By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
The Legends of Leap Castle
Throughout its 400 year history, Leap Castle in in County Offaly, Ireland, about four miles north of the town of Roscrea on the R421, has witnessed a number of dastardly deeds and horrific events. One of the most famous events concerns the Bloody Chapel. Leap was the stronghold of the O'Carroll Clan and when the chieftain died n 1532 a power struggle broke out between the his sons. One was a priest and as he was saying mass in the chapel one Sunday, his brother stormed in and slew him on the altar. This shocking act is the story behind the castle's main haunting, that of the priest who walks the halls. But when workmen renovated the chapel in the 19th Century, they uncovered a new horror. They found a hidden room behind the altar, with a trap door, underneath which there was a spiked oubliette. Unsuspecting victims would fall through the door to their deaths on the spikes below, those that survived were left to rot and starve to death. When the workmen found the room, they recovered three cartloads of bones. In 1599, another deadly deed occurred at Leap Castle. Charles O'Carroll, the last chieftain at Leap, was at war with the Earl of Tyrone and hired the MacMahon clan, from Monaghan as mercenaries. After they had fought for him, O'Carroll held a feast for his mercenaries, and then had them murdered in their sleep. The MacMahon clan are said to haunt the great hall at Leap Castle. Many strange incidents have been witnessed at Leap Castle, including apparitions, eerie lights and unexplained ghastly noises. One of the most widely reported was when one owner Mildred Darby, an amateur occultist held a seance at the castle. She found herself confronted by a ghostly inhuman figure and the smell of a decomposing corpse. In the 1970s a new owner brought in a white witch to exorcise the castle. When she finally emerged she said the spirits were no longer malevolent, but will not leave the castle. |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
~The Legend of Mulwood Cemetery~
Have you ever been to the graveyard at night? Well, to be honest, not many people have. It was a Halloween night that one silly, demanding boy trooped up to the Mulwood Cemetery in Derry, Ireland. You wouldn't expect him to see anything there. However, the things he witnessed there were far from ordinary... Robert had just finished dressing up for Halloween. His costume, a scary skeleton. Robert got his bag ready for loads of special sweets. He was going to go trick or treating with his best friends, John, Sean and Jacob. They were well prepared for their treats, too! Off young master Robert went to meet up with his friends to start the tormenting of his neighborhood. As they started, their first house scored them lots of sweets. After leaving the front porch of the home, Robert whispered to his pals, "I dare one of you to go up to that graveyard on the hill and stay there until I tell you to come back!" His friends shuddered coldly, none too keen about the idea. "No way are we going up to that scary place! Tell you what", Jacob spoke up, "we dare you to go up there!" "Okay, fine by me, I will!", replied Robert boldly. "I'll be on my way..." So, off he went, traipsing up to the ancient graveyard on the hill. I'll show them; he thought. However, what young Robert didn't know was that he was about to experience something evil, something indescribably wicked and terrifying! Brushing countless decades of cobwebs away, he dragged the gate open, then stepped inside. There's nothing scary about this; he thought. Suddenly, he heard a scampering noise, like a rabbit moving quickly along the brush nearby. Robert began to tremble, shivering as the evening air became frigid. Once again, he heard something in the thick overgrowth. Only this time, he saw ghosts coming for him! They pounced on Robert, and although they were barely visible in the moonlight, Robert saw them as plain as if they were bathed in noonday sunlight. He sensed that they could still do him severe bodily harm, perhaps even kill him. Of course, they did kill him, that's how Robert became the Legend of Mulwood Cemetery! Soon after that Robert's friends began to disappear, one by one. Maybe they went to the graveyard looking for Robert and got lost, no one knows for sure. John, Sean and Jacob, were never seen nor heard from again... The walls of Derry-Londonderry are one of the most unique sets of walls on the island of Ireland. They're one mile and an eighth around and, amazingly, they've never been breached since they were completed. You won't get building like that these days! To find the original builders of the walls, you'd have to jog back quite a while into the past. 2013 will mark their 400th anniversary. If only these walls could talk... http://www.ireland.com/en-us/destinations/northern-ireland/county-londonderry/londonderry-derry?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
In the continual interplay between the forces for human good and evil unleashed by the modern phase of intensive research in science and technology, the medical profession
must fulfill an increasingly active, and at times difficult role. Already problems arise in deciding to what extent hospital facilities should be diverted from the treatment of non-urgent cases such as hernias and varicose veins, to the expensive, and semi-experimental treatment of patients who until recently would have been considered incurable. Where is the line to be drawn between unlimited expenditure in keeping alive hopeless cases who might be better dead, and in giving special treatment which justifies its expense in prolonging useful life? The black-capped judge who once condemned murderers to death may be replaced by hospital committees who have to decide, in individual cases, that the high expense of special treatment cannot really be justified. |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
The occipital cortex (also called the visual cortex), at the back of the head, is one of the first places in the brain where information coming in from our eyes arrives, and where a lot of the work of understanding what we are seeing goes on (although many other parts of the brain are also necessary for us to be able to see normally). In some experiments with brain scanners scientists have found that when people are using their visual imagination (having mental imagery, "seeing" things in their mind's eye), this part of the brain works particularly hard. Because of this, some scientists think that the occipital cortex is where most of the work of visual imagination goes on.
Wherever imagination originates from, I hope you'll indulge me, using yours to come along with me on this magical journey on the high seas... |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
The origin of the English word clown is uncertain, but it is thought to have come from a Scandinavian or Teutonic word for "clod", which means a coarse or boorish fellow, a lout. Clowning goes far back into history. Traces of it appear in Greek burlesque and on the Roman stage.
Throughout the Middle Ages, kings and nobles had their clowns: Fools and Court Jesters who were privileged characters as long as what they said and did amused their masters. These were often gifted musicians, mimics, skilled dancers, and acrobats, full of wit and impertinence. The fool carried a mock sceptre, called a Marotte, which was a stick with a carved head and tassels. He often used the marotte to protect his master. The fool of early history wore a hood with donkey ears and, often, a tail on his costume. This was to portray how "asinine" he was - and object of ridicule and not to be taken seriously. The hood and tail evolved into a three-pointed cap with bells at the ends. The pointed cap and tasseled scepter became symbols of these jesters. On the old English stage a clown was a privileged laugh provoker. He had no real part in the drama, but carried on his jokes and tricks, sometimes addressing himself to the delighted audience instead of confining himself to the stage action.Shakespeare elevated the clown, giving him a speaking part, often using him as a comic relief to ease the tension in his tragedies. The grave diggers in Hamlet are clowns. Othello had his clown. Launcelot Gobbo was Shylock's famous clown. Find out more about Shakespeare's Clowns. In France, the Pierrot in his signature costume and powdered face was a happy, lighthearted clown, also an accomplished dancer. The Pierrot's character has changed over time and is now typically a romantic, sad figure, often with a tear painted on his white cheek. The female counterpart is called Pierette. |
By Dean Kuch
You want some of the best entertainment you can get, read an Alex George novel for free, here, on FanStory...
| Author Notes |
Fan Story's own fantasy author extraordinaire writes the types of fantasy stories one comes across just a few times in their lifetimes. His writings are in the same vein as J. R.R. Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, George R. R. Martin, among a few others. Beautifully detailed, fantastic imagery disseminated throughout, they are not as much 'stories' as they are literary works of art. If you're a fan of fantasy stories, you can't go wrong with an Alex George novel. And, if you aren't, perhaps you will be by the time you're through...
**Punctuation omission is intented for this particular piece... |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
Matthew 7:7-Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
The asking was done in this instance by Brooke, otherwise known as FanStory's own poet supreme, adewpearl. She'd said in a reply to me concerning one of my more morbid offerings, "I'd love to see you post a poem with this picture method that is about a landscape or sun rise or dog :-)... I promised her that it would be done. It isn't about a dog, nor does it include a sunrise. However, I did manage to include a landscape, and built a 'pictapoem' around it. Brooke, little Sawyer buddy...this one's for you. The color purple does have great historical significance. Back in ancient Roman times, the making of purple dye was a very expensive process. So, usually, only rich people or royalty could afford it. Of course, they didn't want to see people below their class wearing it so they made it a law that only royalty were allowed to wear it. It was also the color cloth God said to put in the temple... |
By Dean Kuch
~A Cryptic 5-7-5 'pictapoem' production~...Please, sing along, if you know the words.
| Author Notes |
Scholars trace the origin of the Grim Reaper to ancient times where he was known as Cronus to the Greeks and Saturn to the Romans, but the Grim Reaper as he is depicted today comes directly to us from the Middle Ages and the Black Death. According to William Bramley, author of Gods of Eden: "In Brandenburg, Germany, there appeared fifteen men with "fearful faces and long scythes, with which they cut the oats, so that the swish could be heard at great distance, but the oats remained standing. The visit of these men was followed immediately by a severe outbreak of plague in Brandenburg. Were the 'scythes' long instruments designed to spray poison or germ-laden gases? "Strange men in black, demons, and other terrifying figures were observed in other European communities carrying 'brooms' or 'scythes' or 'swords' that were used to sweep or knock at people's doors. The inhabitants of these houses fell ill with plague afterwards. It is from these reports that people created the popular image of death as a skeleton, a demon, a man in a black robe carrying a scythe." |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
First and foremost, I would like to extend a grateful hand of gratitude to Kimbob, Father Flaps, for his wonderful suggestions that made this poem what it is before you now. Thanks you, my friend...
In Battle, Celtic warriors threw caution to the wind and their style of combat was highly aggressive and unrefined. Celtic warriors are said to have enhanced their appearance by painting blue patterns all over their bodies. They would also use white lime mead, and pead in their hair, combined with the patterns on their bodies this would give the Celts a powerful visual image and instantly striking and recognizable in a fight on the battlefield. This 'pictapoem' is a dedication to that brave, ancient clan of warriors. It mentions no battle in particular, nor is intended to. Liberties were taken with punctuation and capitalization for artistic flair and style. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed writing it... |
By Dean Kuch
A 'Pictapoem', dedicated to my good friend, dr. dip.
I wish you only happiness in life...
But you sure as hell couldn't have guessed
that from this poem, could you, hee-hee...?
| Author Notes |
To my dear friend, dr. dip. He's an avid surfer, and always professes to be a part of the sea. A man with sea water running through his veins, if you will. In my poem, I made him a (smelly) part of the sea, itself...
He's leaving us today, and I truly don't care if this poem gets one review, or fifty. It doesn't matter to me if it is recognized, All-Time Bested, or wins any contests. What I do hope is that the "dipster" see's it for what it truly is, one helluva' send-off to one heck of a guy. You will be missed around here, my friend! The use of the word "Tail", rather than, "Tale" was intentional. Think about it... |
By Dean Kuch
Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of violence.
| Author Notes |
Another 'pictapoem' offering. These are extremely challenging to produce, I'm discovering. They bring me to the fringes of my technical abilities. But, who doesn't love a good challenge every now & again, right? I appreciate everyone that took the time to read my last one. I want to create a sort of graphic novel consisting of dark poems for FanStorians to read. It's my hope that you all like reading them as much as I like writing them and putting all the pieces together....
According to folklore, the zombie is raised for one purpose and that is to be a slave worker. Tales abound of whole plantations being worked by zombies with only a couple of overseers to organise them. Others still mention whole villages decimated so that an evil bokor can have his work force. To destroy a zombie there are simple methods you can use. For some zombies making them face a situation which has a heavy emotional resonance is thought to bring them back to their senses. For other zombies putting a few grains of salt either on or under their tongue works well. This will either send them back to their graves or force them to seek out the person who raised them and kill them. Still, it requires that you destroy the jar that has their soul in it. Some liberties were taken with punctuation and capitalization. You know, that poetic-license thingy, and all? |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
A new form / style of poem I'm trying out to get an idea if there's any interest in it. It was the most difficult format I have attempted to date, and it's my sincere hope that you enjoy reading it as much as had putting it all together for you. I call it a 'Pictapoem'. Remember those old, gigantic Children's Bibles, the ones with the font printed right on the page, overtop of the picture? Well, it's kind of like that...
|
By Dean Kuch
WARNING!!! This pictapoem contains a howling wind sound track. Please utilize the "MUTE" button on your PC or laptop to disable all sounds, should you wish to read it sans sound. Thanks!
| Author Notes |
100 words/per adobe word counter.
My eternal gratitude to justaguy friend for this wonderful wind sound FX. You came through for me, just in the nick of time, my friend! In contemporary Western popular culture, the vampire has evolved into one of the most recognizable symbols of evil. Yet less has been said---and even less has been understood---about its nemesis, the vampire slayer. A vampire hunter or vampire slayer is someone who specializes in finding and destroying vampires. In some incarnations they may deal with other dangerous supernatural creatures as well. Vampire hunters are humans who kill vampires for a living - often because of revenge or extreme religious beliefs. There have been examples of mages and vampires as hunting fellow supernatural creatures as well as examples of bounty hunter characters who hunt vampires for profit. These hunters are often imagined as vigilantes and avengers - compelled to kill vampires because of personal loss or divine inspiration. There is a wide range of origins -- from the dark stranger sweeping in to save the townspeople to the untried locals rising up to defend themselves and a whole lot more. The organizational strength of vampire hunters varies. Having vampire hunting as a familial tradition handed down through generations of a bloodline is popular in vampire fiction. Most hunters seem to work alone or within a network of other hunters but there are vast organizations with access to various troops and weapons. Hunters must be well versed in vampire lore and effective weapons to take advantage of the vampires' traditional weaknesses. These have included a range of things from firearms with specialized ammunition, appropriate religious symbols, and modified crossbows with wooden stakes to water guns filled with holy water and store-bought garlic powder. Physical trainings is important as well as vampire hunters would have to be almost preternaturally fit to defeat a creature of the night. Varied methods such as martial arts and stealth training can be seen in many incarnations of vampire hunters. I also think the contemporary vampire still has a part to play in our understanding of and acceptance of our own deaths. In an increasingly secular society, where few believe in an afterlife, the vampire provides escapism from the harsh reality that we will one day, all too soon, be switched off. What if there was another option? Not life. Not death. But undeath. And not that stinking, shuffling, mindless zombie undeath, either. A sophisticated undeath. An undeath that includes love, passion and mystery. But, hey, don't take it too seriously. Vampires are no more real that the boogeyman. If it's the afterlife you're needing confirmation of, read your bible. It's all in there... |
By Dean Kuch
Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of violence.
| Author Notes |
*Some punctuation has been purposely omitted...*
HARKER'S MILL CEMETERY - GATEWAY TO HELL? There are graveyards across America, places with names like Bachelor's Grove and Pinewood Cemetery, that defy all definitions of a haunted cemetery. They are places that go beyond the legends of merely being haunted and enter into the realm of the diabolical. These are places said to be so terrifying that the Devil himself holds court with his worshippers there... and in the case of Harker's Mill Cemetery, is one of the gateways to hell itself... But just how terrifying are these places? While there are few of us who would challenge the supernatural presence of a place like Bachelor's Grove, there are some who claim that Harker's Mill Cemetery does not deserve the blood-curdling reputation that it has gained over the years. All through the 1980's and up until today, stories have been told about Harker's Mill Cemetery and, as time has passed, most have grown more horrifying and hard to believe. The problem seems to be that the cemetery has a lack of real, documented accounts of strange activity. The weird tales seem to be little more that urban legends and second-hand stories from teenagers and college students. One story told of two young men who were visiting the cemetery one night and became frightened when a strong wind began blowing out of nowhere. They ran back to their car, only to find that the vehicle had been moved to the other side of the highway and was now facing in the opposite direction. Another man claimed to experience this same anomalous wind, but inside of the church rather than in the graveyard. He claimed that the sinister air current knocked him to the floor and would not allow him to move for some time. Incidentally, it is inside of this same church where witnesses say that no rain will fall... even though the crumbling building has no roof! The legends also say that the Devil has been appearing here since the 1850's and insist that the original name of the town was "Hades" and that the later corruption of that into "Harker's" was simply to cover the fact that the area was steeped in black magic. It was said that the witchcraft-practicing early settlers were so repentant about their past deeds that they changed the name of the town. In truth, the town was called "Bear Creek Community" until 1899, when the last name of the first postmaster, Orlan Harker, was adopted as the name of the village. The post office closed down in 1903, but the name stuck. In 1980, an article appeared in the City Times that added further fuel to the rumors about Harker's Mill Cemetery and the abandoned church. The article was quoted as saying that the Devil chose two places to appear on Earth every Halloween. One of them was the tumbleweed hamlet of Harker's Mill, and the other, which occurs simultaneously at midnight, is someplace on the desolate plain of India. From these sites, according to the article, the Devil gathers all the people who died violent deaths over the past year for a prance around the Earth at the witching hour. |
By Dean Kuch
**WARNING!!!** This post contains a musical accompaniment. Please, feel free to depress the "MUTE" button on your computer should you find the music intrusive. Thanks!
| Author Notes |
Do witches truly exist?
The simple answer is, yes... Now, are they the same witches that you see in movies, on television, and read about in books? Most likely not. Very few forms of media show witches in a realistic light, because it wouldn't be as sensationalist and exciting if they showed the real thing. When thinking of witches, most people will conjure up one of two images in their mind: that of the Salem witch, or a black-hatted, wart-nosed, green-skinned Halloween witch. The truth is, witches existed long before the Salem Witch Trials, and while they do have a very significant tie to what is now known as Halloween, they certainly don't look anything like the typical Halloween witch costume. Witchcraft, or at least the rituals and activities that we now refer to as witchcraft, can be traced back as far as written history goes. It was not tied to one single geographical area, nor one religion, nor one culture. Some cultures had shamen, some medicine women, some simply village healers, all of which would now be referred to as witches. Ask any witch what type of witch he or she is, and the answers you will get are as varied and colorful as the people themselves. That's because witchcraft itself is not one set religion with one set of rules; it is not even a religion. Some witches choose to blend religion with their witchcraft, but you can be a witch without being any certain religion (or any religion at all). There are Celtic witches, Gardnerian witches, green witches, white witches, Wiccans, shamanistic witches...the list goes on. Generally, we can be referred to as "Neo-Pagans"; "neo" meaning "new", or "revived", and "pagan" meaning simply not being Christian, Jewish, Muslim or Hindu (the four most popular religions). Even though they do come from varied backgrounds, cultures, and practices, there are certain things that tie them all together: Non-Christian witches do not worship Satan. They do not even acknowledge his existence. Satan is a creation of Christianity, and "Satanism" is a branch of Christianity, just as "Catholicism" or "Protestantism" is. You must be Christian to believe in Satan. Yes, there are Christian witches and yes, they believe in Satan. You'll find though, that most real witches are not Christian and therefore, do not believe in Satan. They believe that each person is responsible for themselves and their actions; whether they're a witch or not. *My thanks to John Nelson for the howling wind! Thanks, buddy! |
By Dean Kuch
A Pictapoem original...do not settle for cheap imitations, LOL...
| Author Notes |
This about the closest thing you're going to get from me for a love or romance poem...
Angels do not want to be worshipped, they do not want us to pray to them as we pray to the God we worship, but we can't expect guidance from them unless we ask for it. God has given all of us free will and Angels are not permitted to interfere with that unless specifically being asked (unless there is an emergency and a possibility of our dying before our time). To contact Angels, all you need to do is talk. It's as simple as that, just as you would to a friend. There is nothing you can't discuss with Angels. They see everything, so you're able to discuss anything with them. Nothing is too small or trivial for Angels, they're here to guide and help you and it makes them happy when you think of them. Fallen Angels are those Angels who rebelled against God and have "fallen" from grace and the presence of God. There are many theories as to how these Angels fell from grace, but there is nothing written as to why this happened, except for a brief passage in Genesis 6, where the sons of God (Angels) "saw the daughter of men... and took them wives". But this explanation was dismissed when it was determined that Angels were androgynous, being neither distinctly male nor female. |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
This poem was inspired primarily by Michael Jackson's smash Halloween hit, "THRILLER!" But, there is a more sinister inspiration as well...
Has anyone ever wed a corpse? Yahoo news says that they have... Some would say this is romantic, others are simply creeped out. According to Yahoo News, a Thai man married his girlfriend's corpse earlier this month, and then posted a video of the ceremony on YouTube, MSNBC.com reported on Sunday. To wed each other, the 28-year-old groom, Chadil Deffy, put a gold ring on his girlfriend's body as she lay in a casket wearing a wedding dress. Family and friends praised the groom's devotion to his longtime girlfriend, whom he had promised to marry before she suddenly died in a car crash at 29 years old. The two met in college and had planned to get married for quite a while. Although initially seen as a supremely romantic gesture of his devotion, the backlash has begun, with people accusing Deffy of searching for publicity and fame. That's simply not true, said Deffy's friend, Onsiri Pravattiyagul, in the MSNBC article. Deffy "wasn't thinking about the possibility of fame when he decided to put a ring on her cold finger," Pravattiyagul said. "He merely wanted to make things right, however small or inadequate the gesture might seem." Regardless of whether you think the ceremony seems like a publicity ploy or simply a sweet, heartbreaking gesture, it's worth noting that Deffy isn't the only one bringing the dead into his romantic life. Thus, such surreal stories based upon actual (yet quite bizarre) truths inspired me to write this poem. You see? Truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction... |
By Dean Kuch
Warning: The author has noted that this contains strong violence.
| Author Notes |
In the high country beyond Devil's Peak, Wyoming, is the town of Raven's Fare. It is dotted with historic mine shafts, head stones, and tumbling down miners' cabins. Not only might a visitor find a "taste" of gold fever in this historic district, but may also experience their hair rising on the back of their necks as they "bump" into one of the many ghosts that reportedly roam the area.
Like many other mining towns of the Old West, Raven's Fare is said to be extremely haunted. Given its rich history, complete with mining accidents, floods, fires, lawlessness, and bloody battles between mine owners and labor unions, it comes as no surprise to learn of the many ghosts who continue to linger in this once thriving city. In fact, there are so many tales of spirits wandering this historic town, that at one time boasted one homicide per day, some say it is the one of the most haunted cities in the United States. You might also be lucky enough to "find" a ghost or two. Said to be haunted by a number of spirits including nuns, children, and former patients of the mental ward, the most often "seen" ghostly resident is one referred to as "Stinky". Lurking at the back staircase of the old hospital, "Stinky" makes his presence known with a sewage-like smell. The apparition of an old miner with no upper body is also sometimes seen. Another ghost, that of a little boy affectionately known as "Petey", has been seen throughout the town, but most often is held responsible for stealing cigarettes and moving items about in the town's tavern. Do you smell something...? Just wondering. Raven's Fare. Sounds like a perfect spot for a vacation, don't you think? My thanks to Brad McBride for the use of his sountrack :Night in a Ghost Town... |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
It's just a question I've been pondering for awhile.
I've met several people who I truly believe lack any semblance of a soul, they have no compassion, no understanding of love, they thrive on others pain and misery and often help cause it. Human shaped monsters if you will. How do you feel about this? Have you met anyone that fits the description? The closest I've been able to come to naming this group of people is to bunch them in with Psychic Vampires. However, I do know that many Psychic vampires are not malevolent or evil. I wonder if you've ever had contact with these people and how it went if you were unfortunate enough to have crossed a person of this nature. Me? I killed mine and buried him in my back yard... (Just kidding, of course, calm down!)... John Steinbeck said it best: "I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents... The face and body may be perfect, but if a twisted gene or a malformed egg can produce physical monsters, may not the same process produce a malformed soul?" |
By Dean Kuch
Warning: The author has noted that this contains strong violence.
| Author Notes |
horrified
adjective 1.showing or indicating great shock or horror: a horrified gasp; a horrified expression. 2.accompanied or characterized by a feeling of horror: horrified interest. 3.struck with horror; shocked: horrified and outraged spectators. Child abuse can have damaging effects not only on the children who suffer it, but on communities that must address the aftermath of abuse. The age when abuse begins for most children is 18 months or younger. Number of children in the United States who died because of abuse or neglect in 2012: 1,537 Of the number of children who died because of abuse or neglect... 79.4% were younger than four years of age 47.7% were younger than one year in age Rate at which boys become victims vs. girls: Nearly the same (48.5% male vs. 51.2% female) Percentage of abusers who are someone the child knows (a parent/caregiver, other relatives, neighbors, friends, or persons considered family): 81.2% Age of most perpetrators of child abuse (36.3% of cases): 20 to 29 years Babies who are victims of shaken baby syndrome can suffer bleeding in the eye or brain; damage to the spinal cord and neck; rib and bone fractures. These injuries can be fatal. Child physical abuse can result in the malformation of the brain, resulting in impaired mental development and lack of growth in vital areas. Child abuse victims as young as three years of age have shown signs of depression and withdrawal symptoms. Child abuse victims are more likely to exhibit anti-social behaviors, including borderline personality disorders and violent behavior. Child abuse victims placed in foster or kinship care because of abuse or neglect were found to score lower than other students in tests of cognitive capacity, language development, and academic achievement How many reports of child abuse are made? Number of reports of child abuse every year in the United States: 3.6 million Number of children involved in child abuse reports: 6 million... When is it ever going to end? |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
Dedicated to My daughter, Chelsea, and my son, Zachery. You both mean the world to me!
|
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
Leviticus 26:24-25 Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
The use of biological agents is almost as old as organized warfare itself. One of the earliest uses of biological weapons occurred in the 6th century BC when the Assyrians poisoned enemy wells with rye ergot. Ergot is a parasitic fungus that produces hallucinations and a narrowing of the blood vessels which can lead to the development of gangrene in the extremities. In 1422, at the battle of Karlstejn, the invading Lithuanians led by Coribut threw the bodies of plague-stricken soldiers, dead cows and 2000 cartloads of excrement into the ranks of enemy troops. In 1485 the Spanish supplied their French enemies near Naples with wine laced with blood from lepers. During the American Civil War, Dr. Luke Blackburn, the future governor of Kentucky, attempted to infect clothing with smallpox and yellow fever which he then sold to Union troops. General Johnson, retreating through Mississippi with the Confederates in 1863, tried to poison water supplies by dumping dead animals into the wells and ponds that they passed. The same year, U.S. Army General Order No. 100 stated that "The use of poison in any manner, be it to poison wells, or food, or arms, is wholly excluded from modern warfare." In 1978, a Bulgarian exile named Georgi Markov was waiting at a bus stop in London, England when he felt a sharp pain in the calf of his leg. Someone had scratched him with the end of what appeared to be an umbrella. Several days later he died. A tiny pellet extracted from his body was found to have been deliberately filled with ricin. It later emerged that the Bulgarian government, using Soviet supplied technology, had assassinated him. Today, there are untold horrors being manufactured in labs all across the globe, waiting to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting enemy or population. We've all heard of the incidents happening in Syria, Uganda, and elsewhere in the world. Who will be next? Could it be us...could it, perhaps, be you? |
By Dean Kuch
Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of violence.
| Author Notes |
Jack the Ripper is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter written by someone claiming to be the murderer that was disseminated in the media. The letter is widely believed to have been a hoax, and may have been written by a journalist in a deliberate attempt to heighten interest in the story. Within the crime case files as well as journalistic accounts the killer was known as the "Whitechapel Murderer" as well as "Leather Apron".
No one knows exactly where Jack disappeared to, or why he stopped killing. Or did he? Legend has it that his final victim, Mary Jane Kelly, was a suspected vampiress, prowling the darkly lit corners of Whitechapel herself in search of blood. Mary's body vanished from the morgue just prior to her autopsy. It was speculated that it had been stolen by ne'er-do-wells in an attempt to cover details of the ghastly crime. Or had it simply gotten up and walked away, seeking out Jack for an eternal companion? The latter is purely speculation on my part, but is does make interesting fodder for horror yarns and dark poetry... Sleep tight... pleasant screams! The latest from the PICTAPOEM © Collection. All works such as this one can be found in my book ~A Picture's Worth a Thousand Poems~ here on Fanstory. Thanks for reading. |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
"'What's the difference between a truckload of bowling balls and a truckload of dead babies' (You can't unload the truckload of bowling balls with a pitchfork.)" This macabre joke by author Stephen King serves two purposes. It provides an example of human nature's desire to laugh at the pain of others, while simultaneously reiterating the same point by actually entertaining the reader. So, why do we love scary stories? Why do we enjoy that creeping sensation or jolt of terror when we read a ghost story or see a horror flick? Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it? Part of the answer has to do with biology. When we are frightened, our bodies fight or flight system kicks in and orders up a burst of adrenaline and other hormones like dopamine that go shooting through our system. Fear is a stimulant, and in a setting where we know that we will ultimately be okay, it can be an incredibly enjoyable feeling. Mr. King insists that everyone has an insane side, just in differing amounts-or as he termed, "sanity becomes a matter of degree." He reinforces this statement with the modern-day examples of the extremely insane Jack the Ripper and the Cleveland Torso Murderer, saying that if you are that insane, then society will "clap you away in the funny farm." These real life examples are well known; and even those who have not heard about these psychopaths understand Mr. King's allusion to very insane people. Next, he provides a contrast to the extreme lunatic with the everyday insane-and quite comical-examples of relatively normal idiosyncrasies: nose-pickers and those who talk to themselves. This will be included in my book, "A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words", which I'll include after it's had its run. Thanks again to all of my loyal fans here at FanStory who support me fervently. I wouldn't do this if it were not for you. Or...would I? |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
Just my little rant on political correctness, corrupt politics, and the southern moral compass our country has adopted of late.
Thanks for reading. Thank you for reading! |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
After taking the oath of office, Roosevelt proceeded to deliver his inaugural address, best known for his famously pointed reference to "fear itself" in one of its first lines:
"So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is...fear itself..." -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt I've often wondered if we should have nothing but ourselves to fear. Many have said they've never felt more alive than when they were afraid. What do you fear, dear reader? *Limited punctuation intentional. Thanks for reading. |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
Yes, I know what you're going to say. Muses are traditionally female. But my muse, my muse is not traditional, not in any sense of the word. He is a relentless monster, and he rarely allows me to sleep. When I do finally go to sleep, he's there too, invading my dreams. It's enough to drive a person insane...
Pleasant Screams...heh heh. |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
A new poem from my PictaPoem series, which will be included in the book, A Picture's Worth a Thousand Poems with all of the others in this series.~
We all flounder on the seas of uncertainty and despair, at times. It's simply human nature. Like a ghost ship, devoid of crew, if the wheel is not regained, dangerous, jagged rocks loom on the horizon ahead... Thanks so much as always for reading! |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
Whoever fights monsters
should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." --- Friedrich Nietzsche It's been awhile since I've posted a Picta-Poem. I felt now was as good a time as any. Thanks, as always, for reading... Oh yes, and Pleasant Screams!... heh-heh. |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
He really is the "reason for the season."
As always, thanks for reading, and have a happy holidays, and a very Merry Christmas! |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
Just a little rant -- a venting and purging of the soul, if you will. I had to get this off of my chest, and I dedicate this to you, Anonymous. You know who you are, heh-heh...
Pleasant Screams! |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
Remember, always be kind to "newbies". I mean, c'mon, let's face it, we were all once considered as "newbies" too, right? They just don't know any better.
My sincere thanks and gratitude to those who care enough to read this for supporting my work. ~Dean |
By Dean Kuch
| Author Notes |
Everyone has their own preferences concerning likes and dislikes. Not all of us care to read the same sorts of things. That's what makes reading literature and attempting to create it ourselves such a rewarding experience.
As always, thanks for reading and supporting my work. |
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