Short Story - Wailing Banshee

I apologize profusely for the long absence, and resolve to write today be for I forget and don't post for another week. Anyway I have recently been mostly writing reviews about various stuff, so I thought I would shake things up a little bit by posting a short story written by yours truly. I had to write one for my comp class, it nothing great, but I hope you will enjoy it!

“Da, tell us a story!” pleaded the young lad sitting next to the fire, his hair as blazing red as the flames.

                “Yes, I want to hear about the time you met a Banshee!” said Patrick his older brother, “Besides, Michael hasn’t heard that one yet.”

“Well alright, but ye have to promise that ye won’t be scared.” Michael’s eyes got very big, but he was reassured by his father’s broad grin.

“It was a night like tonight, the air so fresh and cold that you could nearly touch it. I had stopped for the night in a glen, weary from the day’s ramblings. I looked about me for somethn’ to burn for it was promising to be a fearfully cold night, even for a Delaney!  I set up a fire with some small twigs and dried grass but the way the flames were greedily devouring that meager material, I knew that I would have to look for something more substantial before long.  I got up from my fire and kicked it out and went into the woods to look for more fuel and perhaps some supper. It was not a bad night to be out on; there was no moon, but the stars shown down as brightly as they could to guide my feet.

I had been searching for some time when I saw a clearing with a soft glowing light up ahead. Perhaps tis a farm or cottage, I thought to myself, stumbling forward, excited at the possibility of a warm place to stay and perhaps a hot meal. When I came closer, I saw that it was only a forgotten grave yard, filled with crumbling stones reaching into the sky like black teeth flooded with the ghostly moonlight. Then I remembered, there is no moon tonight. Stricken, I turned slowly and discovered the source of the light. There in the other corner of the graveyard was a tall pale woman kneeling over a washtub weeping silently, her hair and garments swirling around her as if she were being swept by unseen winds or currents. She was the light, it was radiating off her, around, and through her.

A Banshee! I thought to myself, tis the end for me now, for as both you lads know if ye hears the wail of a Banshee, it is a warning of impending death and that ye best prepare to meet your maker. Ye can image that I wished to run from that place as quickly as my legs could carry me, but something stopped me. She was weeping and perhaps there was something I could do to help the poor lass. As I came nearer, I saw that she was washing a shirt soaked in blood, her hands as red as the rest of her was white. She turned her tearstained face to me. She was quite lovely in her way, but she was nothing compared with your mother. I asked if there was anything I could do for her, she gave me a sad smile and shook her head. She continued washing the shirt, and I knew that there was nothing I could do for her and it was time for me to leave. I left and surprisingly I found my way home, then it struck me what danger I had been in, and I was sure that I was the luckiest man in Ireland to have seen a Banshee and live to tell the tale.”

“Daddo, did that really happen?” said Michael clinging tightly to his father. “I mean did you really hear the wail of banshee?”

 “Whether or not, that is not the point of the story.” His father said, hugging his sons, “The important part is that you must never fear death for it is just a passing to something better, and all you need is to be prepared.” 

Movie Review - Doctor Who

Well, things are plugging long for me, just finished my speech for class (only by staying up all of last night, ugh!) Any way its time for another movie review! Doctor Who, is by far the the favorite TV series in our house. Anyway, Doctor Who is a British television sci-fi show that started way back when the black and white days and is still going on today. Okay I just want to put in a disclaimer to the Doctor Who fans who may happen to read this that I know I cannot give justus to the awesomeness of Doctor Who in it's complexity. Anyway, the series is about a Timelord (eg. an alien) that travels in time and space in his time ship that is bigger on the inside and also looks like a police box, and his various adventures saving the world. Did I mention that he's about 900 years old? Timelords have this way of "cheating death" as it where, and are able to regenerate, which basically means that if he gets killed his body is able to regenerate it self, and basically changes completely (new actor and everything). This way the get a "new" Doctor, though he has the same memories, he has a new body and personality. So far the Doctor has regenerated ten times (I refuse to accept the eleventh, the newest one is just not the doctor!) Anyway this the way the series is divided according the regenerations. My personal favorite is the tenth version of the Doctor (acted by the Scottish David Tennant!) who is on the newer part of the Doctor Who Series. My family prefers the fourth better (acted by Tom Baker) since he was the Doctor when my dad watched the show as a kid! If you want to start watching the series (since it will be nearly impossible for you to understand it if you start in the middle) I suggest that you start with the tenth Doctor on this episode Smith and Jones  as the newer series is better explaining the doctor. The entire new series is also on Netfiex Instant watch, which may be helpful to those of you have Netfix. Just so you know the newer Doctor who series is meant for older audiences and not for children, but the older series (exspecally the forth doctor) is alright for older children. Overall I would defiantly recommend this movie as it as all that a good show should have, humor, action, time traveling, and cool British accents!

Book Review - Redwall

I was first introduced to this book when I was about nine and the moment I picked it up I couldn't put it down, I just had to finish it! A very intriguing series, even though it is about sword welding mice, Brian Jacques, makes it fun and adventurous. The story starts with a young mouse in an Abbey longing for adventure, never expecting that he would actually end up in one, when the Abbey is attacked by a hoard of sea rats! Read to find out how he and his friends, Cornflower, Basil and Constance, just to name a few, help protect the peaceful Abbey. Great story to read to younger siblings, and to add to the fun make sure to read it with an accent! Even if it’s not completely correct, my siblings seem to enjoy it none the less.

Old Time Radio - Evening Primrose

For a first free radio drama, (public domain) I have selected a very interesting tale from Escape, called the Evening Primrose. A thrilling tale of suspense and mystery. Ever wonder what happens at a store when it closes? My sister and I would always imagine what we would do if we lived in a store, and how we would evade the costumers and staff. Well this elaborates on that idea, about a young man who goes to live at the department store because of his lack of money, but soon finds that he is not alone.......

Evening Primrose

Book Review - Shadow of the Bear

Like Catholic fiction? How about fairytales? With The Shadow of the Bear by Regina Doman, you get both! A fairytale set in modern time, Regina takes you on through the classic fairytale of Rose Red and Snow White.
           


                                                 "Once upon a time... In New York City, a young, secretive street tough who calls himself, Bear, lands on the doorstep of two teenaged sisters. On the one hand Rose is delighted with his surprising knowledge of literature, poetry, and music; on the other hand Blanche is afraid of his apparent connections to drugs, murder, and a hidden treasure. Even as Blanche learns to trust him, her fears that Bear's friendship threatens their family prove terrifyingly true."  ~back cover of Shadow of the Bear

One of the best books I have ever read, a really hard to put down novel! Not meant for the younger audiences, as it does deal with some adult topics, for you younger readers I recommend for you the picky parent's guide to the Shadow of the Bear. If you want to find out more about the book (including the first chapter of the book free) check out Regina Doman's website Fairytale Novels. Stay tune for more Reviews!  

Movie Reveiw ~ Little Dorrit

Based of the little known Charles Dickens novel, Little Dorrit, is a delightful mini series from BBC. Amy Dorrit has lived in the  Marshalsea Prison for Debt since her birth and cares for her elderly father who is there because of his debt. To help the family financially, Amy hires herself to a Mrs. Clennam who confined to a wheel chair and not disposed to charitable acts for some reason takes a interest in this young lady from the marshalsea. Her son, Arthur Clennam who was abroad for many years, returns to his mother, after his fathers death. Due to his fathers unrest at his death about a certain matter, Arthur suspects that the family business may have ruined someone that his father wished to make amends but was unable to. Arthur discovers his mother fondness for the Miss Dorrit and suspects that his family may be the reason for Mr. Dorrit's debt, and he endeavores to discover this and to help Amy and her family.  A true Dickens tale in it complexity as there are many other plots to this movie. Though not a movie for young  watchers as there is instances of violence (murder) and some profanity. It is a thoroughly riveting movie, one of my personal favorites!

A link to the movie on youtube: Little Dorrit

Enjoy!

Update # 42 - for lack of a better name

Well, things are coming slowly, I have not made very much progress as far as the editing is going, due to the enormous piles of school work that I am working on right now. I'm hoping to get a lot done during Christmas break. I have been giving some thought to what I can write about on this blog, seeing as I haven't much to update on the current project. So I'm thinking that I will work on different subjects that I can write as a periodical, like maybe um.... well I suppose I could go totally off topic here, no I've got another blog for that... I've got it! I'll find different old radio shows to post thoughts and comments, and I could do movie reviews (new and old) and book reviews, not to mention painting and music reviews! Great now I've got something to write about that will be interesting too. (a hard combination if I do say so myself!) I won't do it right now as I do need sometime to come up with something that is coherent (which I fear this particular post is sadly lacking.) Well till next time, may it not be to far off!

Update on Pygmalion

Well I started editing the recordings, it will most likely be awhile before I finish, mostly because I am rather busy with school. I also started recording my older brother for the part of Higgins (due to the fact that the person I originally cast has recently entered the seminary). Which has been very fun, my older brother, shall we say, is very entertaining and he knows it. Hopefully I can get the whole thing edited and finished by this Christmas. Another exciting point, we are going to use a song composed and played by my little brother on the piano for our production group's theme. It sounds amazing and I can't wait to record him.

I am also going to be starting a writing a book in the near future, say maybe a few years, well maybe a little sooner then that, though I have to say that I never thought that I would ever want to write a novel but here I am about to start writing the beginning draft. Also of all subjects I chose Science Fiction, who would have thought! I'm also looking at recording some public domain books, but we shall see what happens.

Welcome

 On the behalf of the Church Basement Production group, I welcome you to this blog. We are now working on our first production, Pygmalion, a full-cast radio drama. If all goes well, I should have this done and on the website by Christmas.
Our production group will not only do radio dramas, but also movies, books, art, music and other media forms. To illustrate the kind of things we will be doing, here are some projects that we hope to take on. My sister and I are hoping to film a sort of mock-umentary (which is a documentary except fictional) on fairies, where the hosts of the show go on expeditions to find fairies and mythical creatures. It would be in the format of a regular TV documentary show.
A little near to the future, my sister is writing a dramatization of the trials of St. Joan of Arc. This would be for the radio and we hope we could find someone who would broadcast it on the radio.

Also my sister is working on her first novel, called the Abandoned which will be the first in a series of three. She is hoping to have it traditionally published, but we will also have it available on the website.