It was the Brothers Grimm. They infected my mind when I was only a child. I read the tales over and over each year as I grew. When I reached my teenage years, I began to feel that there should be more to them. I wanted to keep reading the same tales, as one watches television series' or movies over and over, but there was something missing. In my mind, I began to imagine plot twists, character changes, location and time alterations, so I could envisage new tales borne from the originals.
This continued over many years (with life's gaps in between). It became a mental pastime. Seeing my reflection in the bathroom mirror would trigger thoughts of an original well known tale, thus shifting my mind into creation mode, whereby I would mentally create a different version throughout the day, during those moments between important daily tasks.
After an evening meal, taking a walk around the local area in the dark, it was not difficult to recreate silhouettes into something more sinister, or feel the chill run down my spine as I walked past the jet-black alleyway between houses; my senses informing me that one or more shadows are lurking there with purpose unknown.
As life moved me through school, work, marriage and parenting - all of which had the obligatory ups and downs - those experiences influenced the adaptations, reimaginings and multitude of original ideas that formed in my memory.
But, there comes a point when all of those tales and stories cannot remain stored, purely for my own enjoyment.
So, Oddly Grimm is gradually leaving the nest and spreading throughout the universe.
