Gilding the Lily

Photo Fiction

Brett Paufler

Page 7

Two Fallen Flowers on Rock Wall Overlooking a Playground

Two flowers on a rock wall. So clearly, there have been two deaths.

"Oh, yeah. Forgot to tell you. They found another body."
"Forgot? Slipped your mind?"
"Didn't seem important. And at the time, you were eating lunch."
"Oh. Well, thanks. Anything else?"
"Apparently, this has happened before."

You know how it is, pyscho murderer on the loose and they close all the playgrounds. Or maybe it was early afternoon and all the kids were in school. Like I know.

"Look! Look in the windows. You can see children."
"A barren landscape, all the children gone, running frightened."
"Seriously, are you that blind? Or just stupid?"
"Hey, why can't it be both? Ever think of that?"

This caught my eye because I thought it might be a bamboo shoot at first. Turned out to be a an traffic cone. And from there, it sort of morphed into the second crime scene. X marks the spot, and all that.

Safety Cone Juxtaposed with a Tree & Concrete Manhole Cover Dome

Notice how the traffic cone is situation right next to a tree and a sewer pipe manhole entrance thingy? Coincidence, I think not.

"Of course it's next to a tree. Look around you, everything is next to a tree."
"Sort of makes you think, doesn't it?"

Sign: 'Private Property KEEP OUT', the safety cone beyond

"Handy that."
"What?"
"The murderer killed someone on Private Property. Now we can't investigate."
"We're the police."
"No, you're police. I'm just a Haole going for a walk. This psycho is cleverer than I'd thought."
"I'm thinking you think that about most folks, you know, in comparision to yourself."

Sign in Road: 'Your Speed' with 25mph showing

And here we have the final image that lays any 'Speed Demon' theories to rest. I sat by this sign long and hard hoping to catch a speeder, but it was not to be. Oh, some folks were going more than 25mph (speed limit might have been higher than that actually, I wasn't looking). But I lost interest in the picture, before I could nab one that flashed over the limit. Oh, and if you look down the way, I do believe one can see the infamous 'Hanging Tree' and 'Garbage Can of Sorted Paper' in the background.

Parking lot with Motorcycle Parked Under a Tree

Another motorcycle, the operator of which had turned into a sort of Protectorate in my mind at this point.

Unattended Tricycles in an Empty Playground

See, the playground is empty once again. And who is keeping these kids safe? Motorcycle rider. That's who.

Close up of a Tricycles and a few Idle Balls

And then, there's something powerfully sad to me about playground equipment going unused. Where are the children? Where have they gone? Who knows? Home? Still in class? Some might have been wading down in the river? Or maybe it was a holiday or something, winter break (formerly known as Christmas Break) coming rapidly to mind.

'Shadow': Close Up of a Motorcycle Engine

If I'd ever developed the motorcycle rider, his name would have been Shadow.

"Shadow. Sounds sort of cool and edgy, doesn't?"
"Who names their kid Shadow?"
"It's a nickname?"
"Why would anyone want that as a nickname?"
"Well, it could make for some real confusing prose. 'Hey, Shadow. Hide in the shadows while I shadow that Shadow.' Or we're headed to a cemetery, so maybe we're dealing with some sort of ghostly Shadow Rider. See, he could always be a Shadow named Shadow who rides his Honda Shadow into the shadows."
"Shut up. You're giving me a headache."

Back End of a Hearse Driving Away (and heading towards the waterfall park)

And then, a hearse went by.

"Why are you holding your breath."
"Cemeteries <gasp> and hearses <gasp>. Have to <gasp> hold <gasp> your breath <gasp> when <gasp> they <gasp> go by <gasp>."

The Next Exciting Installment of Gilding The Lily

(((Note: while the pictures are real (as real as pictures can get) all the text should be treated as fiction -- or at least, unreliable. Nothing has been fact checked. Things change. And the truth sometimes only serves to get in the way of a good story. Thus, taken as a whole, these web pages that comprise this story should be viewed as a record of one man's flight of fancy as he takes a walk on a long sunny afternoon. Nothing more. Nothing less. And most certainly, no disrespect to any individual (living or dead) is intended.)))

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