BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 08:33 PM

Arf! Arf! Yap!

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,natasha smasher
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 08:12 AM

magenta closed the dust pink velvet curtains, and threw herself onto the soft large bed. as the light crept into the sky outside, magenta lay in the dark, listening to Cara's CD, "Long Forgotten" .. (http://www.carasmusic.com/)

Mikle Ryan's beautiful words and Oaklet's haunting fiddle soaked into her brain..

"A hard and cold December day
I walked the path with my own friend
Smelt the sweetness of tobacco on the breeze
along a long forgotten path.

What we become is what we choose
and who is to care if the past we lose
and throw their memory, into the wine to be
forgotten like them.

And through the milk-light of a dream
I saw a hand, extending kind
Calloused palm, broad fingers never ring-adorned
and felt a long forgotten touch..."

those words, who did they remind her of?

"I saw a hand, extending kind
Calloused palm, broad fingers never ring-adorned
and felt a long forgotten touch..."

a huge sigh rushed through Magenta's body like a crashing wave, and she sobbed and sobbed and sobbed into the pillow, a huge aching pouring into her chest as grief washed through her like a dark poison.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,bleeding gums boris
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 08:14 AM

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,bleeding gums boris
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 08:18 AM

Magenta was whinging so much i was speechless for a moment...








before pondering on bloody women and their endless capacity for self pity.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,amalia clawall
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 08:23 AM

Magenta knew that more than anything, she wanted Chongo. She needed his earthy warmth, his warm, embracing arms, and his strong, strong shoulders to sob into. Chongo, where are you?

the sounds of the Uileann pipes wailed through Magenta, through her blood and flesh, as she soobed and sobbed into the blood red sheets.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 09:38 AM

The air hostess froze..

what on earth.. well, what in sky was that dark shape hanging from the ceiling? and that strange sound.. OOK OOK!


Chongo couldnt cope with that damn China Eastern airline seat any longer. It was about as big as an ice cream bucket and as hard as a doctor's waiting room seat. Fed up with the strain, he stretched one long arm up to the luggage rack, and with one haul, swung himself up, stretched across, and hung comfortably upside down from the ceiling, as a wave of gasps rushed down the eisle.

aaahh, that was better... not long now!

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 10:35 AM

It's only been a few days here in Australia (well okay, a few nights from my perspective) and already I'd like to be on the next flight home.

It's not that its not beautiful down under because it is, but already I've come close to serious harm several times.

I swear I was just minding my own business, hanging around as it were, and out of nowhere comes this black bundle of hair and legs with the worst attitude I've ever seen in a spider! So much for controlling children of the night. He (or she, I really didn't feel like getting an upclose look) chased me from one roost to another until I finally gave up and flew the coop (groan).

I tried the outdoor life, holed up in a gum tree. That's when the Kookaburas began screaming! Still it was probably a good thing since a snake was busily working it's way up and towards my roost!

I flew out of there so fast that I didn't pay attention to where I was going and ran into a tree and dropped into a pond. Apparently that was more than enough provocation for a duck billed beaver (I think it was a platypus) to come after me! So much for native hospitality!

Maybe a bit more civilization is what's called for. Maybe I can find a place at the opera house. I can't imagine that all of these poisonous animals would have much taste for opera.

Well,
No Worries!

Fresnelli

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Chongo Chimp
Date: 07 Dec 04 - 07:11 PM

Gettin' through Aussie customs turned out to be easier than I expected, despite the weird looks. There seems to be some pretty heavy prejudice against simians here. I thought they were going to make trouble over the "violin", but no...they just waved me through when I showed 'em Fresnelli's business card. Interesting! He clearly had some powerful contacts in Sydney. Doin' what is the question...? I don't figger he was handin' out charitable donations to orphans or nothin' like that.

I tried to track down Magenta, but no success so far. She's out there somewhere. I can feel her presence wafting on the breeze like a haunting perfume. I intend to do some moonlighting here till I find her and I ain't got time to waste with Vlad on the prowl.

Sydney turns out to be a real nice town, and the weather's great here too. Lots of sun...not that that would appeal too much to Magenta at this point. The nights are beautiful with the sea breeze comin' in. I can see where a chimp would want to build himself a nice little treehouse in the country here and just settle in for a bit.

I am gonna go see the Royal Botanical Gardens today, but first I gotta buy a nice big bunch of garlic buds and extract the juice...

- Chongo

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Chongo Chimp
Date: 07 Dec 04 - 09:05 PM

Got the garlic buds, and juiced 'em. Phew! Powerful odour! This stuff is gonna come in real handy, though...

Then I went to the Royal Botanic Gardens and looked around. It's a beautiful place, not far from that famous opera house in Sydney. They got over 150 kinds of palm trees and some big cycads too. some of these trees are ancient. I couldn't resist climbing the biggest cycad in the bunch, and got a great view from up there. Man, it's times like that that I get nostalgic for the old days back in Africa, before I emigrated to America. You ever swing on a grapevine, you don't forget it. It's like ridin' a bike or blastin' off a 50 cal. clip from a tommygun. It stays in your blood.

What should happen then but the fat lady from the plane with the damn poodle, Desiree', shows up, and the poodle starts barkin' at me. The silly thing thinks it's got me treed! Fat chance. I start pitchin' stuff outa the tree at the little monster and it goes hysterical. This is fun! Just like when I was a kid.

The fat lady drags the dog away, shakin' her fist at me. Tough bananas, lady! I had to put up with your whining for 22 hours.

I ended up just hangin' out in the trees till dusk. It's easy to think up there. Sort of meditative.

Tomorrow I have got to find out more about Fresnelli's business contacts here...and find Magenta.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,bleeding gums boris
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 05:42 PM

Simon was meeting his old mate, Daintree Frank, for a catch up and a bit of a bong. It was Thursday, at the usual spot, underneath a huge Moreton Bay Fig tree. Frank would be along in a while, so Simon decided to curl up under the tree and have a little snooze..

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Chief Chaos
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 01:31 AM

It might be time to let you all in on a state secret.
Don’t look at me like that, I swore to keep it secret until death.
I don’t think I need keep it anymore.

This isn’t my first trip to Australia.
Okay so that isn’t a surprise to you.
My last trip to Australia was many years ago but apparently what
happened back then is still in the national memory.

It was shortly after the end of WWII. The U.S. government had been sifting through what it could of the remains of Hitler’s memoirs and research programs. I guess it’s no secret that he was very interested in the occult. Some of what he uncovered was already well known as fact or regarded as pure fantasy and myth. Unfortunately for every known there were a certain amount of unknowns. The Australian Aboriginal beliefs of the Dream Time had largely gone unaddressed by the scholarly world. What Hitler was looking for, or what he might have actually found was one of the unknowns. I as a young scholar with military research and my much older partner
were sent down under to look into matters and also try to uncover any remaining agents from the reich that might still be active.

I know that all sound like bunk but after the war we all wanted to stamp out any remnants of the reich no matter how absurd they might be. Nobody wanted to take any chances that someone might pop-up with something dangerous and restart the madness.

So I found myself in the wilderness of the outback hunting down Nazis, collaborators and any information I could about Dream Time.

Unfortunately we weren’t the only ones that were interested. Shortly after we arrived, and generally right before interviewing a suspect we’d find that person dead. At first it was merely an annoyance but after the bodies started piling up the public began to worry about having a serial killer amongst them. It didn’t help that some of the deaths were pretty bizarre and due to the work we were doing the details had to be considered secret. If the Aussies had know that the murderer was just after Nazi agents they might not have gotten so concerned.

And this of course is where Vlad comes into the mix. Of course at the time we didn’t know the murderer was a vampire and to this day I still haven’t been able to determine if he was working for someone or had his own agenda. My partner decided that we should stake out a few of our suspects the night before we were actually supposed to be interviewing them. We suspected that there was a leak somewhere in the chain and that moving before we were supposed to might let us catch the murderer.

We almost didn’t get him that night. If it hadn’t been for a very young girl walking in on Vlad and his victim (her grandfather) and her subsequent scream we would have never known. We broke the door of the house down and stormed in guns drawn. There was blood everywhere around the corpse of the old man and there was Vlad, the little girl clutched against him as he drained her life. We didn’t bother trying to take him alive. We let him have it with what you might call extreme prejudice. Of course our bullets had no effect whatsoever. My partner became his third victim that night. Vlad tossed him around like a rag doll. He never stood a chance. I would have been the fourth but for the sunrise. I was found unconscious among the bodies. It took awhile for the government to get me off the hook. For some reason Vlad fled Australia. I guess he thought we’d actually be able to stop him with enough men and a few sharpened stakes.

I’ve been after him ever since.
That’s the story, believe me or not it doesn’t matter. Unless you were one of the few that Vlad hadn’t managed to kill.

I just found out about another unknown. Apparently along with great strength, morphing, and controlling night creatures, a vampire can feel the presence of other vampires. I can only assume that since I feel him, he also feels me. He doesn’t know necessarily that it is me of course but I can only guess what his course of action will be. The game just got a lot more interesting.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 04:55 AM

Daintree Frank is a slim, elfin, sun bronzed, leathery skinned old hippie from up north, the Daintree. He lives in an old wooden house facing onto a beach, in the far remote north. A rainforest is his backyard, the beach his home, and the wild, open ocean his orchestra.

To the dance of the stars, the pull of the moon, and the supreme gaze of the sun, the ocean throbs and recedes, crashes and dumps, through day and night, washing a wet rhythmic chorus behind Daintree Frank's fine tremolo tenor. His voice is like a piccolo, high, tremulous, vibrating.

Today, Frank was in Sydney, meeting up with Simon under the 4th old Moreton Bay Fig tree from the herb garden. Sitting between the tree's vast wooden roots, straddling the tree and earth like huge thighs, Frank opened his lunchbox. Inside was a brown rice salad, peppered with sunflower seeds, pine nuts and finely chopped celery. Alonside was an avocado, mango and chilli salsa. Frank was so busy eating, he didnt feel the eyes watching him.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Chongo Chimp
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 10:24 AM

Avocados and mangos. Yum! That got me thinkin'. I watched the strange little guy havin' his lunch and my stomach started to growl. This hangin' out in the trees wasn't bad, but I needed food, specifically, fruit, so I left the park behind and found a grocery. They got a great selection of fruit in Australia. This would be a good place for apes to emigrate to if it wasn't for the political attitudes. I loaded up on the best stuff I could find. Then I looked around some and got myself a cheap room at the outskirts of town, not far from the ocean. I needed to make some preparations indoors...with some 50 caliber ammo. I knew Vlad was impervious to bullets, but I didn't think he'd be so impervious to slugs soaked in garlic juice! No sir. They might not kill him...but he would sure wish he was dead when they hit him! Ha!

After preparin' five hundred rounds in this fashion and oilin' up the gun, I went out to get a better look at Sydney. Nice place for a short vacation.

- Chongo

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 27 Dec 04 - 08:35 AM

Frank had been lying in the sun for some time. Where the hell was Simon? they had a special project, a furtive undertaking, and very high hopes.

Frank and Simon had a secret new plant that was under cultivation at the Botanic Gardens.

Bob Makinson, a boatnist from way back, and a folkie renowned for singing through his nose on the odd occasion, had created an amazing new plant, Grevillea Mudcatus, a grevillia that was unique in that it had long "whisker" stamens like a mudcat.

Simon, always interested in herbs and other natural things, had taken some of the Grevillea Mudcatus seeds and had combined them in a blender with some Cannibus Sativa and some mushrooms, and had dug them into a special spot underneath the oyster plants. Simon made sure they were well watered and cared for, and to his surprise, up grew a strange looking new plant, with long thin green leaves like, well, like an open hand, and fine whisker-like fronds emitting from the flowers.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 27 Dec 04 - 08:47 AM

Simon was so thrilled with his invention, that he contacted Daintree Frank via ham radio, and they had a long conversation about the possibilities inherent in a new species of dope. They even talked about copywriting the plant - if those big genetic engineering companies could copywrite corn, well, then maybe Simon and Frank could copywrite their new plant. the only thing was to give it the right name, one that would   bring it to the attention of the potential millions of customers that could be interested.

Simon was already visualising the houses he would own in Hawaii, Alberta and Maleny. And the extensive influence he could wield over politicians - this, thought Simon, was his ticket to finally solving the Middle East crisis.

Martin Gibson and CarolC were not so sure, but they figured anything was worth a try.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Bleeding gums Boris
Date: 27 Dec 04 - 05:37 PM

Simon strolled at a leisurely pace towards the 4th old Moreton Bay Fig tree from the herb garden. He was a fine looking bloke for his vintage, long and lean, golden brown skin and green eyes, eyebrows like flapping magpies, distinguished long white beard, spiky mullet, and his pipe.

There was Frank, snoozing under the tree, his hat draped across his face, backpack being used as a pillow.

"Eh, Albatrossy, wake up!" (Simon calls all his mates Albatrossy)

Frank sat up with a start, waving his hands about and shouting "get the hell off"

bad dreams, thought Simon, this man having bad dreams.

As he got up and smoothed his hair back, Daintree Frank felt something wet on his throat. Touching it, he looked at his fingers to see...

blood.

Jeez, the mozzies are bad today, he thought.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 02:39 AM

magenta could feel the vibes, the bad vibes. men everywhere, arguing with another, pushing each other round. she had had enough.

Magenta decided the only thing that made sense was to morph. to get back to her origins, to return, to the Old Country. Whatever strange things had happened to her, she knew the only thing to do was return to her people. The people of the old ways, who could heal her and help her.

She stood under the huge old gum tree in the back yard, and threw her long hair about her like a cloak. Under the Southern Cross, she trembled all over, a huge rippling goddess.

The gum tree stirred, the wind fluttering through its long, dangling grey green leaves, and suddenly, up high in the tree was a huge white owl, flapping its enormous wings.

It turned westward, a flew upwards, and onwards, across the starlit sky and back to the ancient forest of the Motherland.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Chongo Chimp
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 10:27 AM

Three weeks in Australia, and I still ain't met Crocodile Dundee! Matter of fact, people around here seem to regard him as an embarassment for some reason. Well, the weather is great and the tropical fruit is great too. I am thinkin' of leaving Sydney and headin' into the interior. I got a feeling that's where the action really is. I'm gonna rent a jeep, get an aboriginal guide and check out the outback. I'm dyin' to see a real kangaroo that ain't in a zoo.

- Chongo

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 12:41 PM

69

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Chongo Chimp
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 04:14 PM

We don't wanna hear about your sexual preferences, Georgian Silver. Okay? We got standards here.

Well, I found an aboriginal guy here named "Jimmy", of all things. I was hopin' he'd have some exotic name, but nope. Jimmy. Turns out though that Jimmy knows the lay of the land just fine. We have rented a jeep and are headin' out tonight inta the great unknown. I did manage to find a trace of Magenta's trail, found a room she was at recently, but she ain't there now. She's headed for the high country, same as me and Jimmy. I figure Vlad is out there somewhere too, and I am gonna find him. Count on it.

- Chongo

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Chongo Chimp
Date: 18 Jan 05 - 01:17 PM

Whoo-ee! Jimmy drives this thing like a bat outta hell! You gotta really hang on. I am lookin' through my tour guide here, and it seems that William Shatner is comin' to Sydney in a coupla weeks to promote some dieting show. That oughta be a hoot. That guy is like a fat, sticky something that splatters all over your windshield at 90 mph, and you can't figure out what the hell it was, and no matter HOW hard you scrub it just WON'T come off! He's indelible.

WHOA! There's a kangaroo! Or is it a wallaby? Stop the jeep, Jimmy! Gotta get a picture. Yeah, I know, "what's the fuss?".   Well, buddy, I just seen my first wild kangaroo, that's what. Stop the jeep!

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 19 Jan 05 - 07:42 AM

magenta was sitting cross legged, on the warm red desert earth.
around her in a circle sat the women of the desert - wrinkled faces, big smiles, deep dark eyes. Magentas long black hair was draped about her, she was being painted in white ochre and feathers - the fluffy feathers of the old white Owl, (Tyto alba deliculata), or "the delicate white owl". One old mama was was nodding, talking, and in front of her was a pile of very dry grass and crackly dead leaves. Beside her was a woman with a mane of long black hair, skinny as a rake, with long, long legs like beanpoles. This woman was rubbing sticks back and forth, over the dried leaves, until the day sky flushed with red and then grew dark.

all the women were clapping and chanting, and Magenta was so hypnotised by the sound, she was in a trance. the night sky was black, and above her circling in the sky were 13 beautiful white owls, gliding in their ghostly and silent flight.

The woman with long legs finally stood up and said, "Auntie Jean, we aint gettin nowhere". Then she took a cigarette lighter out of her pocket, and wOOOsh! lit the dry grasses in a crackle and leap of yellow flame. as the flame danced, the grasses smoked, and through the low singing, and the occasional wild screech of an owl overhead, flowed and drifted, thicker and thicker, swirls of grey smoke, winding themselves in, around and about Magenta.

And for hours under the stars, Magenta rocked, swayed and struggled as her women, the women of the Oldest way, the most ancient women of the earth, smoked Magenta, smoking her with the oldest cleanser, smoking the bad spirit out of her.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Bleeding gums boris
Date: 04 Feb 05 - 08:23 AM

Magenta could feel something hot on her face. She opened her eyes and looked up, to see a slender white gum tree reaching across her, dangling its grey green leaves down towards her. The branches reached up towards the vast blue sky, and the warmth was the heat of a hot morning sun. Magenta sat up. she had been lying on the red earth, in a bed of white feathers and yellow grass. She turned her head and saw two long, long legs, a short faded denim skirt, a Tshirt that said "Australian Maid", black ray bans, a big smile, and a river of raven hair. It was the woman from last night. Suddenly it all started coming back…..

"Hey, owl woman, I'm Hilda – hadda bit too much grog last night? Watcha doing out here under the tree?" Magenta grinned. This woman was full of spunk.

"Wanna hit the tracks?" Magenta looked over the women's should and saw her striding towards an old pink Holden FJ , all tarted up and ready to ride… "Sure", she grinned, and leapt into the car next to Hilda.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Bleeding gums boris
Date: 04 Feb 05 - 08:28 AM

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Bleeding gums boris
Date: 04 Feb 05 - 08:31 AM

As Hilda revved up the old engine, Magenta was lost for words... Hilda turned on the radio, and out blasted the Village People...

Together we will go our way, together we will leave some day.

Together your hand in my hand, together we will make the plans.

Together we will fly so high, together tell our friends goodbye.

Together we wills tart life new, together this is what we'll do.

Go west, life is peaceful there.

Go west, lots of open air.

Go west, to begin life new

Go west, this is what we'll do.

Go west, sun in winter time.

Go west, we will do just fine.

Go west, where the skies are blue.

Go west, this and more we'll do (The Village People).


Hey, Hilda, said Magenta nervously, are we going west? I've gotta get back to Sydney.

No probs, said Hilda, we'll get there honey. Just petrol, water and patience.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Little Hawk
Date: 04 Feb 05 - 04:15 PM

Chongo pricked up his ears. "What the hell is...Jimmy! Stop the jeep!"

Jimmy had noticed it too. The faintest whisper of distant music, pounding to what was clearly a disco beat.

"It's the...Village People!" exclaimed Jimmy and Chongo simultaneously.

"You know about the Village People?" said Chongo. "I wouldn't have expected that."

"You be surprised what I know," remarked Jimmy.

The distant sound faded and trailed off, somewhere to the north across the outback.

"Let's check it out," said Chongo. Jimmy put her in gear.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Chief Chaos
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 09:41 PM

Fresnelli awoke with a start.
Something pink and noisy was headed down the path towards his tree.
A Holden playing the Village People, what in the hell was the world coming to? But wait, there was a strong pull as the car swept past. Fresnelli was almost pulled from the tree into the sunlight. With singed wingtips he pulled himself back into his hole.

Fresnelli thought for a moment. This wasn't who he had come after here. It wasn't Vlad. But something told him that whoever, or whatever was in that holden would lead him right to him.

The tug didn't seem to be slackening as the car put distance between itself and the tree. It was going to be a long day of sleep before he could follow.

Just as he was drifting back ito sleep he was jolted back to alertness. This time he just couldn't believe his eyes. A man and a chimpanzee in a jeep went tearing past the tree.

Fresnelli rubbed his eyes and looked again. Still there.
"It wouldn't be so bad, he thought, but was the chimp really wearing a a fedora and a trench coat?"

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Little Hawk
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 11:05 PM

It had taken a month for Detective Cass Morgan, better known as "Morgue" on the street, to piece together the few available shreds of information about Vito Fresnelli's connection in Australia. This was something big. Something big enough to set a man up in luxury for the rest of his life...if he kept it to himself. Morgue knew it in his gut. He could taste it. He shared this perception with no one. As far as the other cops were concerned, the trail had gone stone cold. The mysterious disappearance of Fresnelli's corpse looked to be just one of those things that would never be solved, and what did it matter anyway? With the North Side Gorillas and the South Side Baboons drifting day by day into a new and bloody turf war, there were more pressing things to worry about in Chicago.

On February 15th Morgan asked for some time off, and he got it. A month off duty. Rest and relaxation. That's what they figured. Well, others could rest. Others who had no brains or ambition. Morgue was on his way to Australia. To the big payoff. And one thing was sure...he would find that lousy chimp shamus, Chongo, over there when he got there. Chongo wasn't in Chicago, so he was for certain in Australia. Morgue figured there was no time to waste. He wasn't going to let some damn, filthy, fleabitten ape with delusions of human status snatch a fortune out from under his nose. No sir. If the ape got in the way, the ape would die. And good riddance. Morgan would be doing a favour to society, he figured.

It was February 17th when Morgue landed in Sydney. By the 18th he had gleaned information that confirmed that the ape had headed inland in a jeep with an aboriginal guide named Jimmy. It had something to do with some woman called Magenta, a good looking dame. Chongo was looking for her for some reason. She had to be Fresnelli's agent in Australia. So far so good. Morgue found a couple of likely plug-uglies in need of work, named Bartles and Culp, with plenty of outback experience. They were men with little or no scruples, and not a whole lot of imagination either. They would do just fine. They loaded up the jeep with enough firepower and supplies to deal with a month in the Australian desert and anything they might encounter.

"Wot are we goin' after, mate?" asked Bartles, his coarse face sweating in the sun. Culp stood by, cradling a high-powered rifle. He was squinting down the sights speculatively, hoping to find something he could kill. Maybe a passing wallaby or dingo...

"You'll see," said Morgue. "Just find me a jeep with a black man and a chimpanzee. That shouldn't be too hard. They're out there somewhere."

"When we do, can I kill the chimp?" inquired Culp. "I've never shot a chimp yet."

"Be my guest," said Morgue, "but the chimp doesn't get it till I give the word. We follow the chimp. He leads us to where 'X' marks the spot. Then you kill the chimp. Not one moment sooner."

"It's your quid," said Culp, grinning mirthlessly. He squeezed off a shot and picked off an unfortunate kookaburra that had landed on a nearby tree. The bird gave a weird cry and fell in a messy heap.

"And save your damned ammunition for when it's needed!" snapped Detective Morgan. Culp was thinking about making a smart remark back, but changed his mind when he saw the look in Morgan's cold grey-blue eyes. This was not a man to mess with. And he was paying the bills.

They hit the trail at 5 AM the next day, heading inland. Fast. They would find the chimp. A piece of cake, that's what it was. Not a bad way to earn a month's pay, even if the management was less than ideal. It would be fun to shoot a chimp, thought Culp. He was sick of potting wallabies and 'roos.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 18 Feb 05 - 10:50 PM

As the sun set the sky glowed red in the west, shades of Uluru reaching across the horizon before Fresnelli. He stretched his wings through the twilight and launched out across the outback in pursuit of who or what he didn't know.

After a few miles in the heavy air Fresnelli began to tire. He landed in a tree beside the road to rest and think. Too many miles between us for a small bat to handle. Perhaps another shape. He'd heard that vampires could take on more than one shape. He'd read the books and seen the movies, call it research on the enemy. There must be some grain of truth to them.

A rat wouldn't be too far fetched. Pretty close to a bat really. But that would only complicate the traveling problem. A wolf! That would do it. A steady lope would cover many miles of outback. Fresnelli formed a picture of a wolf in his mind and began to concentrate on it. Long muzzle, silvery heavy fur (a bit inconvenient in these hot climes but that was the price), a long bushy tail...

A brief moment of pain and he was a wolf. Fresnelli looked at bent and looked at himself. In the moonlight he could see that his coat was not thick at all although the tail was right. The muzzle seemed a bit shorter than it should be. Fresnelli was left with only one conclusion. Something about dreamtime must affect supernatural abilities. He'd gone past the wolf in evolutionary form and landed on the somewhat more domesticated Dingo. "When in Rome", he thought and loped on off down the road.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Feb 05 - 11:35 PM

Chongo and Jimmy had a small campfire going. They had parked the jeep under some exotic-looking trees. Chongo intended to examine them more closely in the morning by climbing the tallest one and getting a good look around.

Jimmy had brewed some gloriously strong coffee, heavily flavoured with brown sugar. Chongo sipped it with great satisfaction.

"Mighty good brew," he remarked amiably. "It's amazin' how this stuff has gone all over the world. How long you people been drinkin' it?"

"A long time," said Jimmy. "It's one of the good things the white people brought when they took over here."

"Yeah." said Chongo. "There's always a few good things like that. My grandad never knew about coffee or fried eggs or newspapers or nothin' like that, but he knew all about jungle stuff. He could find food in places where a white man would starve to death. It wasn't cooked food, though. It was bugs and roots and stuff. Pretty healthy, actually."

Jimmy smiled, showing teeth that shone shockingly white in his dark face. "So your Grandad was a forest ape?"

"Yeah," said Chongo. "There was a lot more forest back then in central Africa. It's disappearin' fast now, and so are my people. They're gettin' wiped out. Some might call it 'progress'. I call it organized mass murder."

"So you moved in with the whites, same as I did," commented Jimmy. "You figured it was the best way to go."

"Yeah, I did." Chongo looked thoughtful. "The fact is, I was curious. I wanted to see if those big bwanas were really as all-powerful and superhuman and smart like they thought they was. I wanted to see if a chimp could learn to drive a car, add and subtract, talk on a telephone, swing an ax, and fire a gun. I caught a boat to the USA as soon as I could, and just learned things on the street. I learned fast. You had to learn fast if you wanted to make it."

"What's it like there?" asked Jimmy softly. "Is it like in the movies? Big cars and gangsters and airplanes and beautiful blonde women with bright red lips?"

Chongo laughed. "It is and it ain't. For those that got money it is all that and more. For those that don't...it's long hours, lousy jobs or no jobs at all, and a future that ain't too pretty."

"Just like here," said Jimmy.

"Yeah, only a whole lot more people and less open land. I'm in Chicago. You ain't seen a city like that. Like a giant anthill. It's beautiful and horrifyin' all at the same time. I like it. Chicago is home to me."

"Have you been to New York?"

"Yeah. Five years there. I was there when Kong cashed in his chips. Every ape knows exactly where he was on the day Kong died and when he first heard the news."

Jimmy's eyes went wide. "You mean King Kong, the biggest ape that ever lived!"

"The same," said Chongo. "He's gone now, but he'll always be the King. Elvis is nothin' next to Kong."

Jimmy lit up a smoke, and so did Chongo. They smoked for a bit in silence. The sky was very dark now, but lit by a million brilliant stars. A heavenly cathedral.

"Do you hate the white men?" asked Jimmy.

"That depends," said Chongo. "I don't hate all of 'em. I even like some of 'em. I could stand havin' a few less of them in charge of everything for a change. The fact is, there ain't no use hatin' what can't be changed. It just eats you up inside, and it don't do no one no good."

Jimmy nodded. "You speak wisely, brother." He yawned and stretched. "Tomorrow we reach the Darling River. Big river. I find a good crossing place. I think your Magenta she gone that way."

"Okay," said Chongo. "You're the man. Lead on." He had learned to trust Jimmy's judgement when it came to tracking. This was his country, and he knew it well.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 18 Feb 05 - 11:46 PM

MIles down the moonlit road Fresnelli loped along. In the night surrounding him he began to feel eyes upon him. From the fig trees he felt a glare of hatred follow him. From the side of the road a beautiful rainbow colored serpent gave him a knowing glance. The night was full of eyes and he began to worry and wish the he wasn't so alone.

Suddenly from the bush another dingo joined him on the road. Smaller than he but somehow faster, a laughing tongue hanging from her mouth as she swept past him. Teasingly she led him along just out of reach. Fresnelli forgot for the moment who he was, what he was, why he was even here. Without care he let go of the now and flew in pursuit of the temptress before him. The wind tore around him and the miles of moonlit road disappeared under his paws.

At the first hint of dawn the female dingo left the road and led Fresnelli to a burrow near a billibong. He marvelled for a moment for he had not thought this far and with the daybreak he surely would have been caught out and been consumed by the sunlight. In the darkness the female dingo turned and nuzzled him. It seemed that although the night was over there were other things yet to do.

As the twilight stole over the outback Fresnelli awoke, looking around for his companion only to find himslef once more alone. He yearned for her and was surprised that he should feel so powerfully for something, for someone he corrected himself, not even of his own species. He wandered out to the billibong looking for a drink only to see her face in the water. He looked up and around, glancing up to see the thin clouds high above. Just his imagination he thought.

As he was drinking he felt silvery laughter in his head.
"We shall meet again my handsome man, remember me, remember Yhi."

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Chief Chaos
Date: 05 Mar 05 - 08:44 PM

I've been thinking alot over the last few days.
Maybe I've been going about this in the wrong way.

For years now I've been chasing Vlad alone using the nazi gold and jewels my parter uncovered during our mission to Australia. Always alone for fear of getting someone else killed. He's been my personal vendetta for so long now I'm not even sure what year this is. And look what it's gotten me. Dead, or rather undead and now I realise that I didn't even bother to think about what I'd do after killing him.

I can still feel him out there. I'm sure I have the strength to go one on one with him. But I still don't know if I can destroy him. Maybe it's time to form some alliances. It took me awhile, maybe it was the dingo blood still flowing, but I finally put two and two together. I never really thought about it but there has to be some truth behind these legends and myths or else why would the government have been so edgy about Hitler getting his hands on the information. And after the other night I know for sure that some myths are just long forgotten truths.

Yhi! If you're willing, I'm ready for some help. Vlad is still out there and he's got to be stopped. I've never had a female partner before let alone an ancient Autralian godess. But if you're willing I'm yours. Together we'll stop him. Maybe then I can think about my future, maybe it's right here with you.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Chief Chaos
Date: 12 Mar 05 - 06:04 PM

It has been many nights since I last saw Yhi. I have traveled alone, unmolested across the outback. Perhaps that is reason enough to believe that I'm not alone.

I finally caught up with the chimpanzee last night. He had cast off his trench coat, rolled up his sleeves, and untied his tie. I wondered for a moment at this sight but decided it was no stranger than an old man turned into a vampire and disguised as a dingo.

I was about to continue my trek when I noticed that it was an Australian Fig that the chimp was reclining on with his fedora over his eyes. Sure enough a Yara-ma-yah-who was steadily descending the tree towards the chimp.

Sorry? You've never heard of a Yara-ma-yah-who? Well, the yara-ma-yha-who is a not so mythological critter that looks like a little red man. They've got little sucker cups on the end of their fingers. They reside in fig trees and drop on anyone who happens to sit under one. They suck the life force from their victim like some kind of vampire and then devour them. Strangely enough they regurgitate their victim a little shorter but otherwise unharmed. If the victim is dumb enough to repeat the experience, over time they themselves will become a Yara-ma-yha-who.

I began to leap towards the camp but checked myself at the last moment as the Yara-ma-yha-who reached down to grab the chimp. The chimp suddenly grabbed the Yara-ma-yha-who and held him out at arms length getting a good look at it, Having satisfied his curiosity he stood up and swung the snarling Yara-ma-yha-who head first into the fig tree a couple of times. He then unceremoniously stuck his boot up the Yara-ma-yha-who's ass sending him flying into the next tree over. There was an immediate uproar from the next tree as Yara-ma-yha-whos tend to be territorial with only a few living in each tree. The commotion settled down after a moment and it looked like the show was over. Not so. The chimp looked like he was going to go back to sleep but apparently he thought better of it. The chimp took off his tie and shirt and leaped up into the tree. With alot of rustling and shaking of tree boughs two more Yara-ma-yha-who came shooting out of the tree and into the other. The commotion as greater this time but again settled down pretty quickly. Apparently the owners of the other tree had seen what the chimp had done and weren't about to leave the tree and the new occupants weren't about to try to retake their tree. The chimp settled back down with a smug grin on his face.

I chuckled to myself. They didn't need my help on this one. I turned to continue my trek but suddenly found I had no beacon to follow. The only explanation I can think of is that the girl and her friend must have gone on a dreamtime walk-about. With the car tracks and scent dwindling I guess I won't have much of a trail to follow oh well. Life ain't easy.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Chongo Chimp
Date: 12 Mar 05 - 06:32 PM

I always make it a point to buy a coupla good guide books when I'm in a new place. It helps. But guide books will not tell you everything about a place. You also gotta have a good measure of jungle instinct on yer side. Fortunately, my instincts ain't dwindled since I left the Old Country (Africa). I can always tell when somethin' is creepin' up (or down) on me. I had now made the acquaintance of some nasty little critters that weren't in any of the guide books. They had a lotta nerve droppin' outta trees and tryin' to get the drop on a guy that lives in trees (when he's roughin' it.

I did the usual reconaissance from the top of the fig tree I had cleared out, and I noticed one thing...a set of headlights. There was another jeep away back on the trail where we had come from, goin' northwest. I kinda looked like they might be followin' our trail to me.

I figured to tell Jimmy about it when he came back. He was out rustlin' up some fresh food. Man, I could sure use a good Chicago hotdog or two right now. The mangos had run out.

I could hear the nastly little whatchamcallums twitterin' and bithchin' over in the other fig trees, but I figured they would keep their distance now.

After awhile the headlights turned out. They must be stoppin' to camp. Odd that they would keep drivin' after dark anyway in this country. One thing for sure, it was not Magenta. Not behind us. She hadda be up ahead somewhere.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,bleeding gums boris
Date: 12 Mar 05 - 06:53 PM

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,bg boris
Date: 12 Mar 05 - 07:07 PM

it had been two days of driving, and Magenta and Hilda were roaring ahead, listening to everything from kd laing to andy irvine...

Never tire of the road....
Never tire of the rolling wheel
Never tire of the ways of the world
Way out yonder is a-calling me
And the dark road leads me onwards
And the highway, that's my code
And the lonesome voice that I heard said
Never tire of the road

I was just a small town country boy
When I left that country town
Route 66 to the Westward
And hopped an old freight down
California here I come
By the side door Pullman and the sunburnt thumb
And they called us Okies, lowdown bums
And the police on us frowned

California to the New York Island
Me and my guitar
And we played in many a hobo jungle
Many a skid row bar
Standing out in the wind and the rain
That lonesome whistle is a sweet refrain
When you are waiting for some old freight train
That carries an empty car.

Don't let them ever fool you
Or take you by surprise
That dirty smell of a politician
And the man with the greed in his eyes
One big union, that's our plan
And the IWW"s your only man
The flames of discontent we'll fan
For the cause that never die

Never tire of the road....
Never tire of the rolling wheel
Never tire of the ways of the world
Way out yonder is a-calling me
And the dark road leads me onwards
And the highway, that's my code
And the lonesome voice that I heard said
Never tire of the road......

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,n. smasher
Date: 12 Mar 05 - 07:09 PM

You know, I'm getting bloody tired of this road, said Magenta.. where the hell are we?

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Mar 05 - 07:29 PM

Bartles was reading a well-thumbed Steven King novel, his favorite way of winding down after a hard day on the trail. Every now and then he chuckled appreciatively at some particularly grisly passage.

Culp was oiling his rifle. That was his favorite way of winding down when it got too dark to shoot things. He glared at Bartles. "Why do you read that shit, mate? It's bloody stupid, if you ask me."

"And who asked you?" retorted Bartles, "If you was to read a bit it might broaden your bloomin' horizons. Right now they're about as narrow as the road to bloody salvation."

"Yeah, roight. And wot would you know about that?" responded Culp, spitting into the fire. "The only road you ever travelled on was the road to flamin' perdition."

Bartles sneered. "Roight beside you, mate. Roight beside you..."

Detective Morgan ignored them. This was much the way they carried on every night, and it was of no importance. Just the usual bonehead macho routine, but it did get annoying. He comforted himself with the thought that he could shoot them both after the job was done, depending on how good a mood he was in at the time. It would definitely be doing Australia a good turn if he did.

"We're almost to Yaraka," he said, studying the map. "It looks like a small place."

"Damn roight, it's small," said Bartles. "Loik a bleedin' flyspeck."

"Well, we'll stock up on water there," said Morgan. "I got a feeling we're getting close to the chimp. From now on, no lights on after dark."

Bartles shrugged. "Fine with me, boss. It ain't roight, a chimp drivin' around loik a man in Australia. Not natural. We'll run the bastard down. Depend on it."

"Yes, but first we just follow him," said Morgan, lighting his pipe. "So the point is...don't let the chimp know we're around...until we're ready."

"And when we are," said Culp, "Margaret does the job." He patted the rifle affectionately. It was named after Maggie Thatcher, and had been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of lifeforms, but never yet a chimp. Culp meant to change that.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 28 Apr 05 - 10:22 AM

You know Hilda, (said Magenta) go west is all very well, but Sydney is on the east coast.

Yeh, Hilda thought, lets change the CD - AND the direction. She slowed down, did a uee, and there they were, heading east, lstening to a CD of the Minglewood Mudcats - starring the brilliant Lol Osbourne performing his orginal hit, "friendly fire".
"friendly fire" - they sang along, as they flashed through the ochre sunset, into the star covered night.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 28 Apr 05 - 10:28 AM

Vlad, meanwhile, was feeling a little tetchy. He was hanging out in Erskineville, checking out the scene, and waiting, waiting for Magenta to come home to his wide, welcoming







wings. He wandered up to newtown occasionally - liked to check out the Goths walking their ferrets on a lead, (ferrets could be handy at a party) and to pick up a new rubber codpiece, or a little mince, or something. Little did he know that Micca was close by, with Rhymin Simon, and that they were plotting, plotting his very doom.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Leadfingers
Date: 28 Apr 05 - 12:35 PM

I was wondering what was happening with magenta and Chongo and Vlad

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 29 Apr 05 - 08:51 AM

They'd been driving for two days and Magenta's bum was hurting. being stuck in this car was better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick, but, Magenta was getting restless. Hilda and she had had two days of jabbering on - they had talked about every possible moment in time each had ever experienced. The sun was blindingly hot overhead, the wind and red dust had turned their hair a glorious shade of auburn. Ahead on the horizon, they could see a shimmering light brown mass of dust - a township ahead!


as they hurtled closer, they came to a wonky, peeling old road sign on the side of the road. It pointed straight ahead and said:

WOOP WOOP.

Hilda grinned. time to get the toes dancing, the blood boiling. Thjey were hitting the pub, checking out the scene.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 04 May 05 - 08:27 AM

screeeech. They pulled up outside an old stone pub with a verandah out the front. As they got out of the car, Magenta and Hilda looked at each other. They were both covered in red ochre, from top to toe, coloured by the wind, the sunset, and that loong road.

Under the verandah sat several men, each with an instrument. Harmonica, banjo, ukelele, spoons. One old bloke was singing "Four little Johnny Cakes" in a rhythmic, earthy voice. A sign on the front of the pub said, "Bushwacker Hotel".

The girls strode confidently into the bar, two beautiful women, both tall, with long auburn hair (from the desert dust - a shower will return it to its original raven sheen), one curvaceous and venusian, the other slim, muscular, with long, long legs.

Hilda strode forward and spoke to the barman, a world weary man with a sun ravaged red face and a grey ponytail.

"Gdday. Dya have a room for two? With a bath?"

A smile crossed his battered face. He grabbed the keys to No.13 and tossed them at the girls. "That'll be $15 a night, best room in the house".

They raced out the back to an old converted barn - comfortable beds, linen sheets, a painting of flannel flowers on the wall. Magenta sat on the old cane rocking chair on the verandah, while Hilda plunged into a huge old bath.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 04 May 05 - 10:06 AM

Magenta sat quietly, sipping her cup of tea. Her feet were soaking in a bucket of warm water, tea tree oil and lavender oil.She looked across at the wise, shimmering horizon, like a huge blue bowl - with orange streaks flaming around the rim.

She looked forward to a good soak in the bath, but right now, she was enjoying the peace. She tried to remember what had happened with those old women, the smoke, the tree. Hilda had explained it was a dream, that her experiences were her own, and did not reflect the culture of those women in any way.

But Magenta felt different. She felt as if she had been acting like a puppet, empty, like a piece of cardboard, and now things were different. She felt that a great load had been lifted from her back.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 May 05 - 09:37 AM

Jimmy was staring into the fire with that faraway look he got sometimes.

"Woop Woop," he said.

"Whaddya mean, 'woop woop'?" said Chongo. "I know what 'woop woop' means when a chimp says it, but in your case I ain't sure..."

"Your Magenta, she is in Woop Woop," replied Jimmy.

Chongo frowned. Must be some weird Aussie expression. "Is that good or bad?"

"I don't know," said Jimmy. "But I think it's good. She is soaking her feet and enjoying herself."

"No kiddin'? So what do we do now? Do you know where she is?"

"I told you. Woop Woop."

"Woop Woop is a place?"

"Yes, a very small place. It's 3 hours north from here."

"Well, why didn't ya say so? Let's get movin'!" Chongo started gathering up their gear.

In two minutes flat they were heading north at a good clip, leaving a big dust cloud behind them.

It didn't take Chongo too long to notice that there was a similar dust cloud following them, a few miles back. Interesting.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 10 May 05 - 10:03 AM

Simon was squinting into the horizon. He and Micca had left Sydney two days ago, driving west in Simons muscular old jeep. Micca had looked into his crystal balls, (the original ones were worn out, some years ago, and they had formed two misty words ... Woop Woop.

Simon had been playing a number of old tapes, recordings of many a drunken session from the 60s. This had been a long trip and he was buggered. Micca had been explaining the ins and uts of Nostrilsarmpits, the medieval visionary. But the only vision that Simon could see was that puff of dust ahead of them on the road.

And a strange large bird in the sky, black, flapping its huge, batlike wings..

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 May 05 - 07:58 PM

Detective Morgan, Bartles, and Culp had been barreling along for 3 hours beneath a torrid sun, through arid yet magnificent terrain, dotted with ancient rocks and little groups of tenacious trees of exotic sorts. It was a tour guide's paradise, but the three were immune to its charms. Culp was getting restless. He had seen nothing to shoot at all morning. Then he saw the bird...huge, black, of a type unknown.

"Wot the hell is that?" he said, nudging Bartles, who was driving.

Bartles' eyes opened a little wider than usual. "Bloody hell!" he remarked. "Damned if I know. What an ugly bastard."

"A dead bastard," growled Culp. "Stop the jeep."

Bartles hit the brakes and they did a little skid, raising a big cloud of dust.

"What the hell---" Morgan looked up from his map of the Outback, as Culp stepped quickly out of the jeep, raised "Margaret" to his shoulder, sighted, and squeezed off six shots in rapid succession. The bird, which was flying quite high, was clearly struck by at least three bullets, as it veered suddenly in flight, but it recovered instantly, and did a swift turn, giving them the once over.

"Bloody---!" muttered Culp. He fired again, and again. He could sense the bird, if bird it was, looking straight down into his eyes from what seemed an impossibly remote and cold distance. It was like looking down a telescope into a black hole at the other end of the galaxy with a couple of burning red eyes at the center of it, and he had the peculiar sensation that he was falling, falling inevitably into that hole. His fingers froze on the trigger and stock, and the knuckles whitened. He barely noticed Morgan pulling the barrel down and glaring at him.

The bird made a pass over them at a fairly low altitude. It was quite large, black as pitch, wings like a huge bat crossed with a raven.

Bartles stood openmouthed and said something unintelligible. Morgan let go of Culp's rifle, reached for his shoulder holster, thought better of it.

The bird swooped past, showing not a mark or a sign of injury. It circled them three times. Morgan could feel his pulse beating in his temples.

Something like a low chuckle rippled remotely through the heat waves, and the bird turned away, back onto its original heading, giving them not a backward glance.

"Jesus Christ," said Culp.

"I didn't think you were a believer," said Morgan sarcastically. "Now put that damned rifle away. I told you. No recreational shooting on the job, and NO stopping unless I say! Bartles, get back behind the wheel and DRIVE. And keep your mouth shut."

Bartles put the jeep in gear like a man in a trance, and Culp sat beside him mute.

Morgan watched the bird going north. The same way they were going. He remembered scoffing at Chongo back in Chicago. No such thing as vampires. Never was, never would be. Anybody believe in that, he's a sap. Well, there's a first time for everything. That Fresnelli guy, the blood was drained out of him. And then the body just disappeared. You had to wonder about a thing like that.

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: freda underhill
Date: 22 Feb 06 - 08:23 AM

"Hey space-case - snap to it!" Magenta looked up to see Hilda, polished and squeaky clean, with her wild black hair shining and flying about like a night sky full of stars. Hilda was wearing a 50s linen dress, chains of beads, earrings, and some ceiling high stilettos. "Jump in the bath and make yourself decent - we're up for a night on the town!"

As she lay beneath the foaming lavender bubbles, Magenta smiled to herself. memories started flooding back, of banjos, of Simon and his crazy stories, and of a man called Micca, with his beetle eyebrows and wicked grin. It was as if she was remembering, another time, another place. Oak trees, a crowded house, a circle of women, and.. a black lion?? She gazed into the pattern of the soap suds and was amazed to see the sign of a pentagon forming in the bubbles.

What sort of a place is this she thought? and if I'm finding my old self again, who the hell am I?

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,bleeding gums boris
Date: 22 Feb 06 - 08:54 AM

aussiebloke and his mate were performing in their band "Murphy & friends". He's been socking out a few old favourites, "Ryebuck Shearer", "Albion Shore" and the Red-backwaltz. When in walks these two sheilas - one long & skinny & chin up in the air, the other one round and smooth and soft. He moved into his old standard, "The Berrima Bride", always a good one with the ladies. They stride in, the air in the pub electric as these old guys see women for the first time in years. Chinup goes to the counter and orders a glass of champagne, thanks, and one for my friend, and aussie bloke is thumping on his lagerphone, bellowing the Berrima Bride into the chattering crowd...

"..and if I don't win the woman before i go,
my whips and spurs in the river I'll throw
and I'll never make a damper or tan another hide
til I've over me leg with the berrima Bride.."

Subject: RE: BS: Magenta Bites Back - a vampire tail
From: GUEST,Natasha Smasher
Date: 22 Feb 06 - 09:06 AM

"I've heard that song before,"said a voice by her side, and Magenta looked up to see three women walking in, Jennyo, in a peach coloured crushed velvet shawl, Sandra in Sydney wearing a fine new hat, and Freda, carrying an embroidered bag and her sketchbook and pencils.

"He's singing Ryebuck Shearer, but he's changed the words". Jennyo ordered a guinness, and wandered across to check out this long and lanky lagerphone lout.

"Where's JennyG," said Pam? "She's at her skiing lessons - she & himself are off to Alaska to find a few penguin eggs." Sandra ordered a soda water, and joined Jennyo to have a chat with aussiebloke. Someone turned the jukebox on... It was the Atlantics.. their guitars screaming their way through Bombora!


Magenta listened as the music throbbed and crowds of men swarmed about her.