I have worked on chapter six of Wilma's Dragging Slipper so that most of my former narration is now dialog. Please let me know if it makes for a better read than the earlier chapters. If so I will try to do more of that with the remaining 2-3 chapters.
Here is a doodle.
Presenting: Death Bringer
I am Death Bringer, lord of the tall grass plains and the border forests, slave of the three gods, silent creature of the dark night. This day I hunt in the light. My fangs and claws are sharp and I hunger for the warm blood of mortal beings. I make my way through the border forest, hunting, ever hunting. In the distance I hear the unmistakable sounds of the unholy beast of the five hells, slavering pet of the hill demons. It is a creature so fierce that even I dare not face it. The beast is moving closer, close enough to sense me if I make a mistake, so I freeze, wait, and listen. There, it has found other quarry. It moves away quickly, baying after some unlucky being.
The forest is still this day so I move out into the tall grass. I do not have far to go before I sense movement ahead. It is one of the long-legged fairy folk whose large unblinking eyes see the slightest movement. It waits and watches in the grass ahead. I must be careful -- my stalk must be slow and cautious. Closer, closer. I shiver in anticipation. Slowly, one step at a time. Step, freeze. Step, freeze. I draw within striking distance.
Finally I am close enough. My muscles tense. I leap. My prey sees my movement and leaps as well. Its wings begin to take it to safety, but it has reacted too slowly by an instant. My outstretched talons find it and pull it from the air. I pin the hapless creature to the earth and gloat. My mouth waters, but I want to have some fun first so I let it go. The fairy leaps away again but the tall grass gets in the way of its wings and I bring it down again. Twice more I let it try to escape. After that it gives up, knowing its fate -- for all know that I am Death Bringer.
The crunch of its body between my teeth is ecstasy. The gods will be proud of me this day. I feel them watching from beyond the grassy plain.
Mommy, Daddy, come see! The kitten is in the backyard catching grasshoppers.
This literary masterpiece was inspired by Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer paintings and the picture of the lime head cat.
If anyone out there understands Microsoft Word 2003, what key combination am I accidentally hitting that makes it go into overtype-insert mode while I type? During edits and rewrites I sometimes have to stop and hit the insert key to get things back to working normally. The only weird keys near my fingers when it changes modes are alt and the windows key, and I don't think I'm hitting them with my clumsy sausage fingers.