Word: Etiolate

 

etiolate

[ee-tee-uh-leyt]

verb (used with object)

etiolated, etiolating 

1. to cause (a plant) to whiten or grow pale by excluding light.

   to etiolate celery.

2. to cause to become weakened or sickly; drain of color or vigor.

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                Detective Weisman watched as one of the officers on duty yawned. The detective clicked his tongue at the poor showing. So what if nobody else was around to see it? An officer of the law should be held to higher standards. He did not say anything though. There were more important things to worry about than some beat cop not getting enough sleep.

                “So, what’ve we got?” He asked as he walked into the apartment. One of the CSI boys approached.

                “We’re not sure, detective.”

                “No sure?”

                “Nope. This has got to be the weirdest crime scene we’ve ever seen. Two dead, but we can’t tell what killed them. No wounds, no signs of struggle. Nothing. It looks like they just kind of decided to die.”

                “I’ll take a look and see if I can spot something.” Weisman said.

                The scene was crawling with people trying to find even the tiniest scrap of evidence, and apparently coming up empty. That along was odd. CSI in this town was quite good. They should be able to find something, even if it was just a stray hair. As he walked around the room, everything did indeed seem normal. With the exception of the two bodies on the couch. They sat slumped over, like they had just gone to sleep and not woken up.

                He did take note of the plants though. The CSI boys had tagged them, of course. They were the only other thing odd. They were bone white and withered, like something had sucked all the life out of them. Upon closer inspection, the bodies were the same way. Deathly white, like something had drained them completely.

                He heard someone yawn. A quick glance told him it was one of the CSI boys. One of the officers in the areas sat slumped in a chair, like he wanted to go to sleep. Weisman’s eyes narrowed. This was not normal. He examined the people closer. Some were normal, while others looked lethargic. One even seemed like he was being drained of color.

                “Everybody out.” The detective said loudly. “Now.”

                “Something wrong detective?”

                “Yes. Seems like we’re dealing with some unknown weapon. Chemical or biological. I can’t be sure, but it looks like whatever happened to the victims may be happening to us. So get everyone out and call in a quarantine of the building. Them get someone to test the air, every surface and everyone in this room for anything unusual. Everyone stays out of this room, but stays inside the building. Is that understood?”

                The response was not nearly as enthusiastic or quick as he would have liked, but everyone did eventually shuffle out of the apartment. Someone was already calling the precinct to get the quarantine set up properly. Once that was done, Detective Weisman leaned against a wall. Once the lab boys could figure out what had done the killing, his job could really begin. But until then, all he could do was wait. Wait to solve the strangest murder of his career.

**********************

Of course it's not something simple. Of course it's going to be something really weird and out of the ordinary. What is it? I have no idea. But it's definitely weird stuff. 

Word: Arenaceous

 

arenaceous

[ar-uh-ney-shuhs]

adjective

1. Geology, Petrology.,  (of rocks) sandlike; sandy.

2. Botany.,  growing in sand.

   ******************************** 

                   The desert was all around them. Endless sand spread out, and the sun beat down hard. Luckily, the wind was still, which meant so was the sand. This did mean that there was no relief from the sun, save for what was brought into the inhospitable place.

                   “You know, we don’t have to be here. We could just turn around and head back to town. Get a hotel with AC and free breakfast.” Nick said. He sat on his ATV as his partner scanned the horizon with a pair of binoculars.

                   “Yes, I know.” George replied. “You’ve brought up the option a few times now.”

                   “And yet, I notice we’re still here. And you’re still looking at sand.”

                   “I’m not looking at sand. I’m searching the desert.”

                   “Might as well be the same thing out here. Look, I know you’re hoping to find some plants or something, but that’s not going to happen. Not in this place.”

                   “Desert plants are well known and well respected.”

                   “Wrong kind of desert, buddy. Deserts with plants tend to have dirt, not sand.”

                   George lowered his binoculars and headed to the second ATV. There was nothing within his current line of sight, but that just meant they needed to find a different place to search.

                   “That we know of.” He said as he got behind the steering bar. He heard Nick groan. “Look, plants are hardy things. And yes, I know sand isn’t all that hospitable for them. It’s dry, nearly devoid of nutrients, and is easily blown by the wind. But we know there are plants that can grow in sand.”

                   “Sure, but not in desert sand. Nobody has ever found plants growing here.”

                   “That just means nobody’s looked hard enough. I know most people think life can’t exist out here. But we know that’s not true. Animals have been found living in this very desert. And where there’s animals, there are plants. Plants are hardy. They’ll always find a way to live in just about any environment. I don’t see why this place should be any different.”

                   “I can think of a bunch of reasons why plants won’t grow out here. And those animals you mentioned? They tend to stick near water sources. And the desert plants that do live around here do the same. If you really want to study that sort of thing, we can head to an oasis or something.”

                   “That’s not what I’m looking for, and you know it. I’m looking for the real survivors of the plant world. The ones that can make a living out in the middle of the desert. Now come on, let’s get a move on. I want to try a few more locations before sundown.”

                   George did not let Nick get anymore words in. He started up his ATV and started driving. Nick grumbled under his breath, but followed. As much as he hated it, leaving his friend to die in the desert would leave an even worse taste in his mouth. Hopefully George would get sick of the search sooner rather than later.

   ********************************

   Cue Jeff Goldblum talking about life finding a way here.  

Word: Fusty

 

fusty

[fuhs-tee]

adjective

fustier, fustiest 

1. having a stale smell; moldy; musty.

   fusty rooms that were in need of a good airing.

2. old-fashioned or out-of-date, as architecture, furnishings, or the like.

   They still live in that fusty, gingerbread house.

3. stubbornly conservative or old-fashioned; fogyish.

   ******************************************** 

                   When he entered the old house, the first thing that his Ryan was the smell. It was the smell of age. An old, musty smell that made it seem like even the dust was older than he was. And it soon became obvious that it wasn’t just the air. Everything looked to be older than him.

                   The carpet, the furniture. Even the paint could probably be considered an antique. He made his way through the house that could have easily been a museum. Old paintings, hard wood furniture, statues that could have been from the Renaissance.

                   He entered the study and found the person he was there to meet. The man was positively ancient. He stood with a sever hunch and wore clothes that could have been from the previous millennia.

                   “Ah, good. I was wondering if you had gotten lost.” The old man said.

                   Ryan was right on time. Punctuality was important for him. Apparently, his host did not agree. Either that, or it was a poor attempt at humor.

                   “Yes, well, finding this place was not easy, but it wasn’t impossible either.”  

                   “Good, good. Please, have a seat and we can begin.”

                   Ryan sat on the musty leather seat that could have been as old as his grandparents. It was not a comfortable chair. The leather was old and stiff. The cushioning was old and thin. The wooden frame was poking through towards the back. Still, he put up with it and brought out his computer case and set up the laptop inside.

                   “Now then, once I get connected to the internet, we’ll go over everything.”

                   “Internet? I’m afraid I’m not sure what that is. I can’t keep up with all that new technology. Best to steer clear of it all, if you ask me.”

                   Ryan sighed. Of course such an old house would not have Wi-Fi. Why had he thought otherwise. He would have to come back another day with the actual papers. But for now, he could mostly get the process started with what was downloaded on the machine.

                   “That’s fine.” He said, “I’ll come back another day and you can sign the paper then. I have enough here to get the ball rolling. Just take a look at the screen and let me know if anything needs to be changed.”

                   Ryan made sure to zoom in quite a bit so the old man could see the words. He scrolled slowly, letting his host and client read. The man’s already wrinkled brow gained a several new lines as he frowned.

                   “I’m afraid I have no idea what any of this means. The wording is all so obscure. I can’t make out any of it.”

                   Ryan looked at the displayed document. It was fairly clear in its wording. At least, he thought so. No legalese or slang terms. Just clear, obvious statements and easy to understand clauses. Nothing hidden or obscured by complex wording that could be interpreted a hundred different ways.

                   “I’m sorry, but if you’re having trouble understanding it, I’ll do my best to clarify.”

                   “Thank you. I can never keep up with modern language. It’s all so odd. Now, please, go over it all from the top.”

                   Ryan took a deep breath. This was going to take a while, he could tell. He just hoped his laptop battery would last long enough to go through everything.

                  ****************************

   Not everyone gets technology. Go easy on those who aren't able to understand it.