The Music Box (Pt. 2) - pipTalk Forums

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Bluesy Socrateaser
Member Elite

since 2002-11-07

Posts 2417
In The Mirror

0 posted 2014-01-23 05:57 AM

It’s said that plants, trees and other forms of vegetation have a method of communication all their own. Animals also seem to be in touch, perhaps on a wavelength beyond that of humans. If the trees along the line and the abundant flora and fauna could tell of the diggings, there would be much to answer for.

The late afternoon sun bathed the fields with cooler rays as it began to settle in for the day, a long day, entertained by the intriguing music box and the animated dancer that so enthralled and mesmerized me. In an oddly anthropomorphic way, I felt drawn and attached now to the curious box and it's inhabitant and carried it with me for the long walk back to the house.

The old house and property had been in the family for nearly 150 years. It was built during the Civil War and was almost immediately seized for a field headquarters by a Union Colonel named Fleglar and his entourage. The troops were billeted in the granary and the barn while my ancestors were allowed to live in the cold, damp cellar of the house.

One tale I recall being told was that my great-great-great-great grandfather had sympathetic feelings for the plight of the South and he had decided to manifest those feelings in a most surreptitious way. He would rid the house of the blue vermin who had taken it away from him by killing them off in the most hideous of ways.

Out along the tree line, he would capture rattlesnakes and cotton mouths, placing them in burlap sacks. At night he would steal his way past the guards and release them in the billets. The angry and aroused snakes would creep through the straw bedding, biting the sleeping soldiers.

The screams were terrifying as the snakes bit faces arms and legs. In the chaos, an oil lamp belonging to a sentry was knocked from its mooring, igniting the dry straw and quickly spreading throughout the barn.

Death was agonizingly slow and painful for many of the men and those who were severely injured would never again take up arms.

After a few days had passed, the dead had all been buried, the injured were taken to field hospitals and Col. Fleglar along with his remaining troops, were gone.

...just bein' Bluesy

OwlSA
Member Rara Avis

since 2005-11-07

Posts 9347
Durban, South Africa

1 posted 2014-01-23 07:10 PM

I have to be quick because there is the tail end of a storm that didn't really do anything much except rumble threats for a couple of hours, but I always turn off the computers when there is a storm - I can't afford to lose a computer.

I absolutely love the first half, especially the part about trees and plants communicating with each other as animals do.

The second half was a bit too violent for me, but I still read it (normally I close my eyes in movies when there is violence!), which proves how well written it is and what a good story you wrote.

I hope that none of the snakes were either killed or hurt by the troops or burnt in the fire (though I think the snakes would have made sure that they escaped the fire). I haven't heard of cotton mouths and will look them up on the Internet probably tomorrow when there is no storm. I am happy to have been introduced to them - thank you.

Owl

Bluesy Socrateaser
Member Elite

since 2002-11-07

Posts 2417
In The Mirror

2 posted 2014-01-23 09:55 PM

Thank you as always for your taking time to read over the story.

It is an ominous tale of inheritance, that which is handed down not only in the assumable sense, but of mind, body and malevolence.

(I also shut down during electrical storms, in spite of a rather high-grade suppression system. Better safe than...)

...just bein' Bluesy

ponderthepoetorrsx
Member

since 2011-06-25

Posts 284
U.S , Ca

3 posted 2014-02-02 12:35 PM

I was a little surprised to say the least, seeing however that it is part two i think this is an excellent idea, very tasty, very juicy.

Richard

Bluesy Socrateaser
Member Elite

since 2002-11-07

Posts 2417
In The Mirror

4 posted 2019-01-02 08:37 PM

Thanks as always, ptp!

...just bein' Bluesy

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