Guarding The Ladder.

by tiffanyMy Author's Portfolio, Real Life, short stories, Short Stories Portfolio, Stand Alone Short StoriesPosted on One Comment
guarding the ladder short story

Do not let the picture above fool you. Otis is not an ordinary cat.  He is a fierce feline focused on protecting the one who feeds him. He is like a soldier and takes on this role every night. What is this hero of a cat protecting me from? Well, I am not sure, but it may be from falling off my bed, or it could be the window. Whatever the danger, he protects me from it every single night.

Let me explain how he protects me. His heroism entails walking the perimeter of my bed, making sure that the only exit from the loft bed is still the ladder. He then makes sure that I am safe by sniffing my face. Finally, he is ready to buckle down in his post. He stretches out as he lies down right at the opening for the ladder. With courage, he will stay at his post, keeping watch unless he falls asleep until my morning alarm goes off. Most days he will even stay pass the alarm going off and it will take me nearly throwing him down the ladder for him to move.

Now, since I am the one being protected, I cannot be the first one out of the bed. He cannot and will not simply move aside. This cat needs to clear the area, or at least the ladder. He makes his safety check by climbing down part way, stopping at the window for a moment, and going out the window onto the roof.

His reward for protecting me all night is his breakfast that I pour him, while I am still asleep.

At least, that is what I am telling myself. In all honesty, he most likely is just being a butt and blocking the ladder, because he knows it annoys me. I will keep trying to convince myself that he is protecting me because murdering a cat is frowned upon.

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Space-Riders: In the Ship (#3)

by tiffanyshort stories, Space-RidersPosted on No Comments

Space-Riders

#3

Otto, took his place in the pilot’s seat on the control deck with Zio taking a seat next to him as a co-pilot. “Do you have a flight program installed?” Otto asked.

“I have simple flying software installed. I should be able to help you fly the ship, but am not capable of flying a ship by myself.”

Otto nodded and started the engine. He would be able to fly his new LiBatto XZ952 space-ship, that he had named Aimi. Captain Otto smiled once her engines started up. Each engine made its own purring sound and Otto smiled grew as each of the 10 engines turned on.

Neither of them noticed the lady standing behind them. She was sitting against the wall and completed camouflaged. Her face and torso matched the wall completely and her lower half blended into the seat. Even when Zio looked around, he did not see her sitting there.

Once the ship was up in the air and heading to the next planet they were suppose to go to, the camouflaged lady started to snack on the chocolate covered raisins, she had bought in the town they had just left from.

The ride was smooth and uneventful until Otto punched in the coordinates of the planet where he was planning to pick up his first shipment using Aimi. The camouflaged lady had already visited Patarex, the planet Otto set as the destination, and had an almost lethal experience. She shook her head and the ship diverted from its path. Instead of heading toward Patarex it started to go in the opposite direction.

This confused both Otto and Zio. They both tried to work on a solution, but after 2 hours of trouble shooting and trying to turn the ship around they were defeated. All of the ship’s information and itinerary said they were going to Patarex.

Aimi, the ship was clever, she knew that the camouflaged lady did not want to be found out, but also knew that the others on the ship would not give up trying to turn her around unless she displayed what they wanted to see. She was not given a new location, so searched the universe for another planet, solar system or galaxy with the same name. She found a solar system named Patarex far away from the planet the captain wanted to go to and set her path.

 

Space-Rider #2 (Entering the Ship)

by tiffanyshort stories, Space-RidersPosted on No Comments

Space-Riders

#2

Otto, the captain, turned the corner with Zio close behind. He smiled at his new cargo ship before turning to the parking lot’s attendant to sign free is ship and pay the parking toll.

While Otto did this Zio stared at the ship with a puzzled look on his mechanical face.

When Otto turned his attention back to Zio and his ship he saw Zio’s confusion. “What?” Otto asked.

Zio answered with, “I am a mechanic and a doctor. I am not programmed to fix or maintain a tree.”

Otto paid little attention to Zio as he continued to walk, while he told him,“Alright, If I ever transport a tree I will not ask you to do anything to it.”

Zio still puzzled responded with, “ You are aware that your ship is a tree from the planet Calowixo?”

Now Otto was confused and stopped to tell his companion,“Zio, this is a ship, not a tree. I have flown it from Lardeth to here. Trees typically do not fly, since they must be rooted to the ground and are plant forms.”

“That is true with the exception of the Blurack tree that lived in Wid on Calowixo.” To Zio this was common knowledge. He had many employers who traveled to many different solar systems and many different galaxies. Zio never forgot any of the planets or stories he was told, so although he had never been to Calowixo, he knew stories of the great planet, since his first and second captains told it to him.

Being human, Otto had not gotten a chance to travel as much as Zio. He had not heard of Calowixo or JuJu596, which was the galaxy Calowixo belonged to. This being the case he stated, “I would believe you if I had ever heard of Calowixo. Now, if you are saying that you are unable to help me with my ship, you are freed from your duties.”

Zio sighed, he had been on the dusty planet, Kilo, for a full year now. He only sat and waited for a full year. His last captain had died on Kilo and when those who inherited the ship came, they did not need Zio. He wanted to be wanted and needed to work, so he told Otto, “I do not wished to be freed from my duties. I will join you. There is still a ship within the tree.”

Still not believing Zio’s claims that there was a planet called Calowixo Otto told him, “Right, we’ll be stopping at the next planet that has a doctor for droids.”

Both men started to walk towards the ship, again. Captain Otto touched his dark brown electronic forearm cuff to open the ship’s cargo ramp. The two men walked in and started the journey they did not know they were going on.

Space-Riders: Barroom findings(#1)

by tiffanymy creative self, short stories, Space-RidersPosted on No Comments

I have had this story in my mind for a while now. Since it is in fragments, in my mind, and more about the characters right now, I thought it would be cool if I simply wrote a short story series with them. This is the first Space-Riders (the title most likely will change).

Space-Riders
Barroom Findings

The doors to a dusty old bar swung open and in walked a captain clothed in a beige suit with gold and silver buttons, along with gold and silver pins. He wore his wealth proudly as his identifier. He strolled up to the bartender and sat on an empty bar-stool, before telling the bartender, “I need a mechanic and doctor, for my ship.”

The bartender stared at him for a moment before asking,“Would you like them in the same body?”

“Yes, and I need it right away.”

The bartender nodded and waved over a man who had appeared to be sleeping while sitting at a table across the gray and dirty room. He stood and walked over to the bar, as he placed his old brown Stetson on his head. The captain nodded at the man and then asked the bartender, “How much for him?”

“Under the inter-planet law for conscious technology, I can not accept payment for him. He is to be paid humane wages.”

The captain nodded and looked at the man standing next to him, “What are you?”

“I am a Trion 5,963.02 model of a doctor and a Xera 99×21.9 model of a ship mechanic, with Zio 9.09z software for spaceship technology.”

Again the captain nodded with acceptance  at the information. “Do you have a name?”

“I have been called multiple  names.”

The captain smirked at the android’s answer and asked, “Which one do you identify with?”

“Zio.”

“Alright Zio, do you want to come with me and help me on my ship?”

Zio smiled at the captain before telling him, “That is what I have been made for.”

“Alright, let’s go,” The captain said and tossed a 1,000 credit coin on the bar as a token of appreciation for the bartenders help.

They walked through the compact sand behind the bar, where the captain had landed his ship.

Dance on the moon

by tiffanyVisual artPosted on No Comments

 

dance on the moonDance On The Moon is a 16 inch by 20 inch acrylic painting on canvas which was completed in the early part of 2013. It shows a woman dancing on the moon with the earth in the background. This painting was completed after the Solo tree and Two Paths. It is a representation of my choice to live my life fully and hope for greatest. It came from the saying, “Shoot for the moon, because even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.”