Thoughts and Ramblings: Trick or Treat; Samhain and Día de Los Muertos; Coco; the Sleeping Knights; Blood of the Innocent; Author Tim Collins; and It’s Time for You People to Click on a Link.

Trick or treat is tomorrow, and I’ve already shared my oral history of that damn kid on 19th street in Port Arthur. Back then, someone was putting razors, poison, and probably bits of glass in Halloween candy. My father warned me about this, and he was there to eat all the suspected candy so I wouldn’t die. Thanks, dad, but you’re eating all the good stuff. I still think that I was robbed.

For me, Halloween always means, Samhain, the Celtic holiday to remember our ancestors and those who have passed. El Día de Los Muertos also has these qualities. Both symbolize the love for those who came before us and our determination to keep their names alive. Because, in the end, that’s what most humans want—to be remembered. As humans, we try our damnedest to keep the names of our loved ones out there. This is why the pyramids were built. It’s also why a loved one will put out a few articles on the deceased’s grave when the family can’t afford a headstone; they honor them by placing things that their loved one enjoyed in life. Most will see them as garbage, but it’s love.

The Disney movie Coco did an excellent job of showing this. I will always treasure that film because it hits you in the heart, or at least it hits mine, because most people tell me I have no soul, so at least I’m good in the heart department. Except my doctor tells me otherwise. It reminds me of my mother-in-law. I know mothers-in-law get a bad rap from some people, but in my case, she was a rock determined to live her own way. This is why I dedicated my first book to her. Would she be happy with its contents? Probably not; the gesture, maybe.

Yuuki Konno

Another story about wanting to be remembered comes from fiction, but it fits perfectly with who we are as humans. Japanese writer Reki Kawahara, who wrote in season two of the Anime Series Sword Art Online, put out the story of the Sleeping Knights. To round up the story in a few sentences, Sword Art Online was an online network where people could compete based on their swordsmanship. It was an online game you could be a visual part of, but the Sleeping Knights were different. In the story, they were hard-wired into the game 24-7 because they were kids in hospice. In other words, they had no future in life, so the game helped them to forget their inevitable demise. One of the characters was named Yuuki Konno, and she beat the best players. As a player who was permanently wired in, she learned her skill well and defeated everyone in her path. Her role in the game was to win a tournament and get to the upper levels so that all the Sleeping Knights would have their names engraved on a wall. As the story unfolded, the Sleeping Knights were helped by another character, and they eventually won, but Yuuki’s health worsened. She eventually died, but not before she managed to get everyone on her team to be remembered. Yuuki never wanted those in the game to find out the truth about her illness, but the main characters discovered it and made sure that all the non-Sleeping Knights were there to show her that they cared for her deeply. Yuuki had lost hope in humanity, but a few individuals were there to show her that her life had meaning and she was loved.

Blood of the Innocent

In 2013, I published a book called Blood of the Innocent. There is a sequel, but I just don’t have time to finish it. In the story, I brought all the characters over here from England because I know our history and area. I could have easily left them in their element, but I didn’t want to write about something I don’t know. The book is available on Amazon, and you can read it for free if you are a Prime member. I have a few signed copies available on my website, and there are a few signed copies at the Art Studio (all the money goes to supporting TASI).

Tim Collins 2013 at the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Sabine Pass

As I’ve mentioned before, we’ve lost, or at least I have, many friends and colleagues this year. I found out today that Tim Collins—author/librarian/historian/all-out great guy who loved SETX history and his rich Irish heritage—died in April. He was from Galway in Ireland and pretty much did all the research on Richard Dowling of the Battle of Galveston and Sabina Pass fame, who was also from Galway. I met Tim in 2013 at the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Sabine Pass, and he was a joy to be around. I’m also lucky to have his signed book about Dick Dowling. Tim was special to all who knew him. I got so fed up with most people on Facebook that I never checked it, so I missed the word of his passing. I’m sorry for missing it, but to be honest, I’m only on Facebook because some of you people are too lazy to click on a website link, but I digress.

Fair winds and following seas, Mr. Collins. If I stay alive, I will try to bring out Kate Dorman’s history, as you wanted.

Go dtí an chead uair eile.

Coco Remember Me-  

Yuuki Konno-

Blood of the Innocent-

https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Innocent-P-C-Prosperie/dp/0988884208

https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/blood-of-the-innocent/

Tim Collins-

https://afloat.ie/port-news/galway-harbour/item/54028-tributes-to-late-maritime-author-historian-sailor-librarian-musician-tim-collins-of-galway?fbclid=IwAR1GJ-F0EubbkaSJ9nqtzQWffLlIAW7zE6xIP77AyCC2-ZdeBjmH8aGfQZs

Blood of the Innocent

 

Blood of the Innocent coverA little SETX fiction on this Halloween 🙂

Katy ran swiftly through the brush near the river. Her heart pounding with fear hearing the barking of the bloodhounds as they drew closer. She surely felt her world coming to an end. Katy could probably outrun the two men on horseback but not the dogs. She might wade into the river but her demise would be evenly shared perhaps among the alligators and the snakes.

Katy ran faster and faster through the darkness finally reaching a patch of oak trees near a shallow inlet. She ran through the water splashing her way to the other side. Just then, only seconds behind her, the dogs appeared through the brush barking fanatically. All three dogs had her in their sights but stopped at the edge of the water. Katy, now on the other side, raced through more oak and cypress trees. There, now seemed to be a path that she could maneuver better.

The two men on horseback caught up with the dogs near the inlet. They noticed the dogs barking at the edge of the water. One of the men trotted up to the water’s edge to see why the dogs did not follow the girl. As he lowered his torch to the water a sudden splash and a hissing sound came from the bank. This spooked the horse and made it buck. The man fell backwards off the horse into the mud. Meanwhile the dogs, still barking fanatically, began snapping at something in the water. The man hurriedly grabbed the torch from the ground to see what spooked the horse.

“It’s a twelve footer!” the other man on the horse yelled. “Hell there’s another one over there.”

The man on the ground jumped up and staggered nervously away from the water’s edge. The dogs seemed to keep the twelve foot gator in the water, but he didn’t want to push his luck.

“Shoot the damn thing Ben!” the man said still backing up.

“Ain’t no point in it. It’ll jest pick out the bullet and spit it back at ya.” Ben said with a grin.

“Well do something dang it,” the man said now grabbing the reins of his horse.

Ben pulled out his revolver and fired two shots in the air while shouting for the dogs to get back. He figured it would be better to cross at another point then to lose three good hunting dogs.

“Mount up Wes. We’ll cross a ways down from here. Dang girl must be in league with the devil to get through them.” He said, “Don’t matter though. She’s headin’ south. I reckon them Creol’s gonna enjoy that little lassie if you know what I mean. Hell, if she makes it that far?”

Wes mounted his horse. Raising his torch he noticed the inlet was full of alligators. He counted around seven sets of eyes peering at him from the water. Being from east Texas, he never dealt with these nasty creatures before. Maybe the odd bear, or hog but not these foul monsters, surely spawned from the devil himself.

Katy, still running as fast as she could, noticed the barking dogs sounding farther and farther away from her. Then she heard the two shots in the distance. For some reason, unaware to her, she had been given a chance to escape. She knew this was a gift and she had better make good with it.

Her heart pounded and exhaustion began to set in. Katy stumbled and fell to the ground. Clamoring to get up her legs began to cramp, but she knew she couldn’t stay there or they would eventually catch up with her. Finally getting to her feet she began to limp toward a thicker patch of trees. Katy’s eyes peered through the darkness in search of where she could hide from the dogs, but there was nowhere that she would be safe. Exhaustion or not she had to move on to stay alive.

At that moment she heard a ruffling on the other side of the trees near another inlet. It sounded like as if someone was near. Told by the locals that there were possibly Indians in the area, and knowing those men chasing her, she crept silently to find out who or what was making the noise.

Katy, hidden with the trees and brush, could make out the silhouette of a person on a flat bottom boat. With the moon now peeking through the clouds she could tell it was a woman although her face was hidden mostly behind a hood.  Katy knew this was her last hope. She raced out of the brush and fell to the ground near the water’s edge.

Coming 2013

Out now! http://amzn.com/B00CA9IOIE