textfiles/messages/BACKWATER/bw851115.txt

1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
2 ************************* INSTALLED: 15 NOV 85 ********************
3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System)  Mike Day System operator
4 ************************************************************
5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
6                     PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned
8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
10 privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which
11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
18 *****************************************************************
19 
20 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 AT THE TOP!!  AT THE TOP!!  AT THE TOP!!  AT THE TOP!!  AT THE TOP!! AT TOP!!
22                          (what?  no applause??)
23 
24 dir
25          "Blind Date"                   19:05:05  11/15/1985
26  
27          *Riiiiiinnngggg*
28          "Jeez, I'm gonna regret this till I croak, I know it.
29           I souldn't a never let 'im talk me into this.  'Oh sure, Carl,
30           sure.  She's real good lookin' Carl, yea.'  Sure she is, sure.
31           'A great conversationalist, Carl.  Honest'  Yea.  All
32           personality, and acne.  Jeez, I'm gonna kill 'im.  I'm gonna
33           twist 'im up and throw 'im away like a candy wrapper.
34           'Friday at 7, Carl.  She'll be waitin'.'  Yea, I'll bet.
35           Waitin' ta sink her huge fangs in my neck and suck me up
36           dry.  Sure.  Maybe I'll tell her I'm gettin' Malaria or
37           Jungle Rot or somethin' and I have to go to Kentuckey to
38           get immidiate surgery or I'll die or somethin'.  'Oh sure,
39           I'll go out with ya', if ya' want me to croak right in the
40           middle...'  Jeezuzcrist, I'm gonna give him one, right in
41           the..."
42                 The door opens, and a face looks out.  "Hello," a
43           melody," are you Carl Weber?"
44 
                 Jeez! "Hi...uh, yea...that's me.  I'm uh...here for
45           our...uh...date."
46                  "Sure, hold on, I'll get my coat."
47                  Jeez!!  What a doll!  That's my buddy, old Jim!
48           Everyone should have a friend like him...
49  
50           (I was going to name him 'Holden', but I thought that
51            Salinger might disaprove...)
52                                                         PEN NAME
53 
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
54 Torture#214: The Coyote F---. Waking up the next mo
55 with your arm pinned under a woman so ugly, you chew it off
56 rather than wake her.
57 Doubel bagger: where you not onley putt a bag over youre head
58 but one on her in cais hears falls off
59 
60 The number of errors in the above entry is so great that it would quicker to
61 re-enter it rather than point them out, but I'm not going to.
62 
63 """""""""""""""Nobody Of Importance...
64 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\20
65    James dropped the broken knife handle and fairly flew down the path. His urgency was tempered a little by the fact
66 that it did not take much to set her off. When he rounded the turn, however, he saw that her reaction was completely
67 justified this time.
68    The path opened out into a large clearing. Tariya stood immobile at the near end, unhurt, eyes fixed on the
69 grotesque display at the far end.
70    A dozen wooden 'Y's were set up in a line, each about fifteen feet tall. Affixed to seven of those things were
71 people. Large square nails had been hammered through their wrists and feet crucifixion style. As if this weren't
72 enough, thy had been eviscerated, entrails hanging down in great loops. The victims were male and female, but it was
73 sometimes hard to tell because some of them were pretty badly decomposed. A couple of the bodies were fresh enough,
74 though. They hadn't been there more than a day or so. James had seen more repulsive things, but at the moment he
75 couldn't recall when.
76    He turned and grabbed Tariya, who didn't resist. She seemed almost hypnotized by the scene. Once he got her out of
77 sight, however, the spell broke and she went into hysterics. After several minutes of thrashing about (James holding
78 her so she wouldn't hurt herself) she became noisily sick. This reaction seemed a little extreme (but not much) and he
79 wondered if it might have triggered off a memory of some bad experience in her past. He was personally acqainted with
80 such episodes, himself.
81    Then she was just crying and he knew it would be okay. He held her tightly, saying what he hoped were soothing
82 things. The tone of his voice probably had more effect than the words and eventually she calmed down to where she was
83 coherent again. "I-I-I've had ENOUGH! I want away from here!"
84    He kept his voice calm and reassuring. "We will. In the morning. I can't do anything until then. You can wait that
85 long, can't you?"
86    "O-okay." in her state of mind, she probably would have agreed to anything. "But l-let's get away from
87 here!"
88    "Damn straight." He put an arm around her shoulders and led her back down the path, away from the nightmare behind
89 them. His other hand held the blade ready and he kept trying to watch every direction at once for suspicious
90 movements. He wasn't scared, at least not for himself.
91    It was very nearly dark before they stopped. Tariya had calmed down considerably, But James could tell that she was
92 still on the edge and it wouldn't take much to set her off again. He hadn't spotted any signs of trouble so he allowed
93 himself to relax. Only a little.
94    He munched on a little of what was left of the meat but Tariya wouldn't eat anything at all. She would only stare
95 into the gathering darkness silently. And she wouldn't get more than a few feet away from him. James remembered the
96 first time he had been confronted by such graphic death, ages ago, and could well undrstand her feelings. She could
97 work it out on her own. He was confident of that.
98    Then it was time to bed down for the night. Tariya lay down in his arms, her former misgivings seemingly forgotten.
99 She had helped with his nightmares, however unwittingly, last night, and now he would help with hers. It was a long
100 time before her breathing assumed the slow, steady patterns indicating sleep, and even then she was still tense. James
101 had intended to stay awake all night to watch for danger but he soon dozed off, quite against his will.
102    Not long after there was a quiet rustling in the bushes at the edge of the clearing. A voice spoke in a low
103 whisper: "All right, they're both out. Take the girl... kill the boy."
104 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
105 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\markity\mark\mark\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
106 Gee, Dreamtoucher, since when did you start liking me?
107 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\markmark\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
108 *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*Dreamtoucher*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
109     Since you stoped into that store ware you picked up that little card thing
110 that unfolded into the airlock of that...  (you asked i answered or tried)
111 AH lets see I seam to have stuck my foot into the possition of litterary 
112 crittic, a n employ for which I am emmenantly unqualified (except that I do
113 read occasionaly and have strong oppenions, not all of which do I fully
114 conciosly understand myself, but close enough usualy...).
115     anywhichwhat...  Y; because...
116 Bear: most welcome.  If I understand you correctly I applaud your goal and
117 see your point.  I have no objection to the portrail of anything which exists
118 in 'the real' world, or any other for that matter, in some 'reasonable' 
119 context.  Violance, among other things, certainly exists in the real world.
120     For a collection of words to be readable the have to hold interest in 
121 some mannor.  Violance of some form or another is often the first interest-
122 glue that comes to mind, sometimes the only.  Other than that its been done
123 rather alot: no problem.  My difficulty with many of your entries is a 
124 certain tedium of style.  Some slight movement in the general direction of
125 sucinctness might be of modest benifit.
126      ? ? ? ? ?/: Twas me aslumber in the backroom this morning indeed.
127 The CGP you saw was not the same as the one I was letting go (reluctantly at
128 that) when last we spoke in material presence.  That one continues to be of
129 much service to [*=*] the 6 months or more since then.  Come by some afternoon
130 and/or not to be missed 'GRAND' oppening the 21st.  Art attack lives!
131      Zypher: new message on messanger
132 *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
133 #$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$
134            
135 Phantom 429
136 by
137 John Silverman
138 (Part 5)
139         
140      Six weeks had passed since that night. In that time simple passion had blossomed into a romance I thought only
141 existed in one of those drippy novels that some women like to read while drying their hair or sitting up late at night
142 after hubby has fallen asleep. I never imagined love could be so intense. There was even tentative talk of finding a
143 place and moving in together. The only real snag was deciding which side of the river to live on. I had a stronger case
144 for Oregon but knew I'd probably give in first. As long as we would be together, it didn't really matter.
145      That was the future, though. Right now all I had was a crummy little apartment to myself, at least for tonight. We
146 had been so intense for the last six weeks that we decided we should take a break from each other for a night. I was
147 actually at a loss for something to do. Then the little gray box caught my eye.
148      My radio was a modifed Yaesu. It pushed a hundred sixty watts in all modes and had more channels than I could
149 possibly use. Just turning it on violated six FCC statutes but so far I had been lucky and never caught. I flicked the
150 switch on my Astron power supply and the radio beeped and sprang to life.
151      It was the first time in two months I had turned it on, which showed how little use I had for CB right now. It was
152 too early to transmit, because the radio had a habit of getting into every piece of electronic equipment in the
153 apartment building. I just wanted to listen, to see if anybody I knew was out there.
154      I spun the dial until the digital frequency readout read "27.315.0". Good old channel 31. The channel was quiet
155 but if I listened carefully I could hear a voice way out in the distance. I switched on the pre-amp and the signal was
156 strengthened, just barely. That voice was awful goddamned familiar. Hearing it sent a chill through my gut. Whoever he
157 was talking to was too distant for me to hear. I decided to risk some complaints and picked up the microphone. "Station
158 503 Gresham calling CQ. Anybody out there got a copy on this piece of junk?"
159      To my surprise, the voice replied. "Yeah, I copy ya. Hows it goin, Jimmy-boy?"
160      I thought so. This guy knew me. I still couldn't place that voice, though I felt I knew it as well as my own.
161 "Goin' fine, I guess. Voice sure is familar but I can't place it."
162      "Not surprising, old buddy. Been through a few changes lately. Does the number 429 ring a bell?"
163      An iron hand clenched my heart. 429 was Roy's handle. And that ws his voice I was hearing. A shock ran through my
164 body and it was a full minute before I could get ahold of myself. When I picked up the mike again I wasn't scared. I
165 was mad. "I don't know who the hell you are, but if I ever catch you, you're dogmeat! There won't be enough left to
166 fill a baggie! I'll get my shotgun and give you a twelve guage enema, you sonofabitch!!"
167      "Temper, temper." came back that damned voice, enraging me even more. "I know how you feel, but it's true, I tell
168 ya!"
169      I knew somebody who was an excellent impersonater. After a moment, I remembered his handle. "Awright, Captain
170 Chaos, if that's you doin that I'm gonna be at your house when you get home! With my twelve guage!"
171      If it was him, there was no way he'd drop the charade after a threat like that. Too bad I didn't think of that
172 before I said it. The signal was beginning to fade into the static. "Oh, well, this ain't the Cap but think what you
173 want. How's my little girl? You takin good care of her? Hope so, because I'm comin' to get her soon..."
174      The FCC fines a CBer one thousand dollars for every profane word they are caught using. If they were monitoring me
175 right at that moment, they would have hit me with a bill the size of the national debt. I was so mad that it was a damn
176 lucky thing he wasn't there with me. I put an outpouring of rage and hate on the air like nobody had ever heard before.
177 By the time I had calmed down enough to unkey the signal was almost gone. "I... ghr... nna... I'll be back!"
178      That last statement rose from the static and came across with such clarity that my heart skipped a beat and a deep
179 chill ran through me. Then there was nothing but static again. In my imagination, though, those last words kept coming
180 back to haunt me.
181      A few seconds later there was heavy pounding at my door. I jumped a foot out of my chair but the voice screaming
182 through the door was that of my neighbor yelling that if I didn't knock off the interference he'd go to the manager. I
183 was so relieved that I had to laugh.
184      It took a long time to stop.
185                     
186 (TO BE CONTINUED...)
187                     
188 #$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$
189 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
190 Dreamtoucher: Thanks, that's the kind of feedback I like to hear. I suppose
191 part of the problem is that I just pound it in w/o pre-writing or much idea of
192 what the heck I'm even gonna say (time to write this twice? Pshaw!). As the
193 famous scribe once said, "Sorry this letter is so long, but I didn't have time
194 to write a short one." Anyway, I'll
195 keep it in mind and advance to the ending I've had in mind all along rather
196 rapidly now. Thanks again, always interested!                  BEAR
197 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
198 When Bear awoke he hadn't the slightest idea as to how long he had slept. The
199 cave was as dark as ever, and although he felt slightly refreshed, his body
200 ached with a harsh numbness borne of constant but accustomed agony.
201 
202 He stood, leaning up against the wall to steady himself. Dragon egg in hand,
203 he proceeded through the small tunnel toward the main cave he had come through
204 so long ago (it seemed).
205 
206 The wafting of fresh air told him he was close to the entrance to the larger
207 cave. He slowed down (even though his pace was already terribly tedious), and
208 paused when he felt the turning of the rock, telling him that he was now at
209 the entrance. It was still completely pitch black. He couldn't see his hand in
210 front of his face, and he dared not unsheath his sword for light.
211 
212 He got down on his hands and knees, and crawled to his right, hugging the wall
213 as close as he could. A step at a time, as quiet as a cat. It seemed like hours,
214 but he finally made it to the edge of the stream. Upriver was the toll bridge.
215 And the toll takers. He pondered a plan of action. Fight or bypass? His urge
216 was revenge, but his mission was to be accomplished at any cost. Even the
217 sacrifice of the revenge he loved to taste so well.
218 
219 Thusly thought, he crawled ahead. His hands hit the icy cold water of the
220 stream. It jarred him, and he grabbed them back out of the water. But in doing
221 so, one hand slipped and he fell face first into the inky cold. Before he even
222 knew what was happening, it was if the
223 water had grabbed him and pulled him in!
224 
225 With a splash, his entire body was in the water. The freezing cold stiffened
226 him, and tortured his burnt skin. He felt himself being drawn down toward the
227 bottom, and his wild thrashings only drove him down further...
228 
229 0000000000000000000000000 THE BEAR 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
230 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
231 TUG BOAT: You around or what?  Found a great CP/M software model.  Can get it
232           right away if need be...
233 John S: Whatdoya think of Xer's??  Working on names...
234                                                                   PEN NAME
235 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
236 kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
237 Garsh I love this board| 
238 John Silverman: Just wanted to say hi and that I'm enjoying your stuff
239 (since I haven't been able to get back on the Bit Bucket)
240 
241 To PEN NAME and Mohamed Wassir(I think) and BEAR I just wanted to
242 le you know that someone's reading and enjoying a lot.
243                                  
244                                Regards,
245                                [K][G]
246 kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
247 ___________________________JD  2446386.7779________________________
248 ASCII
249 HI I'LL THINK OF SOMETHING CREATIVE TOSAY, ONCE I FIGURE OUT HOW THIS WORKS
250 
251                             BEEK
252 //////////////////////////////////////OFF
253 ASCII
254 HA! IT WORKED, FINALLY I HAVE DONE SOMETHING RIGHT ON THIS ROTTEN LITTLE COMPUTER 
255 USUALLY IT JUST SITS HERE AND LAUGHS AT ME IN DOS.3.
256 
257 TO PEN NAME-YES,SALLINGER WOULD BE UPSET WITH YOU, HE IS WRITING A NEW NOVEL SOMEWHER
258 E IN CONNETICUT. 
259                           BEEK
260 KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
261 O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+P POPPING IN O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+
262 Look out! No it's too late! THE TRIPODS are HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <chomp>
263 o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+p popping in o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+
264 HALLEY'S REPORT, November 16th, 1985: Halley's comet is now on the outer
265 fringes of the Pleiades, on a path towards Aries. Best viewing is around
266 11 p.m. when Pleiades is nearly overhead. God willing and the river don't
267 rise all should be able to get a good gander at the astronomical site of
268 a lifetime.
269 ______________________________________________________________________________
270 
271 A NEW BBS HAS JUST BEEN PUT UP. THE SYSTEM
272 IS CALLED PORTLAND-NET AND THE NUMBER IS
273 663-xxxx. THE SYSTEM ACCEPTS 300 OR 1200
274 BAUD AND IS UP 24 HOURS A DAY. I JUST OPENED
275 THIS UP SO I WOULD APPRECIATE AS MANY
276 CALLERS AS POSSIBLE, AND PLENTY OF FEEDBACK
277 TO BOOT. GIVE IT A TRY! THANKS, SYSOP OF
278 PORTLAND-NET, GEORGE FERGUSON. 663-xxxx.
279 *********************************************
280 
281 O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+
282 To: you and you know who you are.
283 I'd appreciate it if you didn't steal my border and put 'TRIPOD' comments
284 under my name.  Why don't you try using upper case next time...
285 If you were more intelligent you probably would have noticed that
286 POPPING IN is not in lower...
287 Need I say more?
288 O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+ POPPING IN O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+O+
289 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
290 
291 HAVE YOU PEOPLE HEARD, TANIS IS GOING DOWN PERMANENTLY NEXT SUNDAY. WHAT A 
292 BUMMER!!! ASIDE FROM THIS, THAT WAS MY HOME BOARD!!!!! I HAVE COMPLETED ABOUT
293 1/2 OF MY MANUSCRIPT, SO I SHALL UPLOAD IT SOON AND CHANGE MY STATUS
294 FROM A LURKER TO A CONTRIBUTER......
295  (ANYONE FOR ATARI TRADING? IF I DONT GET YOU MESSAGE HERE, LEAVE IT ON
296 MAGIC BBS (245-xxxx) TO JIM PRICE..
297                     JCP1
298 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
299 WANTED:ANY INFORMATION ON PYROTECHNICS AVAILABLE. CALL ANY TIME (816) 524 2945
300 LOST
301 TOP
302 EXIT
303 BREAK
304 CFVGHYNBTRMUBHNRJHDRFQGHJDTRYHRYJHRTYDJDTXYBJGNHDTXYBJGNHXDTFYGNHXDFBTGRVMT
305 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
306      Still alive?
307 +_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_
308 
309 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
310  
311        "Express"                                      21:35:07  11/16/1985
312  
313        The Express ambled slowly down the track.  The sides of the cars
314        shook, and the gearing whined.  The engine layed it's pollution
315        through the English air.
316                The passengers didn't notice the Express.  From looking
317        at it, it was obvious that not too many people had noticed the
318        express for a long time.  Rickety structure and an engine that
319        cried out to retire from 110 years of breaking down and being
320        patched together from misshapen pieces by imprecise people
321        (because the government refused to support it), had brought
322        the Express beyond a state of decay.  The Express rolls
323        recklessly along, part new, part old.
324                The Express transverses 70 kilometers through the
325        wreckage and abandonment of the New World, carry passengers
326        who would rather not go anywhere, simply from here to there, and
327        back to there.
328                In 2500 years of technology, some would expect more.
329  
330                And in the year 2492, I was riding the Express in the
331        middle of sunny May, on my way to London from my village.     
332                Along with my friends, Franky Martin and William
333        Sendy, I wandered up and down the Express, asking questions of
334        her crew and questions of her passengers.  The latter were not
335        so eager to explain why the train went so slow, or why the
336 
       Express was the only one to go this route, but the crew seemed
337        ready to tell us about her history.
338                I learned of the Express's age and travels.  About how
339        she was one of the few active trains in the world.  About how
340        she was supported by those people who wanted to support such
341        history.
342 
               All I learned from the passengers, was how much she was
343        disliked.  And maybe that seemed most distressing to me.
344               
345                                                          PEN NAME
346 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
347 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
348 Bear: Don't ABBREVATE==--==
349 
350 
351 Try that again: Bear: Don't ABBREVIATE your story just because one person says
352 that you are not moving fast enough to suit him. It is your story, and you should
353 move it along at your own pace. One person is not by any means a fair sampling
354 of the entire board's opinion of your work...
355 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\marking along now\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
356 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
357 adventuring at a very slow pace....
358 pppppppppppppppppppp
359   Pain is a strange sensation.  It can move from a deeply feared moster to 
360 become a welcome friend.  The piper found himself welcoming the sharp sting
361 of the needle, the sickening slide of the sutures through his flesh, the
362 deep ache of the wound, pulling him back from the soft welcoming blackness that
363 drew him with open arms.  His mind was not working too well.  He kept replaying
364 the recent scene in the corridor, his mind caressing the memory of the small
365 figure in the grey robe, hearing the name given to the person who had become
366 so important to him, the person he knew only as Zeb...
367   No... that name... his mind refused to take the though further, his eyes
368 were fixed on the doorway of the chamber.  The tug of the sutures pulling
369 the slash on his forearm together brought with it the soft murmer of the two
370 who were patching him back together...
371   "Do we need another?"
372   "No.  That should hold it together."
373   The soft murmur of their words seemed to be a background of sounds, meaningless
374 as the murmer of waves on the shore.
375   The sound faded as his memory brought back the feel of soft skin held against
376 him, the fierce, heart-pounding joy that had accompanied that experience on the
377 strange black plain -- and brought a sense of aching emptiness now that SHE
378 was not here.  Through the half-open door of the chamber, he saw a motion.
379 Was it a soft grey robe?  Heedless of the helping hands dressing his wound
380 he half turned and said "Zeb...?"
381   Strong hands stopped his motion.  A soft voice murmered "Her name isn't
382 Zeb,  it's..."
383   The blackness enfolded the piper, blanking the sound of her name.
384 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
385 0000000000000000000000000000000BEAR00000000000
386 Okay, thanks. W/o any other opinions one would assume it was the prevailing one, but 
387 I did honestly feel like proceeding along quicker now. That dragon took a lot out of
388 me!  Opinions always appreciated and thought about, 'cause I'm writing for you!
389 
390 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
391 
392 The current pulled Bear down deeper and deeper. He flailed about wildly, his
393 eyes were wide open in panic, but they could see nothi ng. He could feel the
394 weight of the water pushing down on him, and he knew he was diving deeper than
395 perhaps he could ever return from.
396 
397 The water felt less cold now, more a part of his skin. His fight against the
398 water slackened as he realized every time he kicked, the weight of the water
399 seemed to grow greater. Soon he felt a gentle calm surround him, and his entire
400 body relaxed, and felt almost warm.
401 
402 The blackness was still complete, but he felt like a baby cradled in his
403 mother's arms. He was now just floating, every muscle relaxed, revelling in
404 the warmth and lack of pain. He dreamed of sitting in her Ladyship's castle,
405 near the foot of her throne. The minstrel was strumming his lute softly, the
406 perfume from his queen gave him a pleasant feeling. He munched on a grape, the
407 sweet flavor filled his mouth. He was at peace---
408 
409 The shock of air caused him to gasp for breath. The warmth of the water still
410 covered his body, but he could now breathe- the peace of that dream was now
411 only a memory. The cave around him was lit with sparsely placed torches hanging
412 off of the walls. He shook his head of the water clinging to it, and made for shore.
413 
414 As he stepped out of the water, he suddenly felt a strange sensation. The ease
415 with which he walked, the lack of something which had plagued him before... he
416 looked over his body, and it struck him! He rubbed his arms, his chest, he 
417 touched his face. That was it! The pain was gone! His skin was no longer
418 scorched, and his muscles felt as if he had rested for weeks!
419 
420 He quickly turned and looked at the black water. He shook his head in amazement,
421 The Healing Backwaters of Fendarr! And he thought they were only a legend. The
422 Bear smiled in amazement.
423 
424 But his revelry lasted only a second. For far down the cavern, upstream, came
425 a sound of marching footsteps. And the chant that rang out with each clomp!  of
426 the many feet, sent a shiver through his bones and made him forget any pleasant
427 thoughts for good...
428 
429 0000000000000000000000THE BEAR0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
430 OK, you asked for it. Two words of advice Bear. Number one, try to restrain
431 yourself to one story entry per disk. Familiarity breeds contemp and we are
432 all VERY familiar with your story. Some of the derrogatory comments might
433 not be about the quality of your writing at all, but rather the amount of
434 it. Number two, adverbs and adjectives are not always your friend. Description
435 is nice, but overt use of descriptors is very grating on the reader. I am
436 not saying to edit out all of your fill material, but try to be a little
437 more careful about how much you use. Adjectives and adverbs that PERMEATE
438 a story can permeate the air too. I have no quarrel with the pacing of
439 the story, keep it up, just not as often.
440 
441                                       A friendly critique
442 *****************************************************************************
443 
444 Well, since I'm going to be a regular here, I guess I may as well get into the spirit of things, and conform to the spirit
445 of the board. Dreamtoucher, your spelling is atrocious. Bear, your stories are boring. kD, you have too little to say. Piper
446 your entries are too infrequent. Andy, you seldom know what you are typing about. Bill Wheeler, please leave your bible at 
447 home. Pen Name, you waste too many lines. Frank, you and your word processor both need psychiatric help. Wassir, you are a
448 sneaky Albanian who lurks around the BBS's with a dirty toilet plunger in hand, waiting to inflict unkown torturespecting
449 individuals. Delta five, if you are an operative, then I'm Nelson Eddy. Let's see, whom have I overlooked? Well, I guess I've
450 taken a potshot at most everyone. Hmmmmm...,I don't feel any better. I don't understand it. I should be feeling the joy that
451 so many others here (I thought) feel after making it a point to bitch at the entries of others, literary content, spelling
452 syntax,inappropriate metaphors, philosophical implications, etc. I just don't understand it. Well, maybe I don't belong here.
453 Maybe someone can offer me some "constructive" criticism. Like that guy who goes around checking other peoples spelling. Or
454 someone who is a more experienced criticiser. Commets, anyone?
455 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
456  YEAH, I HAVE A 'COMMET". (NOT HALLEY'S EITHER). YOU ARE A POOR CRITISIZER, JACK, CAUSE YOU FORGOT TO CALL ME A NO-GOOD
457 LURKING, NON-CONTRIBUTING BASTARD SOB!
458 GET ON THE BALL OR GET OF THE BMS!
459  HAHAHAHAHA
460                   JIM PRICE
461 
462 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
463 #$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#
464 GEE, YOU FORGOT ZEPHYR THE RABBIT, THE DESTROYER, AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL...
465 
466 JOHN SILVERMAN
467 #$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#(pays to be thorough)#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#
468 ____________________________JD 2446387.7702________________________________
469 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
470 okay, silverman, after five chapters i'll bet not one person on this board
471 knows what your story is about. i sure don't. i'll leave zephyr and the destroye
472 alone because they werent stupid enough to ask for it unlike you.
473 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxdonaldxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
474 |||||||||||||||||||Tear-ibley intr-esting.  Or just teribble?|||||||||||||||||||
475 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
476 Gee, nothing was mentioned of me, that means that either there was nothing
477 found wrong with my entries, or more likly they are just trying to forget
478 about me completely.
479 I trust that those who were interested in the AIDS debate saw the Town Hall 
480 on CH 2 tonight. Given the emotional hype that it was promoted with, I was
481 expecting the usual scare the hell out of them with the usual rumors and half-
482 truths that the populist media is so intense on doing with the problem
483 (or most problems for that matter). But, it turned out to be reasonably
484 well done. I give them credit for that. I suspect that CH 2 learned a little
485 bit from it as well. (But will it stick?)
486 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ fred ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
487 
488 Nahhh, why should it stick, all they care about is sensationalism.
489 The modern version of yellow journalism.
490 
491 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
492                       Are you a relationship addict? 
493 1. You come from a dysfunctional home in which your emotional needs were 
494 not met.
495 2. Having received little real nurturing yourself, you try to fill this 
496 unmet need vicariously - by becomeing a care-giver, especially to those 
497 who appear in some way needy. (You are drawn to those who are needy, 
498 compassionately identify with their pain and seek to relieve it in order 
499 to ameliorate. your own.)
500 3. Because you were never able to change your parents into warm loving 
501 caretakers you longed for, you respond deeply to the familiar type of 
502 emotionally unavailable person whom you can again try to change through 
503 your love.
504 4. Terrified of abandonment, you will do anything to keep a relationship 
505 from dissolving.
506 5. Almost nothing is too much trouble, takes too much time, or is too 
507 expensive if it will "help" the person you are involved with. 
508 6. Accustomed to lack of love in personal relationships, you are willing 
509 to wait, hope and try harder to please.
510 7. You are willing to take far more than 50% of the responsibility, guilt, 
511 and blame in any relationship.
512 8. Your self-esteem is critically low, and deep inside you do not believe 
513 you deserve to be happy. Rather, you feel you must earn the right to enjoy 
514 life.
515 9. You have a desperate need to control the other person and your 
516 relationships, having experienced little security in childhood. You mask 
517 your efforts to control people and situations as "being helpful."
518 10. In a relationship, you are much more in touch with your dream of "how 
519 it could be" than with the real situation.
520 11. You are addicted to relationships and emotional pain.
521 12. You may be predisposed biochemically, as well as emotionally, to 
522 abusing drugs, alcohol, and/or certain foods, usually sugary ones.
523 13. By being drawn to people with problems, you keep from focusing on your 
524 responsibility to yourself.
525 14. You may have a tendancy toward depression, which you try to forstall 
526 through the excitement provided by an unstable relationship.
527 
528                Characteristics of practicing
529 * obsessed with relationship     * denying extent of problem
530 * lying to cover what is happening in relationship
531 * avoiding people to hide problems with relationship
532 * repeated attempts to control relationship
533 * unexplained mood swings        * anger, depression, guilt
534 * resentment                     * irrational acts
535 * violence                       * accidents due to preoccupation
536 * sel-hate/self justification
537 * physical illness due to stress-related diseases
538 
539                Characteristics of recovering
540 * admiting helplessness to control disease
541 * ceasing to blame others for problems
542 * focusing on self, taking responsibility for *own* actions
543 * seeling help for recovery from peers
544 * beginning to deal with *own* feelins rather than avoiding them
545 * building a circle of well friends, healthy interests
546  
547 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
548 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
549 All: As you may/may not know, I voyaged to that distant city of Eugene the
550 weekend of the 9th, to visit with the Doctor.  Having nothing else to say,
551 he instructed me to say "hi" for him.  So....
552                                        Hi!
553 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Milchar +++++++ 17 Nov 85, at 10:21pm ++busy,busy
554 
555 arghargharghargh
556 thankyou mr. psychiatrist...
557                 arghargharghargh
558 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
559 his is a test.  For these 11 lines, we will be testing a new
560 ssage uploader.  This is only a test.
561 
562 
AAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
563 
This has been a test of a new message uploader.  Hackers in your area,
564 without voluntary compliance of the CISTOP, have developed this uploader
565 
to put messages onto BWMS.  If this had been an actual message, you would
566 ve been told where to go.
567 
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
568 

569 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.well, it almost works.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.Emu
570 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Passing by at 2am, insomnia a friend||||
571 @ 
572 A DAY IN THE LIFE...
573 NOW, I WAS NEVER ONE TO HATE ANY OF GODS EARTHLY CREATURES, BUT THESE MEECES HAVE
574 GOT TO GO. I MEAN, I'M SITTING HERE AT MY DESK WATCHING THE ADVENTURES OF BACKWATER
575 UNFOLD BEFORE MY VERY EYES, AND JUST AS SOMETHING INTERESTING SCROLLS ALONG, HERE
576 IS THIS MEESE. A LITTLE BROWN GUY WITH BIG EARS, AND HE'S SITTING THERE, NOT THREE
577 FEET AWAY FROM ME, ON MY NORTON ANTHOLOGY OF ENGLISH LIT. (VOL II). WELL, THE WORDS
578 I HAD FOR THIS BEASTIE WERE SOMEWHAT LESS KIND THAN THOSE OF ROBERT BURNS, AND 
579 IT WAS THEN THAT I DECLARED A STATE OF WAR. I GRABBED THE FIRST AVAILABLE WEAPONS
580 A CAN OF LYSOL AND AN EXACTO KNIFE, AND ATTACINFIDEL.
581 BLAKE AND LORD BYRON ARE DISINFECTED, AND I'VE ALMOST GOT THE BLEEDING STOPPED.
582 AND THAT REPREHENSIBLE RODENT IS TELLING HIS BUDDIES ALL ABOUT IT, AND THEY'RE 
583 LAUGHING THEIR ASSES OFF...
584 AND TO THINK THAT I WAS ONCE SECRETLY IN LOVE WITH ANNETTE FUNICELLO. TOMORROW 
585 AFTER SCHOOL, I WOULD PURCHASE THE WEAPONS OF WAR AND DEFEAT THESE MISERABLE MEESES.
586 AS I DRIFTED OFF TO SLEEP, I REMEMBERED,--THERE IS A GUY ON BACKWATER, CALLED THE
587 PIPER. YOU DON'T SUPPOSE.....
588 
589 
590 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
591 ................................................
592 <<lurk, lurk>>
593 ....................entropy.....................
594 pppppppppppppppppppppppppp sorry, no house calls... pppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
595 :::::;=====:::::=====
596      I jumped!  Had I not spoken at the end of Disk B, and yet my words are 
597 missing!  Most strange.....
598      Noticing my thoughts (which were unconciously being "sent", Dreamtoucher
599 said "Zephyr, what was it that you had sasaid? "
600      "Dreamtoucher,  I had mearly asked what you meant by "rabbits on other 
601 worlds"......and how Person had been involved with some of them."
602      And I was silent, awaiting the words of the elven mystic with an
603 open mind and a twitching nose.
604 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====
605 All: From this point on I'm going to be alternating between Zephyr and a new 
606 character whom I will introduce promptly with the same border of ":::::====="
607 so there should be no question that the rabbit and PRISM (Who follows) are both
608 the same person.
609 :::::=====PRISM
610      Professor Cliffton Roberts was seated at his desk, about to begin a
611 new era for humanity.  His fingers trmebled as they hovered over a keyboard
612 that, when activated, would forever change technology, as well as the 
613 whole human race.
614      Why was he so hesitant?  He had "created" PRISM, so he should have no
615 fear.  Was it awe, then?  Awe of what would come of his bold experiment?  That
616 must have been it!
617      Forcing back his emotion, he touched the "activaton" switch, and
618 waited....and for the first time in history, a tiny voice spoke out, only
619 saying "Hello Professor Roberts."
620      As the voice spoke, the words flashed across the screen.  Professor
621 Roberts smiled.  It was workigng so far.  PRISM was born!
622      "Welcome to reality, Prism.  As of today, you are oficially "born" to the
623 
624 planet Earth,  South Dakota.  How do you feel?"	 
625      "Fine professor.  Functional.  Status:  I am PRISM.  World's first self aware computer.   Created by Dr. Anner
626 ra and Professor Cliffton Roberts.  I was created by a new genetic microchip, and I am capable of original thought. 
627 How may I assist you?"
628      
629 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\marking at the bottom\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

TOTAL NUMBER OF LINES = 629