it's a tomb. Here:

I once wrote a story for a writing challenge.
According to a framed 1099 statement, at the time I had secured employment on a salmon fishing boat off the Kootenai Peninsula in Alaska. All must have gone well, because I am currently in reasonable health, except for three useless toes on my right foot, which a doctor friend tells me were probably brought low by frostbite. Alaska can be cold he informs me.

There is a sepia-toned image in my memory of one of my shipmates, a German called Swede (the result of a vague resemblance to Liv Uhlman), lying on a bunk, his wireless laptop on the galley table. Swede has a bandage wrapped around his head, a wadded ball of which covers his left eye. His hand is gripping a bottle of aqua vitae. In a mirror on the wall next to his bunk I see my face. I am looking in my eyes for guidance. The next solid image is of pornography containing a woman and a pig, then nothing, then the words That Special Place next to a pulsing cursor. Im sure I thanked Swede for the loan of his computer. I vow to replace it one day.

On the label of a chipped floppy disk taped to the inside of my canvas backpack is written That Special Place/1000 words it says. A nice round number, that.

The place neednt be physical says the piece of paper containing the rules in which the disk is swathed, It can exist in your dreams, your hopes, your desires. Had I held fast to a very solid rule of my own, I would have avoided writing anything approaching the disturbing romanticism suggested by the title, but at the time there must have been compelling need to give voice to a voice I thought long dead.

Further down the paper it indicates the challenge had been held at an online, 3D graphics site called Renderosity, home to a people concerned with creating instances, worlds, and women with whom they will never have contact. Im not sure how I came to visit such a place, but, again, the a voice I thought long dead thing sounds plausible.

In my wallet is a letter from the moderators of the contest stating that I had come in third in the challenge. I see I was bested by 2 poems of the dumped chick/dead baby strain. My That Special Place received 8 votes for best. That warms me all over.

Except for those three toes.

In a map of Renderosity, I'm sure that there is a Sea of Bathos. It needs a small salmon fishing boat (salmon contrasts nicely with dark blues). ;)

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=12436&Form.ShowMessage=2384524

midrael, Gollygeeewhillikers... you're asking us to sp(r)out opinions??? To hazard an activity or two in the face of withering silence????? To wear out the punctuation keys on our typewriters??????? ;^) I've thrown bunches of challenge ideas out in the Challenge Arena in an attempt to stir up mischief and merriment (or something), but have a few more. Ideas are easy, getting people to comment and commit is much harder. Carolly Evil OverMistress of the UnderDark and Catalyst-at-Large

To those three toes... ;O) Should you come and sink yourselves Deep into warm caressing sands Of that special place of mine In wild South African lands. The strangest sensation you will find One that seems to pull them down to grow roots deep within The fine sands of mottled brown For not only lush green trees grow here and birds and animals abound The people are so cultural And plenty to be found From stomping feet in pounding rhythm colourful beads and fur round flame, To boerewors on spitting braai where everyone knows your name. The differences may be vast and wide Within this raw wild land But deep inside we're all the same As God originally planned. So visit this place, my special home And curl up deep inside The warm hot sands would welcome you With arms stretched open wide.

Silence can be golden. It also can be deafening. All a matter of perspectives I suppose. Some need the tv on to get to sleep while others need it off. (I love reading Tallpindo's commentaries. I've been trying to understand him for months now -WINK). Btw -- garblesnix and all who visit this forum -- What works of yours I have been fortunate enough to view and read are truly, brilliantly written. I understand why you and others might not want some to be posted in the writer's gallery at times, but I would enjoy your constructive commentaries on mine and other writers' written pieces in the writer's gallery - should you be so inclined. I noticed above it's being asked how to get more writers involved. Just the very act of asking such a question says something, to me at least. From my travels here during my short time, I and others feel there to be a disconnect, rightly or wrongly. Some think there are two clubs of writers here -- those in the forums and those in the writers gallery. Just my simple thoughts and observations from myself and others who comment my way. What's that old saying? - "Don't kill the messenger". WINK. Many thanks in advance. My best, T.P.

Someone hand me that shotgun! lol. Sweet TP, thanks for the advice. Acutally found the writers gallery yesterday and posted a piece there... Now I know where to hang out...

:)