Alex

Lill woke with a start. Her heart pounded madly in her chest. With her eyes wide open she listened hard for any unfamiliar sounds in the darkness. Nothing. Only the soft rhythmic snores coming from the lump cuddled deep under the comforter at the foot of her bed disturbed the still silence of the house. Feeling only slightly better, she waited for her heart to calm. After several long moments, still not being able to account for the uneasy feeling that has settled around her, she resigned her self to the fact that there would be no falling back asleep until she checked all of the windows and doors. The clock flashed Three Thirty Three Am. “Magical number my ***.” she grumbled rolling out of bed. Oscar who seemed completely unconcerned by any possible intruder, ghost or whatever unknown danger had awaken his owner, burrowed in deeper under the covers claiming the warm spot she just vacated as his own. “Maybe it was just a bad dream.” She thought grabbing her robe and heading down stairs.

Any hope of it being just a dream melted when she reached the last step and peered into the darkness and a sick wave of apprehension washed over her. She had pulled the drapes tight the night before, to help ward off the coming chill. Now only a long single white beam of light sliced through the living room casting ominous black shadows across the soft colored fabrics.

Her hand hesitated at the light switch. Being afraid of the dark was one thing. Dealing with whatever caused that fear was another. This was not a flight of fancy, she was not being paranoid, something was very, very wrong and she was going to have to face it. She was suddenly struck with just how very alone she really was. Could she get back up stairs and grab the baseball bat?

She was being absurd. All she had to do was turn on the light. But her skin prickled with a sick helpless kind of dread. It was something so unfamiliar, almost feral and she hesitated again. Turning on the light meant facing whatever that unknown cause was head-on and she needed a moment to steady herself and prepare. She was fifty steps from the front door, a little over hundred to the back porch. She could flip on the light and run, she could always run. Now if she could just figure out which way to go. A moment’s hesitation could cost her valuable, life saving time, and that is what she was fighting for, her life she knew in her bones.

What was it Malinda had said about being open to energies? It was worth a try. Standing at the base of the stairs, her hand poised over the light switch and cold drops of sweat sliding down her back, Lill closed her eyes and tried to feel the room around her. The skeptical side of her wanted to scoff at the idea. It was silly. How can you feel a room? Accept she could. The room did have a feel to it, one that gave her a sense of calm and safety.

She was absolutely sure now that whatever woke her, did not come from inside the house, it had come from outside. And it wasn’t threatening or dangerous, whatever it was, it was scared and calling for help. Following the strange sensation Lillieanna flipped the switch flooding the room with light, then rapping her robe around her tighter she stepped out onto the porch.

The air had turned crisp over night, the kind of crispness that promised snow by dawn. Her breath came out in soft pillowy puffs of white that lingered in the still air. She listened again, not even the night birds moved. The whole world had nestled in to their dens and hollows in preparation of the snow leaving the early morning as silent and undisturbed as sheet of glass. Lill rubbed her arms for warmth and turn to go back inside.

The scream that tore though the cold morning air was as violent, and as shocking as a crack of lightning in a clear evening sky. Lill thought she felt it more then she heard it. That same feral panic charged her skin and set her heart pounding once more. It came from Ethan’s house. No longer afraid for herself Lill ran across the lawn and up the path to his porch.

The story is about a woman who is just coming in to her powers, but she is not fully ready to admit they exists yet. This will be her first real experience with them. Spelling and Grammar are not 100% yet, I know but I am looking for comments on substance and flow please. Thank you.

Here is the part in question:

Lill woke with a start. Her heart pounded madly in her chest. With her eyes wide open she listened hard for any unfamiliar sounds in the darkness. Nothing. Only the soft rhythmic snores coming from the lump cuddled deep under the comforter at the foot of her bed disturbed the still silence of the house. Feeling only slightly better, she waited for her heart to calm. After several long moments, still not being able to account for the uneasy feeling that has settled around her, she resigned her self to the fact that there would be no falling back asleep until she checked all of the windows and doors. The clock flashed Three Thirty Three Am. “Magical number my ***.” she grumbled rolling out of bed. Oscar who seemed completely unconcerned by any possible intruder, ghost or whatever unknown danger had awaken his owner, burrowed in deeper under the covers claiming the warm spot she just vacated as his own. “Maybe it was just a bad dream.” She thought grabbing her robe and heading down stairs.

Any hope of it being just a dream melted when she reached the last step and peered into the darkness and a sick wave of apprehension washed over her. She had pulled the drapes tight the night before, to help ward off the coming chill. Now only a long single white beam of light sliced through the living room casting ominous black shadows across the soft colored fabrics.

Her hand hesitated at the light switch. Being afraid of the dark was one thing. Dealing with whatever caused that fear was another. This was not a flight of fancy, she was not being paranoid, something was very, very wrong and she was going to have to face it. She was suddenly struck with just how very alone she really was. Could she get back up stairs and grab the baseball bat?

She was being absurd. All she had to do was turn on the light. But her skin prickled with a sick helpless kind of dread. It was something so unfamiliar, almost feral and she hesitated again. Turning on the light meant facing whatever that unknown cause was head-on and she needed a moment to steady herself and prepare. She was fifty steps from the front door, a little over hundred to the back porch. She could flip on the light and run, she could always run. Now if she could just figure out which way to go. A moment’s hesitation could cost her valuable, life saving time, and that is what she was fighting for, her life she knew in her bones.

What was it Malinda had said about being open to energies? It was worth a try. Standing at the base of the stairs, her hand poised over the light switch and cold drops of sweat sliding down her back, Lill closed her eyes and tried to feel the room around her. The skeptical side of her wanted to scoff at the idea. It was silly. How can you feel a room? Accept she could. The room did have a feel to it, one that gave her a sense of calm and safety.

She was absolutely sure now that whatever woke her, did not come from inside the house, it had come from outside. And it wasn’t threatening or dangerous, whatever it was, it was scared and calling for help. Following the strange sensation Lillieanna flipped the switch flooding the room with light, then rapping her robe around her tighter she stepped out onto the porch.

The air had turned crisp over night, the kind of crispness that promised snow by dawn. Her breath came out in soft pillowy puffs of white that lingered in the still air. She listened again, not even the night birds moved. The whole world had nestled in to their dens and hollows in preparation of the snow leaving the early morning as silent and undisturbed as sheet of glass. Lill rubbed her arms for warmth and turn to go back inside.

The scream that tore though the cold morning air was as violent, and as shocking as a crack of lightning in a clear evening sky. Lill thought she felt it more then she heard it. That same feral panic charged her skin and set her heart pounding once more. It came from Ethan’s house. No longer afraid for herself Lill ran across the lawn and up the path to his porch.

Here is my question: Are you getting the idea that there is more that happened then she just heard a scream and it woke her up? Do you get the idea there is something more, a deeper contention, something maybe a little magical that happen, even if the character is not ready to fully admit it yet? Please not do not mean, or rag me about grammar and spelling this is still a work in progress. Any other thoughts would be helpful. Thank you.

Why would or should we elect someone who refuses to speak to the media unless they are asked preplanned questions?

Many of the candidates today feel that they have the right to dictate how the press portrays them, and that they should only be asked the questions they want to be asked. Why are we as the American people putting up with this kind of behavior form those who want to become elected leaders?

When you consider that the responsibility of the media or press is to inform the populace and that it is essential to the healthy functioning of the democracy so much so that they call it The Fourth Branch of our government, why are so many readily agreeing with this kind of behavior? Is it because they do not see how damaging it really is to the very core of our democracy? If we allow our politicians to successfully limit the press and to control the stories that we get to hear…how can we be sure we are still living in a free country and are not being feed propaganda?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/26/john-raes...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_the_press

I got a Sony Handycam for my birthday and when we tried download the video’s we found out it does not work with a Mac. Has anyone had this problem? And If so do you know how to get around it?

If I went out and got a DVD writer would that work or am I just wishful thinking?

Please help!

Thank you your answers!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090811/ap_on_go_pr_wh...

My sister-in-law has been seeing a man for almost 2 years. Her and I have always been very close, She says she is closer to me then her own sister. ( I have know her sense she was 11) The thing about her is that she has always been one to keep things close to the chest. So when she finally told me she was dating someone after 6 months and she thought it was getting serious, the surprise was not so much that she had a steady boyfriend but who it was, and the way she described him to me. Using phrases such as, “ He’s is the biggest jerk I have ever meet, but at the same time he is so kind” Or “ When you find out what I have done…. This is so much bigger then right or wrong.” But she never goes any farther then that.

Once the relationship was out in the open, the two of them have been invited to many family gatherings, None of which he will show up to. Last 4th of July I was told that he did not show because I did not invite his friends. When I sat her down and told her, that his lack of interest in knowing her side of the family was troubling. With in two weeks she was mad at me for something else that made no sense, and she stopped talking to everyone for almost 8 months.

A few months ago she contacted me and apologies, Then she told me her and boyfriend are getting married. They were invited to a family party, were she said she would come, but they did not show up. The whole family is so upset they have washed there hand of her.

But I recognize the signs having been in a controlling relationship before. And I fear that the reaction as to not meeting him, may be feeding into his “ they are trying to control you…” thing I fear may be going on.

The question is this should I continue to invite him to these things, or should they stop and let her make the next move. I don’t want to be controlling but at the same time I don’t want her to make the same mistake I did.