Campfire Stories, Kettle

Published

2 years ago

August 20, 2022

Psh, that’s not scary. Let me tell you a real scary story.

My aunt Tabby was driving through the Midwest alone. This was like twenty years ago. She was on some big trip to see America before she settled down or something. And she drove through this weird town. It looked like it had never left the 1900s. There are no cell towers, no chain restaurants, no Walmart. Women are walking around in skirts down under their knees. She was sure it was some religious cult town.

So just at the county line, Aunt Tabby spots an antique shop. And she always brakes for antiques. She goes inside, and she finds this red tea kettle. It’s in great shape, there’s no rust. It’s so shiny it looks brand new. So she gets it.

That night she’s at a motel, and she can’t sleep. The people in the next room are just the worst. They’re screaming at each other, throwing things around. And they’ve got a baby that’s just wailing. Who could blame it?

Aunt Tabby didn’t want to get involved. So she decides instead she’ll just make a cup of tea with her new kettle on the hot plate.

So she starts boiling water, and the couple next door just will not shut up. But when her water starts boiling, she hears someone scream. I mean, really scream. And then Aunt Tabby hears a new voice. It sounds like a teenage boy, yelling shut up over and over. Aunt Tabby was just starting to think she was going to have to call the motel manager when she hears two gunshots.

Tabby called the cops after that. She was watching out the window when they took the bodies out of the room. The cops took away a teenage boy wrapped up in a blanket. But she didn’t see anyone carry out a baby.

The next morning Aunt Tabby was so tired that she got completely turned around and ended up driving through that weird old town again. Only this time, it looked completely different. It looked modern, just like any other small town. Like it had gone through a century in one night.

Aunt Tabby always says it was like time was trapped in that kettle, the time that should have passed for that town. And when she boiled water in it, she let the time out. Maybe some other people got caught up in all that time escaping.

Aunt Tabby makes tea in that kettle every day. She says it’s the only way to keep time moving at the right pace. And yeah, most of the family think she’s a little nuts, but we all believe her about that kettle. Because if she misses a day, well, time just seems to slow down.

Related Topics:campfire stories short story

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2 Comments

Jennifer Weigel

August 21, 2022 at 4:11 am

Been there… Hard Times, Indiana. It was still a depression era shantytown when we passed through. Not even quite sure where it is – we got off the highway one or two exits too soon and were driving a bunch of back roads before we found ourselves again so it may have been a legit time warp. 😉

Reply
David Davis

August 21, 2022 at 4:43 pm

This one was very fun and I enjoyed the mysterious nature of that kettle.

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Original Creations

Peeping Toms Comic Book Collage Crystal Art by Jennifer Weigel

Published

5 days ago

July 21, 2024

Jennifer Weigel

So I happened upon this very cheesecake-heavy premiere issue of Extremes of Violet, complete with pinups by some of the comic book greats of the time, and decided to make some Peeping Toms collage art by incorporating the voluptuous vixen into various crystal pieces to create a sort of fishbowl effect centered largely on her bosom (which is unavoidable).

Each of the Peeping Toms is shown from three angles because of how much the pieces shift as the light plays off the crystal. I started with these star forms.

The second bowl was even a bit iridescent, and violet at that!

Next I did a series of really perky busty bowls, which really get the feeling across that you are looking through the tiny peephole in a door as well as exemplifying the content even more. Note: these are shown in two rows with side details as well, so there are a lot of pics here…

I experimented a little and tried a couple of other scenes, like the portrait, as well. She’s staring back at the Peeping Toms…

I also tried this more square bowl form.

And finally, I found this little heart, which is my personal favorite of the group.

These works are a continuation of my Creepy Comics collage series, shown on Haunted MTL here.

Feel free to check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.

Original Creations

Zombie Christ – Second Coming Art by Jennifer Weigel

Published

2 weeks ago

July 14, 2024

Jennifer Weigel

So I probably should have taken a before picture, but I found a faux wood stained plaster Jesus statue and turned it into Zombie Christ. Because it’s the second second coming. Or something. It’s kind of an offshoot of my nail polish paintings reappropriating thrift store art…

Anyway without further ado, I present…

Zombie Christ remake statue by Jennifer Weigel

I was a little concerned that I made him too green at first, but I’m happy with the finished result. This statue just looked so anguished. It’s eyes had been closed but I like them better open and even painted them with blacklight reactive nail polish so they will stand out even more and be interactive in other ways to add creepy factor.

From the top... — And taking it from the top…

Sadly I don’t have a blacklight anymore or I’d share a picture that way too. Oh well. I’ll leave you with a fun detail shot instead.

Next time I may make him more gray than green though. We shall see…

Feel free to check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.

Original Creations

Jennifer Weigel Art Collection Highlights Part 3

Published

3 weeks ago

July 7, 2024

Jennifer Weigel

So it’s been awhile since we’ve looked at some of the things I have gathered, so I thought I’d bring back my art collection for another round… Here are the first and second highlights in case you missed earlier explorations.

From left to right: M Pena Windstone Editions bat-winged flap cat, bone mask by Terry and Susan Wright, wood cat in skull by labcreature, real hair art by myself, pencil drawing of Barbarois Elder for Vampire Hunter D anime cel

From left to right: Barbarois Elder for Vampire Hunter D anime cel, Turn Me Royal portrait of my father and stepmother as Frankenstein’s monster and his bride, painted horse skull

Left to right: Overgrowth by Ellie Bradley, heart by TenderFlesh, praying devil girl by Torman’s Treasures

And a vintage plastic 2-foot Jack O Lantern I got at a yard sale and have kept on display on his very own stool in the living room since. So happy.

Anyway, there are some more highlights from my art collection, as it is always growing and evolving. I have lucked into several of these pieces at antique and thrift stores or acquired them from the artists or more. And yes, I still have Da Ting the taxidermy shih-tzu from the first of these posts.