50 Word Fiction

2009-10-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

Sherry didn't know what she would do without her big brother. He had been her rock all these years. She had known he was depressed, but she had no idea how much until...
She had discovered his note on the kitchen table that morning. Sherry's futon couch had been neatly folded back into it's proper place, as had the bedding and pillows that were stacked accordingly on the floor. It was hard to believe that Chris had been there at all. Sherry looked hard at the note and re-read it for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning.

"Sherry, I'm sorry, but I couldn't stay. I need to get things figured out on my own, but I promise I'll call when I figure out where I am headed," signed plainly and simply, "Chris." The letter ended nearly as abruptly as his stay had been, and she couldn't help but worry and wonder when, or if, she really would ever hear from him again.

Lydia listened intently as the rain beat down upon her window pane. They did need the rain, but....

2009-02-25T06:46:00.000-08:00

Lydia was desperate for sun. The rain had been falling for two days, a steady stream of crisp water trickling from an ever-present grey sky. What she wouldn't give for just two hours of warm daylight to enjoy and lose herself in for a little while. Not to mention the house seemed cooler when the rain was falling, just a little bit more empty. Chris had been gone a month now. Hopefully the rain was helping the grass around his grave-spot grow in. Fresh green grass would be so much more inviting to sit upon than the newly turned dirt that was an all too painful reminder he was new to that area, and gone from hers.

The lights of the oncoming car winked at Sue and her sister, Elaine as they waited along the side of the road...

2008-12-03T06:52:00.000-08:00

It had been a bitterly cold wait. Sue and Elaine were all too eager to be home. Christmas was always a fun-filled time spent with family and friends. Elaine had been so excited to pick Sue up from the airport and travel home for the holidays with her. Five months ago Sue had departed for College and Elaine had missed her. Home felt so empty, the room they shared together felt equally void of her presence. Elaine longed for those nights the two would stay up late into the early hours of the morning chatting about everything under the sun. That was life as it was - a past reality they never really stopped to think would ever change. Sue was in college now - Elaine would soon follow next year. Life was changing and it came to a shrieking reality as the two girls sat huddled on the roadside with a blown-out tire and new awareness of just how different things were and could be down the road. For now - all they cared about was home, the Christmas lights that were ahead, and the opportunity to just be together, if for a while.

The large, heavy oak door massively covered the entrance to the building...Erica reached up to grasp the cold, metal handle....

2008-11-18T13:51:00.000-08:00

It was shockingly frigid. As if it had not been touched by human hands in years. This old chapel of a building had always haunted her. In the summers, when the leaves were green with summer, Erica would often play down by the river bed, just yards from it's little fenced in garden and enticing entrance. Often she would imagine herself a young bride, ready to meet the love of her life as the oak door would swing wide inviting her to step into her dreams and truly live.

The leaves whispered to the trees as the cool breeze circled the neighborhood... it was eerie the way the only sound to be heard was the trees...

2008-10-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

This was exactly what she needed. If all of Jessica's cares boiled down to the sound of the wind whipping through the trees then everything just might be right in her world, but it wasn't. Most days all she could feel was the painful race of her heart as days mounted with stress and insurmountable obstacles. She had only dreamed of a retreat like this. Mike knew she needed this get-a-way more than anything so he had loaded her on the next available flight out to Maine and a little bed and breakfast that waited to sweep her off into another world altogether. Jessica didn't need the bed and breakfast for that - her thoughts did a fine job all by themselves.

"But I have always wanted a pony!!" Miriam whined to her boyfriend, Charlie...

2008-09-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

Realistically her banter was just in jest, but an honest assessment of the conversation left Miriam with so many doubts. Charlie and herself were so very different and so was their relationship. In a sense, their relationship was unlike anything that she herself had ever wanted. Miriam was a quiet free-spirit who loved pleasing the people who were in her life. Most of the time this worked, but on occasion it left deep unrest withing the core of who she really was which only confused her with questions that she couldn't answer. Perhaps, thought Miriam to herself, it was time to do something about it.

It was a cold, windy day when Sandy heard the news....

2008-09-02T13:38:00.001-07:00

Her cell phone had been ringing non-stop in her back pocket as she jogged through central park. The wind was biting with every beat of her shoes against the pavement, but the fall colors in the trees enchanted her. Sandy had tried to ignore the real world calling, but to no avail. Exasperated, she stopped long enough to catch her breath before picking up. It was Sam on the other end of the line. Charissa had just quite and the top marketing position stood wide and was her's for the taking, if she wanted it. Sandy's heart leaped - this is what she had worked her life away for, but now, she just wasn't sure if she wanted it anymore. Actually, she didn't know what she wanted. "Sandy, this is it, this is your shot. I need an answer now," said Sam.

"Please put your shoes by the door," Aunt Helga said in her shrill voice that grated on my nerves...

2008-08-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

Every summer it was customary to make several visits to Aunt Helga's house and every summer Amanda dreaded each one. There was just too much going on back at home to uproot her life for the isolation and frustration of Aunt Helga. Aunt Helga was strict and lived every moment of her life controlled by some rule which Amanda couldn't understand. Since her uncle passed away four years ago, Helga lived alone. Not only alone, but she pretty much kept to herself. Someone as young as Amanda just couldn't understand that side of grief, or what Helga was going through. To Amanda, it was just old age and crazy rituals. To Helga, it was a way to control something in her life which seemed to be slipping by her all to fast. Helga was excited to have Amanda around, she just didn't show it very well.

Kara stepped back as the door blew quietly open... she cautiously took a step forward...

2008-08-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

She could hear the age in the door as it creaked ever so slowly in her direction. This barn had been her childhood retreat where she sat and daydreamed about what her life could be like, what she had wanted it to be like. Memories wafted through her like the smells of the old lofts and haystacks. Kara loved this place, more than any other. As she stepped inside, her present world faded away and she was taken back to all the sights and sounds of those bright summer days surrounded by every furry critter imaginable. They were her quiet and peaceful companions. In fact, Kara could almost see old Fred, with his furry little tail, peak around the corner, eyes shining with excitement and purring in anticipation as she stepped closer to him. Mechanically, Kara reached down to grab him but then, almost as suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone. Kara was simply lost in another day dream, only this one she wanted to keep and hold on to with everything that she had. Somehow she knew this old place would understand. Old Fred would understand.

"Evidently you don't plan on saying goodbye to me, do you?" Shana said haughtily.

2008-08-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

She was so tired of the guessing game and walking on egg shells. If this was so right, it shouldn't be this hard, should it? Anyhow, In Shana's idealistic world, that's how things worked. Life however, was not ideal. Mike was not ideal. Oh, she thought he had been at first but those initial impressions can fade so quickly in the light of reality. Reality was, he loved to argue and they argues about everything under the sun. Shana was tired of always being in what Mike thought was the wrong, and even more, she was tired of him running out the door and shutting her out of his life.

Wyatt grasped the edge of the pool, breathless and looked behind him...he had to hurry!

2008-07-28T13:48:00.001-07:00

Chris was right behind him, his little shark fin cutting through the water like a pro. Lisa just loved to watch the two boys play together. Just imagine how comical it was to see Chris with his little shark-fin hat flailing in the water in hot pursuit of Wyatt. Wyatt was out of breath, Chris had a triumphant grin that stretched ear to ear as if he were just the king on the hill. They lightened her heart and made every moment somehow worth something.

Brenda had always feared this would happen...she would be stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire...in the dark...

2008-07-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

Plus, it couldn't have come at the more less than perfect moment either. She and Chris were headed home from Christmas vacation, to which Chris was still recovering from surgery that he had just one week prior to the holidays. They had been talking about how crazy the last year had been, and it had been a roller coaster. So much had happened that it was a year she would rather not repeat again. Just as they were both trying to look on the upside of things, the tire blew. Karen could feel the car veer sharply down to the left. As she pulled slowly off to the side, she wondered how they were going to get out of this one. They were already miles from home and miles from the next stop. Not to mention hardly anything would be open the day after Christmas. To top things off, she would have to handle the repair herself, or, so she thought....

She closed her eyes as she remembered her favorite Christmas, the one where she and her brother Jimmy each got a pony...

2008-07-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Christmas on the ranch was magical. Angel loved everything about growing up in Montana where there was room to run, to breathe, to simply be at rest and peace. Angel loved that about her childhood, probably now more than ever. At 20 Angel was as wild as the land she grew up oN. She had left the valleys of Montana for the city skylights of New York hoping for what most hope to achieve in the bigger cities with greater opportunities, or so it seemed. City life, however, was nothing like she thought it would be. Smiles were rare as people became too wraped-up in their own respective worlds to really care about yours. Above all the noise, cars, and hum of the city Angel just couldn't hear herself anymore. Everyday Angel became a little more lost and alone. Christmas was right around the corner though, and she was going home. Tiny was long gone, but she could still picture that little bay pony with eyes that gleamed mischief...oh how she missed home!

The wind blew fiercely against the screen door, slamming against the house with a THUD, THUD, THUD...!

2008-07-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Alexa hated being home alone when it stormed. Chris was out somewhere trying to herd all the cattle in for shelter. They had been here just a little over a month and there seemed to be an endless amount of things to do. This was a new town, a new place, in the middle of nowhere really. In fact, "town" was about 10 miles southeast of where her parent's farmstead was located. Alexa had always dreamed of coming back here. Her tea was warm as she cupped it and sighed deeply, staring out the large bay window that her mother used to read to her in. Those days were so long ago. Mom and Dad must have known she wanted to come back more than anything, that's why they left the house to her. There had been a lot of disappointment in her life, but here, everything had been near perfect. Memories in this place were only happy.

The door slammed. Macy cowered in the corner, dreading what was going to happen next..

2008-07-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

She hated it when he came home like this. Back when mom was alive, life was so different. Dad had seemed happy and go-lucky then, as if the cares of the world slid off his back with one smile from her. Now, everything was just so different. In fact, the house felt an eery emptiness that even she tried to hide from, only she didn't drink like dad did. In ways she could understand him, and in other ways, it was like she not only lost her mother, but her father too. Macy was living with a stranger and her own world seemed to be closing in around her.

"Home sweet home," Ray said, as he threw his bags on the porch and forced the door open. He just knew Clarice would be happy to see him again.

2008-07-02T07:55:00.001-07:00

Well, maybe. Not that it mattered he had been absent from her life for over a year. Ray was one of those free-spirited young men who just couldn't settle down. Clarice was everything Ray could ever have dreamed for in a woman and more. Beautiful blue eyes, dark hair, kind complexion and even more, a sweet personality. Commitment, however, he wouldn't do. Ray had absolutely no intentions of marrying, maybe ever. There was just too much out there to reach for and he wanted it all. So, without much warning, Ray had taken off nearly a year ago to travel and find his own way. What he hadn't banked on was the loneliness and heartache and desire to see Clarice again. He knew that she loved him, so she would be waiting for him. At least that is what he told himself.

The trial seemed to drag on forever. Everyone thought he was guilty, but there just weren't enough known facts...

2008-06-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Oh sure there was the circumstantial evidence, or heresy, but nothing concrete, nothing you could go on. They only thought Chris did it because he was black, poor, and from the streets. He looked tough, but that's because he had to be. Life didn't hand him the silver spoon or even a fair fighting chance. Chris remembers that night. He had rounded the street corner of eighth and Tepford, heading home after the midnight shift at work. Chris could remember two men yelling, some pushing around and banging, and then as he got closer, the gunshot. The blood. The police sirens. Chris had stood there, absolutely frozen stiff with shock and nobody ever asked him any questions. They read him his rights and six months later, here he was. It was ludicrous that they even bothered reading him his rights that night....

"When I grow up...," Jamie said, "I want to be a firefighter." Jamie laughed to himself as he recalled that memory...so many things had happened since

2008-06-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

At seven you could be anything you wanted to be. Seven was a great age, Jamie thought, free from so much of life that he wished he could return to that place where ignorance really was bliss. At seven, Jamie had been wildly imaginative. Not only had he wanted to be a firefighter, but an Astronaut was also one of his weekly whims. Don't forget to add to that list the police office, doctor, lawyer, and pilot he once envisioned himself being. Now though, at 19, anything looked good. Jamie had struggled through high school, never really settling on any one passion. He was smart, he just didn't have the drive that he needed to succeed, or that others thought was needed for success. He finished high school, just not with the flying colors that everyone had envisioned. College was OK at best, but he only made it through his first year. A year was long enough to know that Jamie just didn't know what he wanted, so why waste the time and energy spinning your wheels, and money, for nothing? No, Jamie was passionate, he just didn't know where to direct it.

The newspaper headline screamed at Allan. He couldn't believe his eyes, the picture opened up so many old wounds...

2008-06-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

She was sitting so helpless, prying at every emotion in black and white. "Surely the girl couldn't be more than two years old," thought Allan to himself. Pigtails disheveled, the girl sat next to a heap of twisted sticks and rubble that had once been her home. Her eyes were stoic, endearing, as she clutched a hold of her teddy bear as if she would lose that to. Allan knew loss. Beth had been two and she had loved pigtails. Allan could remember Beth getting so excited whenever she got to wear them and she would toss her head from side to side, her blond tails going a mile a minute. That was two years ago, and those were better times. In less than five minutes Allan had lost everything; his home, his wife, and yes, even little Beth. They just hadn't been prepared, they didn't know that what loomed ahead could be so powerfully destructive..

She knew she wasn't supposed to pick favorites, but Ms. Clawson couldn't help it. Bianca was a special child, she could tell that early on.

2008-06-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

Although Bianca was quiet, she was incredibly intelligent and even more, wildly creative. During art class Ms. Clawson would stand by in amazement as Bianca's hands would seemingly dance over her paper. She had a steadiness and control for line, an eye for color, and a perspective for the realistic. Much of what Ms. Clawson knew of Bianca she learned from her artwork. For example, it was easy to see that Bianca loved animals, her favorite though was the horse. In almost everything Bianca was allowed to free-hand, a horse was involved. Colors could tell a lot to, and for reasons that Ms. Clawson didn't really know, Bianca almost always chose blues, purples, blacks and greys. Perhaps it was the lonely void in her eyes as she swished the colors on her white canvas that made Ms. Clawson think all might not be right in Bianca's world. For all the things Ms. Clawson didn't know, she was glad that at least Bianca could paint her own world to escape into, at least for an hour out of the day.

"People come and people go. Some will stay awhile, others go quickly, but all leave imprints on our hearts..." Tina read the last sentence of the spee

2008-06-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

This reality was all too true to her. She wished so much that it was not. Tina's best friend Charlotte had asked her to read at the memorial service that they were having for her mother, Jone. For years Jone had battled cancer with the ups and downs of the disease that were all too familiar. It was surreal for Tina as they had been so close. Tina and Charlotte were just two out of a group of five girls that had literally been inseparable throughout high school. Much of their time was spent camped out at each other's homes. Each girl's mom was shared by all and it was only natural that they became like second and third mothers to each of the girls. It was hard on Tina, but more, hard to see Charlotte hurting so much and wishing that somehow she wouldn't have to give her speech tomorrow. Instead, Tina wished she had the power to roll time back and make it all stand still. That way they wouldn't have to know this emptiness, this void, that was so unfair. She prayed for the strength to make it through tomorrow, and prayed for the wisdom to know how to be there for Charlotte in the days to follow.

Joy filled Hannah's heart as she proudly watched her daughter take her first step...

2008-06-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

There had been so many firsts in the past year that Hannah's heart seemed to overflow with her emotions on a regular basis anyhow. But this, her sweet little girl, was beyond her wildest imaginations. Hannah had only dreamed that she could feel love this intense. Sure, people had told her that the bond between a mother and their child was strong, but until you have experienced it, reality doesn't have much of a chance to sink in. Hannah loved Maddie the instant they first met and the feelings that swept over her were overwhelming. Why on earth had she been so terrified of this? Now she was just terrified it would all pass her by too quickly.

Pulling the ski mask down over his face, Charlie looked around to make sure no one was watching. His heart thudded loudly in his chest...

2008-06-04T08:17:00.001-07:00

"How on earth did it come to this?" thought Charlie to himself. He had grown up like most kids with dreams and ambitions of a glorious career that could be had if one only put his mind to it. What people didn't take into account was that not everyone is given the same opportunities, especially kids growing up in the New York Broncs. Charlie's world was one in which the only goal was to survive your walk to school and back home each day. School in its self was a joke. Teachers and administrators only thought they ran the show, but everyone knew the gangs had full control over everything. Even if a kid did want to learn and grow beyond the broncs, just trying to service made it impossible to do so. Charlie's dad was out of the picture and his mom was never home. Carol worked 3 jobs just to make ends meet. Most days ends didn't meet. There was safety in numbers, security in gangs. To become part of that security however you had to sacrifice a lot, including yourself. Charlie's heart thudded at the threshold of the biggest decision in his life - in fact, it could cost him his life. "God, what should I do?" Charlie pleaded to some unforeseen hand he knew was there holding him back.

Kara hated going to the dentist. She had always had a fear of them, but this was the worst dental experience yet...having her wisdom teeth removed....

2008-06-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

She sat there with the dental seat reclined and stared at the ceiling. Her nerves were on red alert and senses in overdrive. Kara focused on all the posters and small little holes in the ceiling tile, occasionally glancing out the window in front of her, so wishing she could be out there. It was as if time stilled and the moment she was in felt like an eternity she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. Kara probably should have had her wisdom teeth out a long time ago. For lack of money, or really better judgement, she preferred to go by the philosophy that if they don't bother you, don't bother them. With her husband's prodding, better insurance, and of course Dr. Smith's recommendation, here she was. It was cheaper though to not be completely put under, so here she was, regretting every moment of that decision.

It was unusual for both Joey & Annie's parents to pick them up from school. When Mom opened the car door, Annie was excited when she saw Mickey Mouse

2008-05-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

It was unusual for both Joey & Annie's parents to pick them up from school. When Mom opened the car door, Annie was excited when she saw Mickey Mouse ears on her mom's head...

Actually, it was rare to see mom and dad so excited and really, they hardly ever saw dad. Annie and Joey's dad seemed to work endless hours which often left mom tired and angry. Most days Annie and Joey occupied themselves with adventures outdoors. At least the backyard was fun, which home rarely ever was. Come to think of it, for all of Joey's 4 years and Annie's 8, they never really did remember going anywhere as a family. Cloverfield was all they knew, though trips always sounded exciting. "Hop in sweatheart, we have a plane to catch," mom beamed. What Annie and Joey didn't know was that their mom and dad had been saving for years and just the right moment for this trip. If they could, they would have given them the world....

He was known to have a short fuse. Mandy was nervous when she approached him, but knew it was the right thing to do.

2008-05-20T06:34:00.000-07:00

She had known all along really that it's what she should have done in the first place, but it took a while for her heart to catch up to her head. Mandy was so insecure. For whatever reason she doesn't know, she thought you were only valued if you had an arm to hold onto - someone who belonged to you and you them. She loved Tadd, but she just didn't know if he was the one she could spend the rest of her life with. For months they had tried to make it work - to force feelings that for her, just weren't there. Insecurity is a strong and dangerous bond - and that is really the only thing that kept her with Tadd as long as she had been. Mandy just couldn't take the harsh words and insensitivity any longer. Tadd was selfish, and in a way, so was she. Just in a different way...

"911 Emergency," the operator said into the phone. Tina held the phone close to her...she wasn't sure if she could spit the words out...but she needed

2008-05-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

"Someone has just broken into my home," she whispered hoarsely. Oh how Tina hoped she wouldn't be found. She had heard the glass break in the backroom, near the kitchen. In a split second she ran to her bedroom closet, not thinking, burying herself in a pile of clothes. Everyone thought she was some crazy paranoid freak who over dramatized everything. Nobody took her seriously, not even the police, when she had first gone to them. That night Tina had fought through tears to work up enough courage to turn Mark in. Really, how can you possibly come to such a crossroads anyhow? She loved Mark, yet she feared him in a way she had never been afraid of anything, or anyone. At first he had been so sweet, so romantic, who wouldn't have fallen for him? Now though, all she saw was rage. Walking around Mark was like trying to walk on top of eggshells. Anything set him off. Tina had put a restraining order on him, which hadn't gone over very well. In the back of Tina's mind she always thought he might try to come back violently. Never had she felt more alone than now.
"Maam, can you tell me who it is you think just broke in."

"If the dream is big enough, the facts don't count...." Isabel didn't remember who said it, but she was trying to believe it...

2008-05-13T06:25:00.000-07:00

Actually, she really didn't know how long it had been since she had last let herself dream a little. In the past, Isabel had been one of those wide-eyed dreamer's with an overactive imagination. There wasn't much Isabel couldn't accomplish if she put her mind to it. Every new opportunity was a new adventure, a chance to go someplace she hadn't been before. As the saying goes, the sky really was her limit. Life however, has a tendency to happen. Disappointment trickled into her life in all the unexpected ways that a dreamer such as herself just doesn't plan on. Isabel's idealistic world became a disillusioned campground, one she wasn't quite sure how to break out of. People just thought she had grown up a bit, became a little more responsible, a little more wise. Her once colorful world full of laughter and light-heartedness gradually became replaced with the crisp coolness of black, white, and gray areas that she couldn't quite understand. Isabel, by all means, had become someone who took things too seriously, including herself. She so wished she could believe that everything that had happened to her in life up to this point, the reality that she knew, didn't count. Isabel so desperately wanted to believe that her dreams were still possible despite all the obstacles telling her otherwise. There was a fine line to walk between dreaming and reality, acceptance and tenacity. Soul searching wasn't easy, nor were the answers she was looking for.

It was the most boring job she had ever had. Mundane tasks occupying every tiresome second...

2008-05-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

She wondered how she had even gotten to this point. It was a depressing thought to think that life was all about this, but she knew the truth. Deep inside it all really meant absolutely nothing. There had been a time when she felt like she was really living life, every day was a new adventure. She may not have always had everything she wanted, but she always had what she needed for the moment. Money just wasn't worth it Miranda decided. People give up so much thinking that money can free them, but everyone knows that in the end it really doesn't. You end up just wanting more. Instead of being free, Miranda knew full well just how trapped and enslaved she felt in her what is supposed to be perfect eight-to -five job. "Eight-to-five. Who came up with that anyhow?" thought Miranda. What is so perfect about being strapped for nine hours straight doing everything you know you were not designed to do? Just then the phone rang - someone demanding something, demanding another moment of her life that just didn't make sense.

"Have you ever stopped to wonder how many cakes we have baked in our lifetime?" Edna said to Myrtle, as the two waited in the doctor's office waiting

2008-05-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

She was trying so hard to keep Myrtle's mind occupied with something else. Myrtle and Edna were quite the pair. They had been best friends since high school and had grown together through life's ups and downs. Myrtle had been there for Edna five years ago when Rick suddenly passed away leaving her not only grief but a mortgage that nearly killed her as well. That's when they became more than friends but business partners determined to put their love and skill for baking to good use. Now it was Edna's turn to be there for Myrtle. For the past three months she had thought something was wrong. Myrtle just seemed to lack the zeal and energy she usually had for life. Sure she was aware of the bruises on her leg and arms, but who really ever pays that much attention to such minor details? Doctors do, and they thought that things looked too suspicious, possibly cancerous. Myrtle was beside herself with worry. So was Edna, but a good friend doesn't show that on the outside. On the outside, Edna was a brick wall of support. Oh how she prayed today would be good news.

"The guy is a complete fraud, Myra!!! Your dreams will be destroyed if you listen to him," her mother said to her, but Myra didn't listen...

2008-05-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

She was bent on doing things her way, she always had been a bit that way. Whatever Myra's parents told her to do, you could usually count on her doing the exact opposite. "Besides, who cared what mom thought anyway. What does she know," thought Myra to herself. For two years now, Myra and her mother had been on their own after Dad left. There had been a huge blow-out argument one evening. Myra was accustomed to hearing her parents argue, but this one had been really bad. In the course of three hours, she had heard her mother belittle her father and blame him for nearly every problem or every dream her mother ever had gone amiss. At last, Myra's dad just gave up and walked out the door for good. Myra was not like her mother. She had no desire to be independent and Chris was a great guy. Somehow Myra felt like he filled a gap that had been missing since her dad left and she wasn't about to let her mom scare him off as well.

The book lay open, begging for Sandy to finish, but she just couldn't bear to look at one more word...

2008-05-02T07:57:00.001-07:00

It was both too exciting and too painful. For years Sandy had hoped she would be able to find the book that everyone said her mother had been working on. According to her grandmother, Sandy's mother had wanted to write an entire history of her life growing up so that somehow the precious pages could be sent on to her. At eighteen, Sandy's mother had been swept up in a whirlwind of a romance that ended her up pregnant and heartbroken. Seeing it as her best option at the time, Sandy's mother had made the hard decision to give her up for adoption . That explained why Sandy always had this nagging feeling inside her, like a mysterious puzzle piece existed and she just couldn't ever eplain it away. Through a fast and furious turn of events, Sandy had set out to discover who she was, and where she came from. Marsha, at the adoption agency, had been the one to break the news. After several years battling cancer her mother had recently lost her fight late last year, but her grandmother still lived in Colorado. Now, months later, here she was, up in her grandmother's attic, staring at what was left of her mother's life - her heart, all wrapped up neatly in volumes of paper that has always been meant for her to find.

The night was still and quiet. Not even the sound of the water rippling could be heard, not even the wind stirring the leaves.

2008-04-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

"Absolutely, perfectly pristine,"thought Amanda as she lay there, gazing at the stars. Her year had been so hard, full of so much change. There had been Shane. He had both amazed her and challenged her. Days had been filled with so much laughter in the beginning, they could hardly get enough of each other. Somehow, though she still didn't know why, something happened. Something changed that she wished she knew how to fix. Her heart ached so bad. Emotionally Amanda could feel everything, as though the weight of the world was pressing in on her from all sides. This was her place though, her thinking spot. If she could regather herself anywhere, it would be here. Amanda breathed in deeply. Crisp, cool, refreshing mountain air filled her lungs and eased her soul.

He was the black sheep of the family....

2008-04-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

Christopher was the youngest of four boys. He was his family's little surprise and his mother's pride and joy. Christopher's dad, however, just couldn't get him figured out. Wyatt, Dan, and Steve all had sports in common and loved anything wild and rough. They were popular and the life of the party, pretty much the spitting image of their dad. Christopher was quiet, introspective, what some considered "withdrawn." He just interacted with the world around him differently. Everything Christoper experienced he experienced to the extreme and with passion. In the fields he could hear the colors and smell them all at the same time. Music swept him into another world entirely. There was no doubt that Christopher had a creative bent, but no one quite knew just how talented he really was. Christopher was born to create, he just wasn't born into a creative family.

His face was mangled and bloody from the claws of the branches, his clothes ripped...but Dave wasn't finished...

2008-04-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

He wasn't one to just give up. All the other scouts swore that he couldn't do it. In fact, they all laughed him out of camp, taunting him, calling him a mama's boy and a girly-girl. It was true, Dave wasn't a camper. He was the kind of little boy that loved to dream up his adventures in the security of his own home or backyard. Dave liked to be comfortable. How he found himself out here he really didn't know. Maybe it was his stubbornness in wanting to prove everyone wrong, or the fact that he was lonely and wanted friends. If this was how he needed to earn them , he was going to do it. Jack and Tim had told him they didn't think that he would last a night out in the woods away from camp, by himself. Dave had his doubts to, in all fairness, but he wasn't going to admit that. What had supposed to be one night turned into two, then three, and now, on his fourth day out, he was ready to admit failure, if only he wasn't so lost. Dave was desperate now, but he wasn't a quitter.

Lizzie looked out the window, her spirits drowned with the pouring rain outside...

2008-04-24T11:27:00.001-07:00

She had hoped to be able to get out of the house for a while, maybe go for a run down the road. Lizzie loved running at home, in the country, where everything was peaceful and there always seemed to be something interesting to look at. For three days she had been stuck inside with a swarm of relatives that just never seemed to leave. Couldn't they see that they just all needed some space, that they just all needed to be alone for a while? Sure, Grandma Smith and Aunt Jane meant well, but they didn't understand their need to process grief alone for a while. Lizzie's mom had been sick for a long time, so it wasn't unexpected. Lizzie and her dad had time to prepare and to plan, but the reality of Mom's absence was setting in. This rain just didn't help much either.

The loud, pounding music throbbed throughout her whole body as she danced on the dance floor...

2008-04-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

all the while wondering how she had found herself in such a place. California. It was so fast, so foreign, so - not her. Everything Katie did she worked her heart out to try and fit in with the Jone's. Katie was young, beautiful, and talented. She wanted more than anything to aspire to the heights of Hollywood fame, much like she imagined Audrey Hepburn must have done. Katie wanted a legacy, but she didn't want this. Emptiness. What she hadn't bargained on with ambition was the isolation and loneliness of being set-apart. But she wasn't even set apart yet - she was just another starving wannabe actress trying to make the most out of every opportunity, even lost opportunities.

Mike had been born deaf. He had adapted to life the way deaf people do, but Mandy wasn't deaf and he wasn't sure how he would win her heart...

2008-04-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

They were two worlds apart from each other, so very much alike, yet so very different. Mike could only hear with his heart, Mandy, well, she could do anything. How many agonizing moments Mike lived wishing he could just tell Mandy everything, but somehow the passion was lost in signing it all the time. Plus, he wanted to hear her voice, He wanted to know not only what her sweet face looked like, but he wanted her voice to associate with it. At any rate, Mandy couldn’t possibly understand the deaf world, or could she? Mandy had this way of looking straight into him, as if his handicap didn’t exist at all, as if he were normal and nothing stood between him and her. Really, to Mandy, nothing did stand in their way, except Mike himself.

She couldn't remember a time when she felt so alone, yet was surrounded...

2008-04-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

by so many people, many of them recognizable to her. She knew somehow she should know them, but time has this funny way of being a great disconnecter. For most of Madeline's life, or the parts of it that she can remember, her family didn't have much to do with each other. At six her parents decided to pack up the house and move them clear across the state. It was traumatic for Madeline, as she had friends she loved there, a great school, and at that time, she loved visiting Grandma's house. It was everything a six-year old could want really. Chickens, cats, dogs, and her absolute favorite - horses. Yes, moving had been hard then. Now, nearly 20 years later, here she was, trying to reconnect with family that she had hardly spent three hours with in the course of two decades. Her mother had passed away a while back and she desperately wanted to feel a part of something, someone. Yet, here in this big room, where everyone smiled and talked up good ole' times, she realized they didn't know her, and she didn't know them. Her place in those good ole' times had been erased by time, confusion, and heartache. Madeline had to grow up too early. Somehow she was hoping to recapture her childhood here.

Her memory of that day was fading fast. She clung to every sound, smell, taste or sight she could remember...

2008-04-17T13:45:00.001-07:00

It had been nearly three years ago after all. He had smiled so wide – eyes glittering in the moonlight. They had ventured to take a walk that evening, just to get away for a while, just the two of them. They needed the time together, needed to talk. Alexis could almost feel the summer air cling to her tightly, not wanting to let her go. Or, perhaps it was really that she didn’t want to let go. Everything in her wanted to peel the time back, tear back the events of that evening that had begun so magically. It’s strange, she thought, the things that you don’t want to forget, but in other ways, wish that you could. Alexis had been engaged to Scott for nearly 6 months. During that time, they had spent most of their time apart from each other and her excitement to finally be with him was overwhelming. Scott was excited to, but Alexis didn’t know all that had happened that he couldn’t share with her. He hadn’t told her about Karen, about the confusion his heart felt when he was with her and apart from Alexis. Really, Alexis had no clue what had been about to happen. Oh, a part of her heart felt an unknown dread, but it was irrational, at best. She was stubbornly convincing.

The mirror was cracked, blood tinged the fluffy, white carpet a pinkish color.

2008-04-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

What was mom going to think, thought Amy, staring at what was left of her grandmother's antique mirror that had been tucked away in the spare bedroom. "I told you not to do it," taunted Jim. His five-year old voice quivered and shook with fear. "I didn't do anything you didn't make me do," retorted Amy, trying desperately to pick up the pieces of the broken glass, all the while getting shards of it stuck in her palms. It was an utter, chaotic mess to behold. Their mother had warned them to be careful around the mirror. In fact, they had both been instructed not to even go into the spare bedroom. There were, after all, "too many things that could break in there." But Jim had to do it, he had to dare her. Amy never backed down from a dare, especially a double-dog type of dare. With the force of a cat in flight, Amy had hurled her bouncy-ball through the hallway, intending to have it bounce nicely off the spare bedroom wall and back into her hands. Jim thought for sure she couldn't do it. What hadn't been calculated was the way it went careening off the corner, straight into the mirror. That is kind of what happended to all of Amy's "good" intentions.

It was such a silly song, but Lisa couldn't get it out of her head...

2008-04-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it was because of where it took her back to. As each simple little melody made its way to her ears, her mind wandered back to 1958. Lisa’s parents had left the porch light on for her. Summers in Georgia were hot, and this one had been no exception. She was home from College for three months for some peace and quiet, and to see Chris. While she had ventured away from their quiet little town to attend school, Chis had stayed to help his father with the family farm. That first year away had been the longest year ever. Lisa had missed him so. They talked for hours that night, crickets humming in the background, legs pumping softly to the sway of the porch swing. Lisa could almost smell the hint of lilac in the air as they quietly listened to the stereo that played from inside. 1958 had been the year that Lisa's heart had been swept completely away from her, the year that everything began and everything ended.

The droplets of rain pitter-pattered the top of her yellow umbrella...

2008-04-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

She could hear each one, as if the delicate drops some how thudded, carrying with them the weight of the world. Outside the air was crisp, just cold enough to mind having to wait for him by the car door. Allison and Todd had been "seeing" each other for almost a year. Nobody really knew that though. It had been their choice to keep things casual, but Allison loved him. She loved him after the first several weeks of five-hour long chats outside under the stars near her apartment door. Her whole life she had been praying for someone like him to come around. About a year and a half ago she thought she had found him. Life happens though, as do unexpected surprises that are not so happy and welcomed. Just as quickly as it began, that first engagement fell through like a shot out of the dark and her prince charming was gone. His leaving knocked the wind out of her sails, carrying with it a large portion of her heart, trust, and confidence. Given to her during this time, her yellow umbrella was to be a symbolic reminder to not be afraid of singing in the rain. Ironically, here she was nearly two years later hanging onto it's little duck-billed handle as rain thuded overhead. She wondered if Todd could ever love her. He came meandering to her side having just completed his midnight shift. Under the rain, the darkened sky and her little umbrella, they talked for nearly another hour. Finally, without warning, he looked at her with meaning and intent. "Allison, I love you." She couldn't believe it. He had said it! She was shocked silent. Quickly, not knowing what else to do, she grabbed a hold of her car keys and drove off, without ever saying a word.

She loved her Radio Flyer wagon. Her grandparents had given it to her for her first birthday and she'd had it ever since...

2008-04-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

Bright red sides, four beautiful black little wheels and best of all, the handle that was meant for pulling, but with a bit of creativity, became the best steering wheel ever! Abigail’s brother Tim would push from behind, with her aptly seated in the drivers seat, and around and around they would go. Of course it was not long before poor little Tim’s legs would give out and so they would have to switch up drivers, which was always a huge ordeal. Everyone wanted to be the driver of the Radio Flyer. Abigail was now 25 and her eyes gleamed as she dug the Radio Flyer out from her basement storage. Rusted edges defined its age, but it was still as sturdy as the day it had first been hers. It was time to prepare her childhood companion for it’s new owner.

"Dear Joe, I am sorry for what I have done..."

2008-04-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

His pen hesitated over the paper, what could he possibly say? Matt had known Joe for years. In high school, the two had been inseparable pals. Football, Track, summer trips and vacations, you name it. More thank likely, they have been there or done that. College however sent the two packing in two different directions and it was the dog days of summer that brought the two back again. Kate had just moved in down the street. Her jet-black hair, bright green eyes, and contagious smile were enough to pull any guy that stared her way long enough to her. Joe and Matt fell hard. Never in Matt’s life can he remember a more emotionally pulled summer than the one him and Joe spent at odds with each other. Matt had gained the most amazing girl ever, but Joe…he was a huge causality as far as relationships go. “You know, I never meant for things to turn out this way.”

The building stood tall and majestic, like a castle...

2008-04-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

Not that he had ever seen a castle before, but it’s like he imagined one might look like. He imagined the finest dressed people wafting in and out of the front doors and holding balls in the evening. This was as close as he would get to royalty, this Grande Historic White House. Thad’s senses were on keen alert – everything had him pulling in a million directions. Cars screamed by at an alarming right on either side of him and tower after tower loomed overhead. City life held a romantic appeal to Thad who had spent the majority of his life in a rural little town where everyone knew everyone. Now, he was trading in his coveralls and blue jeans for crisp khaki and fresh linen shirts. He was full of wonder, full of hope, brimming with dreams.

Annie's eyes caught a glint of something shiny in the floor grate....

2008-04-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

Against the backdrop of her darkened bedroom, Annie could just make out the shining silver brilliance it cast in her direction. Or at least, to an over-attentive 10 year old, it seemed like it was shining just for her. Covers quickly tossed aside, Annie did her best to tiptoe closer for a better look. Ever so quietly she crept, fearing she might wake Mom, Dad, or even Chris who was soundly asleep just down the hallway. No, this was Annie’s secret investigation, her personal discovery. She would much rather uncover its mysteries uninterrupted and savor the moment without having to go into lengthy explanations she may not have answers to. Annie’s nose quickly pressed hard against the grate. Her big blue eyes shone like little diamonds.
On the other side of the grate, which might as well have been the other side of an entirely new world, Meep could only see big round saucers, like little stars, pointed in her direction. Lying close by was the object of both their interest and Meep knew it was her responsibility to ensure it was kept safe at all costs. Secret it was, and special, and it needed to stay that way.

"I ra-ra-reckon I ain't got no money, S-Sir," Freddy said, shuddering violently in fear.

2008-04-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

His eyes turned down, embarrassed he had even been caught in the act. Freddy’s mom had taught him better, Freddy had known better. For most of the seven years Freddy had been around, all he had ever known was hard work and the want of something better. He watched how his ma and pa tried to make things work out for them, and he saw the tears at night even when they think he didn’t. Little boys know a whole lot about a whole lotta things. Freddy was wild and unkempt, but he was raised right, even if he didn’t have much. That’s probably why he felt so awful because he had just let them down. If it hadn’t been for stupid Billy getting him all fired up maybe this wouldn’t have happened. That’s right, it was Billy’s fault! Freddy recalled the taunts from yesterday. “Ya ain’t got squat Freddy. Your Ma and Pa don’t know nothin’ about nothin'. I triple-dog dare ya to make somethin’ of yerself if ya can.”

The barber tiptoed onto the doorstep of his corner barbershop and peered down the alley. He knew they were coming, but didn't know what to do!

2008-04-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

“Perfect, just perfect,” muttered Chris. How on earth was he going to get out of this one? People had warned him to stick to his day job. Had he listened perhaps he wouldn’t be in this predicament. Or maybe, he shouldn’t have listened so well. What he had going for him was honest and steady work with some added fringe benefits: He knew absolutely everything that happened in that small, quaint, back roads little town. People talk, and they talk a lot of nonsense sometimes, but at others, it can kind of make sense. Like when old Mr. Simms walked in with straw hanging out of his two front teeth, going on and on about the, "best way to get rich quick now-a-days." You see, Simms and old Barney down on Mercury Street had just opened a not-so advertised little gambling ring. Chris supposed that they had made quite a go of it since Simms was already talking about closing the doors on his farm operation. One thing led to another and soon Chris was living high and living fast, until it all came crashing down on him.

They called her the "bag lady" because she was always traipsing around the town, toting bags full of "stuff"...

2008-04-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

You know, the kind of junk some just can’t wait to get rid of and others the stuff treasures are born from. Irene, that was her real name, but only Felix knew that and he probably didn’t much care. Felix and Irene found each other next to 12th and Main’s back alley dumpster. Who would have thought that she could have happened upon something even more sorry looking than most people thought she was. He was cold, curled up underneath heaps of bags, leaves, and anything else you might imagine belonging next to the dumpster. At first glance all Irene could see were those bright green eyes against a coat of shaggy black fur. He was such a furry little monstrosity. They needed each other, perhaps more than either of them could have known at that time. After all, Irene and Felix lived amongst a thrown-away world of ideals. They were tossed aside, much like the things Irene collected and stuffed inside her bags. It was an ironic life, made a little easier by each other’s company.

The newborn baby's screams filled the hospital room and it was like nails on a chalkboard to new mother, Stacy. Tears streaming down her face, she...

2008-04-01T11:17:00.001-07:00

Found herself lost and alone. Stacy was 16, one of the popular girls at school. At 5ft, 9 inches, she was a blonde-haired blue-eyed vision. Her parents were workaholics and never home. To soothe the loneliness, she filled it with parties and boys. Alex and Stacy were practically inseparable. They had only been dating 4 months when she received the news she was pregnant. Now, nine months later here she was, a new mother, completely unsure of what to do. For the first time Stacy glimpsed her little girl’s face and in an instant, her heart melted.

Panic-stricken screams echoed loudly throughout the interior of the car. They were spinning round and round...

2008-03-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

Sending their red Oldsmobile careening wildly away from the graveled road. What took only a matter of seconds in reality felt like an eternity that stopped all too suddenly. Karen propped her head up to look around. Scott, Mike, Sue, they were all OK. Perhaps a little shaken up, but OK. Everything looked clearer. For some reason the stars shone just a bit brighter and the air wrapped a bit more tightly, crisp and inescapable. They were just a bunch of kids. They left the party naively and in high spirits. Now, somehow, the spinning car and screams had awakened within them a new sense of reality, a new appreciation, a bit more maturity. Sometimes growing up can take a matter of moments. They were thankful to have had the moments to reflect on, some are not so lucky.

Interestingly enough, he wasn't afraid of what he would find when he opened the door...

2008-03-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

It creaked suddenly, long and deep as if it were echoing it’s age. For as long as Tad could remember the barn had been standing staunch against the weathers of time. This was his safe haven. As a boy he could remember lounging in her lofts atop golden hay. Kittens were frequent companions, as were the barn owls, and the quiet solitude of just being. Coming back had been hard for tad, but this door was home to him. He opened the door wide and for a moment, stepped back in time.

Sweat poured down Ray's face as he raced to the finish line. "I know I can do it! I've got to keep pushing on!"

2008-03-27T06:33:00.001-07:00

He was nearing the last leg of what seemed like a forever race. Twenty-five miles down, only a little over one left to go. He could envision the finish; feel the relief of a race well run. Ray wasn’t the kind of person that quite anything, no matter how hard it was. Challenges strengthened him. They inspired something from deep within that both surprised and scared him all at once.

The fuzzy pink fur nuzzled her nostrils, tantalizing her into a chaotic fit of sneezing....

2008-03-25T07:40:00.001-07:00

Lucy was prone to that. Never mind the fact synthetic pink feathers were not made for one’s nose. You would think that she would have learned, but she was much too curious for that. Lucy collected everything. Cotton balls, bright colored Q-tips, odd rocks, rare finds. Oh yes, don’t forget the local stray cats, dogs, and wild toads, anything that could fit nicely into her coverall pockets or tag along behind her. Her collecting was as wild as she was. Lucy’s tousled blonde hair flew into her eyes, they gleamed mischief.

The wind thrashed wildly against the screen door....

2008-03-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Hard knocks that threatened to tear it down at any moment. It had been a long, hard summer. Outside the ground was parched for rain and cracked from the absence of it. Overhead the sky loomed, looking more promising than it had in months. Let the wind howl, bring on the thunder, but please God, let it rain. Maybe today just might be the day. The ground was not the only thing in need of refreshing.

It was as if not a day had passed even though it had been fifteen years since she'd seen him..

2008-03-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

At first glance her heart stopped, merged madly with time that had slowed to a screeching halt. She had rehearsed this meeting about a hundred times over and still she came unprepared. This chance meeting, however grand she had imagined it to be was just too painful. This was real.

The wind whispered in his ear....

2008-03-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

About a million different voices rang brilliantly clear. It was if he was transcended into another world, another time, where things were just right. God called to him in the myriad of sounds that effected to soothe his soul. How could he possibly return now after having experienced this epiphany of new awareness?

He stepped down....

2008-03-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

a long hard step. The air was bitterly cold, frigid. His top hat and black slicker jacket clung to him like a second glove. Lonely, that's what he felt and the day had been long, too long. Grim faced he had left her 3 cities back and what felt like an eternity away. She hated goodbyes and refused to say it, so tomorrow will just be another drawn out hello for her, and for him, another chance to go his own way.