literature
Families and literature go hand in hand; fictional families to entertain, reflect and inspire.
Finding Warmth
It was a bitter cold that speared through each carefully donned article of clothing, sinking through layers of skin, fat, muscle, until it penetrated deeply to the bone, leaving behind a chill that would never be forgotten. Randall Poehler held himself carefully as he took up his usual position near the subway. His clothing, all threadbare and warn, was doing little to dampen the bone-cold chill that had set in weeks before. The streets of New York were certainly not a forgiving place; a place one down on hard times, such as Randall, might find themselves calling home. ‘Home’ had long since lost its true meaning when he had received his terminal diagnosis and his wife had left him; when his medical bills had eaten him out of house and home, when his daughter had stopped taking his calls and refused him access to his grandson. Randall Poehler was well acquainted with cold and unforgiving.
By Caitlyn Curry5 years ago in Families
Fireflies
They say that you really never see a thing until it’s time. That’s probably why it had lain there so long. In all the days she’d clambered around his desk, creating imaginary worlds in the cubby behind the study door and generally disturbing his quiet working space, she’d never noticed it. But today, as she cleared his things away for the final time, it caught her eye, wedged between the radiator and the windowsill - small enough for a pocket, big enough to contain a universe.
By Deirdre Morrison5 years ago in Families
Amelia and the Hidden Heart
Amelia was excited. Her father was off on one of his hunting trips again, and with Spring on it’s way they would be making their way to the settlement to trade furs for supplies. All year she spent in their lone home on the tundra. Lately, at every full moon, she climbed the ridge to open the secret door in the moon to join the friends that she had made there. Still, other than that time once a month she saw no one. In the bright of the new morning Amelia excitedly began to pack.
By Jessica Olofsson5 years ago in Families
Protecting Value
Protecting Value Written by: Jasmine Jones “Stop!”, I screamed frantically, as Jade chased after the hot yellow mustang. Her dad was gone and there was nothing she could do about it. I saw her face drop as she slowly paced back to the house. A coward, I thought. Only a coward would have his kid chasing after a car.
By Jasmine Jones5 years ago in Families
The Picnic
The Picnic Effie rode her bicycle down the main street with the sun blazing a tattoo into her skin as she pushed on out of town. After clattering down the rough gravel road, she stood her bicycle against a willow and slipped off her red sandals. A gathering of friends sprawled haphazardly across the uneven stones at their favorite spot. With shade from the trees on the bank behind, it was both near enough to the green-blue water to languidly throw stones and call to the children, and close enough to the cars and bicycles which harbored extra towels and books and hats. The cicadas were deafening; all other life lazing, escaping the heat.
By Hannah Schenker5 years ago in Families
Little Black Book
Little Black Book By Heidi Bacon January 22, 2021 Belinda had seen it there before, an unassuming little black book over on the very end of the third shelf in the library, sandwiched between the Anthology of Ancient Times and Dogbert’s Management Handbook. The last time she noticed it, the volume had been slightly pulled forward, which brought it to her attention and made her wonder if someone had recently slid it into place, or if it was left askew as the neighboring book had been pulled from the shelf. Had it been there all along or was it a new addition? And why would it matter either way? Up until last week, no one would have cared.
By Heidi Bacon5 years ago in Families
Mysterious Black Notebook
Today is a Friday after school, I am walking down the sidewalk towards my home until a strong gust of wind passes through me. Hear a soft thud, I look down and see a small black notebook as if one of those mini-composite notebook. Looking at the front and back cover, there is no writing of who it belongs to and no title to indicate what it is. Thinking that maybe it’s inside the cover, I open the front cover, only to see nothing except a short explanation and three rules.
By Amanda Nielsen5 years ago in Families
A Sweet Discovery
The Duncan’s lived in a large old home. The Duncan’s had an incredibly beautiful and intelligent daughter named Sadie. This eleven-year-old girl was wise beyond her years. She was a quite simple girl, was well spoken and mostly kept to herself. Her parents on the other hand, don’t realize what a special girl they have at hand. Unfortunately, the Duncan’s were not best fit best to raise a child. As they have some internal conflict and unresolved issues of their own. Their self-sabotaging behavior left an impact on Sadie. She realized at an early age that not all parents are superheroes. They can be mean, uncaring and forgetful. Sadie often indulged herself in reading all sorts of books. Though she knew she doesn’t have the best parents, she found comfort and reading in the good ones in her books. Since she was often alone in her room, she often made up a pretend family of her own. Her play family loved her and adored her. They would read books with. Her play mother would wake her up with a kiss each morning and take a golden handle brush and gently brush her long golden hair. Her play father was a successful writer and let Sadie read the manuscript of all his books before they were published. It was nice to dream, wasn’t it? Sadie’s real parents were immersed with garbage on television. One time Sadie swore she saw a flower drop down one time her mother walked outside. It was all she knew. Despite all this, Sadie remained a good person and was nothing like them. There was one family member that Sadie did admire. Her Aunt, Mr. Duncan’s sister Rosie. Rosie used to make homemade jam and honey and sell it and eventually became successful. She opened her own shop called ‘Naturally Sweet’. Mr. Duncan on the other hand wasn’t so happy about her success. He was very jealous. He was so driven by money that he would do anything to get it. One day he even went to lengths to stealing a few jars of her honey and trying to make profit from it. He had no choice since he couldn’t find out what the secret ingredient in her jam was that made it so delicious. Rosie eventually found out about it and became upset by her own brethren’s actions. Since Mr. Duncan was living with Rosie at the time because he couldn’t hold down a job, she sent him out of the house. She realized she let him lie around the couch and do nothing for too long while he claimed to be looking for a job. Him going behind her back was the last straw. Enraged and still jealous of her success, Mr. Duncan had planned a horrible thing. He hired a couple of men to destroy Rosie’s store. He promised to pay themselves by taking the money from her register. It was in the newspaper about her store being destroyed. Rosie was grief stricken and had her suspicions on who could have done so. Rosie tried to confront her brother because she knew it had to be him. He did nothing but gaslight her and call her a bad sister for saying it was him. They got into a big argument. Rosie was still upset about the store and for what she knew her brother did but didn’t admit. One day, she just packed her bags from her home to start a new life and disappeared. A day later, the men that Mr. Duncan had hired to destroy the store said when they looked in the cash register, they didn’t find a cent. Mr. Duncan lied and said he would pay them back in no time and like some fools they believed him. By that time, Mr. Duncan, Mrs. Duncan and a five-year-old Sadie wife fled away into a new city. Sadie doesn’t know the full truth of this. When asked about why she doesn’t see her aunt anymore. He tells her that she tried to steal from him. She knows it’s not the truth because she knows her father is notorious for lying. Unfortunately, Rosie has long passed. Sadie holds on the few memories she has visiting and spending time with her before they moved.
By Elizabeth A5 years ago in Families
