11-7-21 And Then It Just Disappeared
By: Colleen Holmquist
I woke up this morning and Cary said, “it’s snowing?”
I peered through the slats of the blinds and seeing the glimmering, white capped blades of grass, replied, “Not snowing but it’s frosty.
I walked to the window in the family room and and looked out at the car. Snow on the car—but not falling from the sky.
So I told Cary that it wasn’t snowing but there was some on the car.
I looked out a window again and then it just disappeared.
Story Slingers Prompt
11/3/2021
And Then It Just Disappeared
Daren Flynn
VANISHED TIMES TWO
Twenty years behind the wheel of nearly every make of semi truck manufactured has provided me with a lot of memories, some good and some not so good, and some that cannot be explained. I have about a good many of them, mostly in poems, but others I have not shared in print, and still others I have not even shared verbally. I have told of many good times, places and events I experienced during those twenty year and a few of the not so pleasant times. Most of the negative memories of may trucking , other than the accidents and close calls, boiled down to one thing. I missed my wife and kids during those long absences. Wondering how they were getting along and wishing I could be there with them for the important events of their lives.
This week's prompt jogged my memory of two events which I have not shared with anyone, I'm pretty sure. I will combine the two into one tale, true if not completely accurate.
My co-driver, Marco, and I had loaded sheep, which was the only time I had ever hauled a load of the wollies. In order to deliver the sheep to Idaho Falls, Idaho, we would need to drive all night. I took the first shift and motored away with Marco in the sleeper. The road was a two way north-south secondary back road and there was no other traffic. I had the road all to myself. There was a long straight stretch with no side roads, no farms, nothing but seemingly non-ending straight road ahead. It was a clear night with the good visibility you would expect with the full moon providing it's light.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, there appeared in my mirror a light some distance back. "Now where did that come from?" I asked myself. There was no cross roads or anyplace a vehicle could have hidden from my view as I passed. I continued to watch the light and speculate about what it was and where it had come from. It followed me for several miles keeping it's distance so that I could not determine what kind of vehicle it was. And then it just disappeared!
I have pondered about that event over the years. What was it? Was it a UFO? If so, why was it there and why was it following me?
Shortly after it's disappearance, I decided I needed some sleep, since it had been a long day and my eyes were beginning to feel sandy. So I woke Marco and said it was his turn behind the wheel. I pulled over onto the narrow shoulder and stopped. Marco pulled on his boots and stepped out and then he just disappeared!
"How could that be? Was I hallucinating? Was I hallucinating before with the light? This is impossible. Marco can't just disappear. Am I dreaming?"
No, I was not hallucinating or dreaming and Marco didn't really disappear. There he was again, Picking himself up off the ground. "What happened?" I asked. He said when he stepped out his feet were on ice and he just slid under the truck. He said the whole road was a sheet of ice.
Apparently, I had been driving on black ice for some time and didn't know it. I guess it really was time to hit the sleeper and leave the driving to Marco, who at least knew he would be driving on icy roads.
November 7, 2021
Story Slingers
Myrna Flynn
AND THEN IT JUST DISAPPEARED
A list of things "and then it just disappeared"
1. years
2. days
3. time
4. keys
5. cell phone
6. wallets full of credit cards, driver's license, temple recommend (but always re-appear after I have replaced them)
7. dental appliance,
It played hide-and-seek 2 times. Luckily it re-appeared so I did not have to get a new one. The first time was in 2004. It stayed hidden in its container for almost a year, under the seat of our Vitara. The second time was just recently. I knew I had left it on the counter. I was pretty sure that our cat, Midnite, thought it was a new toy and took it. We searched but did not find it. After, about 5 months, I decided to talk to my dentist about getting a new one, which would cost almost 500 dollars.
"And then it just disappeared" probably applies to many more things of mine but I cannot think of anything else. As you can see, my imagination was sleeping and came up with nothing for this topic. 😞 So, I'm boring you all with this run down of my many "senior moments". 😞
And Then It Just Disappeared
By: Carrie Keiser
The car door slammed and Maci walked away shaking her head. How could this have happened?
{How could what have happened? You ask. For that answer we will have to go back a little, just a step back into the past. Yes, that will explain it. Come with me, through this door. Quickly now! Close it tightly please. Thank you, and here we are!
We’ve just passed through a shimmering curtain. There, a short walk away, is a teenage girl, long dark hair, average height, Maci Lockwood. Maci is just an ordinary 16 year old, high school student, athlete and recent possessor of a drivers license. She and her friends are preparing to go to a party. They pile into her red Ford Escort and take off. Unbeknownst to Maci, her friends, Shannon River, Josie Maker and Kendra Sparks, have a secret and there is something Maci doesn’t know about herself. Subconsciously, Maci has noticed a few things recently, like misplaced items, and things that are not quite there, but are. She chalks it up to the stress of recent testing at school.
The girls speed down the road to the state park where the party is being held.
Let’s take a peek inside the car, squeeze in here with them, they won’t notice, they can’t see us, we’re just observers here.
Maci is driving, Shannon called shot gun and in the back seat we have Josie and Kendra. It’s always been the four of them for as long as they can remember.}
“Who all is coming to this party?” Maci asks as she turns her head slightly to address the others in the car.
“Oh, just a few girls and the four of us,” Shannon states casually.
Maci feels like she’s missing something, but these are her best friends, they wouldn’t be keeping things from her would they?
“It’s a campfire and a good time waiting for us, ladies!” Kendra enthusiastically added to the conversation.
Maci caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye, like a person or people walking by as she pulled up to the parking area in the park. They would be walking from there. “Hey did you see that?” She asked her companions, afraid of what they might say.
Josie glanced around and replied, “Um, yeah I think the others have already arrived.”
Maci cast her eyes around the lot but doesn’t see any more vehicles. Perhaps her ears as well as her eyes are playing tricks. Feeling like she might be going crazy, but not wanting to tip the girls off, she goes with it and they stride down the trail, Shannon leading.
Ahead, the trail opens up to a clearing ringed with trees, tall and perfect, the trees form a crescent or semi circle from the trail and in the center a fire in a pit. Why has Maci never noticed this phenomenon before? She peeks all around: up and down, noticing a beautiful full moon in the sky and soft grass beneath, she suddenly gets an urge to remove her shoes and walk barefoot. Has she ever been here on a full moon? Maybe this is the factor she is missing adding to the strangeness she’s has experienced lately. Maci sits down, closes her eyes and soaks in the night air, the fresh dirt smell, the fragrant trees; breathing deeply, exhaling and letting stress go with the breath. This has always helped to clear her head. She does hate it when her mother reminds her to “slow down, baby, just breathe” and she will never admit it out loud that it does work. She feels grounded and ready to enjoy the party with her friends. Maci doesn’t realize that while she was taking it in, she had removed her shoes and socks.
Faintly, she hears what sounds like a prayer, no chanting, maybe. Slowly opening her eyes, Maci notes that the group has grown, or were they always there and she hadn’t had her eyes truly open until now? There were now twelve people present, seated around the fire with a spot left open for her. As she takes her place among the other ladies, one stands and addresses the group. In the dancing firelight, she recognizes the face and the voice, it is her grandmother, Naomi Locke. Squinting, she can place all of these women: the mothers and grandmothers of her friends and herself.
{Pay attention!}
Maci’s grandmother weaves her fingers in the air and in the flames four trees appear as she begins a story. Another grandmother joins her and as her hands weave along, the scene is added too: a path and houses appear, a gentle breeze swirls through and a fire river flows past. Maci concentrates and can see that all the grandmothers’ fingers are weaving the picture to life. Naomi is telling the story of their families beginning in this area. How they have been connected from the start, the founders of this community and also how their families have been entrusted with power: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Entrusted as such: Locke Family—Earth, Maker Family—Air, Sparks Family—Fire, River Family—Water to the women in each family. Strange unexplained things begin to happen to these females around the age of 15.5 to 16 years. Maci’s head snaps up, She’s not going crazy! She seeks out her friends, and see that they too have understanding written on their faces. Relief floods Maci. The story is picked up by Grandmother Maker and a small burst of air changes the fire pictures to that of four young women. “Tonight begins your first night of training, in the gifts of your family and how together we protect our community. When we share in spirit and mind with a joint purpose of protection and care, we can accomplish great things!” Grandmother Maker stated as Grandmother Sparks clapped her hands loudly, the fire went out and they were plunged into darkness. Maci dug her hands into the soft soil and could feel movement, like the trees were gathering closer.
{We need to back away from Maci a little and observe the other girls at this point. What are they doing?}
Shannon places her hands on the ground and calls unconsciously to the nearby stream, coaxing it out of its banks asking it to change course and to flow through the edge of their clearing.
Josie wraps her arms around her middle gathering the air close like her favorite blanket and in so doing, wraps the ring of trees in a protective blanket of air.
Kendra shivers and draws heat and light, a small spark relights the central fire.
In the recently relit fire, the friends look around searching for each other, their eyes meet and a shock wave knocks them out.
The girls came to: and then it just disappeared! The Clearing, the trees, the river, the air blanket, their mothers and grandmothers, all gone. Maci, Shannon, Josie and Kendra lay on the hard ground of the park staring up at the stars and the bright moon, alone.
{The girls are getting back in the car, come along we need to ride back to the present…Climb in and shut the door!}
The car door slammed and Maci walked away shaking her head. How could this have happened? She tramped toward the door, her three friends trailing, each wondering what would happen next.
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