Storytime Tapestry E-zine

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

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Halloween Contest

October 30, 2007

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Today?s Announcement

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We start the Halloween contest today and it is going to be a good one.? Some points to clarify.? There will be two contests running simultaneously.? We will have a Halloween Contest for the best writer for Halloween stories and one for the best poet for Halloween poems.

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Contest closes for submissions on November 5.? That means I will not accept anymore submissions after that, but I will continue to run the stories as long as they were sent in to me before that date until they there are no more stories or poems left in the queue.

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There will be the main e-zine and the special treat issue will be replaced with a place for an additional contest entry.? This additional entry is by no means to be treated as if it is the publisher?s choice.? I am simply replacing the special treat feature with this one to be able to get more entries out at a time. You, the voter will decide who is the best writer and who is the best poet.

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Each day I will run stories and poems, and I will have a running list of what has been published to date at the bottom of the main e-zine.? These, I repeat, are published to date.? Do not write to me and tell me that your story or poem does not appear in this list.? It won?t until I have actually published it. ?However if you are not sure if I received your entry at all you can always email me to enquiry about that.

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The link to the archives will be posted with the published entries.? Your job is to read the submissions and if you have missed any or you would like to reread any, by all means go back to the archives, they will all be there according to the day they were published.

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Voting takes place after the last entry is published;? details to follow.

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Halloween Stories

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WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GRANDMA??

Violet Apted?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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Known affectionately to friends as? ?Teddy?, because she loved honey, Martha Dreyfus was at least seventy years old. The spring in her step and the lack of wrinkles in her face belied her years. No one ever really knew her age, as Martha would always evade the question when asked.? Her bright blue eyes still held the sparkle of youth and the sunlight captured the highlights in her silver/gray hair as she walked.

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Martha knew how lucky she was to be so healthy at her age. She was five feet eight inches tall and would admire her size fourteen figure in the mirror as she stepped from the shower. " ?Not bad Martha old girl" ?he would say to her reflection, smiling, as she dried herself briskly with the towel.

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Looking through her wardrobe, you would have no difficulty in realizing her favourite colour was blue. Dresses in every shade of blue hung neatly alongside a rack of blue shoes. Neatness was important to Martha! Almost, an obsession in fact and her favourite motto was ?A place for everything and everything in its place.?

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The third daughter in a family of six children Martha still loved the feeling of being able to have her own space and time. Even though she had given birth to her own three children, she had ensured that each of them had enjoyed the space and privacy she herself, had been denied as a child.

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The bookcase in her lounge room was filled with a mixture of science fiction, Occult, Magic and murder mystery books. You see! What many people did not know about Martha Dreyfus was, that she was a witch!?? A White Witch!? But to most of us, a Witch is a Witch!? And tonight was Halloween!

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Martha?s main goal in life, since her Husband died, was to avenge his death, caused by a drunken driver. This was forbidden in the art of witchcraft, but her husband?s mangled body at the scene of the car smash had stayed with her for the past year. The accident had changed the once loving, caring Martha Dreyfus into an obsessed and evil being, intent only on revenge. It was to be her undoing.

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Billy Downey was eight years old! A very clever boy and the top of his class at school.? He had the bluest eyes you have ever seen.? His thick blond curly hair was more of an annoyance to him as he tried to hide it under his cap, or have it cut as short as his Mother would allow him to.? Short and a little overweight he was often the brunt of jokes from his friends at school, but he would laugh at his awkwardness with them. There was such a strong family resemblance to Martha Dreyfus; you could not mistake the fact that he was her Grandson. He even shared her passion for honey.

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He? loved Halloween, because grandma always dressed him up and it was the one time he was sure no one would make fun of him, added to that he loved grandma?s spells and the mystery of the night.

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Billy was in the car with his grandfather when they had the accident. They had been on their way to the farm for more honey, when the intoxicated driver had smashed right into them. A year later, Billy still walked with a limp and still had nightmares about the accident. However he had retained his happy personality and doctors had every hope for a complete recovery.

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He had been his grandfather?s blue-eyed boy and Martha loved him dearly. There were days when Billy would shut himself away in the quietness of his bedroom and shed more tears for his beloved grandpa. The days were fewer now though as Billy had learnt the finality of death at a very young age.

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Fishing was Billy?s great love and he would go along the pier every chance he could with his friends Joey Wright and Peter Thompson. They would pack a lunch and with their fishing rods over their shoulders would march off to the waterfront every weekend.

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Billy loved to visit his Grandma Dreyfus though, just lately he felt uncomfortable about the change in her. He was old enough to understand that she missed his grandfather and was feeling lonely, so he would still make his regular weekly visit. He loved to read her books and listen to her stories about magic. Till the day he visited and could not find her.? That day was to change Billy forever!

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To this day Grandma has never been found! But the book of spells she was working on for Halloween was wide open on the table and a black cat still sits in Grandma?s chair, on her blue cushion and no one but Billy is ever allowed to get close to it. The spell on the open page of her book was titled

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The Halloween Spell Of Revenge.?

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Copyright Violet Apted

violetsrblue7@hotmail.com

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The Devil's Night

Bill Walker

missourisage@yahoo.com

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I guess all knows what is the Devil's Night is. Halloween time.? Well that it may be, I guess many good preachers says so, and we all know preachers are never wrong on their thinking. I know many things are/is done on that day, evening of harm.? But on the other hand I think it is an evening or time of good, clean fun.

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What is wrong with having a little fun? What is wrong with dressing up in some silly outfit, being something your not? What is wrong with kids running from house to house with the trick or treat deal?? I have had only one or two times of some kid, or kids doing any tricks.? And?I wonder if that wasn't done by some grown up kids. Yes i guess that might be called Devil's night action.? But the kids as a whole is just good kids having a bit of fun.

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I wonder about people that says it is the Devil's night, have they ever thought about taking the day away from the Devil??? How about if the church would throw a big party?? Most churches has a parking lot, or a place out back of church.? Why not build a fire there, have roasting weenies, and such. games, and such, invite kids of all ages to come and have a good time.? Let the kids of all ages come, dressed up or what ever, have a good time, go home worn out. And none had time to get in or out of trouble.

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I was talking to a lady that has taken over the duties of a preacher in a home for people with some problems. She said they party a bit for the day. She comes to work dressed as a clown or something. I think it is a great idea myself.

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Now lets take this a bit more here.? I happen to think, many people try to put on an act to be something they are not on other days of the year.? How about the ones that tries to be so pure come Christmas time.? Those wear a mask as sure as any thing. Many are rotten to the core, but at that time they try to be something they sure are not. Yes so pure they stink.

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I said something about a Halloween Party at church some years ago, Got told no way, it is the Devil's Night.? Mr. and Mrs Preacher sets in the house, and welcomes the kids at the door, and hands out treats.? The treats is church tracks. I bet it is not long, till it gets around, don't go to that door, your going to get a track.? Anyways this year. we going to have a party.? We have a fellow and wife that came here from else where. Mr. and Mrs Pure.? They going to load some of the older kids and take some where to a pumpkin patch. Cost only 10 dollars each.? This is mid of the month, not the Devil's Night.? What you bet some one will have a kid in trouble, that could have been to Bill's wild idea of a party on the Devil's Night?

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I notice Halloween comes on Wed. of this year.? That church night you know.? Don't look for Bill at church.???? Bill going to be home in some crazy outfit waiting for the kids.

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Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write

http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-35741-5

Halloween Poetry Corner

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October Happenings

Cynthia Groopman

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October is laden with hustle and bustle,

As leaves dash dance and rustle.

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Colors of the changing seasons dazzle us with awe,

Gone are the merrily chirping birds

Singing their melodies that we truly adore.

Temperatures cool down,

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Sometimes, the sky has an autumn sad frown.

Clad in costumes, to scare us on Halloween night,

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Ghost and goblins roam as all scream and shudder in fright

Celebrating the Day when Columbus sailed to the new world,

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With parades, store sales and a day off,

we honor the hero so brave and bold.

Thus, dear friends, enjoy all of October's 31 days,

May hearts smile with joy and dance in a sprightly way.

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Cynthia Groopman

Cynthia.groopman@verizon.net

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Readers Feedback

?Hi!

Just a word of support for Bonnie!

First, I was 34 years an educator: 2 at Houghton C., 2 at a Private Phila. School, 5 at a NYS public and 25 as a NYS Asst. Prncipal. I have a red belt in Karate, am a v. good pistol shot, need to get back to weights but have hit 265 bench, not bad for 5'8 lol. Yes, I give your husband much credit for not stooping to this demon's level!!! Demon.

And that is my point for you! Whatever your exact faith (and ask any of us, if you do not have one), God does promise to protect us!!! We cannot "damn" anyone; that is His job. But we CAN ask Him to "rebuke" an enemy; i.e., "tell him/her off" -- but very strongly!

Everytime I saw that "man", I would make the sign of the cross over this sighting and say out loud: "be rebuked in the Name of Jesus Christ!" I would point my right hand "pointer" finger right at him and FOCUS all my energy against him.

Tell your kids to do the same, and pray for them and with them, and RID your lives of him!
Let him deal with the God of all the Universe and His Messengers!
As I write in my book, "anyone who messes with the God of the Universe will live and die to regret it!"
May God bless and protect all of you!
Amen
Vance Agee

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Published Stories and Poems to date; only works that have been published already will appear here.

If you would like to review some the entries before voting please go to this link:? http://archives.zinester.com/98907

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Story Contest

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Name:????????????????????????? Title:???????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????? Date:

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Tanja Cilia??????????????????? Present Tension ? The Novel??????????????? ??????????? Oct 30

Violet Apted???????????????? Whatever Happened to Grandma???????? ??????????? Oct 30

Bill Walker?????????????????? The Devil?s Night????????????????????????????????????????????? Oct 30

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Poetry Contest

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Name:????????????????????????? Title:???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Date:

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Cynthia Groopman?????? October Happenings???????????????????????????? Oct 30

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