the promotion

"thats ok Judy, maybe the next year for sure..."

"hey, the next year, this ones does not counts, k?..."

"yes Judy, the incoming one..."

"better luck next year Judy..."

"come on! Judy..."

"almost Jud, almost..."

"cheers my friend, this was not your year..."

"I know exactly how are you feeling, let me invite you to..."

"next year Judy, for sure..."

"next year... next year... next year... next year..."

muttered over and over again the disappointed figure of Judy Parlmine while her job partners passing by at her side (almost like a required but humillating support row) while puting their hands on her shoulder and trying to conffort her, some of them even hug her from several sides and some others try to look directly to her face while smiling to make her feel better, tough her eyes were lost looking only just the silhouette in the main part of the auditorium of the person she most hate in all the world, Leon Ferreira.
"why?..." - she asked to herself
"why him and not me? I have more years here than anyone... I have helped and even cared about for every single person in this room, from that whore of Cecil 'till this stupid bastard of... Leon, everyone here own me something... every single one of them... and thats how they paid me?"
Her face start to fill with repudiation and anger while squeezing the theet.
"I never need that promotion, what's wrong with this persons that call themselves my friends?, they never..."
"hey Jud!, emmm..." - interrumped a smiling and satisfied Leon while aproaching towards her

"no hard feelings, uh?" - softly giving her a friendly blow on her right arm.
The face of Leon Ferreira never look so stupid and pathetic as is looking now, though Judy to herself.
"thats ok, silly boy"
replied Judy with a shining and radiant smile as well, but while turning her back to return to her office and to her routinary job, she felt a hand over her shoulder while hearing a "you must understand, I didn't planned all this, you know, but... oh well... we're still friends, right Jud? we..."
the new promoted manager of the A.R.D. Central Coustumer Care - Section 12, coudn't finish that last question due to the pencil that was violently "inserted" from the frontal side of his neck, completly rending his throat, crossing his chin and slightly peeping in his right cheek. While looking how the dead body fell over her and with the amazed, silent and scared looking of all her mates, Judy Parlmine tried to slowly get away from the recient created blood pool in front of her, but only because she didn't want her new shoes got dirty or worse, stained; walking backwards she muttered:
"you never understood, right? you didn't... my friend"

have you checked the closet lately?

previous/10. The Pengui-Yeti                                                                                                                                         next/12. Wendigos 

11. THE WERE-COW

The Were-cow, also called The Cow in the closet is a modern cryptid rumoured to inhabit urban towns in America. Even though some documented sightings date back to the 1960s, this being is primarily a phenomenon of the beginning of 1900s, however the main mystery should be why its fame has largely decreased in the American mysterious creatures annals?, the Internet itself has not many information about it, most of the witness and journalist involved in the case simple have disappeared. The most detailed (and first sighted reported) started in earnest in 1968 with reports coming out of several towns more precisely from the state of Arkansas, of a strange creature (or creatures) that was lurking in some teenagers closets at houses, rooms, theatres and yes, colleges as well. The loss of mental sanity of every witness, mysterious kidnappings and a lactose intolerance epidemic are enough evidence that something was going on. As always the goverment sources denny it everything.

Due was only seen by a few people and always in a short period of time, and though the lack of solid records it is considered one of the most intriguing creatures of modern times; the first sighting was in april 1968 made by 18 -year-old Clense Bimett as he and two friends were working and checking some closets as their repair job in a new but abandoned building north near the city of Des Arc at around 10:30 at night, two of the three boys were shirtless, bald and had pale white skin and hair when discovered at the next day. FBI agents documented and closed the case after a quick show up though Clense Bimett body was never found.

In Augusta city, in January 1973, a man named Nailuj Reklats claimed this sighting (while peeking some college girls through a window) of a middle creature(s) that suddenly appeared from inside one of the closets of that room: "I just… was walking out my journey home and… then I notice the lights on, like a party, you know, some of this crazy music that the teen hear these days and even laughs from inside the room but then the silence and this… cow like creature showed up… and the screams… there might be a dozen of helpless young and not well covered ladies… God… the screams… I couldn't do anything for hers so I descended from the tree I was and I ran home to call to the police station, but when we got to the place, they were all gone… and I mean, all, just some underwear here and there..." Official reports only limited to say that a group of rebel and perhaps drugged girls, destroyed their own room in crazy party before they leaving to New Mexico looking for a new life, abandoning their families, friends and studies. Despite the reputation of the perturbed and chronic alcoholic man, his story was more credible than the final conclusions of the federal agents that came to the city hours later to investigate and close the case.

Another sighting was reported exactly the next day by 17-year-old, Abe Cugned, the son of a notorious officer cop, who said a cow like creature kidnapped his girlfriend while she was hiding in his room's closet while playing some teen's game. Oddly this time was in the Conway town at Foulker, miles away from Augusta but according to the reports almost at the same hour at the night.

Rumors of another sightings persisted into the 1970s, '80s, and toward the end of the '90s. The creature was blamed for teenager abductions in Heber Springs, Clinton, Russellville, Morrilton and Lonoke. In some cases, "it" is said to have frightened reluctant adolescents almost to critic levels with only its horrorous howl. A decade later in May and June of 2000, a rash of new incidents took place in the surroundings of the Searcy county, according to certain rumours there. In fact, some of the most incredible claims and sightings yet came out near of these city: that at least one of the creatures was caught alive by local authorities, however they must handed over to official agencies of the US government and in the actually there are not records, neither graphic or wroted, just the local comments and narrations in little journals. Comparing historic reports, the description of the Were-cow was always almost consistent. This is the creature the few surviving victims and witness alleged saw after the encounter:
· Taller than an average man (seven to eight feet).
· A head and a face like a cow.
· Usually hops about like a kangaroo, but can walk and crawl like a normal person.
· Large, red, glowing and hypnotic eyes.
· Black and White furred skin and hairy arms.
· Long snake-like tongue.
· A strong, milk odor.
· Sharp fangs.
· Cow's hooves.
· Walks on its back legs and holds up two long front legs with Paws on them.
· Three tails? (cow tails).
· Some believe it may even have bat wings about two feet long (not a very consistent description in all the declarations)
· Caused radio and television interferente.
· Had some mind control powers.
· A piercing, eerie but veal howl.
· Aways apears at full moon nights.

What is it? Theories abound, including: an unknown but natural species of new adolescent hunter; misidentified late night worker teen-ager mystic predators; the result of goverment genetic experimentation; an alien; a stalker and masked men; a cursed group of cow skin-walkers. Most serious researchers consider Were-cow merely folklore, perpetuated by over-enthusiastic locals immersed in superstition or a penchant for telling tall, exaggerated tales. But the missing of mostly all the witness and victims, the nonexplained insanity after its pass and the always present silence of the goverment authorities seems to probe the contrary.

Yet you can be sure that we haven't seen or heard the last of this "Cows in the closet", however sad news for the people in Arkansas and specially in Searcy city.

"... Although the traditions, legends and superstitions of North America were then not properly formed, we can be certain that among the earliest notions to strike a common chord was a belief in, and a fear of, the veal-demon. The cow was common and pretty well evenly distributed throughout the North American continent, although it was known only in its natural shape and condition, for the inhabitants were not yet in the habit of supposing that, as in the folklore of some native american tribes, some of this creatures were created when some berserkers wore the skins of cows to take on animal-like qualities but the fiercest were-cows were men, transformed by magic into that shape for the purpose of devouring their fellows, or at least, their flocks and herds. Another legends about their origins proposed that a man could be transformed into the animal he feared most, in this case the cow*; and then the white man, hearing about the strange stories of cow-men among the Indians and relating it to those he had heard even from European superstition, slowly formulated his own were-cow "tradition".—from "The Were-Cow Delusion", Nagiel Woodman**, Searcy Press, 1987

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* See "boanthropy"
** Reporter Nagiel Woodman is missing till the date.

a soul never forgotten

No one knew how many hours Marie had sat on the same cold bench in front of the entrance of the cemetery. She huddled there crying while holding the same daisy button that her husband had given her, and that she had been wearing that night of the car accident. Now that little flower was almost unrecognisable, withered, just like her now; the time had continued going on unheeding and unheeded, just like the persons that passed in front of her. They were just walking shadows living inside their own world of problems and they had no room and time for her.

The hopeless situation of the poor and lonely Marie: just ignored by all persons around her. Though she pretended this situation wasn't affecting her (like she always did on her job, like she always treated all) the truth was different. It was the opposite; every face that passed near her but didn't notice her was a growing and indescribable pain, like a divine punishment. She realized that she must stop cutting her own hands so badly in that impulsive way she did. How she wished to be able to turn the time back; that way her husband would have never had to drive that rainy night carrying with her. The rends and scars on both hands now covered her skin in easy view of everyone (there were even some fresh blood stains). Despite this, no one, absolutely no one, paused to show care or ask her the reason of her pitiful condition.

She had been crying for so many hours that she had apparently forgotten the reason she stayed there, sitting alone in front of a cemetary. She continued on, feeling sorry for a loss of which she was not very sure how it happened and holding what might have been the last present from her beloved husband: a simple flower. That simple little thing was actually the kind of present that he would never care to give to her. He gave her jeweled rings more often than a living flower. How could she not have seen the bad omen that that unusual present really meant? After all those years of marriage, it was a pleasant surprise to receive her favourite flower. Her husband always knew what she liked despite his cool mien and apparent carelessness about presents. In his soul he was totally different, and she always accepted him like that.

But why she was delaying the logical next step for God knows how many times? She was there at the entrance of the cemetary, but just afraid to enter and "pay a visit to your loved ones" (as one of the plaques at the walls of cemetery reads). Oddly, at that moment, Marie recalled that she had never been the kind of person that took the initiative. It was always her husband who did that in almost every aspect of her life since she could remember, (with the obvious exception of her failed suicide attempt).
"What do I have to do now?"
she asked herself for several minutes (maybe hours)... lost again till she realized the useless of that situation and realized that it was the time to take the direction of her life, to correct some mistakes, and to "stop crying for everything" as her husband always used to say.
After she stood up and cleaned her eyes, she dropped the dead flower that she had held like a precious treasure and decided to head into the cemetery, while her legs trembled like a little kid's. It had been a long time since her last visit to this place, when her sister died only a teenager. Marie already had forgotten her sister's face, but that did not trouble her now. Right now she was thinking that she must bring some flowers with her though her husband never liked them. But these thoughts just disappeared soon after when she looked around and realized how desolate that place was. She was all alone. Where did go all the people that she had seen enter there before her?

For a few minutes she walked alone across the entire place until she reached the reserved lot that she and her husband had purchased years ago, and there it was as she imagined it; the first of the two gravestones that in the future would be their final resting places, but an unexpected sight caught her attention, a daisy bouquet, almost fresh and beautifully arranged. But why was that there? Everyone knew her late husband had liked neither flowers nor gifts from anyone besides her, and he never would approve of such an extravagant thing on his tomb. Perhaps it was someone's mistake? But while that thought and another dozen possible explanations crossed her mind, she crouched to pick up the flowers. She froze, realized the unthinkable, and as she crumbled to the ground (strangely holding again in her hands the withered flower she dropped before,) she couldn't help but start crying again, while reading over and over the inscription on the white tombstone:
"That your soul find peace, my beloved Marie."
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Edited by Rose Lachenhild

Separation - Part 1

"What are you looking at?"

Dinemm asked the figure semi-hidden in the curtains.It took five seconds for Jonas to recover from the shock of hearing his father just a few steps behind him. He hadn't heard the shorter man approach over the soft carpets, lost as he was in his own thoughts.
"No.. nothing father... Sir, I..."
He tried to form an answer through the whirl of his scattered thoughts with his eyes turned the floor; away from the sight in the courtyard below the window.
"Are you contemplating the results of what you were waiting for for so long?"
interupted Dinemm. His rage-filled eyes sought for his elusive son's eyes.
"Are you not going to ask me for forgiveness? You have destroyed my family! You were entrusted with the care of all of us after... you... you only had to protect my two children!, only that! I never asked you for more and what have I found here today!?! My son is dead!"
The eldest son kept his face turned down, his throat tight with anger. Dinemm continued:
"My sweet Rucca... you destroyed her by killing her own brother, what a disaster you have brought on all us! Now I will have to send her away... forever, safe from you and your... jealousy... I hope you are happy now."
Jona's head snapped up.
"Happy!?!"
He refuted his father for the first time in his life.
"Why should I be happy?!? You have only cared for only one person as long as I can remember, yourself! You think that you understand Rucca now, but that is not true, we... my brothers were something less than trophies for you, while I... Did you think Rucca, and... Lucca, as your only children? Am I no one for you, am I not your son?, Or am I just a... what? A full time body guard?"Dinemm turned his back to his son. He teeth ground together as he fought for control of his temper. Jonas watched his father's taut shoulders.
"The truth hurts" - he thought to himself - "but you don't really care do you? Well, you still don't what would really hurt you. Your ignorance, my pain and my triumph."
"That has nothing to do with it now. The inspector Chronee will come soon, so, I hope for Rucca's sake and for your own's sake that you remember what you must say to him. It must be convincent to tell that all was an..."
"An accident! I know, you don't have to remind me of what to say. I was there, you were not."
interupted Jonas
"... I'll be at the hall then"
muttered Dinemm, while some words seemed to be restrained in his mouth. After a couple of uncomfortable seconds he left the room, closing the heavy doors. Jonas found himself alone in the room thinking about all the events that took place that same morning; the old mansion of his father felt more stifling than ever. He gazed at his hands, and at the same time looked through the window at the fragile and cold figure of his sister Rucca, now without the eternal company of her twin brother, while she climbed into the car that would take her to an uncertain future in another country. He realized that they hadn't said a proper goodbye to each other, however a little outline of smile seems to show in her face.
"Odd, now that you are alone... you look so... happy, so free. Now I understand why you did that. Farewell little sister,"
He recalled his father's words,
"now I know what I was looking at through the window. It was not my reflection after all...and not my failure"An old, serene female voice called his name through the door, interrupting his thoughts and telling him that his father and the inspector Chronee required his immediate presence in the main hall. Jonas calmly put on his usual jacket and took a last look around the room. His eyes were drawn to the family portrait over the main desk, and he noted how similar his brother Lucca was to their father; with the same cold, rejecting look in their eyes
"What a coward am I" - whispered Jonas,
"I hated you so much brother, almost as much as Rucca did, though... she never told you that. She did what I couldn't, with her own hands, now its my turn to prove my worth here, I guess... that our father won't be disappointed after all in I am going to say. He is hoping I will burn for this. Well, I can grant his wish, but not for him. This will be my one last act of protection for you, Rucca. None of this was your fault anyway. Goodbye"
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Edited by Rose Lachenhild

sixty seconds

Well, it is odd that the most noticeable thing right now would be this guy. It looks like half of his body is paralyzed, yet he is walking straight along on the other side of the street, making a slow journey from south to north. (Ehh, I guess it would take for him a full year of walking to reach his goal, if he actually has one.) He is holding this plastic case apparently filled with cheap chocolates with his "good" hand, and screaming something...i can't tell...it sounds like he is saying the stuff in the case is worth 50 or 500. Since he staggers along so slowly, dragging his left foot, some persons pass him as if he was standing still. Two couples that are walking so fast push him and don't even appologize. Everybody seems to be ignoring him as if they hope that will make him not exist. A third couple actually avoids him. Yeah, he looks a little disgusting from here, and maybe... on second thought, those chocolates are not so healthy after all, who knows... (But now I wonder where all these couples are coming from this afternoon.) The sixth couple is passing him now, though they walk so slowly that actually is a little hypnotic, walking holding each other hands by only two or three fingers. That looks nice, I guess, my... how much I envy them though they look stupid. A cute smile from a baby that is being carried on her mother's shoulder suddenly passes a scarce foot from me. I am startled and remember what I was planning to do in first place. I just wanted to, you know, distract the mind by contemplating some more curved and nice silhouettes, but as always I just get ignored by the interesting ones and in exchange some naughty looks from... my... So, returning to the "chocolates" guy, I notice that he has already vanished. That was way too fast (or did I lose my notion of time?) In his place is this woman that seems to have already finished her labor's day and is just waiting for a cab. (how lucky) And I'm saying the for the fact that seems that she got a free ride in this... luxury car (which i don't recognize the model) No, wait, the guy was just lost. So I watch how the girl does this "sigh" expression while returning to the sidewalk with all her bags. I can hear my office phone ringing, stupid phone. I'm almost 100% sure it will be another stupid missed call, but anyway, yeah... yep, time to get back to work, back to reality.

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Edited By Rose Lachenhild