fact or fiction
Is it fact or merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the myths and beliefs we hold about our family dynamics, traditions, and if there's such thing as a 'perfect family.'
Falsehood
Sometimes I watch rivulets of raindrops drag along the glass pane and twirl my pale brown fingers along the cold glass, following. They’re skeletal almost. Tired now. Maybe the food was meant to do good. I did not touch it, except for the corner of the plate. The bouquet of roses on the table perforates my vision of the shared, familiar nose.
By Rabeya Alam5 years ago in Families
Rescued
Finally! A real day off. Eve exhaled happily as she boarded the Amtrack in L.A., on her way to enjoy a beachfront house that she rented in San Diego for the weekend. She was running late as usual, and of course she barely made the train before the doors closed. Everyone on the train was already seated and seemed to be completely oblivious to Eve, just the way she wanted it. Hmmm, a teenager with no cell phone or ear pods? Now that’s a rare sighting, Eve thought as she spotted the disheveled youth.
By Remaliah Evans5 years ago in Families
True Treasures
It had been a scorcher that summer, the summer of 1953. But the eleven year old twins had loved every minute of their vacation away from the dreaded confines of school in their small town. They were free as far as they were concerned and felt totally alive.
By Shirley Belk5 years ago in Families
Little Black Book
The carriage house was dark. However, the full moon bled through the windows and highlighted Edward’s six-foot pubescent frame, black hair, and blue eyes as he leaned over the second story rail. It was late, and yet Edward hadn’t moved from that spot since eight in the evening. His mind was whirring at speeds that hadn’t been reached since he was a small boy. His imagination was wrapped in the little package his Uncle had found behind the wall. Edward wondered if what he and his Uncle had found was valuable. If so, how would they go about finding the results? He yawned and let out a slight sigh. “Well if it is true, then I’ll have made some money, but if not I’ll be no better off” he whispered underneath his breath. His Uncle’s snoring found its way up through the floor planks and drew his attention away from his contemplation. A wolf howled in the distance, and a cold wind blew through the chinks in the carriage house walls. His attention glided back across the room to the package. The contents lay across his work table. A compass, a silver pen, and a little black book. Edward walked across the room, and lit the candle that was on the table. He slowly opened the tattered pages of leather bound book. A page fell to the ground and he scurried to pick it up. It read “Last Will and Testament” and was signed by a “William Adam Ferrell”. Edward placed the page back in the book and then flipped the page and started to read. “To the reader of this book, you have stumbled on the greatest find of your life. Having no heir, family, or friend I have found myself at a loss concerning my belongings, and financial securities”. The flame flickered out due to a sharp wind cutting through the wall. Edward grabbed a match, hurriedly relit the candle, and began to read again. “I know that you are most likely questioning the validity of this find, or if someone has already found its contents. Let me put your mind at ease. My name is William Adam Ferrell, and for my entire life I’ve been considered an outlaw. There was a bounty on my head upwards of fifty-thousand dollars due to my incessant robbing of stagecoaches”. Edward whistled loudly, and then immediately held his breath to listen for his Uncle’s snoring. All of a sudden, Edward heard his Uncle say “Boy I know you’re reading that book we found, put it away and go to bed. There’s plenty of daylight tomorrow for that sort of thing”. Edward responded “Yes Uncle”, closed the book and laid down on his mattress. “A real outlaw’s memoirs” Edward thought as he slowly fell asleep. Next morning, Edward awoke early and jumped out of bed. He was excited to read the book. However, the book and is contents were gone! Fear gripped him. Had someone stolen the book? Wait, who knew about it, other than him and his Uncle? Just then, Edward’s Uncle called upstairs; “Breakfast is ready”. Edward scurried downstairs and rushed to the table. He spouted off breathlessly “Uncle did you take the book”? His Uncle looked at him with a grin and said “Yep, I sure did”. “I Also read it, and it would appear that it’s genuine”. Edward let out a sigh of relief, and then shoved an egg into his mouth. “Can I read the rest of it?” Edward asked through a full mouth. Edwards Uncle shrugged his shoulders and handed him the book. Grabbing it quickly he opened up to where he had left off. “Not only did I rob stagecoaches, but I also robbed several banks in the process. Having been shot only days ago, I fear that the grim has come for me. Therefore, I’m leaving in a place, discoverable herein my entire wealth and belongings. Should you locate it, you will have fair days for some time. Best of luck and may you have a better day than mine”.
By Samuel Fleming5 years ago in Families
Hidden Magnolias
I've always had a deep love for all-white Victorian houses in the country. It was something about them that was strangely inviting and screamed "Queen's Palace." The bright white paint that bled onto the streets made it mandatory for everyone to blow the horn, greeting anyone sitting on the porch. This porch was expansive with a bench swing, various seating areas, plants, and the number one spot parallel to the small staircase was the Queen's Throne. Now you may wonder, who is this Queen that I speak of whom thrives in this stunning home? This place of residency belonged to the beautiful Queen Clarice.
By GHOST Wryter5 years ago in Families
Flight
To my tiny, chubby, syrup-greased hands, it was irresistible. Beads of golden sunlight clung to its varnished exterior like water, always jumping and pooling. At least, that’s how it appeared to me. Pa had quipped that if I’d just settled down, the light would stop moving too. But, being the remarkable two-year-old that I was, at no point that morning did I settle down.
By Indra Storm5 years ago in Families
The Diary of Lucy Maud
The Diary of Lucy Maud It was another sleepy afternoon in Port Carling. I was sitting in my parents' bookshop sorting through the donated stacks as I did every Sunday. It always makes me sad to see so many stories, so many hours of enjoyment simply shoved in a box, left for donations.
By Maggie Hart5 years ago in Families
A Sweet Goodbye
He sat in his window seat, staring off into the clouds. They looked as though they were soft enough to lay on. How beautiful they appeared, floating in the blue sky. This was what he needed. Anything to take his mind away from thinking about the reason why he was headed to his hometown of Virginia. Jacob got the call from his sister Lidia. It was one of those calls no one wants to get in the middle of the night. That sound of a phone ring bursting into complete silence always represents an emergency. A week before, his father had been rushed to the hospital for shortness of breath, only to be told he unfortunately had Covid-19 after being tested for it. It was the scariest time for any elderly person, facing pre-existing conditions to be told they have the Corona Virus. He went from being stabilized to being put on a ventilator, and in a matter of days was gone. Now, Jacob along with his sisters were planning to bury their father. He kept hearing his fiancé’s voice going off in his head, telling him days ago, “just go get on a plan babe and see about your father, Covid can be tricky. You never know.” Yes, those were her words, but Jacob actually thought his father would be fine and make it back home. Once he landed, he headed straight for his father’s home. It had been two years since the last time he was there, so he needed to quickly be in his father’s space. He wanted to smell his colognes, see his favorite book and glasses sitting on the nightstand next to the bed. He wanted to look up at the wall to the right side of the room at the article he had framed on the wall that read "Hail To The Redskins." He was the biggest Redskins fan, which made Jacob be the same die-hard fan. He walked through the room slowly, taking deep breaths in and out. The tears came, and the tears fell. He couldn’t stop nor help it. It was like a faucet turned on inside that no one could turn off.
By Tatiana Penz5 years ago in Families
Legend Hunter
Legend Hunter 1973 North Florida, Kate Turner one of the few people who still believes in legends. This story is how Kate discovered a new legend. Kate just got home from another disappointing trip from Olympic national forest. Only to find out that she has still not found enough proof that the big foot actually exists. So Kate goes to write in her little black book only to express her grief, worried she may never find big foot. So back to the books to find more evidence. While she was looking for big foot’s tale, she stumbled across a map that tells of a new-so called legend. Gold in the mountains of Wyoming. Kate called her office and asked for a new case in Wyoming, they granted it, and she packed a bag. She didn’t pack much she didn’t have much hope in this one, she left the next day. She arrived at 3:00 AM, she was tired. Her eyes were so heavy she had black rings under her eyes, so she left the airport in a cab and when she arrived at the base of the grand Tetons, she was ready to get her hands dirty. Kate found a good flat spot to camp, she sets up a tent and starts to boil some water for tea to keep warm. And goes up on the mountain to see what she is working with. “Not bad,” she thought.
By Rylie Bailey Hansen5 years ago in Families
Birds
The flutter of twenty or so birds disturbed the silence of Garborette road that Sunday morning. From afar it would have seemed to a random passer-by that they had simply flown away in terror from an invisible, harmless entity: a common routine that birds unfailingly seem to follow; but no, today there had been a genuine reason for their fear.
By Amanda Mucke Silva5 years ago in Families
