Hello Adm Fam! Today, I have a new short story to share with you! As always, this one is also an original work. This time, we walk the paw prints of a traveling cat. He usually begins from the mountains, leisurely making his way down the terrain on an early morning. His already lustrous chocolate colored fur fostered an even warmer start of the day. He appears with nothing more than his wicker basket to accompany him. He's an expert, as he has traveled the path many times before. In the span of a handful of hours, he will be at its base, having faced no difficulty. Taking only a few minutes to admire everything ahead of him. And what a view it is. The air is comfortable and fresh. The sun stretches over the village below. Birds sing and flap their wings through the endless blue sky. The journey continues as the cat extends his body, takes back the handle of his little basket, and, before long, enters the village itself. The real sense of adventure abounds here as the cat walks the cobbled stones and green grasses. No less apparent than the time down the mountain, that he has mastered the map. Around one house, through a vegetable garden, out the other side near a few workmen carrying boxes and other furniture. The four-legged friend remains undistracted by most of the noises and voices. Even those reacting to the sight of him, or the small steps of the giggling children pointing fingers at his back or shadowing him down the street who eventually go their own way. It is only at the glimpse of an old wire cage tossed out a wooden door that he jumps, startled, and nearly drops his basket. A chorus of clinking sounds can be heard during the sudden jerk of the basket. It was later explained that a couple of years ago, a few older children captured him while he was on a similar journey. They stuck him inside an old wire cage and kept him overnight. It was the uproar of the adults who had gotten used to his routine that stirred a search. They hoped nothing had happened to him as they called around and set out treats for him at their doors. Feeling the pressure of their secret several hours into the next day, quite possibly never having imagined that just one cat who was surely not the only village stray could rattle them up so easily, three young boys came forward. They guiltily pulled the sheet from the rusted crate to reveal the little guy curled up inside, wrapped around his basket. They had not harmed him, they assured. And when he first went in, they'd given him fried fish. A treat which remained untouched beside him. The troublemakers were reprimanded by their parents and many elderly in the village who then set him free. The moment the lock was released, the cat leaped to freedom with his basket hung around his neck. In a rush, many would recall, as if pressed for time. As if he had known he was many, many hours behind for his travels to somewhere else. It could have been the sudden crash of the cage that scared him, or maybe it was the memory of his capture that chased him down the street. Some time later, after the novelty of the cage battle wore off, the bright-eyed feline settled back into the calm of his expedition and made several stops along the way. The first was to a house with metal trinkets near the gate. The dangling pieces made soft sounds as the cat walked through, turned around, and stuck its face back out to pull the basket in with him. The thin ornaments twirled in on themselves as he disappeared. Minutes later, the voice of a woman happily welcomed him on the other side, and soon enough, he was back in the street. On the way to the next, two families waved and loudly cheered the cat on from their wobbling sailboats in the water. The cat paused, gave them an almost proud nod, and ventured forward. His soft paws left their mark in the wet soil. Almost a signature of his fame left behind for everyone else to enjoy. His step soon dried, and any remaining dirt became only small, unnoticeable crumbs left somewhere far behind as the cat slowed to a stop near an old newspaper stand. A stout young man with a missing leg supported by a crutch walked around the side, lowered himself to the ground, and sat in front of the basket. He grinned as he took the cat up in his arms. With a warm meow, the man's tender affection was welcomed, and the cat rubbed his neck across bearded cheeks. The two sat for a time after their greeting and snacked on dried meat while winged insects passed them by. Then, when the cat sauntered down, out of the man's sturdy arms and back to the ground, the paper seller reached into the basket, pulled out a small brown glass jar, and thanked him as he reached for his crutch. So the cat went away again. Waved off by his friend and set for his next stop in the middle of the village. To the rear of Sweet's Bakery where a young pair of girls quickly ran inside and returned with the tanned old man that owned the shop. Led at either side by the bow-haired duo, the man shuffled out and placed a large bowl of warm milk on the ground. Then, not unlike the last, he also removed a jar from the wicker basket and tapped the cat's head. When the bowl was licked clean to the very last drop, the pleasant sugary scent was abandoned for the most important destination of his trip. Through many more streets, to the hillside, beyond the clearing near the village, to a breathtaking blooming ground. The buds and petals fluttered as a cool wind swept through them. It seemed a long time the cat stood still there with an almost vacant look in his eyes. His tail dropped to the ground and his shoulders hung low as he faced the light. The feeling was so distinct that the beautiful sight took on a wistful turn in no time at all. It was there, surrounded by a saddening beauty that the cat laid down with a long sigh to sleep. And when the sun slowly warmed the place again the day after, the cat slowly took up the handle of its basket and turned back for a long trek home. This time, without his brief pauses or deliveries. Back to the hills, back through the clearing, and many, many streets. Over cobblestones, pebbles, grass, and wet or dry earth. Back high above the entire village and over the top of the mountain. Returned to a lopsided house on its opposite side that one would need to search for to find. There, awaited an explanation of the cat's motives. Evidently, he was not a stray. A blind man with a soft smile and silvery hair opened the door to welcome him home. A full belly accompanied by the comfort of his fluffy bed beside the table seemed to relax all his tired limbs. With his body curled to the side, the cat blinked slowly as the man slid into a large wooden seat beside him. The cat, he said, was called Milkit. He once belonged to a herbalist. The blind man's mother, who found him tucked away in an old tire on her way back home. He was a kitten, barely old enough to eat solid food on his own. Milkit's mother was likely the cat they'd found in the middle of the street several days earlier. His brave feline adventures first began with her. She took him along in her basket so long as she wouldn't need to leave for one of the other nearby villages, letting him meet the children and feel at home. Milkit sometimes walked the area nearby and returned to step between the woman's feet. He was very active over the years and took to handing the small bottles out. The customers rewarded him with flavorful foods and endearment. When his owner died, Milkit became depressed and after some time, that brewed a restlessness. One that they found could only be calmed by her old rounds through the town. When her once young and healthy son started to lose his eyesight, it became too difficult and dangerous to continue the way they had been. By stubbornness or ignorance, which the man did not know, Milkit loudly insisted on going out. Even to the point of taking the basket to the door every morning. He was no match for the chocolate cat and his steady, demanding eyes. Nor his loud unwavering hours of noise. The blind man decorated and sealed the empty jars, which would have been filled with medicine during his mother's life and nervously let him out. Milkit was a cat, and cats normally roamed and chased mice or other prey in a village as easily as their ancestors did the wild, but his worry was for his safety. He did not want the cat to meet the same fate as the mother that birthed him. Once every seven days, Milkit expected the basket to be filled to some degree with the remedy jars as if it were his life's purpose. With time, the two of them got used to the routine. As did the people in the village, apparently, who never minded the empty glasses nor watching for him year after year as he went. The herbalist's usual customers or their surviving family members received the empty gifts the most, although the cat had since begun to deviate from his pattern. A story like that of Milkit, the village medicine cat, deserves to be told. As a once stranger to his home, his comings and goings were a mystery now fulfilled. Me? Well, I am just a human, a photographer touched by his existence like all the rest, who captured a few lasting moments from one such journey on film. There's a board now, presented in Milkit and his family's honor. Publicly displayed on sunny days in the village green. Filled with notes and photographs detailing his life, the places, and some of the people he often visits. Last I heard, a rising artist in the village was submitting plans to build something permanent in his likeness and encase the board along with it. And there you have it. I hope you were able to feel the tug of spring and smiled somewhere along Milkit's journey. If you can, find a beautiful scene of your own this year. Have a good spring everyone 🌷.

Hello Everyone. Tonight I've got a little treat for you in the spirit of Halloween! Please enjoy these 2-sentence horror stories! I tried to scale back on the spooky a bit😅. Happy Spooky Season! 🎃👻🎃👻🎃 1. We all went to class Friday morning. None of us ever left. 2. My best friend's funeral was yesterday. Now she's staring right at me, dressed in her favorite clothes, crunching glass from my broken mirror. 3. My mother used to say nothing is free, but she was wrong. Everything's free when you're dead. 4. Karla's song used to be my favorite thing. At least, until the day it never stopped. 5. They say everyone has a skeleton in the closet. I never thought it'd be mine. 6. Riley hid under the bed. Who's the boy holding his dad with the same face? 7. Everyone loves identical twins. Until one of them is a murderer. 8. I was known for my 'green thumb.' That was, until my favorite plant ripped them off. 9. I watched the world burn from the window in the basement. Now I'm the only one left. 10. The entire family knows the stories of our great uncle Pete, twice removed, especially the bloody ones. Turns out, they'd tell stories about me too. 11. I always admired Julia from afar with equal parts admiration and envy. I never expected that I could take her place. 12. In our small town there's a story as old as time, saturated with the screams and cries of lost souls. Today on my hike, I heard yours and mine. 13. There's a woman in the wood behind our cabin. If you see her, you die. 14. I know about the man in the grave. Because you buried him on top of me. 15. What if I told you, you had a friend in the dark? And all you had to do was set me free? 16. I remember the way the machine shredded apart my flesh and the searing pain as it crushed my brain. Tomorrow, you'll finally feel the same. 17. Jonathan hated his wife, so he made the choice to end her life. Now, he kills her every day but she won't stay dead. 18. A man appeared in the dead of night, to tell me that my worst enemy would meet a messy end. He failed to mention, however, that it would be by my hands. 19. A peculiar sound drew me to the basment. When I could never open the door again, I realized I never left. 20. Sarah liked to visit the graves at the cemetery long after dark. It was a precious place after all, where she killed her friends John and Mark. 21. Beatrix drove through the heavy autumn fog as the clock struck midnight. As the night dragged on and she passed a familiar sign, the clock struck midnight again. 22. Donny Ricks went out to play with sticks, excited for Halloween. On the first of November the neighbors found him with a permanent scream.

Hello, hello lovelies! Today, thanks to a little perusing of one of my stories planned for a future date, I have revenge on the brain. So, me being me, I thought that would make for a nice little theme for movies. Which brings me to this list I've put together for you. We know revenge is usually a dish best served cold, but in reality, you'll find that platter at all kinds of temperatures. Sometimes, a meal is best when it's had time to simmer . So, here's a list of films for you to watch at different steps of the process. How do you like your revenge story? Immediate and piping hot, cooled, or freezing cold? Who knows, maybe a good revenge film is just what you need this week. State of Play (2009). A journalist and conflicting friendship, politics, a murder and justice collide in this film. Sometimes revenge is tied to corporate strings. And in the case of this particular journalist, it seems revenge needs him to play the intermediary . Kill (2024). What is it about grief and train scenes that make such good action? A revenge story served scorching hot. New Dehli bandits vs. an army commando on a train? This one is a killer. I don't even know why you're still here. Aren't you convinced yet? Doubt (2008). This movie is fairly revenge-adjacent , but I suggest you give it a go whenever you're feeling up to a story without the mess. Starring Merril Streep, a veiled secret and morality push a Godly woman to action. A word of caution to you lovelies out there: you'll never be able to enjoy this film if you don't have an appreciation for deep messages served through subtleties. In this film, the details matter. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, go ahead and skip this one. Don't worry, there's no judgement here. I   Saw   the Devil   (2010) .  If your future was stolen by a wanted serial killer, what would you do? Korean secret agent Soo-hyun knows his answer and it starts with a bloody letter V . The Manchurian Candidate (2004). Starring Denzel Washington (and Merril Streep). Conspiracy or truth? That's what he's about to find out. If you're looking for a suspenseful film about diving down a rabbit hole, this one is for you. And, just in case you're interested, check out the 1962 film of the same name. Black Phone (2021) . I remember when this film first hit the screens. After seeing it in the theater, I made sure to add it to the DVD collection soon after. It was phenomenal then and the feels are just the same today. It's without one of my favorite from the list. To say that this one is only about a kidnapper getting what he deserves would be an insult. The Fugitive (1993). How far will a man go to prove his innocence even when he presents guilty? In this movie, Dr. Richard is really cutting up. Well, what are you waiting for? Watch it and find out. If you've never seen this one, it's worth the watch. Evil Eye (2020). While it's not everyone's cup of tea, this movie is a kind of story that dances on that 'what if' line. An Indian film about a mother, her daughter, an old and new love, and the possibility of things being "more than meets the eye." Liverleaf (2018) . If you're in the mood for revenge of the unhinged variety, give this story a try. It's a Japanese film about a girl who moves away from Tokyo, constantly subjected to bullying, with a few interesting twists up its sleeves. As for the bullied teen? Well, it seems to me that Haruka prefers the blood for blood approach. Enemy of the State (1998). Keeping to the previous theme of the wrongfully accused, here's another one from the 90s. Will Smith is going to need some help for this one. Luckily, he's got a friend to give him a hand. The actor might be needing a few jabs with your pitchforks, but a good movie is a good movie. Oldboy (2003). Specifically highlighting the original film not the remake. With 15 years behind bars, it's the longest wait for a chance at revenge on the list, and probably wouldn't be complete without it. Note: This is part of The Vengeance Trilogy (Korean films). Order of movies in the series: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002). Oldboy (2003). Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005). Fabricated City (2017). A unique indie film. A man accused of murder gets help from his online friends. Talk about ride or die. I think we all could use a few friends like that. Misery (1990). Kathy Bates breaks the usual narrative of what it means to be "your biggest fan" and takes us along for every twist and turn. Is she a writer's greatest flattery or worst nightmare? Ballerina (2023). What if your BFF had a- generally speaking- terrible wish? Forget the friends that help you when you are accused of murder. What about the friend that's willing to do it for you? Lady McBeth (2016). A film that leaves a bigger impression, good or bad, than first apperances would lead you to believe. Katherine is a stiflied young woman sold off for marriage and the moment she tastes freedom it becomes apparent that she will do anything necessary to keep it. Sometimes revenge is a little psychotic?

Do you need book recommendations? Are you interested in what Alexia's been reading? Or maybe you're snooping around the internet, looking to hire a reviewer or beta reader for your book who only offers honest reviews? In any case, this is the place for you. Indie authors welcome! Book Reviews by ADMCreations Click to see full image(s). The Bad Weather Friend Read More Vehemence Tree of Treason Read More Fae or Foe The Cracklock Saga Read More Spares Read More Fur Read More

< Back Vehemence ⭐⭐.5 Tree of Treason ⭐⭐. 5 /5 Stars. Vehemence By William Thomas Brumley A Spy tale that doesn't tell? A short spy story. I don't have a lot to say about it. From the beginning, interest in the story and its protagonist rises and falls. Tella, the story's main character, seems to be clashing with the persona that the story itself aludes her to be. In such a way that I found her behavior and personality do not live up to her reputation as a top spy with lots of experience under her belt. While the main objective seems to be to get the audience to feel closer to her while showing her struggle in a vulnerable situation from the onset, I found myself looking for more reason to actually be attached to her character. Sometimes her actions, like cutting her hair at the beginning of the story for example, also seems awkward and misplaced? As if it was introduced to the audience as being significant, but gave no opportunity to build up to that. It was a pattern that repeated itself several other times in the book. While some errors are pretty easily overlooked, the writing itself doesn't flow very well because of sentence structure and choppy descriptions or repetitiveness. Sometimes, even obvious redundancies. The other characters as a whole are interesting but also lack enough character building to make strong impacts. While I could see how they intersect and what the author may have been going for, they didn't leave much of a mark on me either. Their potential was there, it was just not executed well enough to be monumental. The romance was also lacking and felt awkward. The best thing about the story, in my opinion, is the action. Although I wouldn't call it perfect, Brumley has an eye for the kind of action that moves a spy tale along. Enough that some of those moments overshadow the rest. Final thoughts: Balance is key. For a short story, it would have been nice if it had been more of a seamless reading experience. With a bit more work and editing, this could be much more enjoyable. Action is the strongest factor in the story and everything else took a back seat to it. This has to change to make the story great.

< Back The Bad Weather Friend ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐. 5 /5 Stars. The Bad Weather Friend By Dean Koontz The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I hoped to be gripped, perhaps even boxed in. At the beginning of the story I wasn't sure how I would feel. It took a while to be swayed by Benjamin and the other characters, although the visualization was there. As were my moments of curiosity. Still, I found myself taken away from the book many times by speech that made less of some characters, a story that took more than it gave, and confliction with character portrayals. For example, I found some happenings and people awkwardly described. To the point that it felt Koontz may have been telling the audience about things he didn't know very well or decided to randomly add to the story hoping for a different result. There was also a point that I felt Benjamin's lifestyle and his supposed level of maturity were sewing discord with his more childish words and behavior at different times in the story. Wherein I'd easily forgotten he was a 23 year old man given the near constant emphasis on his lack of anger, success in retail to the point of living wealthy within 3 years, etc. These felt wildly different and almost unrealistic to me (normally it is easily forgiven and forgotten as this is a work of fiction) in a way that was just too much opposition to the realism of its settings, characters and positions they are wrapped up in for a large portion of the book. These did not disappear but, when I settled back into reading it a number of attempts later, I had a slightly better experience. While other things were left to be desired and the references were a bit too abundant for my tastes, I enjoyed some of the brief comedic moments. More specifically, there were nice one-liners and jabs most of us {readers} could chuckle at. My favorite aspects of this story were the little winks to a character being more than they appeared--which could be said to some degree for much of the supporting characters--and the messages about friendship and life sprinkled throughout it. For me, this book really 'came alive' within the chapter called "The Monster" and leveled out into a semi-intriguing story for some time thereafter. Unfortunately, I did not feel the story in its entirety was as enjoyable as certain moments throughout it. I had hoped to be gripped, perhaps even boxed in like the mysterious package to Mr. Benjamin Catspaw's doorstep. I did, however, leave the work with some memorable quotes. I've provided two of them below. Two impactful quotes: "Many of your friends will be fair-weather friends, Benjamin, but I will be there in bad weather, in worse weather, in any weather." "The world desperately needs nice, sane people."