Ralph Piccolo
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Ralph Piccolo
 I have an analytical background that fluctuates on both sides of the hemisphere. My professional background is Electronics; I am a Control Engineer. In the course of my life I have crossed many paths that peaked my intellectual interest. By merging what I do with what I experienced and by adding a dose of finesse, I can convey a message that will generate thought. Website:
http://minds-eye.ning.com/ New Titles by Ralph Piccolo
Chompy is a story about a boy and a girl who learn the true value of friendship, compassion, courage, and belief, with a little help from their new friend. The story encompasses educational messages without being overbearing or intrusive to the plot. Chompy delivers aspects of real life with a touch of fantasy. Word Count: 5100
Pages to Print: 22 Excerpts: The Princess and the Dark Knight Once upon a time, there lived a seven-year-old girl named Anna. Anna was four feet tall, about sixty-five pounds with long dark brown hair and an olive skin tone. Anna’s smile could capture the world, for her heart shone through her jade-colored eyes. Being an adventurous type of child, Anna loved to explore new places and things. Her typical excitement consisted of pastimes most people would be too afraid to do, like exploring enchanted forests. Mike, Anna’s best friend, shared her enthusiasm for exploring. He was also seven years old, weighed sixty-five pounds, and stood four foot, two inches tall. Mike’s admiration of Anna was deep; as deep as any one person could have for another. It seemed like they were beginning a lifetime of never-ending devotion. Mike had jet-black hair with waves of curls and a rich dark tan. His brown eyes captured everyone and he could smile and light up the darkest corner. Anna’s favorite games were hide-go-seek just for fun or princess in distress with Mike being her savior. She always called him her “Dark Knight of the Pentacle Forest.” The Pentacle Forest, where they spent lots of time, was located north of any civilization, just beyond the edge of a wild imagination, and held tons of trees, brush and flowers. Its lush, green shelter harbored strange creatures from a mystical world that could lose a person with a whispering in a whisper. The trees towered toward the sky, blocking the precious light from falling through their eerie branches like interlocking fingers; thick layers of leaves, like dark nets. The frightening shadows of the mystical forest scared even Anna and Mike. In some parts of the dense woods, it would rain three hundred and sixty-five days a year. The rainforest’s streams ran many directions into a miraculous pond that housed creepy crawlers and weird fish the children thought had been there since prehistoric times.
Some of the trees had somehow changed to stone from all the minerals in
the soil. The colors of the forest seemed indescribable, since the deep
shade gave no clear vision of their hues. The entrance had a myriad of
walkways to choose from. Anna and Mike explored only the most common
paths of the forest—the truly magical part lay deep in a waste-barren
swamp that housed a mysterious fantastic creature. Neither Anna nor Mike
entered the swamp for fear of this creature, even though they really had
no real reason to be afraid of it. Anna and Mike loved to go to the Pentacle Forest on the weekends and spend entire days exploring the unknown forest, but never without their colorful umbrellas. “Mike, let’s play hide-go-seek! You will not win, I'm sure of it; loser makes lunch for the winner for a week.” She giggled―her mischievous plan was in the works. “You try that all the time, Anna, and you never win, so what makes you so sure?” he asked her hopefully. “Nuh uh, I’m not telling you, so get ready to be beaten by the best of the Pentacle Forest!” she said confidently. Mike started counting down from a hundred “99, 98, 97 . . . .” His voice faded into the distance as Anna walked toward a place in the forest where several large mushrooms grew. They were tinted gray-white with large brown spots all over. They were as wide as a garbage pail and taller than Anna. When she stood under the floppy tops, Mike could not tell she was there. After five minutes of searching, Mike yelled out, “I give up Anna, I give up!” A sudden tapping on his right shoulder startled him. It was Anna, with her biggest, silliest smile taunting and teasing her best friend. “Where did you hide?” Mike asked. “Oh no, I’m not telling you, just remember my lunch tomorrow.” she said happily. Before they walked out, Mike glanced to the side into a thick grove and said, “Did you notice how close together the trees are? I wonder how you can get through there . . .”
Every time Anna returned home from the Pentacle Forest, her mom
questioned her about how dirty she got and why her clothes smelled
musty. She also quizzed her on why her new clothes were torn. Of course
Anna would only giggle, she did not want her mom to know she spent time
in the distant and mysterious Pentacle Forest for she might worry. The Illness One day Anna became dreadfully sick, and was soon so weak her mother confined her to bed. Anna’s grandmother nursed her during the day in hopes of curing her, while her mother worked long hours at her job in the city. Anna knew her grandmother meant well, but she served soup all the time. Every morning, afternoon and evening, soup, soup, soup, which made her so unhappy; too much of a good thing gets old fast. She had chicken noodle soup, which had always been her favorite before, mushroom soup, split pea soup, tomato soup, and even chef surprise soup. However, none of the soup helped her get better, and her mom became very worried and took her to the doctor’s office. They sat in the waiting room a long time. Anna stared out the huge windows and daydreamed about hiding in the mushrooms, giggling silently while Mike walked about trying to find her. Finally the nurse took them in to see the doctor. “Hello Mrs. Stein, what brings you and Anna here today?” Dr. Cannon asked in a cheerful voice. “It’s Anna, Dr. Cannon. She has been feeling really sick lately, and she complains of pain in her muscles and seems really tired. I had to fight with her to get her out of bed. That’s not like Anna; she loves the outdoor life. Something has to be seriously wrong with her.” Anna always hated being spoken about, but she didn't have the energy to object. She sat silently waiting. “No problem, Mrs. Stein. We'll check Anna out . . . ." Dr. Cannon replied. "Nurse Kathy, let's start with a full array of blood tests followed by a chest X-Ray.” More than being spoken about like she wasn't there, Anna really hated needles. Most people do, but she knew they were necessary and she felt too bad to complain. The nurse wrapped the rubber strap around Anna’s petite arm and stuck her with the needle. “Ouch!” Anna cried, “that hurt.” The pain lasted for about a second before Nurse Kathy replied, “Short-term pain for long-term gain.” She filled several tubes with blood, and then walked out to send them to the laboratory. “Mrs. Stein, would you help Anna undress and have her put on these two robes? First one ties in the back and the second one in the front,” Nurse Kathy said in a mellow voice. “Anna, please undress, dear, so we can get the X-rays taken,” Anna’s mom said, her through eyes filled with tears. After the X-rays and blood tests, Dr. Cannon told Anna’s mom he would call when he received the results. They went home, not even stopping for ice cream or sodas. Back to Chompy |
