The Slide Zone

Hello All:
If you're old enough to remember (and you would have to be really old) then you can recall a time when MTV used to air something called music videos. In fact, that's what MTV originally stood for: Music Television. These music videos would have been popular throughout the early to late 1980s. Yes, you would have to be old to remember them!
What is a music video?--a younger reader might ask?
A music video could have been described as a three-to-five minute short movie that was accompanied by some popular song by a well known artist--usually rock, pop, or rap. Sure, some of these music videos would simply be the artists performing before the camera. But most music videos aimed to really entertain the viewer by showing scenes and action. Sometimes the video would play for about thirty seconds to a minute as a scene unfolded before the music actually started.
I mention all of this because that's what came to mind when originally conceiving today's featured writing. It's based on an old, mostly unheard-of song from the late 1970s from a well-known artist. I'm going to leave the name of the song and the artist unmentioned for now. It will be revealed towards the end of the story. See if you can figure it out while reading it.
The particular song that inspired this story is unusual for the artist. Released in 1978, I believe they were experimenting with what would have considered the up and coming high tech, electro sound that would dominate much of the 1980s. The artist was mostly acoustic. Now they were integrating synthesizers, electronic sound effects, along with a higher than usual tempo.
In analyzing the lyrics I thought to myself, "Hmm... That's a really interesting story... That almost sounds like something that would happen to our friend, the Cableman." And there we have it! A short story about the Cableman put to music video.
Just a sidenote: at the end of the story I do include the You Tube video. In the first 30 seconds of the video there is the sound of crickets and some other noises. Just be patient. The music will begin after 30 seconds.
Have a great weekend!

The Slide Zone

The Cableman has had more than his share of strange experiences throughout his life. If you've come to know him in our series of short stories, then you certainly know all about it. And despite how strange they can get, these occurrences have been so common for the Cableman that he tends to forget most of them. Take for example that peculiar stranger that he met some years ago on a late night ride home from the airport. No, it wasn't a lady who he would end up going to bed with, which is a typical scenario for the Cableman. This was someone completely out of the ordinary who would catapult the Cableman into an unknown place.

As stated above, the occurrence took place some years ago after landing at the airport from a week-long job training seminar. The Cableman retrieved his luggage from the carousel, and then walked out to the taxi pickup area. Supposedly his boss arranged for the Cableman's transportation home. Sure enough, there was man standing out on the sidewalk with a large, handwritten sheet of paper that said, Cableman. Apparently this was the cabbie who would give him his ride home.

But what was this?

Much to the Cableman's surprise, it wasn't a taxi cab that he would be riding in. Rather it was a large, white limousine! Wasn't that nice of the boss to arrange for a stylish limo ride home from the airport? Maybe it would be complete with a couple bottles of beer from the cooler.

Then again, maybe the Cableman shouldn't have been so impressed, much less gotten his hopes up for a stylish, luxurious ride home. It would appear that the boss had taken advantage of some sort of share ride discount. Upon entering the backseat, there was an old man sitting there who briefly glanced over at the Cableman, and then resumed facing forward. What sort of cheapskate deal did the Cableman fall victim to?

One of the first things that the Cableman noticed was that the old man was wearing a torn coat. It was battered and shabby, looked to be made of the skin of some animal—perhaps suede or leather. And once the limousine had driven off from the pickup area of the airport, the Cableman glanced back over to the old man and noticed that his face was terribly worn. He had certainly experienced a considerable passage of time in the duration of his life.

Suddenly, the old man turned and faced the Cableman which revealed, for the first time, a pair of exceptionally clear eyes that for some reason suggested to the Cableman a certain level of awareness and superior wisdom.

"A river will always flow downhill." the old man suddenly said to the Cableman. "It's born out of a mass of water that becomes so great that it must move. Movement is always downhill for a river. A river will always start high up on a hill, or in the mountains. From there, it flows for a very long time—sometimes joining with other rivers—until finally reaching a lake or the ocean. This is where a river flows."

The Cableman was taken aback by the random piece of information suddenly given by the old man. And it was the first thing that the old man had said to the Cableman. Such a peculiar introduction.

"Interesting..." finally commented the Cableman. "I guess I never looked at it that way. Yes, you are right. Rivers always flow downhill and into a lake or ocean."

The old man smiled, nodded, and then resumed facing forward.

"I'm the Cableman." introduced the Cableman while extending his hand to shake.

But the old man said nothing in return. He simply kept his face forward while maintaining a stoned, blank expression.

The Cableman shrugged his shoulders, sat back in his seat and looked out the window of the limousine. Apparently the old man felt it was okay to dish out wisdom to people without extending common greetings and courtesy. He was, after all, an odd fellow. Maybe it was just some homeless guy who managed to get a free ride in a limousine for the evening.

Five minutes later, as the Cableman started to dose off, the old man suddenly announced, "Apple trees need honey bees to cross pollinate during the flowering season. This is crucial if the apple is to grow."

Startled, the Cableman turned to face him. Unsure of what to think, he simply agreed with the old man. "Yes, that's right. Bees are very important in growing fruits and vegetables."

Just like before; the old man smiled, nodded and resumed facing forward.

"Yeah, I just got back from a week long training seminar for my job." said the Cableman. "I have to admit that this sort of conversation is refreshing. It's nice not to have to hear about installing cable. That's what I do for living."

The old man said nothing in return.

"So where are you off to?" asked the Cableman. "Home, I assume."

The old man resumed his stoned, blank expression as if in some sort of trance. This went on for nearly a minute before he turned to face the Cableman to say, "There's an old stream that no one has ever heard of that has been dried up for many decades. Once upon a time, people would go there for its healing power. Some say that the gods have taken it away."

"Yeah?" asked the Cableman while beginning to conclude that the old man was crazy. "Is that where you are off to?—to find the magic stream that can heal people?"

"No..." answered the old man. "And you certainly are interested in where it is that I'm going. If you must know then I will tell you. I'm going to find a shooting star. It should be just around the bend up there. That's where they are."

With a somewhat amused look on his face, the Cableman gazed out the window and up the highway. "Oh, right... I know the bend you are talking about. It's sort of a fork in the road up there that—I think—leads to nothing but farm fields. I've never driven that way before. So you think there's going to be a shooting star?"

"Definitely!" firmly stated the old man.

Suddenly intrigued, the Cableman asked, "Can I come with you to see this shooting star? I'm sorry, but those are usually random occurrences that are almost impossible to predict. I want to see this shooting star of yours."

"Sure, I don't see why not." answered the old man. "I believe you are already going along for the ride. I think it's a quick detour we need to take before reaching your destination. If you want to get out of the limousine with me, then that's your choice."

"Hey driver!" called out the Cableman. "Are you listening to this? I want to get out wherever this guy is going to see his shooting star. You wouldn't mind waiting for a few minutes before taking me, would you?"

"Sure, I can wait." reassured the driver. "But are you sure you want to do that?—agree to finding this shooting star?"

"What do I've got to lose?" challenged the Cableman. "If this man says he's going to find a shooting star, I'm in with him."

The driver shrugged his shoulders, "Okay..."

The Cableman shouldn't have agreed to such a thing. For that was the very moment that marked the beginning of a most bizarre incident of non-ordinary reality. Just as the limousine turned onto the fork in the highway that leads to the bend and open farm field, the Cableman started to feel the strange sensation of gliding. Although triggering an unpleasant moment of apprehension, the Cableman attributed the unexplained gliding to some residual motion sickness brought on by riding the plane for some hours before landing.

Then the Cableman's ears suddenly plugged up. He could no longer hear anything; not the sound of air rushing against the side of the limousine or the sound of the engine. Instinctively, he wedged his pinky finger in one of the ear canals in an effort to dislodge some wax that might have gotten displaced from the altitude change during the plane ride. This didn't help anything.

"I can't hear!" shouted the Cableman in a panic. It was a like a bad dream in which he tried to talk but made no sound.

Suddenly, the Cableman found himself rising high above the ground with the sensation of a great wind rushing from every direction. Somehow the old man was before him in this strange, new reality. And despite the fact that the Cableman was deaf, he could hear the voice of the old man. He announced with a smile that lit across his face, "You will know this place."

Upon this suggestion, the Cableman looked down to some thousand feet below to where the farm fields were. There was something there that the Cableman knew. But he wasn't sure of what it was. He was actually more concerned with what has happening in that moment. I mean it's not every day one takes a limousine ride around a bend and is suddenly transported into new reality of gliding a thousand feet in the air with a stranger.

And then the Cableman began to fall. Whatever power that had raised him and the old man some thousand feet in the air had suddenly released them so that they began to fall and spiral back to the Earth.

"Help me! Please!" the Cableman screamed.

Almost immediately he heard music... or at least he initially perceived it as music. No, actually it was the sound of an ambulance siren. While pulling out of unconsciousness, the Cableman perceived the siren as music. He was now riding in the back of an ambulance.

"Sir, are you awake now?" probed the paramedic.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Much better!" answered the Cableman. "What happened?"

"Well, according to your limo driver, you were picked from the airport and started complaining about a gliding sensation. Then you passed out. It looks like you had an extreme episode of motion sickness accompanied by long term jet lag. Slipping through all those times zones, or slide zones as some people call them..."

"So I stepped into a slide zone?" inquired the Cableman. "The old man had me going through a time zone?"

"Yeah, something like that Sir." answered the paramedic.

***

Somehow, word of this incident had been picked up by the progressive English rock band, The Moody Blues. Such a strange occurrence to have happened to someone; they actually made a song about it. Yes, 'steppin in a slide zone' is all about that fateful night that the Cableman would rather forget.

Now I hear you, the reader, challenging this notion. "Wait a minute!" you might argue. "The Moody Blues made that song in 1978! The Cableman was just a wee lad in those days!"

Ah, but you see; the old man in this story made the Cableman step through a time zone which triggered a brief moment of time travel. This traversing of time manifested itself so that people way in the past actually heard about the Cableman’s experience.

If you've never heard the song, do give it a listen in this You Tube video. I think the Cableman's story would be better suiting for the music video, don't you? And for your convenience, the lyrics of 'steppin in a slide zone' have been printed below the video.

Steppin' In A Slide Zone by The Moody Blues

I took a ride in a limousine

I took a road I'd never been

I met a stranger by the way

His coat was torn but his eyes were clear

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin' in a slide zone

He told me where a river flows

He showed me how the apple grows

He told me of a magic stream

His face was worn but his eyes were clear

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin' in a slide zone

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin' through a time zone

He went to find a shooting star

Around the bend that's where they are

I went along just for the ride

Suddenly I began to glide

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin' through a time zone

The air raced by there was no sound

We drifted high above the ground

And then said you know this place

And then a smile lit up his face

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin' in a slide zone

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin' through a time zone

I turned my head and looked below

And there was something there I know

Suddenly I began to fall

I looked around and tried to call

Standing in a slide zone

He had me steppin' in a time zone

Standing in a slide zone

Falling through a time zone

Help me please I thought I said

Then something happened in my head

Music came from all around

And I knew what I had found

Standing in a slide zone

Falling through a time zone

Steppin' in a slide zone

He had me falling through a time zone

The Creepy Doll Closet

Hello All:
I have for you some vintage Barbie commercials to enjoy that provide a nice early stage evolution of the popular toy that girls have played with through the ages. Scroll down and check out the original Barbie commercial, the introduction to her friend Midge, and then the exciting release of the Twist and Turn Barbie. I believe the girl in the third commercial is the young Marcia Brady (Maureen McCormic) from the Brady Bunch.
Bud do you know what's so sad about the third commercial? Girls are encouraged to bring their old and unwanted Barbies in for the new "Twist and Turn" Barbie. Don't you feel sorry for the old ones?

What girl hasn't played with dolls? Oh, but there are people who have a phobia of dolls. If your child is afraid of dolls, here is a nice story to make him or her feel better.

The Creepy Doll Closet

Located on an intermediate level that separates the main floor of an old Victorian two story home from the second floor is an area that has been referred to as "then den", "the office", or the "rec room". Names for this intermediate level have been designated by the various families who have lived in that old Victorian two story throughout the many decades. You see; families move in and then move out some years later. And they do so out of their own will, not because of what some might immediate conclude to be a haunting. Old Victorian homes, after all, that have stood a century or more must surely be haunted, right?

Well this doesn't hold true for all historic homes—especially this one.

Oh, but there is one peculiar thing about this home to mention. It's on that intermediate level that we were just discussing in the above paragraph. There's a closet in the corner that is nearest the radiator that might have been intended to be used as storage. But over a hundred years ago it was considered ideal to be a small play area for a young girl who lived there. Outlined with a couple rows of wooden shelves, it was home to her prized collection of dolls that sat on them. A wool carpet had been fitted and laid on the floor so that the young girl could have a nice place to sit and play with her dolls. To this very day her collection remains in this closet. It's unclear as to why the original family had left the dolls there upon moving out. Perhaps they felt that the next family might have a young girl who would enjoy playing with them. Isn't that nice?

Strange you might comment?

Well it just so happens that the next family who moved in did have a young girl who was delighted to discover the closet full of dolls. She added her own collection of dolls that were received on birthdays, Christmas, or when Father would travel on business and bring back a doll as a gift. But eventually this young girl was too old to play with dolls, and the closet door remained shut for a number of years until her daughter was introduced to the dolls. And just like before, this new girl added her own collection to the doll closet and played with them in there. These were the happiest times for the dolls; to have a human play with them. Unfortunately, it was followed by some years or a few decades of being closed up in the dark until someone new would discover them.

And so this went on for many, many decades—over a century, actually. The collection of dolls accumulated and was passed down from child to child whether it be daughter, granddaughter, or a new girl who moved in. By the time that closet reached the modern age, it included newer Barbies, Brats and the likes.

Today there is a young girl who lives in that old Victorian two story home named Shelly. But unlike the girls who lived there before her, she wants nothing to do with the dolls. For her, the doll closet is used for punishment. You see, Shelly doesn't like the dolls in that closet. They're old, creepy, and give her an eerie feeling. Mother and Father usually find some way to integrate the creepy doll closet into dished out punishment. And with as much of a dreadful phobia that Shelly has of dolls, one would think that she would be on her best behavior.

Shelly tries her best to avoid punishment and is sure not to do anything wrong at home. But if she didn't know any better, the dolls can come to life and do all sorts of mischief just to frame her and get Mother and Father to punish her. And when Mother and Father punish Shelly...

Uh oh! It's about to happen again!

"Shelly!" Father yells up the stairs to his daughter. "Shelly, come down here!"

Shelly is in her bedroom and practicing her violin for an upcoming concert. And with the tone of her father's voice, she immediately gets nervous. What could it possibly be now?

"I'm coming!" yells Shelly as she scampers out of her bedroom, through the hallway and down the stairs. She passes the intermediate level; the office as Mother and Father have named it which contains a desk, and some file cabinets. And don't forget the creepy doll closet next to the radiator!

Shelly reaches the main level.

Father has a stern look on his face. "Now I'm only going to ask you this once, and I want an honest answer."

Shelly grows all the more worried. What did those blasted dolls do this time?

"Come in here!" orders Mother.

Shelly carefully enters the kitchen and sees Mother standing over a collection of items on the linoleum floor which had apparently fallen out of her purse.

"Do you know anything about this?" asks Mother.

"No!" answers Shelly.

"Well my purse was up on the counter a few minutes ago." explains Mother. "It was knocked on the floor, and my stuff came out of it."

"And don't forget the forty dollars!" reminds Father.

"I was getting to that!" snaps Mother. "Where is the money? You took money from my purse!"

"No I didn't!" defends Shelly. "I wouldn't do something like that! Why would I need money?"

"Bring it back right now!" demands Mother.

"Mom, I didn't take your money!" cries Shelly. "And I wasn't going through your purse! Why won't you believe me?"

"Well who would knock my purse over?" asks Mother.

"Yeah..." chimes in Father. "Do you think it was one of the dolls from the creepy doll closet?"

"Daddy, stop it!" snaps Shelly. "You know I don't like those dolls!"

For over five minutes, Mother continues to demand that Shelly return her money. In that time, poor Shelly is accused of being a little thief who would one day go to jail. Mother is terribly disappointed in her daughter for not only stealing but repeatedly lying. Unsure of what to do for the moment, Mother sends her daughter back upstairs to her room.

"She'll fess up eventually." promises Father with a mischievous smile on his face. He says this while Shelly storms her way over to the stairs.

"Daddy, what did you?" demands Shelly.

"You'll find out..." answers Father in a spooky, mysterious voice.

Outraged, Shelly stamps up the stairs. Apparently, Father sneaked away while Mother was scolding her, and did something that involved the dolls. Maybe he put her schoolbag in the creepy doll closet. Shelly would have to go in there to retrieve it if she wanted to do her homework. Or maybe he took a dozen or so dolls and scattered them on her bed. Shelly would be expected to put them away which, of course, would involve touching the old, creepy dolls while spending time in their musty closet. Oh, what sort of horrible thing did Father do this time?

Shelly enters her bedroom and doesn't initially see anything out of the ordinary. But then she discovers that the violin is missing.

"Daddy! Where is my violin!" shouts Shelly down the stairs.

"I'm pretty sure you know where it's at." answers Father in his spooky, mysterious tone of voice.

Mother chimes in, "And if you want to be ready for your concert, you better make sure you keep practicing."

Reluctantly, Shelly descends the staircase to the intermediate level. Cautiously she approaches the door to the creepy doll closet and opens it. She is immediately greeted by the musty old smell which would remind anyone of antique dolls. As for light, it is necessary to walk inside to the center and pull the chain so that the light bulb illuminates. You see; the creepy doll closet is about the size of a large walk-in closet. I suppose in olden times it could have been used as a small bedroom for, perhaps, a newborn. Instead, it was used as a play area so that girls could spend time with their dolls. How anyone would want to spend time in that closet and actually touch those dolls is beyond Shelly's comprehension. People must have been very strange way back then.

As Shelly scopes out the area for her violin, the dolls all stare back at her from the shelves and the floor where they sit against the walls. Who has her violin? Father brought it in here a few minutes ago and hid it underneath a group of dolls. Within a few seconds, Shelly sees her violin case being used as seat for about a dozen of dolls.

Shelly would never touch those hideous dolls! She uses her foot, and kicks them out of the way so that she can finally reach the violin. While lifting it off the floor, Shelly hears the most dreadful sound; the closet door slamming shut!

Shelly lets out bloodcurdling screams while dashing over to the door with violin case in hand. But the violin was the least of her worries. You see; the doorknob would not turn. Mother or Father was on the other side and gripped the knob so that Shelly could not get out.

"Daddy! Let me out!" screams Shelly while pounding and desperately pulling at the doorknob. "Please let me out!"

"The money..." answers Mother. "As soon as you tell us where the money is, we'll let you out.”

"I didn't steal your money!" cries Shelly. "You have to let me out of here! Please let me out!"

"Not until you tell us where you hid the money." reminds Father in his spooky, mysterious voice.

Just then, Shelly sees something out of the corner of her eye. It looks like one of the dolls jumping off the shelf and onto the floor. Startled and still crying, she looks over. And there on the floor is an old doll with a pair of twenty dollar bills lying nearby. It's just as Shelly suspects; the dolls had been in Mother's purse and took her money so that Shelly would be blamed.

"The money is in here!" shouts Shelly. "Please let me out!"

With that, the door to the closet is partly opened. Father peaks his head in. "Where is it?” he asks.

"Shelly points over to the doll with the money lying nearby."

"Oh..." exclaims Father in his spooky, mysterious voice. "So one of the dolls went through your mother's purse and took the money. Then she brought it back in here to the creepy doll closet."

Mother slips into the closet and snatches up her money. "We're not done in here!" she declares. "You're not getting off Scott-free after taking my money. As punishment, you can stay in here for the next half hour and practice your violin with the door shut."

"Mommy, no!"cries Shelly. "I didn't take your money!"

"I'll tag another half hour onto that for lying." warns Mother.

Defeated, all Shelly could do was cry. She hates those stupid dolls. Even more, she hates the way Mother and Father never believe her. She cries all the more once Mother exits the closet and closes the door behind her.

"Stop your crying!" yells Mother. "And start practicing your violin!"

Shelly kneels down and opens her violin case. Then she screams upon discovering that Father had placed one of the dolls in there before hiding it.

"What's wrong?" asks Father through the door with his spooky, mysterious voice. "Was there a creepy doll in your violin case?"

Shelly ignores him. Instead of answering, she smacks the doll out of the case and picks up her violin with bow. Then she starts playing.

Now in that half hour, something strange happens in the closet. No, the dolls don't come to life and torment Shelly. Rather, they remain motionless with eyes fixed on her, seemingly admiring Shelly's ability to play such beautiful music on the violin. They seem to really like Shelly; seem to wish that she would be their friend and play with them.

***

Later that night, Shelly sleeps soundly in bed. But she is startled out of her sleep about a minute to midnight from the sound of an eerie music box that plays on her bedroom floor. Being that Shelly plays the violin, she is familiar with classical pieces and recognized the song coming from the music box. It is Nocturne—opus nine, number two from Chopin. Very frightened, but at the same time curious, Shelly carefully looks down towards the floor that receives just enough illumination from a nearby nightlight. And there in the middle of the room is one of the creepy, old dolls sitting next to a music box. Shelly recognizes this box as being the one that sits on one of the shelves in the creepy doll closet.

The doll misses the days of many decades ago of when a little girl used to dress her up like a ballerina, and help her dance to the music that came from the music box. Couldn't Shelly do the same with her now? She is, after all, a talented musician and surely has an appreciation for the fine arts.

But Shelly screams in horror at the sight, and runs out of the bedroom.

"What's wrong?" asks Father. "Did one of the creepy dolls come out of the closet to play with you?"

To be continued…?