Dead men tell no tales but drunk men do

 This a short story that I wrote a couple of years ago, and I end up constantly changing from time to time.  It's about a couple of friends who have been drinking and decide to follow a random stranger into a quick adventure.  

I

Carltin Belldom sighed after downing his seventh mug of ale, oblivious to the loud conversations that were taking place all over the Lenlal Pub. After setting the empty glass onto the bar, he felt a numbing feeling go straight to his head. He slowly looked to his left, attempting to adjust his vision, which at the moment was making everything around the pub appear blurry and at an odd angle.
   
"That's it, I'm done for the evening," the young broad shouldered warrior whispered as he ran his hands through his dark brown hair.
   
"Oh come on lad," said a gruff voice from behind the warrior. "You've only had a dwarfling's serving of spirits this evening. You're as bad as the wizard over there."
   
Carltin turned his head back, seeing the black bearded dwarf named Sorbek Ironkegar, holding a Tallman's mug in each hand. Like all members of his stout race, the dwarf had a strong resistance when it came to ingesting ales and other alcohols.
   
After taking a long swig from the glass in his left hand, the dwarf pointed over to a small square table in the corner where a burly ork in dark blue robes appeared to be passed out. In front of the ork was a half-empty glass of thick Red-well wine.
   
"A disgrace to drinkers everywhere," the dwarf declared in a slurred speech. "I'm going outside." While Sorbek proceeded to walk towards the exit, the warrior shook his head, then slowly rose from his seat, taking small steps while also trying to keep the room from spinning.
   
After successfully avoiding any collision with the other patrons, Carltin reached the table. After unceremoniously planting himself next to his unconscious friend, the warrior gently shook his friend. "Rashil are you all right?"
   
"As okay as a disgrace can be," Rashil Firefingers mumbled as his yellow eyes looked up at his friend.
   
Carltin shook his head and gently patted the wizard on the back. "Don't...don't you listen to So..Sorbek, Rashil...you know how dwarves are about ales and owls...I mean alcohol...that wine looks delicious."
   
Smiling at his friend's words, Rashil's droopy eyes shifted to his drink. "It is all right...very, very smooth...the barkeep says that...a quarter of a glass can, it can knock out most humans for hours."
   
"Really?" questioned the human with a half-smile. "Well we will have to...just see...about that." Carltin reached out for the glass, but quickly drew back when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.
   
"Can I help you?' asked the warrior as his head turned to face the stranger, a tall and slender gentleman with light gray hair. He wore a dark leather vest over a white silk shirt.
   
"I suppose you can," answered the stranger with a sly smile as be brushed some dirt off of the dark leather vest he wore over his white silk shirt. "You two look like a couple of strong able lads who could assist me in a task."
   
Carltin glanced at Rashil, who lay his head back on the table. The warrior then leaned towards the stranger. "My name is Carltin...so...so what is this task...and who are you for that matter?"
   
The man leaned back as the strong stench of alcohol from the warrior's breath brushed past his nose. "I am Broose Sandrellus, a bard. A historian if you will. I am planning to visit an old acquaintance at the docks this evening and I might need someone to accompany me and carry the goods I am acquiring."
   
Normally Carltin would question such an offer, especially since the task the bard was speaking of sounded similar to stealing. Yet due to his impaired state of mind, the merely shrugged at the bard. "I'm in…what about you Rashil?"
   
Carltin and Broose looked at the ork, who immediately responded with a thumbs up, followed by," We have to get my staff...your sword....your armor back from the inn down the street."
   
Broose looked at his two new friends with a wide smile. "Well then Carltin and Rashil, let us get your gear, and then we will be on our way."
   
Just as Broose stood up, the wizard's hand shot into the air. "Wait...what, what about that rat of a dwarf? Are we going...to leave him here?"
   
Carltin nodded. "Yeah...Broose, we also have our rat of a dwarf friend."
   
The bard shrugged his shoulders, but then noticed someone sleeping in the opposite corner of the room. "I am sure he will be fine gentlemen. He is sleeping right over there." Both Rashil and Carltin looked over in the indicated direction. Through their distorted perceptions, they weren't able to really see if it was their dwarven comrade the bard was speaking of. Nevertheless, they trusted the historian's words.
   
"All right," whispered Carltin. "Let's be on our...way." 


*******


To read the rest of the story, just follow the link to my fiction page: Al Stover's fiction drawer

Local investigator hunts ghosts for over 20 years

Local investigator hunts ghosts for over 20 years

Al Stover / Reporting and Photography

published in 41.12 of the SFCC Communicator

As the wind echoes around him, Chris Martin walks around the graveyard, pulling out his audio recorder and asking the ghosts who supposedly haunt this area, permission to walk around and take pictures of the area.

Just as he turns around, something brushes his shoulder.

This is routine for Martin who has been investigating the paranormal for over 20 years. He said takes a different approach to investigating the paranormal.

“I’m in that gray area of looking at the lighter side of ghost hunting,” Martin said. “You've got to have fun.”

As a child, Martin would go through his grandmother's scrapbooks which contained photos of UFOs, obituaries, and the Loch Ness monster. Martin also said he and his family lived with a ghost.

“We named him Charlie, and he would leave stacks of pennies around the house,” Martin said.
Martin said that doing research was difficult when he started investigating.

“I had to go to the library to find books about ghosts and I ran into a lot of dead ends,” Martin said.

Martin said he has investigated many haunted areas in Spokane, including the 1000 Steps in Greenwood Cemetery.

“When I listened to the tape, I got a recording of someone laughing behind me,” Martin said.

In addition to ghost hunting, Martin works in radio and is a member of the charity groups, Stars Wars: 501st Havoc Squad, and Spokane Ghostbusters.

“It was just another way to do charity events,” Martin said. "We've only been around for three months."

Taylor Dewitt, 14, is the newest recruit for the Spokane Ghostbusters.

“I’ve also done a little paramornal investigating on my own,” Taylor said. “I’m hoping to get more into it.”

Shannon Potradz, a member Spokane Ghostbusters, has went with Martin on investigations.

“They call me the skeptic, but I want to experience something,” Potradz said.

Martin is going to San Diego for the Comic Con. He is staying at the Horton Grand Hotel, which is supposedly haunted by a poker player, according to Martin.

“He was shot while trying to run out with the money,” Martin said.

Although he usually finds nothing when he finishes an investigation, Martin said people are thankful that he showed up. He also said he doesn't charge for his services for ghost hunting.

“A lot of people want reassurance that there is nothing there,” Martin said.

If you are being haunted by a ghost

According to Martin, if someone thinks their house is haunted by a ghost, one technique they can use is rearranging the furniture.

“Ask if you may have moved something, or if there is any weird wiring in the house,” Martin said.

Martin also recommends using sage, or simply telling the ghost to vacate the house.

“Go into a room, make it silent, and tell them to leave,” Martin said. "But be careful if you say you miss it, the spirit may come back."

Ghosthunting equipment

Infrared thermometer - $39.99

Electromagnetic field (EMF) detector - which is can be found on Ebay for as low as $30

Candles - 99 cents - $19.99

Video camera - up to $90

Audio or digital recorder for noise or Electronic voice phenomenon (EVP) - $40- $256

Flashlight - $3.99 - $60

While investigating

One thing Martin suggested when going on a ghost hunt, was to be skeptical of everything.

“A lot of times you aren’t going find something, but when you do, it’s like a roller coaster,” Martin said.

Martin also said to respect the spirits by telling them they there is someone taking pictures and audio recordings.

“They still see this place as their home,” Martin said. “You wouldn’t want someone to just walk into your house without telling you why they are there.”

Interior Design graduates embark on next stage of their careers

Interior Design graduates embark on next stage of their careers

Al Stover / Reporting and Photography

published in issue 41.12 of the SFCC Communicator

Jasmine Maxey and Kourtney Rice look over plans of the hospital floor they are putting together. They look through stacks of wallpaper, trying to find one that would match the hospital's patient profile.

Maxey and Rice are two of students who are graduating from SFCC's Interior Design program.

Students in the program can earn A.A.S in Interior Design, or a Interior Design Professional Diploma, according to the SFCC website.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of people in the interior designers is expected go up 18 percent. Interior designers can make anywhere from over $20,000 to over $80,000 a year, depending on their specialty, experience, reputation, and employer.

As a child, Rice said she grew up in Oak Harbor, on construction sites with her parents. She said she researched a lot of public and private programs before settling on SFCC.

"Once I met with the program director, I was sold," Rice said.

Maxey had grown up in Port Angeles and had wanted to be an interior decorator when she was a little girl. After she had her baby, she and her husband talked about what she was going to do.

"My husband is a contractor, and interior design came up," Maxey said. "I took a test at SCC and it said I should be an interior designer."

Both Maxey and Rice learned that the interior design field is more technical than they had thought.
"It's nothing like the design shows, it's planning upon planning and very detail orientated," Rice said.

According to Maxey and Rice, they had learned the basic skills and knowledge in designing. In their second and third year, they worked on several residential and commercial projects.

"For a retail space, we redid the whole interior and gave the exterior a face lift," Maxey said.

In addition to learning about the technical aspects of interior design, Maxey said she learned how psychology can work into designing rooms for people.

"You learn how you function within a space and what decorations can increase comfort and lessen stress," Maxey said.

Rice said she also learned about different things from the projects the class worked on.

"When we worked on the hospital, I learned things about nursing and medicine that I didn't know before," Rice said.

Maxey is working with Womer and Associates, a Native American enterprise that specializes in architecture, engineering and environmental services, according to their website. She plans on attending Washington State University. She also said that SFCC’s Interior Design program was very time consuming and expensive.

"You don't have much of a social life, but you get to be so creative," Maxey said. "You get back what you put in."

Rice is currently doing an internship for Joanie Wick back home in Oak Harbor. She said there were moments when she had to remind herself why she had started the program.

"I had to get pass the stress," Rice said. "This program in itself has challenged me to become much more time efficient."


To read the story on the Communicator website follow the link


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When all else fails, use a Sabertooth Alley Cat

When all else fails, use a Sabertooth Alley Cat

Al Stover / Reporting

Britney Locati / Images


published in issue 41.11 of the SFCC Communicator

Students drink their coffee and soda surrounding Josh Arnold as he tilts nine of his mana cards, and plays the card that represents a fireball, dealing damage to his opponent and winning the game.

Arnold is one of many SFCC students who play Magic: The Gathering in the cafeteria every day.

Magic: The Gathering is a strategy card game owned by Wizards of the Coast (WOTC), a hobby and gaming company based out of Seattle.  Two or more players use a deck of 40 or more cards, depicting an image of either mana (magical points), a magic item, a spell, or a creature.  Players use their cards and to defeat their opponents' creature and drain them of their life points to win the game.

According to the WOTC website, Magic premiered in 1993, and in its first year, 10 million cards were distributed.  Today Magic has thousands of players from all corners of the world.

Arnold, a psychology major has been playing Magic since 1998. He said he started playing after walking into a game shop.

"An employee gave me a deck and I started playing from there," Arnold said.

Arnold said his collection of cards is around 15,000 alone, and that he spends around $100 a month on cards.

"Four times a year, it's closer to $1,000," Arnold said. "It's not something that can break your bank, but it can if you let it."

Game shops such as Uncle's Games, Puzzles, and More, located in downtown Spokane, sell 15 card booster packs a price range from $3.29 to $5.99, while Introductory decks sell for $11.99.  Cards and sets on Ebay are priced anywhere from 1 cent to $25,000.  Donn Eschelmann, a manager of Uncle's, said he includes a 20 percent for boxes of containing 36 booster packs, making the total $115.50.

Sean Mattix, a first year student has been playing Magic for three years.  He currently has over 10 decks.

"I put together different themes and use numerous strategies, whether they are good or bad," Mattix said.

Clinton Montague, a first-year student has been playing since middle school.  He says he enjoys the game's strategy and quick thinking.

"You try to make something work and it doesn't, so you have to come up with something new," Montague said.

Montague currently has a collection of 13,000 cards.  He spends anywhere between $100 on cards per month, and between $500 to $1,000 when a new set is released.  He also said that his card spending does not come close to cleaning out his wallet.

One thing Arnold enjoys about the game are the players he meets at tournaments.

"It's a good social mechanism," Arnold said.

Eschelmann said players come to Uncle's to play Magic on Thursdays and Fridays.

"We have about 30 players come each time," Eschelmann said. "I think it went down for a while, but the trend is going back up."

Mat Van Blaricom, a first-year student no longer plays Magic, however he still supports his friends playing the game.

"Everyone plays it, and they're not living in their mother's basement," Van Blaricom said.  "They're functioning members of society who have this as their quirk."


To read the story on the Communicator Online, follow the link


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Twiss speaks at cultural series

Twiss speaks at  cultural series

Al Stover / Reporting

Rachel Fortney / Images

At 18 years old, Richard Twiss found himself a part of the arson squad during the takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs building, waiting for the order to burn the building to the ground.

This was one of the stories he shared as part of SFCC's Cultural Series. Twiss came to SFCC to speak to students and staff in a two-part lecture about diversity and being a loving neighbor in an ever-changing cultural society.

Twiss, a member of the Sicangu Band of the Rosebud Lakota/Sioux Tribe, used stories and life experiences to explain to students how they could be better human beings and neighbors to everyone else on the planet.  He also stressed how being human means appreciating diversity.

"Diversity is difficult yet it's also beautiful," Twiss said.  "It is not a one-sided deal."

Twiss used the example of the difference between learning how to ride a bike and experiencing it as a context to understanding diversity.

"In the east, you can't say you know something without experiencing it first, this is similar to diversity," Twiss said.

Twiss also had the audience practice an exercise where they said they were "ethnocentric, narrow minded, with limited vision."  He said the limited vision comes from the language people learn and the place where they grow up.  He added that he did not realize he was ethnocentric until he married his wife, who is caucasian.

"When you are in a relationship with someone who is different, they will show you how ethnocentric you are," Twiss said.

One belief Twiss said has helped him become a better human being and neighbor, is what he described as the Seven Generation continuum.  He explained that he learned from the previous three generations but also suffer the consequences of their actions.  Twiss said he considers his choices will affect the next three generations.

"I imagine they are with me and they are helping me make better decisions," Twiss said.

Twiss also spoke about traveling to various parts of the world and learned how different countries revered and respected Native American culture and history.  He played a video of himself and his son going to Irsael and interacting with other ethnicity cultures in different rights of passage ceremonies.

"All of these people would say they are followers of Jesus and living as human beings," Twiss said.

Esther Munroe, 22, said she loved how Twiss had traveled around the world and learned the ways of different cultures.

According to Activities Vice President Ricky Sullivan, Twiss was brought in at an all inclusive rate for $2800 out of the cultural series budget.  Sullivan said he brought Twiss to SFCC after seeing him speak at a conference.

"I thought his information would be useful,"  Sullivan said.

Twiss is also the founder and president of  Wiconi International, which is an organization that bridges the gap between the beliefs of Jesus Christ and native culture.

He has traveled to different countries, learning different religions, including Hinduism, Islamism, and Buddism, and is currently writing a dissertation where he interviewed 420 people about being spiritual in this age.


To read this story on the Communicator website, follow the link


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These students might save your life someday

These students might save your life someday

 Al Stover / Reporting

 Britney Locati / Images

Published in issue 41.10 of the SFCC Communicator

Roy Hardin is surrounded by bodies covered in fake blood, gunshot wounds made of paper, and empty bullet shells. Around him three students approach, examining the bodies and the evidence on the ground.

Hardin is one of over 70 students currently enrolled in SCC's Criminal Justice program.
According to the SCC website, the criminal justice program is a curriculum in which students take classes that prepare them for a career in law enforcement.

Hardin, who will be graduating in the fall, said all of the program's instructors are either active or retired police officers.

"We got so lucky, some of them are 20-to-25-year veterans," Hardin said. "What better way to learn than to learn from cops."

According to Hardin, students must also complete a certain amount of cooperative education hours outside of class. Some students are able to work off these hours by joining SCC's security department. Travis McCanna, is one of the students who is working off his co-op hours in the security department.

"You do things like write tickets and get experience with basic radio traffic," McCanna said.

In addition to learning the basics of law, students also learn crime scene investigations, traffic and patrol procedures, and marksmanship. Brad Zook, a first-year student, said one thing he has learned is interviewing techniques.

"I'm not the loudest when it comes to talking with people and the program has helped with that," Zook said.

Another aspect of the program is the physical training. Colin McKenzie, a graduate of the program, said SCC has recently put together a permanent obstacle course on campus.

"We just broke ground," McKenzie said. "It has 18 obstacles and 400 meters."

Hardin said that many students who graduate the criminal justice program go outside of Spokane to look for police work. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington employs a little over 8,000 police officers while other western states such as Arizona and California employ over 10,000.

Although getting police work after school may be difficult to find, Hardin said the knowledge and skills he has acquired from the program will help him when he does become a police officer.

"It's a practical education, everything you could learn from the academy and use on the streets," Hardin said. "I could not have chosen a better field to get into."

*******

To read the story on the Communicator website

Campus auto thefts escalate

Secret Avengers

As MARVEL enters its Heroic Age, no other upcoming title has been more secretive (pardon the pun) than Secret Avengers.

Secret Avengers, written by Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Daredevil) and drawn by Mike Deodato (Thunderbolts, Dark Avengers) will hit stands May 26. 

The first teasers of which members will be on the team have appeared in early February.  While fans have speculated on who is joining the team (guesses have been ranging from Black Panther to Spider-man), the roster was finally revealed in the last month. 

Beast - founding member of the X-men and former Avenger,

War Machine - former Avenger and best friend of Tony Stark

Valkyrie - an Asgard princess and one of the Defenders

Moon Knight - former West Coast Avenger

Steve Rogers - former Captain America who has recently been brought back to life, and former Avenger

Nova - former member of the New Warriors

Black Widow - former member of the Avengers and SHIELD agent

Sharon Carter - agent of SHIELD and Steve Rogers' girlfriend

Ant-Man - former member of the Thunderbolts

All in all, I am rather excited for this book.  In his X-men run and more recently in his Captain America books, Brubaker knew how to write team stories where each character plays a pivotal role.  Deodato is one of my favorite artists.  His art is smooth, but also gives a dark tone, especially on his Thunderbolts and Dark Avengers runs. 

What I really like about this book is the fact that Beast is once again in an Avengers role, something he had not really done since the Avengers Finale.  Although he is mainly known for his time on the X-Men roster, Hank McCoy was once member of the Avengers roster. 

After his departure from the X-Men, Beast spent some time as an agent of Sentient World Observation and Response Department (S.W.O.R.D) with his girlfriend Abgail Brand in the limited series S.W.O.R.D. I'm curious to see if Brand will make an appearance in the Secret Avengers, and if so, what role will she play.

One thing that makes this different than the other Avenger books that are coming in the Heroic Age is the selection of team members.  Avengers and New Avengers both written by Brian Michael Bendis, are set to debut within the next couple of months, features some of the same members together who have worked together, (Iron Man and Thor for Avengers, while Luke Cage and Spider-man on New Avengers). 

Brubaker is putting together a cast that many thought they would never see.  Although Rogers has constantly worked with Black Widow and Sharon Carter, he has never really interacted with Nova or Moon Knight.  It will be interesting to see how Ant-Man (whose real identity is Eric O'Grady) gets along with Moon Knight and Rogers.

Another secretive element the title is bringing, is their agenda.  While the main roster of the Avengers is set to have a classic confrontation with Kang, none of the previews for Secret Avengers have what they are doing, with the exception of the six page preview featuring Valkyrie, Black Widow, and Rogers. 

Brubaker has a knack of writing stories with elements of noir, espionage, and science fiction, so it wouldn't surprise me if he pitted his team of Avengers act more like spies against corrupt law enforcement, and the criminal underworld, and Dedodato's pencils will blend those elements well.

Whatever the case, the world will have to wait until May 26 to find out.