<As they walked through the now~open door, their host said:
'Please excuse my wife ~ she is feeding the elephants in the garden. She won't be long'

Brad and Christine looked at each other ~ 'elephants?' asked Brad, not usre he had heard correctly.
'Yes, Brad. Elephants.'
They all went into a large lounge.
'Drink anyone? '

On the mantlepiece was a row of decanters with various liquids clearly visible in them.
'What would you like, Miss Christine>'

Christine crossed the room to the window. As she looked out she could see June Ward walking towards the house.

The driver sped off as the couple climbed stairs leading up to th house. Ward Normal greeted them with a grin from ear to ear. "Welcome Mr. Brad and Miss Christine" Hi, We are the Trumbells.

The long and winding road lead to a large green mound. The driver stopped the car, got out and held open one of the doors so the couple could step out.
In the side of the mound were two huge doors, which were closed.

They had heard rumors of what went on at the Normal estate, but as with most rumors it all sounded too strange to be true. Anyone who had actually been there had little to say, and acted as though there was nothing unusual about it. Others didn't want to talk about it.

Christine and Brad sat quietly in the enormous limousine that had been sent to collect them.

I remember that! it was fun.

I did those theatres when I was home recovering from surgery. I had nothing else I could do and it was a fun way to pass the time. I almost hated going back to work after I got back on my feet.

remember the Theatres? We had fun with those!

Yeah, it's supposed to be the start of another story. I've been racking my brain trying to think of how to start one, or what it could be about...I've never played this before, but Tuesday got a kick out of how I included her in the last one. I know the start to this new one is a little over the top, but I wanted to make sure everyone got the idea...it's supposed to be weird and funny, with maybe some suspense thrown in and clues leading somewhere or to something or other. Tuesday wanted to see a comedy, but I want to leave plenty of room for it to go anywhere anyone wants it to go.

Thank you Frank Enstein for starting the new Story tag!

Is this a new story tag?

Imagine if you will a home on the outskirts of town, untouched by time or space or paint, where friends and relatives come to celebrate once a year. Meet Ward and June Normal, hosts to a holiday event which every year a randomly picked couple will be invited to join in the festivities...

Thanksgiving promises to be no different for Brad and Christine Mollard than for anyone else, but this year they have received a mysterious invitation to dine and recline at a home few are aware exists, and with people who are only seen once a year in...

The Thanksgiving Zone

Minor point ~ if you could write your own stories it would be a good idea in here!

Ever seen the film the Pebble and the Penguin? its a good film ~ you'd enjoy it I think.

I loved that book when I was little

Yes I have loads of books to copy them out that story was copied out of a book.

Brilliant, Winnie. Any more stories like that?

The penguin that hated the cold
Once there was a penguin called pablo.
He lived on a block of ice far away from the south pole.
The weather there was very cold.
penguins hate the cold MOST Penguins that is.
But not pablo.
penguins like to dive and swim and catch fish in the icy water.
But not pablo.
pablo was the only penguin on his block who hated the cold.
All the other penguins went skiing and ice skating or they played all day in the snow at the beach.
But not pablo.
pablo stayed inside close to the hot stove he kept his slippers warm and his feathers warm.
"Cold wether" said pablo "is for the birds." "the other birds not me."
One day pablo said "Its silly to be chilly."
I will go where I canbe warm ALL the time.
He put on his skis and packed his stove on his back.
"so long you birds!" he said to the other penguins."Wish me luck!"
Oh-Oh! something waswrong.
The stove was pulling him backward.
Pablo was going the wrong way.
Down the hill he went...faster and faster.
He was sliding straght towards a cliff!
Sudenly pablo was hanging upside down.
Hes skis had caght on the icy cliffs.
"now that was not such a good idia," said the other penguins.
Poor pablo was frozen stiff.
They had to carry him home to his igloo.
There they held him under a hot shower till he could walk again.
The next day pablo had another idia.
He put hot water bags on hes feet, around his coat and around hes neck.
"so long you birds" said pablo.
"This time nothing can go WRONG"
But something did.
When pablo stopped t oread the map the hot water bags melted the snow and ice.
pablo sank..
and sank...
and sank...
down into the ice-cold water.
"poor pablo said the other penguins. "he will never get anywhere."
When they pulled him out he was frozen in a block of ice.
and that was the way they carried him home.
But pablos hot stove soon melted the ice.
The next day pablo said "I have an idia that will really work!"
"I will go by boat."
He got a saw and cut a boat out of ice under his igloo.
Inside the igloo evrything was set for the big trip.
His stove was in place, his tub was in place he was all set to go.
on penguins in the block came to say good bye.
Then pablo pulled out hes sail and off he went.
Hes boat sailed on and on... through snow and fog and pass mountings of ice.
day after day.. night after night... pablo sailed on.
Then 1 morning he woke up 2 find the sun was shining!
Hot weather at last!
"I made it!" cried pablo.
He took off his warm cloths he lay down in the sunshine "oh boy" Pablo said "this is the life."
But pablo spoke to soon the sun sterted to melt his house. then it began to melt his boat.
Soon pablo was floating on a little peise of ice he jumped into the tub.
But there was a hole at the bottem of the tub.
Water began to run in.
Pablo had to poor it out as quick as he could.
quickly he put the shower pipe into the hole. the water began to splash out of the shower.
Sudenly the tub went full speed ahead far away he saw land and trees.
hes boat sailed up onto the sandy beach. poulo got out.
He walked over to the bannana tree and picked a yellow bananna.
"This looks like a good place to build my house" he said.
He collected lots of branches and started building it.
At iast pablo had found the land to hes dreams
No more cold for him!

Ok Jacob ~ you start the next one!

Now that was pretty good! It went on forever though. lol

Suddenly Sara realised she was dreaming.... she was still in the car and smoke was all around her.
With a jolt she woke up, coughing violently. Struggling, she squeezed through the open window and staggered onto the ground a few feet away as the car exploded.
Sara sat up slowly, then ran as sparks flew everywhere. The heat was intense.

As she walked awya down the road away from the huge mansion towering in the distance, the tears began to fall for the lost sister and her much missed brother Jason, who had saved her life.

The End.

Jason whispered again..."Sara, why are you still here?"
Sara looked at Jason with her big brown eyes, staring blankly at him. "You must leave this place now, before you become a part of it."
Jasons remark startled her. She had realised early on everyone here was dead, ghosts with portraits and newspaper clippings marking their lives and deaths. She had assumed she too was a ghost, but was too afraid to openly admit this, even to herself.
"What do you mean, Jason?" she asked? "How can I leave if I have died and am here with you? Am I not trapped here as well?"
Jason shrugged, then looked annoyed. "Geez sis, I'm trying to help you and we don't have much time. You are not dead, you are still in your car but if you don't get back into your body soon you will be with all of us here forever...or until this place rots and then we have to move into another abandoned house and live there forever.

As Lurch left, Sara heard Jason wispering voice "Leave this place"

Jason replied, "You must leave now, Lurch and the old lady are going too..." just then the door opened and lurch walked in. Jason was gone. "I heard someone talking, in here, are you okay?" said Lurch."
Fine" said Sara. "Alright then" ,said Lurch as he left...

Sara sat on the bed again, thinking.
Jason was her older brother, but Tara was her identical twin sister, who had vanished without trace 9 years earlier, about the same time as the news articles.
So the photographs weren't of her, but of her sister, which explained why she thought she had been looking at herself.
Any icy blast entered the room. Looking up, Sara could just make out the shadowy form of Jason as he came in.

When they left the room, she lay quietly, thinking. The headlines in the newspaper clippings bothered her. She was so sure she had missed something important. Carefully she sat up, then crossed the room to where the clippings still lay on the floor. Her head ached, but she sat on the carpet and read on.
Sifting through some of the other clippings, she saw
' Body in the woods ~ was it murder?
Evidence implies foul play'
Sara read on.
'Police investigations revealed the woman's body was that of Tara Crowe aged 27. Tyre marks on the road showed the car had swerved in several directions before finally hitting the tree where it finally exploded into flames.
Close examination of the front of the car by phorensics revealed traces of blue material caught on the windscreen wiper, thought to have been from the dress she wore.'


Sara took a deep breath as she read on.

'Investigations into the circumstances of both deaths are continuing.
Anyone with any information is asked to contatct their local police station'

Nice pic, Tuesday

She was unconscoius with a big gash on her head. When she awoke, the old lady was taking care of her head and had Lurch lay her on the bed in her room.

Jason followd her dragging his cancer eaten leg behind. Sara ran screaming and bumping into things. She almost fell down the stairs but was grabed by Jason. "Why you running from me , Sara.? Moaned Jason

Te house must be a collecter of ghost is all Sara could figure and tore loose from her brothers hands.

Omy, she discovered it was her brother, Jason, who died of cancer 10 years ago.

...or hAs she seen him before,,,those dark,cold eyes piercing right through her..was he in one of those clippings? ....or in one of those portraits hanging in that candle lit hallway?

Nice to see you back Horseman!

it was someone she had never seen before, staring back at her....

She read the clipping again in disbelief, and started stepping backwards. but she ran into someone behind her....she turned and looked into his big black eyes....

She wanted to see the date yet she was to frightened and didn't want to know.

Spreading all the clippings out on the carpet, she studied them in more detail. The pictures weren't very clear, especially in candle ~light.
Suddenly a window crashed open, the strong winds blowing the curtains horizontal and scattering the cuttings across the room.
As she tried to pick up the nearest clipping, she noticed a small sub headline in a corner,
'Driver killed in freak accident'
She sat on the bed to read it more carefully.
'A red porsche was found in a ditch in the early hours of this morning by a man out walking his dog. Early reports stated that a badly burned body was found a few feet away. No identifcation has yet been made.
A second body was found in the car, thought to have been the driver.
Tire marks on the road lead expets to believe that the car swerved to avoid the person.
Investigations are continuing ... '

Sara looked at the date on the clipping. 1st November 18.... . Searching amongst the other clippings, she started organising them better by date, looking for the next installment.

"Madam ordered me. Something about it being the safest room in the house". He left while Sarah thought about all this. After contemplting running away from the house or She would sneek back to the clippings room for more clues. She accepted the later.

Why did you put me in here then!!! Says Sara. Lurch just shruggs his shoulders.

All Lurch says is "There's always something in here."

Lurch ran into the room yelling, "What is it Sara?" Sara replyed in a shaky voice, "There is someone else in here"...