Embellished non-fiction short – The Seminary of Praying Mantis Publishing

“‘…from that moment [he] declared everlasting war against the species, and more than all, against [Frankenstein] who had formed [him] and sent [him] forth to this insupportable misery.'” 1)
Shelley, Frankenstein , Chapter 16, p. 12

Once upon a time I found the novel by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, the new Prometheus. I became friends with Frankenstein’s monster. He was not the film version because I looked to the quality of his brilliant soul.

I wrote a short story entitled, Who’s Soul did Frankenstein’s monster have? I put the story in a folder and took it with me wherever I went. I was inspired and torn by my insight.

I felt I may have understood something no one else ever dared to wonder about. This was back in the 1980’s. Then, as busy, and as careless as a young punk might be, I lost the folder at a Mexican restaurant up-town Whittier, CA.

This loss haunted my nights. Back then backing-up-files was not so easy. This may have been before floppy disks? I did not make a copy of my short story of a monster’s revelations.

I did keep the little doodles about the story which I will share today. Maybe I did not misplace the folder. Maybe someone took it and still has it?

As one gets older time seems to bend backwards . It comes towards you so you can say hello again to those times of youthful inspiration.

I looked through all of my plastic boxes to find these images in my art closet. So glad the doodles were safe and not lost.

Stairs at Mom and Dad’s Photo by Gus Hudson

A home holds many memories. Mom told me once,

“The stairs are part of my exercise routine.”

I wonder how many times mom cleaned the stairs? Now she is free of that! No more worrying about stains on the stairs or if the kids are going to fall down them anymore.

My paternal grandmother couldn’t walk down them, so she slid down them on her behind.

Then there were the paper racing cars on paper tracks that raced down those stairs.

I remember when sixteen a brother chasing me up the stairs while grasping and ripping my only persimmon colored cashmere sweater. I guess I had done something nasty to him at the time.

What lurked at the top of the stairs?

Siblings and fights and running up the stairs and out the door.

I did that lots. Looking to the top of the stairs at night was a scary adventure because I had to go up there alone.

What lurked at the top of the stairs? My youngest child still looks up there with the same wonderful fear as I did.

Mom and a brother told me about the shadows at night that walked the stairs. They may still be there tonight.

A child hearing the distant sound of a pack of wild coyotes screaming in the night.

This was not a dream because as a child I heard and then saw the parade of music and fairies dancing up the stairs passing through my bedroom into the boy’s room.

I know the floating white ghost came from the stairs.

This all started with the sounds of the night. Waking up as a child and hearing the distant sound of a pack of wild coyotes screaming in the night.

moon light might shine through

For siblings crossing the threshold of the stairs; going up and down them was a common part of life.

Above the stairs is a window that lit up the stairs during the day and at night the moonlight might shine through.

Then there were the mysterious shining multicolored lights from alien mother ships; they turned on as fast as a light switch. Yes, at the very same window and at the bottom of the stairs. This was their point of vortex vertex contact.

holy as gold, frankincense and myrrh

During the holiday and Christmas season, Dad would staple large tree branches highlighting the stairs mixed with holiday lights.

Perfuming the air with the smell of Xmas trees as holy as gold, frankincense, and myrrh only to be overcome by the smell of booze, cigars, and food.