Tag: Halloween

The Lost Trail Incident part 2

Color Photography, Fiction Story
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled a Light In The Shadows 30520″ and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

If you have not read Part 1 please do so first.

The hiker woke to Rex growling aggressively towards the door of cabin. A spine chilling scream ripped through the night air. Because the fire had burned down to embers the only light in the room was a dull red glow. It was just enough to cast shadows that seemed to move and sway slightly. Rex moved across the hiker’s body in a protective position as cabin door slowly opened. And Rex relaxed his stance slightly. The boy stepped in silently and he closed door softly behind him. The glow of fire made his face red and his eyes were covered by shadow. He looked at the hiker and raised a boney finger to his thin lips as he seem to glide across the floor in a single step. He picked up the antique carbide head lamp and cupped his hand over the dish shaped brass reflector. In the dim light of the fire the hiker heard the hiss of gas and with a sweep of the boy’s hand there was a loud pop and the room erupted into brilliant white light. The hiker closed his eyes in pain due to the sudden dramatic change. When he opened his eyes again the room was dark once more. He could barely make out the heavy iron bar securing the the door. He could see the brilliant light from the lamp leaking into room from under the door and coming in through a window he’d not notice earlier. The window of cabin was opaque. It was made from paper that had been saturated with bee’s wax and oils until it was translucent. It let in the light but not enough to give an opportunity to see what was happening outside. There had been a few minutes of silence when the hiker could smell dust in the air. Remembering that he still had his cellphone in his pocket he pulled it out and turned it on. In the glow of the cracked screen he could see dust particles falling from the ceiling. He distinctly heard the sound of a baby crying from above him and could track the movement of something large by the places that dust was falling from. Then another blood curdling scream. This time from near the door of the cabin. The hiker could tell that the light from the carbide lamp had swung around by the shadows that fell across the translucent window changing angles. “You ain’t gonna git him!” The boy shouted as he began to reel out music from his fiddle again. This time it was loud. Very loud. The hiker recognized the tune as “Nothing But The Blood” from his own childhood. Whatever was on the roof screamed again but this time it sounded pained. Rex began to bay loudly with his hackles bristled and his own body covering that of the hiker. A large shadow passed quickly in front of the window and landed with a soft thud as the boy played on with a fury that was completely untethered. The beast he’d been engaged with gave a last scream in painful rage and disappeared into the underbrush.

The heavy iron bar slid back and the door of the cabin opened. Boy walked in with heavy sound of his boots echoing in the cabin. He placed the fiddle and lamp onto the table before stoking the fire. He looked confident but exhausted as he sat down at the table. He looked at hiker with a deadly seriousness and said, “Devil cat’s got your blood scent and tracked us here. But he’s gone now and it’ll be light soon. We best get what rest we can now.” With that he laid his head on the table and fell fast asleep. Rex turned three circles and settled down at the foot of the bed thumping his tail a few times before laying his head across the hiker’s ankles. The hiker powered down his phone to conserve battery and stared at the ceiling in the firelight until he was settled enough to sleep himself. He was thankful for the boy who took him in but wondered what the morning would bring.

Friends, that’s part two of The Lost Trail Incident in the can. Good night and be blessed throughout your days!

Proceed to part 3

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

The Lost Trail Incident part 1

Back and White Photography, Fiction Story
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “A Walk Among The Boles 100620SBW” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Tonight begins my annual Halloween fiction series. I endeavor to keep all stories family friendly for your enjoyment. The series will run for as long as I am inspired but should end by Halloween night.

The sign read “Do Not Leave The Trail” as the day hiker strode cheerfully into the dense Appalachian forest. He did his best to avoid snapping twigs or scuffing his boots in the dirt. That would be a sure way to frighten wildlife he might encounter. In his day pack he carried the basics. An optimist first aid kit, water purification pills, a decent hatchet and Swiss Army Knife as well as string, wire and plenty of snacks. His plans were only to knock out a few miles and get some fresh air so he felt a little over prepared but he didn’t want to look out of place if bumped into another hiker on the trail. After a while he began to take some pictures with his cellphone. There was plenty of plants and strange insects to identify later when he had a network signal. The trail led past a cliff and even though it wasn’t particularly high it was on a steep embankment and offered a great view of the mist covered valley below. He decided to get a better look and dropped his pack at the base of a huge hemlock tree for better balance on the edge of the cliff. It was only a few feet off the trail and the bright colors of the pack would be a visual anchor to lead him back to trail. The edge of the cliff was on a slight downhill grade and it gave him butterflies in his stomach as he scooted on his butt towards the precipice. He quickly figured out that if he wanted the best shot he’d have to stand and when he did he felt an acorn rolling under the tread of his boot just prior to his ankle rolling slightly. The next thing he remembered was looking up as the edge of cliff moved away from him in slow motion along with the sensation of falling. When he came to the light was beginning to fade. He’d been unconscious all day. He first slowly moved his arms and there was no pain. He tried to move his left leg and it seemed to okay. But when he tried to move his right leg the was a sharp pain in his calf. He carefully angled his head to find a stick that was slightly larger than an arrow shaft had penetrated his leg. One of boughs that had broken his fall had a twig sharp enough to go through his leg. Instinctively he placed a hand on his forehead and found his face was covered in dried blood. As far as a survival situation goes this was about as bad as it gets. He noticed that his phone had landed within reach. He picked it up and other than the cracked screen it seemed to working. Unfortunately he was also outside of the signal range. He powered the phone down to conserve battery. The air was really cold and getting colder when he saw the white deer step out of bushes. He struggled to get a good look at it but he was really weak from the fall and began to pass out. His eyes fluttered and then there was a brilliant white light and the next thing he noticed was the old work boots step into view. When he came to he was bound to a frame and heard the steady sounds of footfalls in dry leaves. A young man’s voice told him to be still or he’d start bleeding again. The hiker had no choice but to be still because he was lashed to a primitive travois. He could do nothing but stare at the clear night sky as the youth drug him along. Still weak from the loss of blood the hiker soon lost consciousness again.

Wen he came to he was in a hand built one room cabin on a timber frame bed. The only light came from the fireplace on one side of the room. The light was enough to reveal the beautiful Appalachian pattern quilts that hung on each wall. They were as much for insulation as they were decor. He could smell a stew that was simmering in a cast iron pot in the low flames and from somewhere outside the cabin a fiddle softly drone out an old gospel tune. The music stopped suddenly and he could hear those work boots move towards the door. The door opened to reveal a boy. He couldn’t have been any older than twelve. He was ungroomed but otherwise clean. He held his fiddle and bow in one hand and closed the door. Without a word he placed the fiddle on a hand hewn dinner table next to an antique carbide head lamp. The boy stepped over to the pot and with a carved wooden ladle dipped out some broth into a blue ceramic mug. As he offered the broth to hiker he explained that it was bone broth with wild herbs that would help him heal. The hiker thought about the day pack up on the mountain trail somewhere with it’s payload of energy drinks and protein bars. Then he remembered the antibiotic ointments and what they would do for his injuries. He asked the boy if he would please go back to trail and retrieve the pack but the boy just smiled coyly and said “Thems herbs will fix ya up just fine. Pa swears by ’em”. With that the boy the boy stood up and opened the door. A bluetick hound trotted inside and crawled into the bed next to hiker. The boy spoke again, “Rex here will keep you cozy and watch over you all night. If you need anything just holler. I’ll be right outside. The boy closed and latched the door and once again the heavy sound of work boots walking on the wooden floor could be heard. The boy began to play his fiddle softly again and when the music started Rex thumped his tail on the bed about three times and he and hiker drifted off to sleep again.

Well Friends, that concudes part 1 of this year’s Halloween story. Until tomorrow night thank you for spending time with me and be blessed throughout your days.

Proceed to part 2

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Incident On Panther Mountain part 4

Color Photography, Fiction Story
Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Among The Boughs” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

If you haven’t read the beginning of this story please use the links below.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

As I backed away from the tree and stared at the mouth shaped wound on the trunk I realized that what looks like drool was actually just resin seeping out of a wound that had never fully closed. The damage to bark was probably caused by another tree being blown over in storm. As the bark healed over it formed the lips of the mouth. That had to be it. No other explanations were logical. As I continued to ponder on the strange looking tree and it’s drooling mouth. My concentration was broken by another round of giggles that seemed to echo from all over and then there was a shushing sound that came from above my head. I spun around and looked up through the branches. But saw nothing. “Maybe I’ve accidentally inhaled hallucinogenic mushroom spores.” I mumbled to myself while searching for the source of noise. I glanced back to the truck and noticed that the fog was pooling in the road so thick that I could no longer see the truck.

Image Titled “Fog In The Forest 101919d”

The top of the hill was still fairly clear and I decided that if I used the fob I could just follow the beeping horn to find it again. I cautiously moved around the hillside looking for a sign of the invisible giggler. I noticed something laying in leaves. The light color of oiled wood standing out amid the rusty brown leaves. The smooth texture told me that the wood had been worked. I walked over and used my stick to rake back the leaves to find a doll. The head was made of a polished wood bead and had a simple face of faded paint. The body was fashioned from burlap sewn up with hemp twine and stuffed with scraps of rags. The doll’s dress was also made from scraps of cloth and sewn in a quilting pattern. The doll was made with simple materials but someone had put a lot of love and effort into it creation. I reached down to pick it up for a better look when a small voice screamed a blood curdling NO! The small voice struck me like a stone and I dropped the doll imeadiatly as frightened birds burst out of their branches. A small girl came rushing out of a hollow tree where she had been curled up in a little ball.

Image Titled “The Hiding Spot”.

She had to be no older than 5 years and small for her age. Her quilted dress matched the doll’s dress. She embraced the doll tightly and I heard her whisper “I almost lost you.” I was stunned by her sudden appearance. After a few moments of watching her hug the doll and whisper into its ear I asked for her name. She just tightened her grip on the doll and refused to speak. Knowing that there wasn’t any houses close by I asked her “Where’s your mommy?” “Don’t talk to strangers.” She said in low voice. I wondered what I could do. I wasn’t really keen on the idea of leaving her there by herself but she seemed to be stressed that I was there. Finally I asked “Are you lost?” I saw a tear drop roll down her cheek as she slowly shook her head yes and mumbled that she was playing hide and seek and they left without finding her. I knelt down to her level and said. ” I have an idea. Maybe it’s just their turn to hide and we need to go find them. I have a friend in the police department who can help us.” I stood up and took a few steps back towards my truck. The small footsteps in the leaves behind me let me know that she was following me. To my relief we made it back to the truck without any issues. I opened the door and sat her in the passenger side with the doll strapped in between us. As soon as I got enough bars I called the police department and told them that was bringing her to them. As we drove she didn’t speak. She only looked out of window and pointed to different things that we passed while whispering to the doll. Everything was as normal as stumbling upon a lost child in the forest could be if it were normal. Until we got to the police station. I walked in with the little girl in tow and sat her on a chair in the lobby while I looked for the officer that I’d spoken to on the phone. When we came back to the lobby the little girl was gone and only the doll was there sitting upright in the chair. Except, the quilted dress that matched the little girl’s dress was dirty and looked old. The paint on the wooden head was faded. My friend who was the officer gave me a confused look and we imeadiatly ran outside thinking that the little girl had wondered off again. We searched the rest of the day but found nothing and nobody else had seen her. We went back inside and decided that the best thing to do would be to look through the missing child reports and try to at least figure out her name. The doll was unique and should be something that would be in a report. The internet had nothing that fit the description of the child or the doll. So we began to search through a file cabinet. The officer pulled out an arm load of folders and one slipped out of his grip and scattered on the floor. As we gathered the lose papers he spotted something. The edge of a paper sticking out from under the file cabinet. He managed to slide it out to find a newspaper clipping. His face went as white as a sheet and he held it out for me to see a story about a missing child. The little girl in the black and white photo was holding the doll which was still sitting in the chair out in the lobby and the headline was from 1929. We agreed to pretend that it never happened and I decided to head back home. But as I passed by the opening of the road up through Panther Mountain I saw movement in the trees. I stopped the truck in the middle of the highway and watched as a young woman approached a tree and the little girl in the quilted dress ran into her waiting arms. Then they were covered by a thick fog and disappeared into the mists.

The Ghost Girl is a traditional Appalachian folk tale that has taken on several versions. Most of the time the girl is a teenager who hitches a ride and barrows coat. When the driver tries to retrieve the coat he learns that the girl had passed away long ago. The origin of the tale is not known to me but Incident On Panther Mountain has been my take on it. I have taken quite a bit of creative liberty with the plot to make it fit with the images that I had on file and if course, it needed to fit Halloween and have have a happy ending.

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook oruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Incident On Panther Mountain part 3

Color Photography, Fiction Story
Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “A Light In The Forest 101519A” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Please read Part 1 and Part 2 of Incident On Panther Mountain first.

The shadowy figure had topped the hillside by the time I reached where I had seen it. I looked up where I last saw it but by that time the fog was clearing up and the glare of the sun was hitting me right in the eyes. I couldn’t see beyond a few yards. As I squinted to try and spot any movement in the trees I could hear whispering coming from the top of the hill. My first reaction was major relief that panthers don’t whisper. But then I was also overcome with anger because this means that whoever it was had been spying on me. The right protocol would have been to announce your presence when you walk up on a stranger in the woods.

I continued to scan the hillside and trees looking for a sign of who might have been following me.

Image Titled “A Light In The Forest 101519b”

The was no movement at all. But I could still hear whispering coming from the top of the hill. Then the whispering turned into giggles. It was a small voice. It sounded like a child. There are houses and camps nearby but not really within walking distance for a child. And, even if the panthers are an urban legend there’s still bears, coyotes and bobcats in the woods. I didn’t struggle long with the choice. If there’s a child this deep in the I’d better find out who it is just in case someone is looking for them. I retrieved the axe from behind the seat of the truck so I could cut myself a proper hiking staff and a dead Dogwood tree I had just passed was just what the doctor ordered. Most of the rot was on the butt end of the tree so I cut it off about a foot above the ground and sharpened one end so I could dig it into the hillside for stability while climbing. The lose alluvial ground threatened to drop me back down to the road several times as I dug my homemade spike into the mountain and pulled myself up to the top. I looked back down at my truck and clicked the lock button until the truck respond with a beep of the horn to confirm that the lock engaged. I was blocking the road but if someone came up behind me I’m sure that they would understand why I’d done it. I scanned to the West first since the sun was so bright. There was no sign of a child to the West or the East. The woods were thick but not so as to hide in unless the child was behind one of the trees. I decided to wait them out a little and sat down on a stump where I could see the truck and the surrounding forest. I would sit there until either I heard movement in the leaves or someone else came up the road and was blocked by the truck. It wasn’t long before I heard the whispering and giggles again. It was coming from directly above me. I looked up the trunk of the tree I was leaned on. That’s when I noticed that this tree had a mouth and it appeared to be drooling.

Image Titled “The Hungry Tree”.

For a moment I wished I had not left the axe in my truck below. Thoughts of Tolkien and the Ents came to mind and I fully expected to be plucked from the forest floor and hurled for some distance. “There’s no way I’m seeing this.” I thought as stepped back for a better look.

To be continued on Part 4

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook oruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Incident On Panther Mountain. Part 2

Color Photography, Fiction Story
Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “A Foggy Morning On Panther Mountain 101919b” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

If you haven’t read Part 1 of Incident On Panther Mountain click here.

The mist continued to thicken as I stood on the edge of the road looking down into the foggy valley below. A few of the trees are already bare but there’s more than enough foliage to hide anything smaller than a house. I could hear a steady thumping that seemed to come from everywhere. The thick fog made me a little claustrophobic until I realized that if it was thick enough to hide whatever was out there then it was hiding me too. I briefly considered dropping over the edge and allowing the edge of the road to be my cover but all it would take is one mistake and I would slip into the valley and fall for hundreds of feet. I fumbled with a fob on my key ring. If I clicked on the unlock button the door would unlock but the lights would also come on and let half of the mountain know my exact position. But if I waited until the last second I could open the door and be safely locked in before anything could zero in on me. I looked back down the road behind me and saw that nothing was there yet but the thumping was getting louder. Why can’t tell which direction it’s coming from? I thought as eased back to the truck. After a few steps I realized that it was my own heartbeat that I heard. Pounding in my ears like a drum. Just a few yards before reaching the door but before unlocking the truck I had a terrifying thought. I was on Panther Mountain. Not butterfly mountain. Not puppy mountain but Panther Mountain. The old timers would tell about the large “Devil Cats”. Jet black and able to move as silent as the fog across the leaves. What else was it that they said? I searched my memory for the tales and yarns that were told around campfires. If ever there was a real monster it was an 80 pound predator able to carry a full grown buck up to the treetops and devour it there. That was it! The Devil Cat is an arboreal hunter. I remembered my great uncle Teddy saying that when he was a kid people would walk with sharp sticks taller than they were to keep panthers from leaping out of a tree onto their backs. All I had was the monopod for my camera but it was kinda pointed so opened it up and shouldered it like I was marching. In those last few steps I watched the trees for any sign of movement and only took my hand off the stick to unlock the truck. Just as I predicted the headlights came on and cut through the fog. The trees were empty. I breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled at my own senseless panic. No panthers had been confirmed in this spot for at least a generation. But there was still the strange silence of the birds. It’s not unusual for there to be holes in the noise that gives you way to track people and animals that are out of sight but for the whole forest to suddenly became devoid of sounds is very odd. I turned the key in the ignition and the big blue truck purred to life. I have a choice to make. I can go forward and push beyond the fog in order to find a place where I can turn around or I can attempt to back the truck down the very narrow path.

Image Titled “A Foggy Morning On Panther Mountain 101919c ”

I shifted in drive and began to move deeper into the foggy woods. I had decided that it was all in my head when a shadow slipped through the trees on the hillside to my left. It happened so quick that I couldn’t tell what it was other than a dark mass.

To be continued on Part 3

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook oruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤