From: tyger@netcom.com (Kitty in the Middle)
Subject: Re: A Eulogy...
Organization:  I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, you can't prove anything!
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 22:05:22 GMT

In article <1992Oct7.122711.27094@mlb.semi.harris.com> smccoy@dw3g.ess.harris.com (Scott McCoy) writes:
>
> [lovely poem deleted]
>
>It wasn't fair, Tony.
>I had to find a way to say goodbye.
>We love you, Tony
>And we miss you.
>
>Tony Long, my cousin, died last week in Texas
>in a single car accident.  He has on the way
>into town to get some sodas and spend a little
>time with his friends.  He never made it.
>Apparently, Tony lost control of the pickup
>truck on the dirt road into town, and the truck
>rolled over.  Tony was 16.

...the sun filters through the overhanging leaves of the trees of Tygerwood
as the quiet serenity of the morning is broken by an agonized wail from 
somewhere deep in the forest. Tyger raises her head from where she is mending
one of Danita's smocks, and laying it aside, goes to stand just outside the
door of her dwelling in one of the oaks of the forest. She listens for a moment
and the earlier cry of pain is follwed by another, somewhat closer.

Danita emerges from the tree, rubbing her eyes and wearing a pained expression.
"It hurts in here, mommy. Woke me up." Danita pokes a finger at her chest as
she speaks. 

"I know. There is someone nearby that needs our help. Run and get me my cloak,
and put your shoes on. We will go to them." Tyger thought back to the noises,
to pinpoint their location as Danita scurried back into the tree and re-emerged
with her shoes and Tyger's cloak. 

As soon as Danita had her shoes on, they set out and soon came upon the
glade where they had met the RESERVIST so long ago, and the beast that had
brought Char. The latter still sat, now vine-covered and rusting in a corner, 
but  this is not what holds the pairs attention. Huddled in a patch of sunlight
is the huddled form of a man. Tyger and Danita go to him quickly, and with 
gentle urging, roll him over onto his back. Tyger speaks to him gently.

"You are a long way from home, friend. What brings you to this place?"

The man begins to speak. 

"I lost my cousin not days previous, and I can find no respite from my 
pain."

As he speaks, the man rises to a sitting position, and once he is up, Danita
toddles over, puts her arms around his neck, and curls up in his lap. Tyger
kneels beside the pair, and flinches slightly as she touches him on the 
shoulder and the depth of his pain hits her. Shocked, the man looks at her.
Tyger says to him, "My daughter and I are empaths. We can ease your suffering,
though we cannot take it all away. We are sorry to hear of your loss..." Her
look gets a little distant. "...we know about loss here." She recovers from
her reverie, and becomes businesslike once again.

"Danita, let...em.."  

"Scott"

"Yes, let Scott stand, so that we can take him to the ARC Castle." Danita
looked a little dubious at that, but clambers to her feet. " I know, Danita,"
Tyger continues, "we haven't been there in a great while, but for the sake of
Scott, we must go." Danita nods her head gravely and then appears to 
concentrate. She shimmers briefly, and appears in a pink gown in the style 
of the day. "Very Good!", says Tyger approvingly, then she does the same, to
re-appear in an outfit of unreleived black. She reaches out a hand to both 
Danita and Scott, who now stares at her with something akin to fear. Tyger
gives a wry smile and taking his hand says, "We are students of the Arts here.
A gift from the Goddess, albeit an often dubious honor. Come, we will take you
to the Castle."

After not too much more walking, the trio comes to the edge of the forest, and
the Castle rises majestically in the foreground, sun gleaming from it's 
battlements. Taking a deep breath to steel her resolve, Tyger marches the pair
with her forward until they stand at the gates. One of the guards approaches,
and Tyger quickly explains the situation to him. One of the minions of the 
Castle emerges some time later and sweeps off with Scott in her wake. 

As Tyger and Danita beging their trek home, they stop to look back at the 
Castle. "Treat him well, for he has much need of you and yours this night,"
murmurs Tyger. She then turns and continutes on toward her home...

This ended up longer than I had thought, but what it means to say is that I
am truly sorry to hear about the death of your cousin, Scott. I just hope
that you are able to surround yourself who can give you more substantial
versions of these:

**HUG** **HUG**

   Tyger 
-- 
      Kristen Kohlbecker    And I would choose to be with you
      tyger@netcom.com      That's if the choice were mine to make   
                            But you can make decisions too
      A Tyger and a Lady    And you can have this heart to break