Travel Log 10-29-2: And now to the finish line!

As promised here is the last installment of Off the Path!

Off the Path Part Seven


     The leaves crunched under Tiffany's boots as she wandered further into the deepening shadows. Bushes and branches snagged and scratched at her clothes. She could just make out red flashing ahead of her and the sound of giggles drifting on the breeze that had come up.
     Her  teeth began to chatter a little as the wind penetrated her clothing. It was all so quiet. Except for the occasional giggle from the red dot up ahead.
      Suddenly a wolf howled from somewhere behind her.
      "Crap."
       She started moving faster through the brush. As she got closer to the red dot it resolved itself into the form of a little girl standing with her back against the trunk of a huge old ash tree. The child wore a blue checkered dress that was pretty well worn, and a red cape covered all but the ends of her golden curls. The wide blue eyes looked at Tiffany through a sheen of terror and she would almost say, pity.
        "What are you doing out here alone?" Tiffany moved closer to see if she could get the girl to come with her. That howling was getting closer.
         The little girl shook her head as her mouth began to move.
         "Oh please come help me, I'm too scared to move." The voice was sing song sweet and seemed to float on the chill wind. The child began shake her head harder and her eyes seemed to grow even more panicked as Tiffany drew closer.
           As she was about to take the girls hand a deep growl sounded behind her. Tiffany turned slowly and found herself facing a large black wolf with dripping fangs and a deep rumbling growl. It seemed focused on the little girl and started to stalk slowly towards the tree.
         The voice inside Tiffany's head was screaming at her to do something, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot.
         "You must run." Almost to low to hear , the whisper finally shook her out of her terror and she grabbed blindly for the little girl and dragged her by the hand away from the tree and the beast.
         The world swirled and spun around her as she stumbled and fell to her knees. The last thing she heard before the darkness closed in around her was a haunting and mournful howl wailing through the woods.


      "Wakey wakey." Sharp slaps on her cheeks dragged Tiffany back to consciousness. At leas she thought she was conscious, but that couldn't be. She had to be dreaming.
        " Oh no, this is no dream. A nightmare maybe, but then those always are more fun, hee hee." The high pitched voice sounded strange as she watched herself say the words. She looked at her windblown and disheveled clothes and mousy brown hair and thought "I really need a make over."
          And then she started screaming.
          Tiffany covered her ears and walked a few steps away muttering to herself and then turned back abruptly and slapped herself hard, across her small cheek making her blond curls bounce.The red hood fell back onto her shoulders and she wrapped her arms around her knees and began to rock.
           "Oh don't be so pathetic. You certainly were brave enough when you thought that it was your friends playing a prank. Well now you really did get a good trick didn't you." She tossed back her head and let  a fountain of high pitched giggles our out.
             "It's simple really, you're still you , just not in you anymore. I'm taking up residence now, and boy will I have some fun. Damn humans and their rules. I thought they would never start forgetting and I would be stuck in here running from that damn wolf forever. But then here you are, big as life and practically inviting me to come out and play. Oh how old fang face is going to suffer tonight. The blood will flow again,  I hope my new toys will last for a while before they are completely broken. When the dead are buried beneath the ash tree, then their vengeance belongs to me! What fun it shall be!" With that the thing that wore Tiffany did a little dance and strode out of the clearing giggling to itself.
             Tiffany continued to sit and rock, watching herself walk away through the trees.
             After a little while she pulled out of herself enough lean back against the tree trunk and look around.
             The wolf was sitting on the edge of the clearing watching her. It seemed to be staring.
             She felt the hysteria bubbling up inside mixed with a strange sort of lethargy. When the beast began walking slowly towards her she tried to scramble away, but her leaded limbs wouldn't move fast enough.
             It padded over until it sat down squarley at her feet and crossed it's paws and stared at her some more.
            "Couldn't stay on the path could you?"
            She looked around for the voice, but there was nothing but the wolf.
            "Of course it's me. How many other wolves do you know who would pay any attention to a little girl in that ridiculous get up?"
            The crazed laughter finally made its way past her lips, and Tiffany sat there, trapped in the body of a little girl in a checked pinafore and hooded cloak, and laughed until the tears rolled down her face and her sobs wracked her little body.
            "Oh knock it off. Crying isn't going to do any one any good. We've only got three days and I don't want to waste any of it on hysterical little girls." This was followed up by a sharp yip and a light nip on her ankle.
            This. Can. Not. Be. Happening.
            Wolves don't talk.
             Little girls don't steal your body and run off with it.
            This is some really really sick joke and Millie is going to pay for it.
           "This is not a joke, dream, hallucination, or any sort of illusion you can think of. Best get those thoughts over and out of your head right now, I don't have time to waste on them. That Demon will be back with your friends by now and we only have three days to stop it from massacring everyone it can get it's claws on."
           At this the wolf got up and began to stride into the trees.
            "Come on. This time I am not going to fail."
             Her heavy limbs finally seemed to respond to her. She got up and followed the wolf deeper into the woods.
  

I know I said that this would be the conclusion, but those darn characters mutinied and are demanding I rewrite the finale( they have my stuffed dragon and are demanding rewrites or he "gets it")- so unfortunately tomorrow night shall have to do! Until then- unpleasant dreams and Samhain wishes to all!

Travel Log 10-29: A Little Tidbit

As I've been running around this week I've taken little moments to think and reflect on the season and the changes it brings about. Which of course made me feel better, lol.
     But anyway, here is  a little tidbit I jotted down while waiting for interviews. It made me smile.

    The Witching Hour

     The night is filled by the cries of crows
     Through the cemetary a chill wind blows

     Mist crawls and creeps along the ground
     Trees sway making eerie sounds

     The moon rides high casting her silver light
     All is ready, tonight's the night

     Stoke the fire, keep it hot
     Fill the cauldron, stir the pot

     For by the pricking of my thumbs
     Something wicked this way comes

     Grab your broom and take to the sky
      Rejoice, for the witching hour is nigh


Because at this time of year I feel especially close to her, here is a chant honoring The Morrigan that I found at  Casting the Runes :
Honoring The Morrigan

She the Queen of spirits,
She, the mistress of the night,
Lady of the darkworld,
Shapeshifter, raven and shadow,
She the harbinger of fate,
She the keeper of the gate,
She the mistress of all wyrd,
She the washer at the ford
Protector of the sacred land
The sacrifice She claims,
I give respect to Morrigan
The ruler of the slain.

Travel Log 10-28-2: And Finally Off the Path Part 6

     And here it is folks-

Off the Path Part Six


      "C'mon guy's. I know you're out there and I know you're going to pull some lame prank. Might as well give it up now."
      Tiffany peered into the deeply shadowed woods and thought she could make out the shape of someone hiding in the brush. A giggle carried out on the slight breeze. A flash of red began to weave in and out of the trees just beyond where she could see well.
       "This is so stupid guys. Just come on out."
        "You can't catch me" a young sing song voice sounded from the trees.
         "What's a kid doing out here?" Tiffany muttered as her boots crunched the dried out leaves at the tree line.

     When Amanda lead her down the road to the edge of the tree line where a group of kids was waiting, Tiffany tried to reassure her again.
     "It's just a stroll through the woods Amanda, nothing to worry about. I'm sure they'll plan some loser prank to scare me, it won't work, and then we'll have a good laugh about this tonight."
      Amanda stopped short of where the other kids were gathered and turned to Tiffany.
      "If you come out of those woods tonight whole and sane I will be shocked. I have a really bad feeling about this. I'll ask you one more time, please don't do this."
        Her eyes pleaded with Tiffany, and she almost relented, until Millie broke from the group and strode over.
       "Chickening out at the last minute freak? Ready to concede and run back to your aunt the witch?"
        The smirk that accompanied the words sent a steel rod up Tiffany's spine and she strode forward with bravado.
        "Ready when you are small town. I've seen much creepier things than a few trees."
         The teens were fairly solemn as they gathered around her and presented a long red scarf that had been stuffed in a pocket. As she wound it around her neck Millie began outlining the rules for her little expidition.
      "Here's the deal. You have to wear the scarf the entire time you're in the woods. You'll follow the path that starts right here. You'll stay in the woods until three hours after the sun has passed completely behind the mountain. You can't cheat and just hang out at the edge of the woods. You have to follow the path until you reach the end or the time is up and then return. We'll be waiting for you here when you come screaming out."
        Tiffany sent an unimpressed sneer Millie's direction and headed over to the trail that had been pointed out.
        "This is really the best you could come up with? A stroll through the woods, and not even until full dark? Wow. You're a bit lamer than I thought. Oh well see you in a while." And with a wave she turned and headed into the tree line.

And that's it for tonight. Tomorrow night- The Conclusion of Off the Path!

Travel Log 10-28: Quick Turns and Unexpected Detours

    Well it's been a few days since I posted and I'm sorry I haven't been around much  but some changes have gone on around here that have taken my immediate attention.
    The big one is that due to some unforeseen financial problems I have had to go out and obtain gainful employment in a hurry, which fortunately I have. The unfortunate part is  that I will be working as a car salesperson. Weird, I know, but I can sell like no bodies business and it will be a quick way for us to get the cash we need. The really bad part is I will be working A LOT. Which means less time to go through all of your blogs and less time to devote to this one. I am still going to do NaNoWriMo this year and I will complete it!
     In other news my OH has decided that he is going to pursue a possible career in the military and there for is going on a crash diet/exercise kick to lose the weight necessary to enlist. This of course brings untold amounts of family court stress revolving around HRH and the Weremonkey as I have no intention of leaving without them and my OH is there stepfather. So yeah.
     That's been my week so far and I have done some 31 days stuff but I'll have to get that posted later cause my brain is fried.
     I'll have more Off the Path tonight and it will bring us close to the conclusion of Tiffany's trip into the woods!
      Here's a chant I found to help fight lethargy from Spells of Magic.com  :

A Chant Of Invigoration

If you are feeling low on energy (not magical energy) just say this.
When you are feeling lethargic, chant this:

I am low and need your grace,
To replenish my aura in this place.
I beg of you, hear my plea,
Give your gift unto me.

Once you have done this, stand up (if you are already standing up, walk three steps to the north) and say:So mote it be.

Travel Log 10-25: We Partied Like It Was 1699....

Well last night was the Halloween party and all the frantic scrambling that I went through to get it going was worth it.
     the last minute runs to the store, the day full of baking and icing, and baking some more.
     Everyone had a great time and we did a lot of the old games and a bunch of crafts. Then everyone subsided into a sugar coma, lol.
      Now I get to have left over cupcakes and brownies for the next few days as I way overestimated how many I would need. That and I got a bunch of the Little Debbie pumpkin sandwich cookies as back ups in case the cupcakes didn't turn out, so I'm going to be running on a sugar high this week.
      And thanks to Wendy over at Athena Academy I am now forced to go back in the kitchen and make chocolate chip pumpkin bread. The craving has begun!
      I hope to have another installment of Off The path tonight and pictures of the cool corn husk brooms we made!
     Here's a charm for inner strength I found at Spells of Magic.com  that if I do this next year I plan to have on my person at all times!:

Charm for Inner Strength

You enchant the thing so it gives you inner strength.
Empower an acorn with the following chant & carry it on your person during difficult times.
     ''Little seed with cap so fine, Grant your strength & make it mine. Make me as sturdy as your tree. As I will, so mote it be!'