The Flooded Ruin

 

The ruin was flooded. It had been for centuries, and even after all that time, the water level had never decreased.

The local village warned their children not to stray too close to the ruin, though when asked why by outsiders, no one could say why the warning was given. They'd received it when they were children, and so had their parents, and grandparents, for as long as anyone could remember.

The children were warned to stay away.

Despite the warning, every adult in the village could remember going into the ruins as a teenager. It was wet, and cold, and smelled like something might have recently drowned. But the water was crystal clear, even in the deepest halls that led to some underground area of the ruin. You could see clearly all the way to the edge of your light, enough to see that the sloped hallways always turned to some deeper, hidden corner.

So the adults and teenagers knew the ruins, at least partially. But still they felt that their children and siblings wouldn't be safe there.

Outsiders suggested someone take some scuba gear and properly explore the underground chambers, but the locals never gave them access. They didn't remember the purpose for the ruin, but they felt that it wouldn't be good to let an outsider go that deep into it.

Some outsiders troed to sneak into the ruin anyway, but somehow somethung always stopped them.

Broken gear.

Dangerous wildlife.

Violent storms.

Local authorities catching them.

Injuries just as they reach the ruin, forcing them to turn back.

Something always came up.

So the ruin sat stagnate with water, a local mystery that no one seemed willing to solve.

For what good would come from drying out whatever was best left submerged?

For Habits

 

1. They can save time. Sometines a habit is formed by repeating the most efficient way to complete a task. As each step becomes something you could do in your sleep, how quickly you can do it can also increase.

2. Because you wanted to aviid something. Like to jog, but don't like the big dog that barks every time you pass its house? As you scout out another path to avoid the dog, that new path may become the one you automatically jog, even after that dog's family moves.

3. To help you be healthy. Good habits for caring for yourself are great! Sleep schedule, regular meals, time with or away from others. Figure out what you need to be happy and healthy, then work to fit those things into your day-to-day life!

4. For your pets. Animals can recognize the daily routine. The dog knows when you supposed to feed him, and the cats know when it is time for bed. Sometimes, your pets remember the routine better than you do.

5. So you know what to do. Following the steps of your routine can help you know when something unusual will occur. Maybe part of your routine is to recognize and add those alterations to your schedule.

6. Because practice can make perfect, so long as you practice the good habits.

7. So you can focus your mind on other things. Simple, time consuming habits can be made more enjoyable by multitasking. If it is something you can confidently do, having your mind work on another problem while your hands are busy is great.

8. For when you just don't feel well. Sometimes a you don't feel comfortable at all, but still need to work on something. That's when having the familiarity of a habitual task can be nice.

9. It could give you something to talk about. Maybe you have a habit of eating all the red candies first, or you always pat your pocket before closing the car door. If someone notoces and is curious about what you're doing, you might be able to make a friend.

10. They help you not feel lost.

Barrier Bubble

 

There were ducks on the pond. Just paddling about, quacking happily as they went about their business.

I, on the other hand, was neither happy nor getting any work done. For you see, I'd come to the park to meet with a potential client, because the park provided a lovely backgound for my photos. Only, my client never arrived.

After awaiting around far longer than I should have, given that the client wasn't answering my messages, I'd gotten up from the bench by the pond with the intent to leave.

But before I could, the heroes arrived.

It can be frustrating to live in a town with its own hero team, because no one ever realizes just how time consuming both the battles and the aftermath is for the civilians. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if the heroes were more experienced, or if they didn't keep atteacting the bad guys woth really weird powers that affected their surroundings just as much as they affected the heroes.

But hey, I could handle all that. No, what really made me hate the local heroes was their mentor: Guardian Wall. For you see, Guardian Wall's power was that he could make all kinds of magical barriers. Now, I love a protective barrier that keeps me safe from the contagious drippings of Zomkey the Undead Monkey, because there are only so many times you can handle waking up after getting the antidote only to have the taste of rotten bananas stuck to your tongue for a week.

So the protective barriers Guardian Wall makes wouldn't be too bad, if he could just remember to take them down afterwards.

But the old guy never remembers, especially if he's been chasing the heroes and baddies all over town and crafting barrier bubbles everywhere he goes. His barriers bubbles are great. Keeps everything out out and everything in in, while still allowing a clean exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. So you're safe in the barrier bubble, but stuck until either the old guy remembers to come back and pop the bubble, or for the necessary eight to seventeen hours to pass for it to pop on its own.

So until one of those happens, I'm stuck on a bench by the duck pond, trapped in a barrier bubble. At least I have somewhere to sit this time.

Weekend Activities

 

1. Chores. They have to be done, and someyimes the weekend is the best time to do them.

2. Crafts. Be it a new project or one you've been working on, the weekend provides a nice opportunity for crafting.

3. Sleep. Sleeping in is something that might only be available on the weekend, fepending on your typical schedule.

4. A day trip. Got a cool place you've been meaning to visit if only you had a free day? The weekend might just be the time for that trip!

5. Cooking experiments. Time to try a new recipe, and hope it is a tasty one.

6. Spending time with family. The week can get so busy, that you feel like you barely get to see the people you live during it. So a calm weekend could give you the chance to catch up on how they are.

7. Exploring the outdoors. Be it hiking, fishing, or simply a trip to the park, getting outside can be a great way to spend your weekend.

8. Reading. A good book will make the weekend pleasantly fly by.

9. Serving others. Opportunities to help out those in your community sometimes coincide with the weekend, and can be an excellent way to spend it.

10. Petting the cat. Just try not to fall into a villainous monologue while you're pettting it.

Go Fast

 

Run, run, run.

You have to go fast, can't stop, not even for a moment.

First one way, then another.

Quick!

Grab it!

Now  race back!

Nothing else matters at the moment. Just you, running, and the glorious yellow treasure flung through the air.

Hurry!

You need to get it before anyone else can. It bounces and rolls, but you give chase.

Got to get it. Got to bring it back.

And got to go fast.

Staycation Ideas

 

1. Read books! All those books that you've been meaning to read? Now is the perfect time!

2. Hang out with friends or family. Even if the hanging out is virtual, a home-based vacation is a great time to connect to people who you haven't had the time or energy to interact with for a while.

3. Eat dessert first. Whatever you typically eat before going to work is off the menu for now. Eat dessert first, or make that super fancy and fun meal you've been wanting to have.

4. Get a souvenir. Just because you're not going away on a fancy trip doesn't mean you can't have a souvenir. Even if it is just a funny looking rock you found in the garden, the significance given to the item is based on what you felt when you got it, not where it came from.

5. Give your pet love. Arguably one of the best parts of a staycation is not having to leave your pet behind.

6. Do the thing. You know, the craft, or hike, or whatever the thing is that you've always wanted to do where you live. Go. Do it!

7. Sleep in. Enjoy the fact that you don't have to get up just yet.

8. Build something. A bookshelf, a greenhouse, or even a model ship. Make something amazing, something that you'll use well beyond the staycation.

9. Learn something new. Anything at all, whatever it is that interests you, try and learn it.

10. Wing it. Aftserr all, part of the fun of a vacation is doing something you hadn't planned to do.

Something Wet, Something Icky

 

All pet parents know the disgust of waking in the middle of the night, getting out of bed, and stepping in something wet.

Housebreaking a puppy? I hope you're not wearing just socks.

Have a cat who occasionally eats too fast? The hacking and retching noises can wake you from a dead sleep, no matter how tired you are.

Fish? If the tank gets a crack or the filter starts leaking, you might want to have some buckets handy.

Pets make messes, and often leave icky gifts for those they love. But despite the soggy socks, pets have a way of making your life just a bit better each day.

So, try not to be too upset at the next accidental mess your pet makes. Even if it meant you had to scrub your toes.

Names for a Goldfish

 

1. Freddie.

2. Bubbles.

3. Goldie.

4. Doubloon.

5. Phineas.

6. Small Fry.

7. Tiny Terror of the Tank.

8. Bloop.

9. Thor.

10. Dragon.

Staring at the Darkness

 

The cat lies staring into the darkness, waiting. What is he waiting for? How long will he wait?

The darkness provides no answers, and the silence of the house is broken only by the mechanical hum of electronics. No living thing makes a sound. The cat is still in his waiting, without even the twitch of his tail.

The would outside the house is lit by starlight, the new moon a dark spot. The wind flutters halfheartedly along, offering only the occasional howl as it gets a brief swell of energy.

Back within the house, something changes. Was it a sound? A scuttle of movement where none should be? The glow of an eye?

Whatever it was, the cat reacted. He leapt, claws unsheathed. An otherworldly hiss crackles against the electronic hum. The sharp stench of a festering wound fills the air, before vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared.

The cat retreats from the darkness. Something slick and wet is clenched between his teeth, wiggling in an attempt of freedom. The cat bites down harder, but the thing in his mouth refuses to die.

Even as the cat curls up within sight of a particular patch of darkness and begins to eat the thing, it continues to wiggle.

Once his meal is finished, the cat returns to staring at the darkness.