The Keep Series 3:UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT!

Followed by a long dusty trail, a white limosine follows no descernable road through the shifting sands of the desert.
The driver blinks the sweat from his eyes but the heat haze still alteres his perception.

A lone occupant sits comfortably in spacious luxury on the back seat. His focus is intent upon the unusual document sitting innocently between his white-gloved fingers.
A smile slowly lightens his face and Sheik Istrayta carefully places the document into a satin-lined flat box.

A soft purple light flashes once and the limosine is brought to a gentle halt. The driver takes off one of his driving gloves and opens his door.
He is immediately hit by a wall of heat as he climbs out.
Looking around he sees nothing but sand and sky in all directions. Only the slowly sinking ball of the sun adds relief to the spars landscape.
.

The Shiek does not appear to notice the wall of heat as he alights from the air conditioned luxury of his transport.
Dressed in white desert garb and dark glasses he speaks briefly to the driver before handing over a black briefcase.
A few more words are exchanged, the driver protests but he has his orders.
He climbs back into the vehicle and heads into the cloud of dust he has so recently created.

The Sheik stands alone and watches the last remnent of his past life dwindle into the distance as his shadow lengthens into the evening.


The heat had been sucked away with the disapearing sun and still the Shiek has not moved.
He waits and he listens.
The moon is full this night and low on the horizon. As the gentle light silvers the sand, it wakens the sleeping seeds of the Desert Moonflower and within minutes the Sheik stands amid a vast carpet of silver flowers.

The scent is intoxicating and he sees shadows flitting about him. Tiny sounds reach his ears as of scurrying insects, louder and closer, darting here and there. His heart rate quickens and he casts about looking for something tangeable to the saurce of the sounds. He begins to feel light, dizzy and he is is compelled to sink to his knees in the sand.

And all is silent.
The world suddenly stops spinning.
All is still.

A spectral figure hovers close. It fights the urge to say

"BOO!"

The Sheik almost wets himself but the spectral figure is disapointed at its own lack of discipline and professionalism and therefore doesn't notice.

“You are the one called Istrayta?”
More than just a litlle startled, the Sheik spins but he sees no-one.
“Who’s there?”
“You are the one called Istrayta?”
“Yes.”
“You have brought the deeds?”
“I have.”
“Show me.
Nervously the Sheik brings the flat box from within the folds of his robe and reverently opens it.
The ghostly figure peers over the Sheiks shoulder.
“Ah, they do not write deeds like these any more do they, you're a luck chap!”
The Sheik almost drops his prize as the words are spoken so close to his ear but the newcomer has already taken it into its own possesion.
He begins to protest but a spirited hand holds him down. The spirit decides it might be prudent to at least act more professional.
“Do you know the value of your purchase Sheik?”
“It cost me nothing.”
“I did not speak of cost. I asked if you know the value of it.”
“I would say that its worth is at least equal to what is put into it.”
“What you say is true, but you have much to learn, But there is plenty of time for that. Watch and learn good sir. Watch and learn.”
The figure lifts the document from its container and allows it to float onto the soft Moonflowers.
The flowers beneath the parchment begin to glow and a line-drawing begins to appear' It is a crude drawing of a doormat. The word ‘WELCOME’ shouts a huge grey greeting.

Taking one corner of the parchment, The spirited figure lifts the edge just enought to reach a spectral hand beneath
"Ah, here it is."
He pulls out a slender silver key from within the flowers.
“Here we are, probably bad practice these days but we’ve traditionally left the key under the mat. You never know who might drop in.”
The Sheik tries a smile but it's unconvincing.
“My names Hotrock by the way, welcome to your new home Sheik Istraytor.”
“Thank you, but please, call me Admin.”

As the parchment corner settles back into place, the image of the doormat changes to a keyhole. Hotrock places the key into it, turns it until it clicks and gently pushes open the new image of a door.

I shall not bore you with all the pretty lights and imagery that happens here, let us just agree that there’s a lot of pretty firework type stuff and weird noises n things like that because, well, it gets kinda lame sometimes.

So i’ll just take you to the bit right after the sexy girls leave, ok?

And here we are. The ancient Keep, rebuilt and refurbished, branded as Write4Fun under new management.

Welcome one and all.

Sheik Admin Istrayta

Mr Admin
That was magic er, I snuck into the Keep t'other day - may I stay?

I love the desert theme and I really loved the sentence:
"As the gentle light silvers the sand, it wakens the sleeping seeds of the Desert Moonflower and within minutes the Shiek stands amid a vast carpet of silver flowers."

May your left hand be jealous of your right hand and may they both be jealous of your lips as you bend to kiss the hands of the beateous ladies who enter the keep. Bismillah
Old Arabian saying attributed to al Makar Tan 401BCE

thanks Al, you read it whilst i was modifying it. I'd got mixed tenses galore. Probably still some left too.

No worries - still reads okay.
Now in respect of your higher calling how do you wish to be addressed, O Sheik.

I searched the desert sands and mountains high for the location of this keep and found another bearing the same name. One just needs to type in Write4Fun and upcomes an alien site.

hm, bugger! Gonna have to work on our profile I guess

I want to see the fireworks!

Shiek: Do ya like it?
Ms. Mare: It’s old.
Shiek: It’s free.
Ms. Mare: It’s great!
Shiek: Isn’t it?

Shiek, are you putting words in my mouth? Oh, go ahead, but you are totally responsible for whatever I say

Mo: It’s a bit big.
Me:True but...
Mo: I don’t like it.
Me: It’s the best we could get for the price.
Mo: Don’t think for one minute I’m gonna be cleaning it.
Me: I don’t expect you ...
‘Mo: Cos I aint!
Me: Of course but...
Mo: If fact, I wants me own cleaner.
Me: You want wha...
Mo: An’ me own room.
Me: Naturally you’ll ha...
Mo: Wi’ me own bathroom.
Me: Of c...
Mo: Wi’ one o’them bidet things.
Me: ?
Mo: An’ I wants a study,
Me: A stud...
Mo: and a solid wall ta stick me new telly on.
Me: ??
Mo: So it’ll need ta be a big room wi’ good reception.
Me: reception...
Mo: n a cellar wi’a heavy door fer me still.
Me: Naturally I...
Mo: Do you hear a siren?

Al enters
Al: Wait a cotton pickin' minute.
Admin: Excuse me, I'm in conference
Mo: Yes, you colonial, excuse him.
Al: Sorry, you're excused. now, i'm all for Mo getting her own room, but I'm darned if i'm going to put up with her television hanging on the wall.
Admin: come again!
Al: You do read facebook, don't you?
Admin: Not unless Notts County is playing at home.
Mo: Notts what?
Admin: Notts County, a football team, much like the New York Giants only more talented and articulate.
Al: Enow! enow! Mo mentioned her TV on facebook, saying it was hanging on the wall - here, in the keep, ruins the asethics.
Admin: Look, Al, there is summat I want to discuss with Mo, so please! Outski. go and water your kangaroo at the billabong, or better still go and help Isis Smee clean her Koalas' cages. Oh! I will be drawing up a cleaning roster and alphabetically speaking, guess who heads the list? (evil grin)
al exits.

My Hotrock! You are WRITING AGAIN! I am so happy I could spit pickles. **She dances a little happy jig**

(I apologize for waiting so long to come back here). How, how, how do you write such imaginative 'stuff'? I can't make my imagination work like that. You can conjure up things that are unreal. I have to rely on concrete images, situations, etc. I envy you. I really do.
Do you think it's just the way our brains are wired? I have trouble following stories based on fantasy and, yet, I want to be able to follow them. I'm not referring to your piece above. I could follow that.

Whew! I am so glad you're writing again.

LOL!! And I got my solid wall to stick my telly on!! You're too much....
(Did I get my bidet?)

Now, I really must get back to my cotton pickin...LOL.

Glad you made it Mo, the place is empty without you.
ok, so the place is empty without any of us but, well, you know what I mean.

Wow, what a wonderful piece. Like Al said, I love the desert theme.

Yes, Al, alas, my aesthetics are trashed with the hanging TV. Darn it. To hang it, I had to removed the velvet portrait of Elvis but, something had to go. I had to choose between real art and life size newscasts. Art lost.

It's not easy keeping the forum motivated is it? Seems we've gotten very quiet over the last month or two.

This is very true mate. If I can motivate myself i'll get right on it.

I'm hibernating. Waiting for spring.