Take a deep breath. The air is cold and crisp here, standing by the river’s edge. Yesterday, when the spill happened upriver, the air was warm. Breathe in again, while you can. There is change in the wind. Breathe out, and maybe now you have cast a prayer upon the heavens. For everything is different now. A new season will be arriving here, in this place. Read more….. »
On this moonlit night, snowflakes fall in a synchronized dance to the ground here in the mountainside chalet. Everything is silent and still, except for the crackling of the fire. To most, it would be a perfect romantic setting for two. But not to Cheryl, even as she nestles deep into a leather couch. Read more….. »
She stood at the side of the road by the bus stop, tapping her foot. Her dark eyes darted back and forth without stopping to rest, as though if they did, she would be caught off guard.
“Where is she? I hope I haven’t missed her,” she asked to whomever would hear, or no one.
There were five of us at the bus stop, five of us females who had been deposited by Trailways at a parking lot that posed as a bus depot in the day, and I suspected a hangout for teenagers at night. A diner was situated in the front of the building, frequented by people who didn’t give us any attention. Read more….. »
The sun smiled its greeting, while a joyous summer breeze tickled Marie as she walked through the woods and up the hill she could never forget, towards its peak. Perfect climbing weather, much like that first time she came here, so long ago. Just like then, it compelled her to climb higher. So good to be here after all these years, she thought. She drank in all the smells of the earth, the way the sun glittered through the trees, the way the breath of the wind whispered upon her body. So good to be back.
Twenty minutes into the walk, she reached the summit of the hill she’d called the top of the world so long ago, taking a long drink of water from her thermos. Read more….. »
He sits in a cell, the world he once knew severed out from under him. There is very little light here. He sees a crack in a wall. It provides a sliver of light, nothing more. It mocks him of what life could be, if only he were free once again. Gazing at the tease of light, he wonders about what has been taken from him. Read more….. »
It was a really nice day when I went to the café to help Tina deal with meeting Rosemary. Unfortunately, a strong wind was blowing through the town. So despite the sun, it was cold. It felt nice to walk into the café, feeling the warmth wrapping me up like a blanket.
The aroma of coffee permeated the room, wafting over all the patrons like a spell. A cup of java always brings people together, it seems. Read more….. »
If you look at her, you would say there is nothing unusual going on in her life. You might pass by her in the library without giving her a second glance. You might brush up against her walking down the street as you forget to excuse yourself in your hurry. Read more….. »
You stand in the darkroom of your mind, the place where you linger with the memories that are buried deep. Here, you craft the world into the masterpiece you have always desired. This is where you take the shattered puzzle pieces of the life you destroyed, and rearrange them like they are clay that you can mold into anything your imagination desires. My, isn’t it nice when everything can be fixed to suit your needs? Read more….. »
He arrives at the boardwalk, the sun blinding him with greeting. An appropriate metaphor, he thinks, given that he was blinded by love here so long ago. It’s the place where it all began for him, where he will meet her today once again. He hopes that she’s ready now for him, unlike last time. He has always been ready for her.
She’s waiting for him at the boardwalk when he arrives, standing at the rail overlooking the beach. Read more….. »
The sun shines with a brilliant glory on this particular day. Not a cloud in a sky. It doesn’t look like a day that can be blighted with disaster. Most people know better with these kinds of things. But it is strange what a clear sky will do the brain, thinks Miss Jefferson as she stretches her legs before getting out of bed. Read more….. »
A crowd gathers by the bus terminal this particular day. It’s a good day to leave town. The sun kisses its brilliance onto the scene, yawning its warmth into anyone who is graced by its touch. It’s accompanied by a breeze that sings in the air, occasionally blowing louder and harder when it has something to emphasize. Read more….. »
Death is a robber. It steals into your life, taking from you a precious gift that can never be returned. Today, this thief has visited me. In the place of a loved one, I face an empty space, one that will never be truly filled again. Ever. Read more….. »
“…and hon! you look so good! Where did you get the sweater?”
“Oh, this thing? Well, you know. You wouldn’t believe it, but it’s old. From back home. I just haven’t had any reason to wear it anyplace here. And I can’t believe I’m walking around wearing it, but it’s so hard to find anything good to buy in this stinking place. Read more….. »
She lays awake in her lover’s arms, long after he slips into a slumber where she can’t quite reach him. The room is nearly dark, but the moonlight that peers through the window offers enough light to let her eyes feast on the contour of his body. The seaside humidity has created a sheen of sweat on both of them, but the ocean’s breeze breathes a coolness upon her. It sustains a sweet comfort that she rests in, with him there, beside her. Read more….. »
Gloria is a busy lady today, always is, always has been. She was the kind of girl who was brought up with manners, to not waste time. And, unlike all the rebels and derelicts she knew who thumbed their noses at their elders, she was the girl who took all the adults’ lessons to heart, weaving them into the identity that she wore now. She was the girl that all the grown-ups pointed out to their daughters, saying “Why can’t you be more like Gloria?”. Gloria took their praise to heart, letting it bake her into the woman she was today. Read more….. »