notices me. I would like some one to at least greet me.”

As she finished her request a little door opened and out walked a tiny old woman with wings who flew up to be near the little girl’s face.

Astonished the little girl asked, “Who are you?”

“I am the mother of this tree, every limb has one of my children listening to your people. No one has even talked to me in many years, so I know how you feel.”

The little girl smiled. “Thank you for letting me see you and thank you for noticing me.”

“My dear girl, being noticed is not your issue. What breaks your heart is that you are alone. I can see it in your eyes. Come live with us and you will never be alone.”

“I can not live in a tree or in the forest.”

The mother laughed and told her, “We are magical. I will shrink you down and give you wings. That is when you can choose to either be a listener with me or a giver with my husband.”

“What is a giver?”

Smiling the mother told the child, “A giver is one who gives the people what they need to mend their hearts or fix their problems.” She saw the confusion in the girl’s eyes and told her, with a sweet voice, “We do not fix other’s problems for them, we only open their eyes and give them the tools.”

“Are the givers ever alone?”

“When they are out helping others they may be.”

“I think I would like to stay with you then and be a listener.”

“As you wish,” The mother said and with a kiss on the girl’s head the girl was turned into a tiny winged version of herself.

 

This was a quick short story that I wrote at my day job when the internet was down. 

And just as a reminder I will be on vacation starting Thursday.

writing

DMV Fairies

This is a ten-minute creativity burst that I enjoyed writing. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think.

DMV fairies short story logo and image.

DMV Fairies

7:45 am I walk to the line and start my day-dream as I fill out a form. Fairies fight hungry monsters in the night while the rays of sunshine are on my face as I wait.

8 o’clock visits and leaves while I write the same information over and over. I wait, write, and wrangle answers to questions I hardly care about. I would rather watch the good guys win in my mind and see how fairies can hunt the evil that lies right beneath the surface of society.

No one but a select few know how close the dream world is to our own. No one knows how close they are to being hunted by the evils these fairies face. The evils and monsters that hide imagination away or the vampires who feed on ideas and souls. No, hardly anyone knows of the battle for the unrealistic, but the monsters, vampires, and ghouls all search out to feed with only a few fairies and hunters aware enough to fight and keep us free.

Now it’s 9:30. I am done; with my new paper license and car’s plates I leave the DMV and hope that my creativity always stays near.  Now driving away I hope and wish for the fairies to stay near.

Want More?

If you would like to read more short stories please check out my Portfolio or perhaps you would enjoy watching readings of my work on YouTube.