From the Cobwebs: The Dark Shadow

    I found this old piece of writing that came up on my Facebook Memories. I had forgotten the whole backstory until I read through everything. Facebook has a reputation of taking things you've posted and getting rid of them, so NOW I post everything important on my blogspot (and eventually a usb) 

    In 2007, I was going through boxes in my storage unit and found this A+++ piece of literature that I wrote when I was in elementary school. I typed it out, word-for-word and letter-for-letter. I proudly claim all the spelling mistakes which, reasonably, belong to the writing style of an 8-year-old. Once I got to a certain point, I 'finished' the previously 'unfinished' story, trying to stay with the theme, and adding elements of my life as a 38-year-old. I'm sure y'all won't be surprised that it had a happy ending!!! 

    Anyway, here is one of the first stories I ever wrote and proof that I've been creating, not only in art form, but also in writing form, for many, many years! I hope y'all enjoy it. I made me laugh out loud. And I read it aloud to the 'Rachel' who made an appearance in the story and she liked it, too!! 

                                                     The Dark Shadow

               written and illustrated By: Loralee Ford (Sorry, no illustrations are extant!) 

     Part 1 Once there were 7 sisters and there names were Susan, Sylvia, Gay, Ann, Felishia, Brenda, and Shamarie, since Shamarie was seven a shadow was around her house. Susan said "hit's that Shadow agian." "I'm scaird" said Ann. 

     Part 2 "Well, I'm not!" said Sylvia. "The rest of you may-be scared." "What would you do if the shadow came up behind you and grabbed you." demanded Gay. Sylvia said, "I would scream as loud as I could." Brenda said, "I wouldn't, I'd run as fast as I'm able." Felicia asked, "How do you spell mouse trap in 3 letters?" Susan replied, C-A-T. That joke is dumb." Felicia said, "I was just trying to cheer you all up!" 

     Part 3 "Oh! That is Dumb" said Sylvia. Sylvia asked Why is a rabbit's nose always shiny? "Because he has the powder puff on the right end" Felicia said. Susan said "Because he has the powder puff on the wrong end." "right" said Sylvia. "Susan is right" "Just because I got it wrong Don't mean you have to make fun of me!" Well Just Because we say something it dosn't mean you have to cry! "I know but......and The lights went out for a min. Then they were on agian but Sylvia was gone. Lori(editor's note: Where did 'Lori' come from? She wasn't one of the original seven sisters! Did I just want to insert myself in the story? P.S. My nickname as a child was 'Lori.') Susan Gay Ann Felaia Shamaire went out to look for her. 

     Part 4 and then they came to a big house on a Mountain. On the front of the House it said: go in and they went in. and they saw a shadow it was dancing like a ghost. "I'm still scard" said Ann "I told you Don't be scard" said Gay. 

     Part 5 Susan asked Why don't womam be-come bald as fast as men? Brenda replied "Because they wear their hair longer" "right, " replied susan. "What if the shadow gets us?" Asked ShamMarie. 

     Part 6 "We will get mom and dad fast and try to get out of the house" Gay exclaimed. "How can we, the door is locked?" demanded Sylvia. And there aren't any window!" continued Susan. "Well we have a hammer it might help." Demaned Brenda.    

    Part 7 We can kic the shadow down and run. One day they went to..............(The original script ends here. Everything from here on out is written in 2007) ....their friend Rachel's house. She and her sister, Abbey, were really good at Tai-Bo, so the girls thought they might be helpful with defeating the Dark Shadow. Then they all decided that they should head on over to Daniel and Bryant's house. They were twin brothers and were really smart, so they all decided that the boys might be helpful in knowing what can defeat the Dark Shadow. 

     They decided to meet at Chipotles and eat Mexican food and plan their attack. While they were eating, Jackie, Rebecca, Jamie, and Karen S. came in to the Chipotle's to eat, also. "What are you all doing here?" demanded Jackie. "We are planning to defeat the Dark Lord...errrr...I mean Shadow." declared Rachel. "Yeah, Bryant, do you know what a horcrux is and how we can defeat it?" asked Felicia and Gay in unison. "What do you get when you combine 5 female pigs and five male deer?" asked Felicia. "Ten sows and bucks. That joke is pheeewwweeeeeee!" said Susan. Felicia replied nicely "I was just trying to cheer y'all up!" 

     Part 8 The gang finally decided on a plan. As they headed out of Chipotles and toward the Mountain on which was perched the house wherein the Dark Shadow danced like a ghost, they ran into Analisa, and Bug, and Reagan and Shelby and Noah and Amelia and Jon Rountree and Reina and Katie and Jason and Randa and Robin and Lacey (LF2) and Diana and Catherine and Philip and Edmund and Rick and Lieh. 

     They all crossed Town Lake in canoes. Whilst they were rowing, the newcomers asked what the plan was to defeat the Dark Shadow. "It is a secret,” declared Abbey, Rachel, Daniel and Bryant. We will tell you when we get to the house. So, they reached the other side of Town Lake and they walked up the Mountain to the scary house that had "go in" painted in big red letters on the front. When they walked in they heard music and saw the shadow dancing like a ghost to "You make me feel like dancing" by Leo Sayer. Everyone loved that song, so they took a few moments from their Dark Shadow-defeating to dance the Macarena to that song. 

     Part 9 When they finished dancing , they all faced the Dark Shadow and explained to him that he scared them and they didn't like it. "Oh, but I don't want to scare you." explained the Dark Shadow. "I don't have any friends so I put on music and dance. I painted the "go in" in big red letters hoping that some people might come in and be my friends. Plus I like corny jokes, too. So, if you know any, I'd like to hear them. "Oh," declared Shamarie "I know one! Why was six afraid of seven?" "Why" demanded the Dark Shadow. "Because 7 ate nine!" "Oh, that was very funny!" explained the Dark Shadow "now will you be my friends? Please?!?" "Yes, we'll be your friends!" said the whole gang " we'll even do the Macarena again every once in a while!'

     Part 10 "I'm hungry" declared Bryant and Daniel at once. "Let's go back to Chipotles! "Yay! What a great idea!" exclaimed everyone else, even the Dark Shadow. So, they all walked out the front door of the house on the Mountain, rowed back across town lake and enjoyed a delicious mexican meal at Chipotles. The end