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I have uploaded the corrected version of the back cover as well as updated the .rar file as well. 

I have uploaded the corrected version of the back cover as well as updated the .rar file as well. 

And with that, this album project is finished. I've sent it to Dyne to put on the official website, so now it's just a matter of waiting. Once he has it all set, I'll post a link to the thread for the album release in here. While we wait, for those who didn't get their tracks done, feel free to continue working on them and send them to me. They can go on AOCC v.XV next year. You'll just get them done waaaaaaaaaay early .

And here we are again, good people of OCR. It's December 18, one week before Christmas, and the next poem in this little tradition of mine is ready to go. So relax, grab a stiff drink, and something to munch on. Here... we... go!

Twas XIX: One Night At A Time
by
The Coop
 
Twas the night before Christmas
and from where she stood,
Liane stared thoughtfully at
her old neighborhood.
The bridge that she stood on
stretched across a river
that was running some
one hundred feet below her.
It was just outside of town,
not far from the mall.
It gave her a good view
so she could take in all
the sights and colors that
lit up the cold night air
as she looked off with a
somewhat despondent stare.
Yet for a brief moment,
she let a small smile come
to her, 'fore it went back
to where it had come from.
Her eyes left the scene of
distant colorful lights,
for she wasn't in the mood
for such thoughts or sights.
Her stare lowered a touch
as she stood in place and
looked at the falling snow
as she held up her hand.
The snowflakes landed on
her dark jacket and she
took in the six-sided flakes
she could clearly see;
each flake's lovely design
and tiny, fragile form,
created by the impending
winter snow storm.
She watched as more flakes
collected on her dark sleeve;
something that gave her a
brief moment of reprieve
from the thoughts that had been
taking root in her mind;
ones that were not of the
“merry” or “good cheer” kind.
It was then that she heard
footsteps off to her right.
She looked over and saw
a peculiar sight.
A man in a long coat
that was colored deep red,
with black boots on his feet
and white hair on his head,
was walking toward her
with a smile on his round face,
from which hung a white beard
that was not out of place.
He had quite the belly,
and deep wrinkles that told
of the many years behind him,
in each one's fold.
“Good ev'ning young lady,”
the man smiled as he neared,
bringing up his right hand
and stroking his thick beard.
He turned his head and looked
off at the same lights that
the woman he'd spoken to
had been looking at.
“Lovely, aren't they?”
he added. “They're such a sight
to behold as they glow
so brightly on this night.”
“Usually,” she said,
her voice rather subdued.
The man asked, “Why are you not
in a jolly mood?”
“Don't you have something else
to be doing?” she spat.
“The last thing I want is
any idle chit chat.”
“My apologies,” he said
as his good cheer fell.
“I was just on my way back
from my work, and well...
“I saw you standing here
and just wanted to say,
that I hope you have a
wonderful Christmas Day.”
Liane looked him up and down,
then nodded a bit.
“You a mall Santa?” she asked.
“You'd be a good fit.”
“Something like that,” he smiled.
“But, if you would prefer,
I'll leave you alone and
give you space, as it were.”
“I'd appreciate that,”
she said in a flat tone.
“I really just want the chance
to be left alone.”
“Then I'll be on my way,”
the man said quietly.
Without another word,
he left and let her be.
It wasn't long before
the man was out of sight,
which left her as she felt;
all alone in the night.
Her thoughts about him
gave her pause for a moment.
Her gaze drifted down,
and a grin came as it went.
But this pause did not last
and soon she began to
revisit dark thoughts of
what she'd gone there to do.
With it just shy of midnight,
no one was around.
Just the slowly falling
snowflakes that were abound.
She remained there, alone,
as she stood on the bridge
motionless until both
her feet moved just a smidge.
Her grip on the cold handrail
soon grew more intense
as she continued to stand
in complete silence.
No one was there to see
the resigned look that grew
in her saddening stare,
and her expression too.
It was then that Liane
climbed over the handrail,
then felt dizzy enough
that she began to flail
one arm in the air as she
used her other hand
to steady herself with
the rail where she did stand.
Her face filled with panic
as she looked down below
at the dark void where she
could hear the river flow.
With one hand on the railing,
she let out a sigh.
She looked to the colored lights,
then uttered, “Goodbye.”
Liane leaned toward the void,
let go of the handrail,
then fell through the cold air
without a word or wail.
The wind rushed past her,
growing louder as she fell
for what felt to her like
an impossible spell.
But soon the cold water
was approaching her fast.
She then took in a breath;
one she hoped was her last.
A moment later,
a hard slap rang out and she
felt a flash of great pain
as she thought, Now I'm free.
It was for just a moment,
that all had flashed white
and taken what she'd seen
on this Christmas Eve night.
But soon, that white began
to fade to a deep gray,
one that surrounded her
and did not fade away.
It was like a dense fog
that shifted and slowly
swirled all around her,
and made all seem quite murky.
She looked down at her feet
that saw what she stood on.
It was the only spot
where the fog was all gone.
In its place, was what looked
like a deep frozen lake,
covered in ice that seemed
too thick to ever break.
She took a small step and
heard the ice give a CRACK!
which startled her and made
her take that step right back.
“Where am I?” Liane asked.
“Did I survive the fall?”
She heard her echo,
as if off a distant wall.
“Hello?” she called out.
“Is there anybody here?”
“Just me,” came a reply.
“I'm here with you, my dear.”
Liane looked around at the
ever shifting mist.
“Show yourself!” she cried out,
then heard, “If you insist.”
From off to her right,
she could see a shape start to
come through the thick fog,
and she asked, “Um, who are you?”
“You don't know me?” came the voice.
“You should. After all,
you've known about me since
you were just two feet tall.”
With each step, the figure
began to grow clearer.
More details stood out
as each step brought it nearer.
Red and white fuzzy patches
began to congeal
into someone that
seemed familiar, yet unreal.
A red coat with white fur
that lined its waist and cuffs.
Shiny black boots that had
no dull spots, cracks or scuffs.
A red pointy hat that
had white fur on its base
and a fuzzy white-balled top
that hung by his face.
His gloves were pure white.
His black belt hugged his belly
that jiggled as he walked,
as if made of jelly.
His long hair and his beard
were as white as fresh snow.
She knew who it was and
let out a baffled, “Whoa.”
“Hello, Liane,” the man said,
he tone soft and kind.
“This isn't real,” she said.
“I think I've lost my mind!”
“I'm quite real,” he said
as he walked up to her and
gave her a wistful smile
as he held out his hand.
“We've met before,” he smiled
with a warmth in his stare.
“It was on the bridge, yes?
I'm quite sure it was there.”
She took a step back and
kept her hands at her chest.
“Don't touch me!” she uttered
to the man who was dressed
like a rented Santa
from some nearby big store.
With a panicked stare,
“Who the fuck are you?” she swore.
“Do you really need to ask?”
he said with a wink.
“My attire make's it pretty
obvious, I think.”
“You're not him,” Liane spat.
“There is no way in hell.
You're some kind of mind trick
that came from when I fell!”
She took a second step
and again heard the CRACK!
of the ice, which brought her
to stop taking steps back.
“About that,” the man said
as he moved up to her.
“Don't move too much, please.
You're on thin ice, as it were.”
“I'm what?” she asked as she
looked utterly confused
at the analogy
that the man had just used.
He took her right hand and
held it up in the air.
That was when Liane noticed
the bad bruising there.
“This isn't a dream,” he said,
“or some kind of ruse.
I'm very much real,
just like what's causing this bruise.”
“Wait,” Liane said. “The fall.
Does this mean that I'm dead?”
“Not yet, but that time isn't
far off,” the man said.
“I don't understand,” she said.
“What the hell is this?”
He gave her a sad smile
and asked, “What happened, Miss?
“What brought you to this point?
What went so very wrong?”
When she gave no reply,
“Please, I can't stay for long.
“Your time's running very short,
so please talk to me.”
She pulled her hand away with,
“Look, just leave me be.”
She looked down at her hand
and she was clearly pissed.
The bruise there was bigger
and it spread to her wrist.
“What the hell?” she uttered
with a vexed, puzzled tone
as she began to feel pain
that dug to the bone.
She looked to the man
with some panic in her eyes.
He said, “This is what happens
before someone dies.”
“I'm dying?” Liane asked
as she watched the bruise grow
over her whole forearm,
then up to her elbow.
“You are,” the man said.
“And your time is running out.
Please talk to me, Liane.
What brought this all about?”
Liane watched as the bruise
slowly grew larger still.
And panic in her, this
sight did greatly instill.
“Who the hell are you?” she asked,
her voice filled with fear.
He then simply smiled with,
“You know who I am, dear.”
For a moment, her words
could no longer come out,
and she winced as the pain
that continued to sprout
from the growing bruise
that had covered her whole arm.
“Where am I?” she asked,
her voice filled with much alarm.
“You're in the last moments
of your life,” the man said.
“That final bit before
you're gone and truly dead.
“I know you're growing scared,
but I'm right here with you.
But before our time ends,
what I'd like you to do
“is to tell me what pushed
you to reach this moment.
What made you seek this out
as if you were hellbent?”
Liane stood dumbfounded,
unsure of what to say.
But after a second,
she turned her gaze away.
“This is some nightmare,” she spat.
“It doesn't make sense.
You're lying to me
like I'm ignorant or dense.”
“I wish I was, Liane,”
the man said with remorse.
“These are your final moments.
Your life's run it's course.”
“If that's true,” she said with ire,
“then just let me die!”
The man looked heartbroken
and asked her simply, “Why?”
She turned away from him,
as she winced in pain and
looked at the massive bruise
on her right arm and hand.
“My husband cheated on me,
then shifted the blame
and said that I had done it.
So ev'ryone came
“to his rescue as if
I had been the bad guy.
No one believed me,
regardless of how I'd try
“to show I was the one
who been cheated on.
But ev'ryone believed him.
My friends were all gone.
“Then in the divorce,
my husband said that I had
abused my son daily.
Then things got really bad.
“He accused me of being
an alcoholic,
then made up all these lies
to help make it all stick.
“I pleaded and swore what
he said wasn't the case.
But somehow, I had it all
blow up in my face.
“The judge took ev'rything.
My ex-husband had won
the house and full custody
of my only son.
“I was barely allowed
to visit with my son.
Then I lost that too
once that Covid had begun.
“I was just hanging on
with my job as it was.
Then back in November,
I was let go because
“the store I worked at
chose to cut my position.
One day I had work,
and the next day, I was done.
“I tried for unemployment,
but I was turned down.
So I took a hotel room
on the edge of town.
“I got that check for
1,200, but it went fast.
I tried to stretch it out,
but it just didn't last.”
“I was broke and lonely.
I had nowhere to turn.
The world was against me
and just watched my life burn.
“My friends all turned away.
My family did the same.
I really needed someone,
but nobody came.”
Liane brought her bruised hand up
and covered her eyes.
“I was someone they came
to completely despise.”
The man stood quietly and
watched as Liane fought
with ev'rything inside her
that made her so wrought
with sorrow and anger
from all that she'd been through.
In a soft voice he said,
“So you chose this for you.”
“What else could I do?” she asked
through a fought down sob.
“My rent is past due and
I've got no goddamn job.
“I got a note from my
landlord that says I'll be
evicted on the second
of January.
“My family hates me,
and my friends feel the same.
My life went to complete shit,
yet I'm not to blame.
“No one gives a damn and
I can't take anymore
of ev'ryone thinking
I'm some abusive whore.”
With a grimace of pain,
she unzipped her thick coat
with a hand that looked like
it was starting to bloat.
With concern in her eyes,
she pulled up her shirt some,
as she noticed her hand
had started to feel numb.
The large bruise on her arm,
was not just forming there.
She could see it spreading
seemingly ev'rywhere.
It was on her belly
and growing on her side.
And the pain she felt was
impossible to hide.
“What's happening?” she asked
as she looked to the man
she had been speaking with
as her bruised arm began
to feel as if it were
starting to fall asleep.
And into her eyes,
more panic began to creep.
“Where we are is like limbo,”
the man said calmly.
“Time is much slower here,
but not stopped completely.
“It crawls forward so that
things still happen in here
that mirror what happens
in the real world, my dear.”
“I don't understand,” she said.
“What does that all mean?”
The man gave a sad smile
with, “We are in-between
“life and death in this moment
that we briefly share.
You're not dead yet, Liane,
but you are nearly there.
“What you see is a slowed
version of what happened
the moment you hit
the water just one second
“before I brought you here
so we could have a talk
and see if from your life,
you're still wishing to walk.”
“So, I'm not dead, but I'm
not alive,” Liane posed.
“No,” he said. “But you life's book
will shortly be closed.”
“Let it close” she sneered.
“I just don't care anymore.
Just leave me alone and
let me walk through death's door.”
“I can't do that,” he said.
“It's not in me to do
something as callus as
turning away from you.”
“Why should you care?” she asked.
“No one else gives a damn.
They're just as sick of me
as I sure as hell am.”
The man looked at her sadly
and said with remorse,
“If that's your choice, Liane,
you can make it, of course.
“But while I know you're in pain,
in more ways than one,
is what others did reason
enough to be done
“with the world around you
without fighting back for
the chance to reclaim some
of what was taken, or
“to find a way for you
to start your life over?”
He stepped up to Liane
and placed a hand on her
shoulder as his eyes
were filled with much sympathy.
“But please, let me say this,
if you'll listen to me.
“What happened was unfair
and heinous to go through.
It hurt you very deeply.
I know this is true.
“But of those that you lost,
some are not gone for good.
Your life may be painful,
but I think that you should
“not let the man you loved
or your own family
push you out of this world
for all eternity.
“You ache and you're tired.
I understand this too well.
But there's one thing to you,
I can truthfully tell.
“As bad as all of this
has been feeling to you,
I believe that you still
have the strength to get through
“the mess that's swirling
around you at this moment.
You have already survived
so much as you went
“through a divorce and
all that followed after it.
You have made it this far,
taking hit after hit.
“I know things feel much too dark
to continue on.
But I promise, others
will miss you if you're gone.”
“Oh, like who?” Liane spat.
“My landlord or that guy
who peaks out his door,
and gives me the evil eye?”
“I can't really say,” he said,
as he cupped her chin.
“If you want to get back
at them, don't let them win.
“Don't let them define you
and tell you who you are.
Don't allow their vile actions
to push you this far.
“Turn away and just leave if
they won't let you be.
Write them all out of your life
and get yourself free
“of all the reminders
of what they put you through.
Don't worry about them
and just focus on you.
“You were a good person
before things went so wrong.
That much hasn't changed, Liane.
You need to stay strong
“and see that this world,
despite all it's put you through,
would still be a lesser place
if it loses you.”
Liane said nothing as
she stood while what he'd said
hung over them both as it
echoed in her head.
Her body ached more as
the bruising continued
to spread under her clothes
where it couldn't be viewed.
He took his hand from her chin
as the bruising spread
up her neck and continued
slowly toward her head.
“They tried to hurt you,” he said,
his voice soft and kind.
“Show them your great strength and
leave this outcome behind.”
“I don't know if I can,”
she said in a meek voice.
“I do,” he said warmly.
“But you must make your choice
“now if you hope to
take back what you will soon lose.
So please tell me Liane,
what is it that you choose?”
Liane grimaced again
as the bruise reached her jaw.
Pain shot through her body
as she looked down and saw
that her hands were swollen
and split open as well.
She couldn't feel her legs
and had started to smell
a strange odor that was
not unlike rotting meat.
Her body had grown cold
and she felt her heartbeat
had started to slow and
get weaker with each hit.
She knew what was coming
and soon uttered, “Oh shit!”
“Make your choice,” the man said,
his voice filled with unease.
Liane looked to the man,
then said, “Send me back, please!”
With a flash of white light,
she no longer felt pain
and found herself on
that cold, snowy bridge again.
Then a wave of dizziness
swept over her too,
which gave her a powerful
sense of deja vu
as she gripped the rail firmly
and looked down below
at where the cold, dark river
continued to flow.
“I'm back where I was?”
Liane said with some surprise
as her sense of bewilderment
shown in her eyes.
For a moment, she stood
on the handrail's wrong side,
but quickly stepped over it
while she was wide-eyed.
She looked about at the scene
that surrounded her.
At the falling snow and
the distant lights that were
filled with dots of colors
like blue, red, green and more.
At the old neighborhood
that she used to adore
back when her life was
filled with joy and family.
But that stuff felt like such
a distant memory.
She lowered her gaze
and stared down at the river
that she thought would be
some kind of release for her.
Her stare drifted a bit
as her mind did the same.
She then turned and walked off
back the way that she came.
She left the bridge behind
and went back to her pad;
an old run down apartment
that housed all she had.
She looked very drained as
she got herself undressed
before she climbed into bed
with such little zest,
it was almost as if
she wasn't really there.
But she was far too worn out
to pretend to care.
It took barely a minute,
but sleep came for her
and took Liane away
to dreamland, as it were.
The alarm soon went off,
which pulled her from her sleep.
She slapped its snooze button
and didn't make a peep
as she rolled onto her back
and laid there a bit
with a drawn look that told
of her beaten spirit.
But in time, she got up
and got herself some food,
as she tried to shake off
her melancholy mood.
As she sat at the table,
she heard the small squeak
of the mail slot in her door,
which brought her to peak
from where she was sitting
to see if she could tell
whether or not from
that small slot, a letter fell.
And sure enough, there was
a letter on the floor.
She got up from the table
and went to the door.
She reached down and picked up
what someone had slipped in.
She saw that the envelope
had nothing written
anywhere on its front
and not on the thing's rear.
She then muttered, “Now who
in the hell put this here?”
She went to the sofa
and sat down before she
opened the envelope with,
“Who gave this to me?”
She took out a folded
sheet of old, thick parchment.
When she opened it up,
she picked up the faint scent
of peppermint candy
that was mixed with the smell
of burning wood, like from
a fireplace, as well.
“Dear Liane,” she uttered as
she began to read.
“I hope that you're better,
after your time of need.
“We spoke for a short time
while you were in such pain
from how life had become
far too much of a strain
“on your broken heart and
on your world-weary mind.
So much so, that it left
you in a horrid bind.
“I know things seem hopeless
at this point in your life.
That ev'ryone and -thing
is out to cause you strife.
“But please do not forget that,
just like each new day
these bad moment's will pass
and start to fade away.
“Their pain will lessen
bit by bit as time goes by.
And though at times it will seem
far too hard to try
“to push on through it all,
please don't give up the fight.
A new day will follow
each dark, harrowing night.
“It may seem as if there's
no way for you to win,
but don't let those thoughts rule you.
Don't let those thoughts in.
“You're stronger than you know,
even if you don't feel
as if you can face the world
when it makes you reel
“back in anguish or sadness
when it comes at you.
And I hope that last night
showed you what not to do.
“Don't let liars and those who
wrong you have their way.
Don't let those who hurt you
get your life's final say.
“It won't always be easy,
but please, don't give in.
Take last night's dark moment as
a chance to begin
“the next chapter in your tale,
not the final one.
See it as a sunrise
and not a setting sun.
“New days bring new moments
that can be good or bad.
Some will be wonderful,
while others, will be sad.
“But face them all, and know that
you can make it though.
Even if you doubt yourself,
I believe in you.
“I wish you all the best
on this bright Christmas Day.
Stay safe, well and healthy,
and don't forget to say
“'I love you' to her when
she calls you up, my dear.
And say 'yes' when she asks
if Santa Claus was here.”
Liane was confused as she
looked at what she'd read.
There were quite a few questions
that ran through her head.
A moment later, the phone
let out a loud ring
which gave her a fright and
brought her to quickly bring
her attention to her phone
that was sitting on
the table by the couch
as she let out a yawn.
The next moment saw
the room fill with a white light
that made her gasp from how
it was blindingly bright.
It lasted just a second
before it winked out.
She blinked a few times
and said, “What was that about?”
She looked down at her hands
and saw the note was gone.
That was when she uttered,
“What the hell's going on?”
Her phone continued to ring
as she sat with a
confused, annoyed look,
'till she said, “Yeah! OK.”
She reached over and picked up
her phone's receiver.
With it next to her face,
a “Hello?” came from her.
“Hi Liane,” came a voice
that Liane hadn't heard
in quite a few months.
It was one that quickly stirred
her emotions as she sat there,
taken aback.
“Mom?” she managed to say
with her face a bit slack.
“It's me, honey,” came
a somewhat subdued reply.
In just a few seconds,
Liane began to cry.
“Hi Mom,” Liane said,
with her voice cracking as she
let out a sob while her
tears began to run free.
“I've missed you,” she added
as she tried to regain
some control of what was like
a runaway train.
“I've missed you too, honey,”
her mom said as she too
had her own stirred up feelings
begin to shine through.
For an hour and a half,
Liane and her mom spoke.
At first, it was quite rough as
their words did evoke
a lot of bad moments
and feelings in Liane.
But slowly, that had faded,
and over the span
of the time they'd been talking,
some things did improve.
They laughed here and there
and the mood began to move
from one of unease and
uncertainty abound,
to one where some comfort
had finally been found.
It was as they talked about
all things Christmasy,
that Liane grabbed the remote,
turned on the T.V.
and soon found herself watching
the city's parade
as she took in the floats
that volunteers had made.
Her mother was saying
how her father had been,
when the cam'ra on T.V.
began to zoom in
on a float that looked much like
a big Santa's sleigh
as the announcer said,
“And Santa's on his way!”
The cam'ra continued
to zoom in closer still.
As it did so, Liane's mind
had begun to fill
with a strong feeling of
familiarity.
One that brought her to utter,
“Are you kidding me?”
There, on her T.V.'s screen,
she could see Santa's face.
She recognized it well,
which made her freeze in place.
It was the same man she'd seen
on the bridge last night
and in the void after she'd
given up life's fight.
That was when the man
on T.V. turned his head and
looked at her with a smile
and brought up his right hand.
He waved and winked as if
somehow, the man could see
Liane as she sat and watched
him through her T.V.
Her bewilderment swelled,
but after a short while,
her face became graced
with a warm, genuine smile.
She turned off the T.V.
and brought her focus to
what her mother was saying
when she said, “And you?”
“And me what?” Liane asked
as she realized that
she'd missed what her mom
recently said in their chat.
“Did Santa visit you?”
her mother repeated.
Liane smiled a bit and said,
“He certainly did.”
Liane continued to talk
with her mom a while.
They touched on Liane's
ex-husband's spouted revile.
Of all that Liane had
gone through when ev'ryone
wrote her out of their lives
when the divorce was done.
Of the pain, abandonment,
and many a tear.
Of how she felt so alone
for nearly a year.
Her mother then stated,
“This is long overdue,
but I'm deeply sorry
I turned my back on you.
“We walked away when
you needed someone so bad.
We left you on your own
when we were all you had.
“I hope you'll be able
to forgive us someday.
Until then, just know that
we'll help in anyway
“that we can to make up
for all that you've endured.
We'll be there for you.
On that, you can rest assured.”
“Thanks mom,” Liane smiled,
then added, “I love you.”
Her mother replied with
a heartfelt, “Love you too.”
As they continued to chat,
Christmas Day rolled on
until hours later,
when the daylight was gone
and like the night before,
colored lights shined anew
as the night came alive
with their many a hue.
At times, the world can feel
very cold, dark and cruel.
Like it revels in things
that only seem to fuel
the darkest of thoughts in
the minds of some people,
and makes a problem that
feels like a huge steeple
that's too high to jump over
or climb past somehow.
As if it were a cliff
that would never allow
that person to get by
and find some way to heal
from what caused them to endure
a tragic ordeal.
Just when Liane's life was
about to reach its end,
she was given one last chance
to let her heart mend.
To withstand what had been done
to her and her world
and give more of her life
a chance to be unfurled.
This steep cliff had been climbed,
yet still more lay ahead.
Her moment of weakness,
now gave her strength instead.
This step could have never
been taken if her life
had been left to be claimed
by dark moments of strife.
And as her life's new start
gave off its growing light,
Merry Christmas to all,
and to all, a good night.

In case anyone was wondering, I'm still alive, and I'm still watching. I'll be authoring up the page for the new album this week and will be looking forward to finishing it up once the album is finished. As always, I'm happy that folks are participating and I look forward to hearing your tracks as always!

In case anyone was wondering, I'm still alive, and I'm still watching. I'll be authoring up the page for the new album this week and will be looking forward to finishing it up once the album is finished. As always, I'm happy that folks are participating and I look forward to hearing your tracks as always!

AH! THE GHOST OF PROJECTS PAST!
**runs**

In case anyone was wondering, I'm still alive, and I'm still watching. I'll be authoring up the page for the new album this week and will be looking forward to finishing it up once the album is finished. As always, I'm happy that folks are participating and I look forward to hearing your tracks as always!

I did not realize this. I've not been on the forums nearly as much as I used to be. I wanted to suggest link icons that folks could click to go to an artists site or bandcamp page or some social network profile/site/etc. with placement of such under their user name "card" at the left of the posts they make, but, after reading other comments here, that might be a worthless idea anyway. Guess even I need to get with the times.

It's December 18, so you know what that means. Story time with many a rhyme. So sit back, use the bathroom if you have to, and get comfy. This one's a long one...
 
'Twas XVIII: Lost And Found
by
The Coop

'Twas a week before Christmas
and down at the vet,
Gary felt that this day
was the worst he'd had yet.
He waited for his turn
as he sat with his cat.
A tabby named Cally
who was quite old and fat.
He'd had her since he was
a boy of about nine.
She had grown up with him.
Their lives had been entwined.
He'd spent many a good year
with his feline friend.
But all those years together
were about to end.
The years had taken their
toll on his beloved cat.
She'd grown lethargic and
was so arthritic that
it had become harder
for her to walk around.
But those were not the reasons
he'd become vet-bound.
That morning, he hadn't
seen Cally anyplace.
He'd figured she was napping
in a comfy space.
Once dressed, he woke
his eight year old daughter, Heather.
Once she was dressed too,
they ate breakfast together.
He then dropped his child off
at her school and came home,
expecting to see Cally
attempting to roam
around the house in her
stiff and rather slow way.
But that's not what took place
when he got home this day.
He'd found her laying on
her side by her food dish
as he got out a can of
tuna and whitefish.
But when he went to give
Cally her morning meal,
a rush of great concern
was all that he could feel.
Her mouth moved as if she
had let out a meow.
But instead of her call,
she gone silent somehow.
He touched her soft fur and
felt that she had grown cold.
Sadness quickly took root.
He knew what this foretold.
He swiftly went and got
Cally a soft blanket.
He then gently wrapped up
his now dying old pet.
He looked up at the clock,
which read quarter past eight,
before he fetched his cat's
old pet carrying crate.
Within a few minutes,
Gary was on the road;
his mind and heart racing,
like they just might explode.
And now there he sat,
waiting for what was to come.
He looked down at Cally;
his expression was glum.
“Mr. Vayn?” came a voice
that pulled his attention
from his furry friend whose
life was soon to be done.
“We're ready for you both,”
the woman softly said.
Gary stood and approached
with a nod of his head.
Once in the exam room,
the vet didn't need to
ask Gary what was wrong.
Her sad smile told, she knew.
“It's her time,” Gary said
as he set Cally down
on the metal table with
a deep, saddened frown.
The vet looked at Cally
and touched the cat's cold fur.
The vet asked, “Would you
like a last moment with her?”
Trying hard not to break,
Gary nodded his head
as he pet his old friend
he knew would soon be dead.
The vet left the room to
get the things she would need,
as the sorrow in Gary
was finally freed.
Tears rolled down his cheeks
as he looked in Cally's eyes.
He told Cally he loved her,
and said his goodbyes.
Within just a few minutes,
his old furry friend
took her final breath as
her life came to an end.
He was asked what he wanted
to do with Cally.
Gary said he wanted
to bury her body,
but couldn't because
the property he had leased
had rules against burying
pets that were deceased.
The vet gave condolences
and let him know that
she would take care of
the body of his loved cat.
Gary just nodded and
said his goodbyes once more.
He then paid the vet's fee
and went out the front door.
He had the day off,
so there was little to do
except drive himself home
and let his sadness stew.
With his parents in France
and his friends out of town,
he sat in his study
with a deeply sad frown.
Everyone had gone away,
save for one, of course.
The one with whom he'd had
a bad, messy divorce
after he found her cheating
on him with some guy,
while Heather was asleep
in the bedroom nearby.
The end result was that
his ex-wife wanted no
part of him or their child.
She just wanted to go.
He disliked her greatly,
and she hated him too.
But all that he was feeling
still brought Gary to
wish how at that moment,
that he still had his wife.
For he'd never felt so
alone in his whole life.
Once he was home, Gary
tried to distract himself.
He vacuumed his study
and dusted ev'ry shelf.
He then watched some TV,
but it all was in vain,
because all he could think of
was the loss and pain.
But in time, it was nearly
quarter after three
and his daughter's school would
let out very shortly.
He gathered himself and
grabbed the keys to his truck
as he said to himself,
“This is going to suck.”
He hated seeing his
daughter cry or be sad.
But he knew she'd do both
with the bad news he had.
The ride up was quiet.
The ride home was not though,
as from Heather's mouth,
words about her day did flow.
He listened and nodded
until they got home, where
he said, “Honey, I've got
something I have to share.”
“What about, Daddy?” she asked.
“Cally,” he replied.
Taking in a slow breath,
“Honey, Cally has died.”
The smile that Heather had
from recounting her day,
faded rapidly until
it had gone away.
“She what?” Heather asked
as her eyes quickly became
filled with sadness and tears
as her dad's did the same.
A few moments later,
the two of them embraced
as each shed tears from
the grief that both of them faced.
From there, the rest of their day
was rather subdued
as each of them coped with
their very solemn mood.
Gary was there for Heather
as it was needed.
When her tears needed
to be dried, that's what he did.
When she needed a hug,
or to sit with someone,
he put his pains aside
and made sure it was done.
But as he did this for her,
no one had his back.
And once she was in bed,
he had his own attack
of sorrow and grief that
he had hid from Heather
so that he could do all
that was needed for her.
He teared up as he sat
alone in his study,
thinking of how quiet the
house was sans Cally.
But before too long,
the hour had grown a bit late.
And with work tomorrow,
he had much on his plate.
So, he retired to his room
and got into bed.
“I'll really miss you old girl,”
he quietly said
before he laid on his side
and shut his eyes so
he could get needed rest
from such a day of woe.
Over the next few days,
things slowly got better.
Gary made sure that he
was there for his daughter.
Yet as he was doing this,
what he couldn't tell
was that his child was
doing that for him as well.
She'd walked by at times and
could see that he was sad
as he sifted through the
pics of Cally he had.
That her father missed his cat,
was something she knew.
So with each hug he gave her,
she gave one him too.
But before long,
it was December twenty third
and Gary had made sure
that he had kept his word
to take Heather to see
Santa down at the mall.
And though the place was packed,
they waded through it all.
The line was long with
plenty of other kids who
hoped to get in a last
request for Santa too.
Gary took Heather's hand
and stepped into the line,
which moved slowly forward
toward the big Christmas shrine
where Santa had his seat
and a few elves who'd walk
each child up to Santa Claus
so the two could talk.
Gary looked to Heather
and was able to see
that she had begun to
look rather uneasy.
“Aw, it's OK honey,”
Gary smiled. “Don't be shy.
It's Santa you're seeing.
I hear he's a great guy.”
Seeing that his attempt
at humor fell quite flat,
he gave his daughter's
back a reassuring pat.
It took nearly an hour
before Heather's turn came,
at which point a female elf
asked for the girl's name.
Gary told the woman
as she took Heather's hand.
He then told his daughter,
“Over there's where I'll stand.”
He pointed to a bench
some twenty feet away.
“When you're done with Santa,
I'll be over there, 'kay?”
“'kay, Daddy,” Heather said
as she nodded her head.
He then went to the bench
to wait, just as he'd said.
The elf then led Heather
up a few steps to where
a jolly fat man was
waiting as he sat there.
Dressed in his usual
attire of red and white,
 his gaze drifted over
ev'ryone in his sight.
“Ho ho ho!” Santa bellowed
as he looked about.
“Who's the next child to see me?”
he smiled and called out.
“Heather,” replied the elf
as she and Heather drew
near Santa, and added,
“Heather's here to see you.”
“Well hello there young lady,”
Santa smiled. “What brings
you here to see me?
Perhaps to ask for some things?”
Heather nodded sheepishly.
Her shyness was clear.
“Aaw,” Santa said warmly.
“No need to be shy, dear.
“You're safe here with me, and
your father is right there.
There's nothing to fear, Heather,
so won't you please share
“just what it is that has
brought you here to see me?”
Santa asked with his hand out
to go with his plea.
Heather cautiously came up
to where Santa sat.
He gently took her hand
and gave it a soft pat.
“Would you like to sit on
my lap or stand instead?”
he asked Heather with a smile.
“Um, stand,” Heather said.
“Alright then,” Santa said,
giving her hand a squeeze.
“Now, will you tell me what
you'd like for Christmas, please?”
Heather said not a thing
for a moment or two.
“It's... not for me,” she said.
“Oh?” Santa said. “Then who?”
“My dad,” she replied.
Santa nodded with, “I see.
So what should I give him?”
She answered, “Our kitty.”
Santa smiled with a light laugh.
“I'm afraid that that's
a bit out of my league.
My elves make toys, not cats.”
“But my daddy lost his,”
she said. “He had Cally
for a really long time.
Even longer than me.
“He really misses her.
He's been sad and he's cried.
Can't you bring her back
so it's like she never died?”
Santa could see the
sincerity in her stare.
With a mournful smile, he stroked
the side of her hair.
“No, child,” he said softly.
“Even I can't do that.
I wish that I could,
but I can't bring back his cat.”
“Please?” Heather pleaded
as she became teary-eyed.
“That's something well beyond
my control,” he replied.
As a tear rolled down her cheek,
he wiped it away.
“Don't cry, sweetheart,” he said.
“Your dad will be OK.
“I know that your dad's sad,
and I know you are too.
But with Cally, there's really
nothing I can do.
“However, I can promise
things will be OK,
and that tomorrow will be
a much better day.”
Though her stare was still pained,
she nodded and looked down,
averting her eyes with
a deep, disheartened frown.
Santa looked to the elf.
“Not to be a bother,
but will you please take Heather
down to her father?”
“Sure,” the woman stated
with a nod of her head.
As she took Heather's hand
“C'mon sweetie,” she said.
The elf led Heather back down
the steps to the floor
and over to the bench
where her dad waited for
his little girl's visit
with Santa to be done.
But he soon learned Heather's
visit hadn't been fun.
“What happened?” he asked
as the elf and girl drew near,
and the sadness on Heather's
face became quite clear.
“She's alright,” the elf said.
“She got upset when she-”
“Alright?” he cut in.
“Doesn't look like it to me.”
Gary came quickly over
and picked up his kid.
As he looked to Heather,
“Tell me what Santa did.”
“Sir,” the elf said, “I promise,
your daughter is fine.
She got weepy when it
was her turn in the line.
“She got nervous, so Santa
leaned down a bit and
asked Heather what she wanted
while holding her hand.”
“So why's my daughter crying?”
he asked angrily.
The elf said, “Because she
asked to have back Cally.”
As the tension in the air
began to subside,
the elf finished up with,
“That's why your daughter cried.”
It wasn't long before
guilt began to erase
the anger that had been
so clear on Gary's face.
“Oh,” Gary uttered
as he stroked his daughter's hair.
“Sorry for getting so
mad for a moment there.”
The woman smiled and said,
“No need to say sorry.
I'd react the exact
same way if it were me.”
The woman looked to Heather
before she leaned in.
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,”
she said with a warm grin.
The elf woman left
Gary and Heather alone.
“Let's go home, honey,”
he said in a somber tone.
The next afternoon,
saw Gary getting his pay
before he left work early
that Christmas Eve day.
He had the next few days off,
for his Christmas break.
And a chance to relax,
he was ready to take.
He wished ev'ryone well
then headed for his car,
set to make the drive home,
which wasn't very far.
He stepped outside into
the chilly rain that fell.
Coupled with the cold air,
it was dreary as hell.
Once on the road,
he chose to make a quick stop at
the Safeway that he'd pass
to pick up this and that.
Ten minutes later,
he pulled into Safeway's lot.
He parked near the store's front
and ran in like a shot.
“Merry Christmas, young man,”
said a man who was dressed
in the usual red
and white of Santa's best.
Gary glanced at him with
a wave as he went by.
But a moment later,
he turned to face the guy.
Gary looked at the man
for a second or two.
“Wait,” Gary said. “At the mall,
was that Santa you?”
“That is was,” the man smiled
before ringing the bell,
that so many patrons
knew very, very well.
“You work for the
Salvation Army?” Gary posed.
Santa smiled, “I had to do
something. The mall's closed.”
“True,” Gary grinned.
“Doesn't leave much time for rest, though.”
Santa laughed with, “I've got
the rest of the year, so...”
Gary chuckled a bit
and bid Santa farewell
before he went to get the
food Safeway did sell.
Some frozen snacks were grabbed,
as was some milk and bread,
which ensured he'd stay home
on his days off ahead.
With his food paid for,
he hurried back to his car.
In it, he used his smart
phone to check the radar.
“Figures,” he grumbled as
he stared at his phone's screen,
which showed his city
under a huge blob of green.
“Guess we're getting a wet
and not white Christmas day,”
he sarcastically said and
put his phone away.
He was just about to
start up the car's motor,
when a strange sound was heard.
A sound that did recur.
Gary was quiet as he
listened intently.
That was when it repeated
for time number three.
“What the-?” he muttered
with confusion on his face,
as the sound came again
from the car's engine space.
Though it didn't make sense
and he wasn't sure how,
what he'd heard sounded
much like a little meow.
He stepped back out into
the steady, falling rain,
and knelt down as he listened
for the sound again.
He checked under the
car's engine and what he found,
was a short, fuzzy tail
that hung down as the sound
of a small meow came
again for him to hear.
“Stay there, fuzzball” he said.
“Don't go and disappear.”
Gary ran back to the store,
past Santa who said,
“Slow down there, young man,
or you'll slip and hit your head!”
Once in the pet aisle,
Gary grabbed a small can
of Fancy Feast cat food
before he quickly ran
up front to pay for it,
then back out in the rain.
Once he opened the can,
he knelt down once again
beside the front of his car
and slid the can so
it was under the engine,
with a, “There you go.”
A full minute went by.
And soon, one became two.
“C'mon fuzzball,” he whispered.
“Where the hell are you?”
He heard and saw nothing,
but continued to wait
and hope what he'd seen would
take the Fancy Feast bait.
It took another minute,
but Gary soon saw,
a small fuzzy head drop down
with a little paw.
He smiled as he watched
the kitten sniff at the food,
thinking, Get it so I
can grab you, little dude.
With caution, the kitten
climbed down to the wet ground
and began to dig into
the food it had found.
Gary waited until
the kitten turned away.
He then quickly grabbed
for it without a delay.
The kitten let out a cry
as Gary took hold
of it and felt how its
soft fur was wet and cold.
“Gotcha,” he smiled as
he pulled the kitten against
his chest and felt how
the kitten's body had tensed.
“It's alright,” he said.
“Just relax, ya little shit.
Don't wig out on me so
I end up getting bit.”
With the kitten held firmly,
he got in his car
just as the kitten hissed
and growled, ready to spar.
“Yeah, yeah, you're real tough,”
Gary chuckled, then held out
the kitten to look at it
as it looked about.
The yellow and white kitten
was soaked to the bone.
Gary mumbled, “Why were you
out here all alone?”
The kitten meowed and looked
Gary in the eye;
fear in its stare as
it let out another cry.
“You're safe now,” Gary stated
while he looked over
the kitten some more and
saw that its rain-drenched fur
was stained in a few spots
with grease from the engine.
“I guess cleaning you up
is where we should begin.”
Gary looked to the store
then back at the young cat.
“Now where in the hell
can I keep you contained at?”
He looked around his car
and his eyes came to rest
upon what gave him a plan
that wasn't the best
idea to run with,
but given how things were,
it was all he could think of
for his guest with fur.
“You're really not going
to like this,” Gary said.
“But I promise you're not
going to end up dead.”
He opened the glove box
and set the wet kitten
inside with, “Sorry, but
I have to put you in.”
The kitten meowed just
as Gary shut the door.
With his guest contained,
Gary went back to the store.
“You alright, young man?”
Santa asked as Gary strode
by for the fifth time.
But Gary's pace never slowed
as he walked by Santa
and went straight to the aisle
where he could get the things
he would need for a while.
Gary came back out with
several bags of stuff.
“Done this time?” Santa asked
in a bit of a huff.
“I'm sorry,” Gary said
as he went by quickly.
“I need to get home,
so you'll have to excuse me.”
Gary continued on
as Santa said, “I see,”
then added with a grin,
“Merry Christmas you three.”
“Merry Christmas,” Gary called
and didn't look back
as the rain beat on him
 and each grocery sack.
A minute later,
Gary was out of the rain.
When he heard a meow,
“You'll just have to remain
“there for a bit longer,”
he said to the glove box.
“We'll be at my place soon
in just a few more blocks.”
He started his car and
got back out on the road.
Five minutes later,
he was back at his abode.
He didn't bother to put
what he'd bought away,
as he had things to do
for his little found stray.
He put the kitten
in the bathroom so it would
have a chance to calm itself
as best as it could.
In the kitchen, he grabbed
the small bottle of Dawn
that had gotten low with
some two thirds of it gone.
He paid the babysitter
what was owed to her,
then sent her on her way
and called to his daughter.
“Heather?” Gary called out.
“Yeah Daddy?” she replied
 as she came out to him
with a bounce in her stride.
He said, “Could you please
dry the wet spots on the floor?
I left quite a few when
I came in the front door.”
“'kay,” she nodded, then
bounded off to do just that.
He then said to himself,
“Now to wash off that cat.”
He went in the bathroom
and turned on the fart fan.
With the bathroom door shut,
“Now lets see if we can
“get this nasty grease
off of you,” he said as he
moved up to the bathtub
and got down on one knee.
He turned on the water
and got it good and warm
before he picked up
the kitten's small and wet form.
“Just relax,” he said as
the kitten let out cries
that mirrored the fear that
was clearly in its eyes.
The warm water soon soaked
into all of its fur,
and that was when Gary
could feel the kitten purr.
“See?” he smiled. “This bath
isn't so bad now is it?
You'll be all clean and dry
in just a little bit.”
Gary took the dish soap
and put some on his palm,
then washed the kitten gently
so it would stay calm.
The Dawn loosened the grease
that stained the kitten's fur.
But it took three washings
just to be truly sure
that there was nothing left
and the kitten was clean.
 That was when Gary put
the kitten in-between
the two halves of a towel
and began to dry
the kitten off gently
as it let out a cry.
“We're almost done,” he said.
“Just a bit more to do.
Hopefully what's next won't
scare the shit out of you.”
Once he had finished,
the kitten's fur was a mess.
It shook its small head
with a quick hiss of distress.
“Oh, a tough guy, eh?” he grinned
as he scratched his brow.
“Well I had to get that grease
off of you somehow.”
He set the kitten down
on the sink's counter top.
It hissed at him again,
to which he said, “Oh, stop.”
He then opened a drawer
below the bathroom sink
and pulled out Heather's
hair dryer that was bright pink.
He also grabbed his old comb
before he looked to
the kitten and uttered,
“Afraid these are for you.”
 He plugged in the hair dryer,
then took his comb and
held the kitten in place
with his free other hand.
At first the kitten squirmed
like a worm, as it were.
But as Gary ran the comb
through the kitten's fur,
a purr began to grow
as Gary combed its chin
“Enjoying this now, are you?”
he asked with a grin.
As the comb hit the kitten's
“hot spot,” he learned that
the stray thing he had found
was a young female cat.
“You're a girl, eh?” he smiled
as the kitten stood on
her tip toes and let out
a rather drawn out yawn.
Once he got the tangles
out of the kitten's fur,
he picked up and turned on
the bright pink hair dryer.
He thought she would freak out.
But much to his surprise,
she swatted at the air
as she squinted her eyes
from the warm wind that
blew directly at her face
as Gary dried her and
gently kept her in place.
Within a couple minutes,
Gary was all done,
while the kitten looked around
for her source of fun.
The hair dryer had given
her fur extra puff,
like she was in a dryer
that was set on 'fluff'
“Well don't you look like
a cute ball of fuzz,” he said.
The kitten stared at him
and tilted her small head.
He laughed a bit just as
a knock came on the door.
“Dad?” Heather called. “Why'd
you buy pet stuff at the store?”
Gary looked to the kitten
on the sink's counter
and said, “I guess it's about
time that we tell her.”
He picked up the now
rather fluffy kitten and
held her so she sat in
the palm of his right hand.
Gary opened the door and
Heather got to see
the kitten, which pulled from her
a smile and a squee.
“A KITTEN!” Heather yelped,
which startled the young cat.
Her eyes went wide as she
hunkered down where she sat.
“You scared her,” Gary said
as he gave the kitten
a reassuring scratch
on its soft, fuzzy chin.
 
“Can I hold it?” Heather asked.
“Her,” Gary replied.
“Where'd you get her?” she asked.
He said, “Found her outside.”
“Outside?” Heather repeated
as she reached up and
gently lifted the kitten
from her father's hand.
As she held the kitten
to her, Heather's dad told
of how he'd found the kitten
in the rain and cold
under the car at the store
that he had been to;
regaling her with the tale
of what he'd gone through.
“Can we keep her, Daddy?”
Heather asked. “Please, can we?”
Gary smiled and answered,
“We'll have to wait and see.
“We'll take her to the vet
after the holiday.
Let them check her out
to be sure that she's OK.
“And if she gets a clean
bill of health from the vet,
I don't see why we couldn't
make her our new pet.”
“Yay!” Heather exclaimed
as she looked to the kitten.
Gary said, “Now, give me a hand
in the kitchen.”
Gary and his daughter
unpacked all that he'd bought,
and got the bathroom
set for the kitten he'd caught.
A litter box was set up,
as were two bowls that
held the food and water
needed for the young cat.
Though there wasn't much space
between it and the floor,
a towel was rolled up
and stuffed under the door
to make sure the kitten
couldn't sneak out of there
and hide herself away
under something somewhere.
Once it was all set,
Gary put their furry guest
into the bathroom so
she could relax and rest.
It wasn't too long
before Heather's bed time came,
just as she and her dad
agreed on what to name
the kitten that he'd found
just a few hours ago.
“It's settled then,” he said.
“The kitten's name is Zoe.”
“I like it,” Heather smiled
as she nodded her head.
“Then c'mon, kiddo,” he said.
“Time to go to bed.”
“Aw, do I have to?”
she asked in a pouty voice.
“If you want your presents,”
he said, “you have no choice.”
She stood from the sofa
and kissed her dad goodnight.
“G'night, Daddy,” she said,
and he replied, “Sleep tight.”
Once Heather was in bed,
Gary let out a sigh
as he tilted his head back
and rubbed his left eye.
He went into his study,
sat down in his chair,
and just let the day's
craziness melt away there.
“What a day,” he uttered
before he fell silent.
A half hour later,
to his own bedroom he went.
He got changed and put on
a pair of sweat shorts and
was soon under his covers,
headed for dream land.
But just as he began
to drift off into sleep,
a crafty little kitten
was all set to creep
through the dark, quiet house
beyond the bathroom door
as she slid herself under
it along the floor.
Zoe'd pulled back the towel
that had been in her way.
Locked in that room was not
where she wanted to stay.
And though the space was tight,
she managed to get through
and began to prowl around
for something to do.
Though most of the lights
had been turned off in the home,
her little cat eyes
made it so that she could roam
through the near-black darkness
with great amounts of ease.
But her journey soon paused
when she heard Gary sneeze.
With her ears perked up,
she made her way down the hall
cautiously as she walked
closely along the wall.
Zoe soon reached the doorway
as Gary sneezed once more.
She stared into the dark room
for a time before
she came up to his bed
and proceeded to use
her sharp claws to climb up
as Gary tried to snooze.
“What the-?” Gary mumbled
as he sat up in bed,
only to look puzzled as he
saw Zoe's small head
pop up at the foot of
his bed with a meow.
“When did you get out?” he asked.
“Or better still, how?”
Zoe walked over the thick
blanket to Gary's lap,
where she laid down and got
ready to take a nap.
“That's not going to work
little girl,” Gary said
as he picked up Zoe and
laid back down on his bed.
He turned onto his side
and gently set down Zoe,
who came over and climbed
onto Gary's pillow.
Zoe began to knead herself
a bed in his hair.
Once she had finished with that,
she laid down right there.
Gary laughed a bit as
he closed his eyes to sleep.
The two then dozed right through
the night without a peep.
Christmas day was filled with
happiness for all three
as they opened their presents
by the Christmas tree.
Heather played with her new toys,
while Gary chilled out
and Zoe played with the wrapping
paper strewn about.
The next day, Gary took Zoe
to the vet and learned
that she was quite healthy,
but the vet was concerned
how Zoe might need shots
for distemper and whatnot.
And with Gary's go ahead,
that's just what Zoe got.
The kitten growled and hissed
at the vet, who laughed at
the display of fierceness
from such a little cat.
“I never liked shots either,”
Gary smiled as Zoe
took a swipe at the vet
when the vet let her go.
Ten minutes later,
he and Zoe were on their way
back home to relax for
what was left of their day.
With Heather at a friend's,
Gary took the time to
clean the house up a bit
and then check the mail too.
He returned with two letters,
then sat in the chair
that was in his study,
and Zoe soon joined him there.
She climbed up his pant leg
and stretched out on his lap,
then closed her eyes and purred,
ready to take a nap.
The first letter was from
the vet he was just at.
It contained a black paw print
on a small card that
also came with a note
which nearly made him cry;
that the paw print was to
remember Cally by.
He looked at the card
with a sad smile as he pet
little Zoe where she dozed
for a moment, then set
the small card on the desk
that his chair was next to.
With his eyes a bit teary,
he grabbed letter two.
To his surprise, it
had no return address or
so much as a stamp.
Just Gary's name and no more.
“Weird,” Gary uttered as
he opened it to find
something that brought him to
question his state of mind.
Inside, was a folded
paper sheet that did glow.
Gary took it out with a
somewhat baffled, “Whoa.”
With a bit of caution,
he unfolded the note
and began to read
what the unknown person wrote.
“Gary,” the note began,
“I hope that this letter
finds you in a mind set
that's a fair bit better
“than where things were for you
about a week ago
when your old and furry friend
had to be let go.
“The sadness left behind
when they have to depart
from your life like Cally did,
hurts deep in your heart.
“The pain that you felt
was great enough that Heather
came and asked me to help
you rather than help her.
“She knew how much you had
been missing your old friend
and asked for Cally back
to help your sadness end.
“As I told Heather,
that's far beyond my control.
But I soon recalled that
a good way to console
“a grieving heart is to
find a new pet in need.
A young soul to comfort,
love, and of course, to feed.
“That young soul's with you now
and I hope she's alright
after having to endure
that cold, rainy night.
“Let her into your heart,
just as you did Cally.
Merry Christmas to you,
from both Heather and me.”
The letter was signed Santa,
which puzzled Gary.
Just a moment later,
a bright flash came to be.
Gary let out a quick gasp
as the intense light
caused him to look away and
shut his eyes real tight.
With a hum-like sound,
the light came and faded out,
leaving him to open
his eyes and look about.
“What in the holy hell-?”
he had begun to say,
but stopped when he saw that
the letter'd gone away.
There was no paper
or envelope to be found.
His hands were empty
and with confusion abound,
Gary sat in his chair,
unsure of what to do.
Zoe's meow brought him back
and he smiled with, “Hey you.”
The kitten stood with a yawn
and stretched before she
turned around and purred as
she looked up at Gary.
For much of the morning,
Gary spent time with Zoe.
She followed him around
to wherever he'd go.
And when Heather returned
around lunch time that day,
he gave her a hug
and did his best to convey
how much he was grateful
for the kindness she'd shown
when her need to help him
was greater than her own
wishes of what she'd wanted
for Christmas that year.
He then said he loved her,
and she smiled ear to ear.
When night came around
and Heather had gone to bed,
Gary sat and thought about
the letter he'd read.
The flash of light it gave off
and how it vanished.
To know if it was all real,
was something he wished.
Zoe sat with him at first,
but in time she stood and
went into Heather's room
once she was in dream land.
Gary soon began to yawn
as the hour grew late.
His thoughts on that letter
would simply have to wait.
On his way to his bedroom,
he stopped and peaked in
on his sleeping daughter
and the brand new kitten.
Both were asleep, with Zoe
curled up at Heather's feet.
The sight made him smile.
It was peaceful and quite sweet.
Zoe couldn't replace Cally,
that much was quite true.
But what Zoe did was make
happiness grow anew.
Her life had been saved
on a dark and rainy night.
In return, she helped him
feel things would be alright.
Ol' Cally was gone and
he would always miss her.
But it was now Zoe's turn
with he and his daughter.
A smile came to him as
he took one more look at
the daughter he loved and
their new rescued young cat.
He then said softly as they
rested for the night,
“Merry Christmas you two.
And to both, a good night.”

F

 
  The What? We call them vents here, Coop, lmao 

Santa working his magic again i see
 

They've always been fart fans to me
Merry Christmas to any who came by. Hope you enjoyed the (long) read

Well hello there, folks!
Yes, the time has once again come. As has been the tradition for over a decade now, remixers new and seasoned have come together to make a Christmas album for everyone to enjoy. Featuring songs from video games that were given a little yuletide twist, and traditional Christmas carols that got a kick in the genre, this year we have 10 songs for you get into the spirit with.
Once again, a "thanks" goes out to Dyne for hosting this. And from all of us involved with this project, we hope you have a merry Christmas
http://williammichael.info/aocc/aoccv13.html

Well holy shit balls, Batman. It's that time once again! Time to start thinking about Christmas as the temps climb to 100ºF+ around the country and people wax nostalgic about when it was cold, while forgetting all the bitching they did regarding how cold it was. The snow, the ice, the wishing it was warm again... you know, the usual mid-January stuff. And it's in that spirit... sort of... that we take our first step in getting this year's project underway.
 
 
SO! This project is open to any and all OCR members, regardless of whether you're a posted remixer or not. And now, the details...
When's The Project Deadline?- December 20th, 2019 at 11:59 P.M. EST.
This is now a REALLY hard, non-negotiable deadline, since it's very close to Christmas. We've had lots of last-minute entries and updates over the years and, to be perfectly honest, it shouldn't be that way. With months of time, having to hold off as long as possible for people made things pretty hectic for myself and Dyne in the past. Treating this project like a college paper that doesn't get worked on until the last minute got annoying rather quickly when it kept adding up to lots of hurrying year after year, with last second updates to artwork and retagging/reuploading things. As such, you have until one minute before midnight EST on December 20th to get me the final WAV or MP3 of your song. After that, you're shit outta luck until next year. I need time to do everything, including possibly making a little website to host this project if Dyne isn't online for one reason or another. So this deadline's set in stone... PERIOD.
What Information Does The Coop Need?- When you send me your final versions, I'll need what name you want to use (real or remixer handle) and the name of your remix. Please, come up with something when you send me links to the file, rather than just giving me a file called "ff6-owa-v3f.mp3" and nothing else. You don't have to tell me what song you're remixing, but I do need a name. Plus, if you have a website you'd like to pimp, supply that as well and I can add it to the MP3 tags.
What Can Be Remixed?- Any song, really. Traditional Christmas carols, video game music, published music by a signed artist, music from TV/cartoons/anime... whatever gets your heart racing and into that Christmas spirit. This isn't an official OCR album, so you can draw from more sources than just VGM. Plus, you can take a non-Christmas tune, like the Main Theme from Space Harrier, Stage 6 Mission 2 from Metal Head, or I Defend STM from Truxton II, and turn it into a Christmasy one. So know that it's not limited only to songs that are Christmas-like to begin with. All that said, do keep in mind that if you want to submit your song to OCR later, you'll need to keep this site's guidelines in the back of your mind. But for this album, you can take it in just about any direction you want and get as crazy as you'd like (but please, no "Silver Bells" done in farts or something).
How Long Can My Song Be?- As long as you want it to be. There are no restrictions on this, so whether it's 1:30, or 9:51 with a five minute guitar solo ala Metallica, it's all good. But again, if you want to submit your song to OCR later, keep their guidelines in mind.
What Genres Can I Remix In?- Again, the door's wide open here. Rap, Metal, Pop, Piano-solo, Orchestral, Jazz, 8/16-bit, Barber Shop Quartet, A capella, Death Polka... it's up to you where you want to take it.
What Format Should I Submit My Song In?- WAV or an MP3 of at least 192KB/s quality. I'll be tagging the MP3s and making MP3s from any submitted wavs, so you don't have to worry about that. But, if you'd like your website to be in the MP3 comments section, be sure to give it to me when you submit your song.
How About A Little Music To Get Us In The Mood?- To help everyone along, here's a YouTube list of Christmasy tunes made by Ocre a number of years ago...
https://ocremix.org/community/topic/32727-an-overclocked-christmas-~-now-recruiting/?tab=comments#comment-676914
What's The Website's Address Again?- It's got a new home at... http://williammichael.info/aocc/ This album will still be downloaded there as well, as Dyne will continue to host the albums on his site.
How Do We Contact This The Coop Person?- If you've got questions, comments, concerns, want feedback, or your track is done and ready to be sent to me, you can PM me here on OCR, or send me an E-mail at thecoopscorner@gmail.com. Just be sure you remember to include a link to your remix.
 
So yeah, there you go. You've got over five months to get something done for the lovely people of OverClocked Remix and the billions of listeners around the world who've become followers of our project.
Good luck, have fun and make everyone some Nice Work™!
 
Artists involved thus far...
The Coop (director, cover artist and remixer)
Lampje4life (remixer)
TheChargingRhino (remixer)
PlanarianHugger (remixer)
Seth Skoda (remixer)
HoboKa (remixer)
Pinksou (remixer)
Souperion w/Wassup Thunder (remixer)

FYI, included this on the mailout for Arcadia, links & all, and am looking forward to checking it out. In a perfect world, we wouldn't have overlapped the release of Arcadia Legends, but scheduling things has been rough & we wanted to make sure it dropped within the 15th anniversary window of the GameCube port, so @Darkflamewolf didn't yell at us
Congrats to @The Coop & @Dyne & all contributors!

Yay!! Always glad to help!

Yay!! Always glad to help!

PM #3 sent to everyone.

If only I could be home for this. I'm so glad that OHC is still alive and well. This is amazing and I hope it's around for another 500 rounds.

I'd be down - I anticipated that the MAGFest experience would be completely different with the hotel room issue, and was super frustrated by the hotel booking process/expense (it's bad that 6 nights in central London was cheaper than 3 nights at the Gaylord...), so I rage quit going essentially...plus getting a lot of pile on vitriol by MAGFest staffers when I tried to suggest options to improve the process based on basically every other event I participate/attempt to participate in that have the exact same issues but solve them in a reasonable fashion several months before the atrocious booking process was announced.
IMO such a meetup shouldn't be tethered to a con, and should probably rotate locations so as to give a better chance of others in the community to join in, as well as give fresh sights/stuff to do. I also recommend being flexible with dates since ideally we could pick dates that work best for the community/aren't as expensive to travel on.
I'd definitely be up for helping out covering some costs & would be willing to fly out to such an event.

So after this past MAGFest, I was left feeling like we need a different focal point for an annual community meeting. A chance for people of the OCR tribe to get together and hang/game/rock the fuck out, without being hampered by an inability to get hotel rooms at the Gaylord. The overall impression I got from talking to other people is that I would not be the only one interested in such a thing.

SO

If, hypothetically, I were to rent a bigass mansion (say, something like this) for a weekend in the summer (say, July 6-8), and distribute the cost among participants, how many people would realistically be likely to sign up? The goal would be to keep the cost under $250/room for the weekend.
 
Keeping a list of people interested, just so I can keep count:
Taucer + S
Bahamut
Nabeel Ansari
Earth Kid
Dyne
zyko
Theory of N +1
Sixto
Shaggy
Hemo
Arrow
Gario
Prophetik
Phonetic Hero
Liontamer
Mazedude
JohnStacy
Garpocalypse
DA + OA
Flexstyle
DarkeSword
Rama


EDIT:
IF SOMEBODY ELSE CAN STEP IN AND TAKE LEAD, I THINK THIS WILL HAPPEN. IF NOT, IT WON'T. 
I don't have the time or organizational skills to run this, and I don't have the money to make the up front deposit. I can provide contact info for what looks like a great place to hold it, if somebody else wants to step in and take over.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/211547197 for the majority of the listening party (the chat is saved as well) 
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/211561595 had to restart the stream so here's the last couple tunes. 

Minor edit for Track 10 of volume 11. Just re-download track 10 to receive the fixed version. It has also been changed in the .rar file as well.

Minor edit for Track 10 of volume 11. Just re-download track 10 to receive the fixed version. It has also been changed in the .rar file as well.

Who wants to get the album from the site so we can give The Coop's dropbox a rest? I know I do! Oh wait... I did! LOL!
Go here for An OverClocked Christmas v11!!! ----> http://williammichael.info/aocc/