We The People

SOTD - You Won't Ever Be Lonely

You only...MH

SOTD - Had I Known You Better Then

And from the first time that I saw you...MH

Gangnam Style

I know what you are asking, however the better question is why WOULDN'T I post this?

You know you want to try it...MH

SOTD - Don't Tread on Me

I'm not trying to be perfect, but just get one thing done...MH

SOTD - Broken, Beat and Scarred

It's been one of those days...



MH

SOTD - Skin and Bones

I'm just skin and bones...MH

Chapter 5.2 The Seven Steps to Hell

          “Have you ever heard of the Seven Steps to Hell?”

          It sounded like something up my alley, but I had never experienced the topic in conversation with anyone.  “No. Why do you ask?”

          “Well, a couple of workers of mine were talking about scary places in the area and they mentioned the Seven Steps to Hell in Centralia.”

          Centralia.  There was the whole reason why I had never heard of the location before.  Folklore and haunted areas in the Mt. Vernon and Woodlawn area were my cup of tea.  Centralia was like a whole new area and country for me.  I was not aware of the popular sites there, but I knew Matt would have access to all sorts of information with the fact he not only worked at McDonalds up there, but also went to the local community college.  The title of the location intrigued me and I wanted to know more.  Apparently Matt knew more which surprised me a bit.  Any time anyone would discuss a haunted area, he seemed to want to shut it completely out.  This time he had sat back to listen to the details.  Probably for the purpose of being able to share them with me later.  I was impressed by the self sacrifice that he had made.

          “Tell me more.”  I said.

          “Well, apparently there are these large stone steps out in a wooded area pretty much in the middle of nowhere.  If you can find all of them and step on all in a certain order, the Devil will show up and take you to Hell.”

          “Interesting.  Sounds like a fun day out to me.”  I was being a little sarcastic, but truthful at the same time.  I knew there was no chance Matt would want to go to such a location.  He then proved my sense of him wrong.

          “I am glad you put it that way.  I got directions.”  There was a tone and sound of pride in his voice.

          “No kidding?”

          “No kidding.”  Matt responded.  “They also told me about a couple of other locations in the general area.  I thought we would just make a day of it.  Sound cool to you?”

          I did not know what to say.  The only thing that I could think of was what I truly wanted to say.  “Yes.”  I said and we set the time and date when we would go.

          We headed a few days after our conversation.  I was extremely excited about going, primarily because it was a new area.  I was sick of going to the regular placed that Matt and I had pretty much warn out.  It was time to seek out some new areas, some new locations.   Some new stories and new adventures.

          Finding the Seven Steps to Hell proved itself to be an adventure.  It was located pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and Matt never being one to handle directions well, had us lost before we even departed from his driveway.  To this day I am not really sure that we ever made it to the exact location.  Part of me thinks we did while another part of me thinks Matt got tired of being lost and turned into the first cemetery he could find so we could move on to the other locations and then head home.  Anyway, whether it was the actual location or not begs to be proven, but we did encounter what appeared to be the Seven Steps to Hell.

          We pulled up into a graveled parking lot.  It reminded me of a parking lot they often used for nature reserves to introduce the area of a trail or hiking zone.  As we stepped out of Matt’s vehicle, I noticed a little break in the woods that surrounded the lot.  Matt pointed to it and said that was where the first step was supposed to be and the others were to follow.  Not having any other location to go by, I headed into the small opening and Matt followed behind me with the video camera.  We had decided to bring a video camera just in case we did step on all seven steps and the Devil did happen to show up in Centralia, Illinois.  If something like that was going to happen we sure as heck wanted to capture it on video.  I mean, wouldn’t you?

          Not far from the entrance that we had come through, a large stone step was jutting through the ground.  Nothing really interesting about the way it looked nor was there any sort of supernatural vibe emitting from it.  But I do admit that the whole idea of a large concrete step jutting from a hillside in the middle of nowhere seemed a little odd.  Matt and I moved to the step and jumped on it together at the same time.

          “One.”  We yelled together as we moved on to locate number two.

          Number two was not much farther from number one.   Again we stepped onto the piece of concrete together and once again counted together.  We continued to do this over and over until we located the seventh step.  This one was a bit smaller than the others, a little discolored, and a great deal more crumbled.  Matt and I stood before it looking it up and down and then looking at each other.

          “Aren’t you going to step on the stupid thing?”  He asked me pointing the video camera in my face.

          “Why me?  Why not you first?”

          “Because I have the video camera you jack monkey.  If I step on it with the camera then none of it will be captured on film.  The Devil will take me and the video camera to Hell and all you will have to show for it is a bunch of nice stories.”

          “And if I step first?”  I asked already knowing where this was going.

          “Then I capture it on film and you will be forever immortalized on film as the guy that took on the Devil!”

          “But I’ll be in Hell!”  I screamed at him.

          Matt looked at me.  “I did not think of it that way.  I guess the plan really is not full proof.  But we can not turn back now just because you are a little chicken.  I mean we came all of this way.  We need to try it and see what happens don’t you think?”

          “Chicken?  I am not chicken.  You are chicken.  You do not want to do this and you are trying to pin this all on me.  You forget Matt how long I have known you.  I can read you like a book.”

          Matt looked at me sheepishly.  “You are right.  It is just…think for a moment.  What if it is true?”

          I grabbed his hand and pulled him and camera over to the step.  “Then we go to Hell together.”

          He nodded.  We took a deep breath.  We jumped.

          What happened you say?   You are sitting on the edge of your seat now wondering if the great Lucifer rose out of the wooded area of Centralia, Illinois and drug us down into the forever burning lake of fire.  And now I am actually writing this piece of work from the realm of eternal damnation.  Come on!  Of course nothing happened.  We landed on the step.  Looked at each other.  Laughed.  Then got back into the car and headed to our next location.

Real Chili

It's getting that time of year. Summer is over, the weather is turning cooler and football season is starting. In other words it's time for chili, just remember real chili doesn't have beans. Just ask Sheldon.

Sheldon explains chili

What do you call this...I don't know, but it's not chili...MH

SOTD - Oh Love

The new single from Green Day and before you say anything about them selling out...remember it's Green Day!



Don't stop, Don't stop...MH