Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Black Cat Cafe


The Black Cat Cafe
Kim E. Miller

Image result for free graphics black cat            I’m going to tell you a story about a little cafe that stands in the middle of nowhere. This little cafe has about the best food in the world. It also gives anyone who eats there the worst luck in the world. However, people come from miles around to eat there—compelled by its delicious dishes. They leave fine, but two days later…. they die. Every victim of the cafe leaves with a smile on his or her face and a death wish in his heart. It makes me wonder who will be the next victim of the Black Cat Cafe.

            Once a man enters the Black Cat Cafe, he is cursed. He won’t know why, he might not even be hungry but he will be compelled to eat the meal, that unbeknownst to him deadly meal, that will lead to his doom. If he could only refrain from eating the meal, he would be fine, for the curse lies within the food. The power of the spell that is in the cafe prevents a person from refraining to eat his fateful meal.  Of course, it would not matter anyhow, he has no idea that the meal is cursed, so would eat it anyway. The spell is not prejudice, it applies to women, and children too, no one is exempt.

            The meal is amazing. It doesn’t matter if it is steak and lobster, or potato soup; it is delicious, delightful, and delectable.  All who eat the food absolutely love it. They live long enough to tell others to eat at the cafe, and then ̶ they die. The customer doesn’t know why he is drawn to the cafe, why he feels the need to remain and eat there but, once the meal is finished, the customer is free to leave the cafe. The spell is released and then the desire to be in the cafe is gone.

            The victim...hmm I mean the customer, will then go back to his daily life. Happy, healthy and unaware of his future demise. He will of course tell everyone about the amazing meal he had at the Black Cat Cafe. His friends will then be compelled to go to the cafe for the words Black Cat Cafe have the spell on them too, which makes a person wish to go there.

            Then it will happen like clockwork. On the second day, a black cat will cross the victim’s path. The next instant he will be dead by whatever means is available, a car wreck, poison, gunshot, piano falling out of a window... it matters not to the Black Cat Cafe curse.

            You must wonder about those who work at the cafe. I will tell you as long as they work there they are safe, if they ever leave though they will die.

            I imagine you are wondering why I am able to tell you this story, why I know about the food, the curse, the death. I have never eaten at the Black Cat Cafe…. it would not matter if I did.  I am alive to tell this story because I am the Black Cat that created the spell at the cafe. I do not like humans!  Humans are mean to black cats. They say that black cats are evil. We get such a bad rap…. we do not deserve it. If we cross a human’s path, they believe they will have bad luck. I got tired of hearing how evil we are, so I opened the cafe. Yes, I know, I am a cat. I did not open it on my own. I had my owner do it by compelling him to do so.  I do have a heart though; I at least give humans a good meal before they die, and two days to share the experience with other humans.

            The cafe was opened, I cast the spell, and the rest is well, as you know…history. Remember the next time you see a black cat and think he is evil and brings bad luck…..you are right! He is!  You need to hope that you never dine at the Black Cat Cafe.

Picture courtesy of Free Google Images
Copyright © 2011 Kim E. Miller
All rights reserved.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Social Media Has Given People a False Sense of Being in Touch

          After losing one my closest friends recently I have realized that sometimes we think that we are in touch with our friends through social media, we become confident in that fact however are we really communicating with loved ones? I say no. We post what is happening in our lives and check out our friends walls from time to time, when  we remember, but we really aren't in touch. We only see the lives that they are putting out there for the "public" to view. We aren't in touch with what is really happening, not really.

     I used to talk to my friend on a regular basis, or we corresponded through snail mail. We talked about what was happening in our lives, our true thoughts and our feelings, not just what we wanted other people to know. We laughed about life, we reminisced about the past, we were in touch with each other.

     Since social media I lost touch with her. We communicated through social media and were somewhat informed on each others lives but we really were not communicating, we were not really in touch. I looked back at our last real communication and it was much longer back than I feel comfortable with. We had the feeling that we were communicating but we really were not in touch.

    This fact caused me to reflect on many of my relationships and how superficial they have become since social media. I know what my friends make for dinner, sometimes their favorite animals or maybe even vacation pictures. But I really don't know what is happening in their lives. I don't hear their voices so in essence am not really in touch.

   Don't get me wrong, I love social media because it has connected me with many people from the past however, how connected are we really? Do we talk?  No, we check out each others walls and that is about all. We don't get together, we don't call each other. We aren't really in touch. This makes me sad.

     I love seeing what people post, I love to see what is going on in their lives and I thoroughly enjoy pictures of their lives but I feel more connected when I hear a voice at the other end of a phone or see a face and talk in person. Social media has given us this false sense that we are in touch but we are just keeping up...sort of...

     My son does not live with me and I miss him terribly. I can't imagine my relationship with him becoming posts on Facebook, pictures and messages. That would be so lonesome and I would miss him so much more than I already do. We do keep in touch through those means but we also talk on the phone and get together...not as much as I would like but as much as we can for now and as much as he probably likes haha.

     I have realized through my friends passing that I have let social media distance me from those I care about and it is time to get back in touch. I plan to call more often and get together with friends when I can. I miss the long talks with my dear friend and I can' never get that back. It makes my heart hurt. I can't change that though but I can move in a different direction by getting back in touch with my friends and family.  Life is way too short to just be friends on a computer screen.  There is nothing better than hearing a voice or getting a hug!