Love
Embroidered Memory
I fall in love with her every day. I don’t relive it. I’m not trapped in time. There isn’t some kind of special Being guiding my steps. It’s just her. I see all the ways I fall in love with her. All the ways it would be glorious to find her, to see her for the first time. I allow myself to suspend reality; to stay within the canals of fantasy and let her come to life amongst the colour of dreams, amongst the routines and patterns of the day. There’s a small marigold that she has embroidered along the xylophone of her ribcage on whatever she’s wearing. Sometimes I catch a glimpse, sometimes I have to trust it’s there. If I’m lucky, I can feel the rough scar of it as I come close. I’m never quite sure when it’ll happen. But I do know, she’s never more beautiful than when I think of her.
By Sarah Newton-Brown4 years ago in Fiction
The Calm Before the Storm
I sat in a place away from the city that lies 50 miles away. I sucked in the crisp air and traced my fingers along the prickly grass beneath me. The way it softly stroked my skin was comforting. It pulled me from why I had to escape. Photos of Flint and me littered the walls of my apartment. His bright, boyish face and the glint in his eyes etched in echoes of his laugh. Even the color of the sky hovering over my head reminded me of their color: soft, powder blue, and straightforward. Little did I know that when the sky looks that tranquil, it is always a sign of an oncoming storm. You are always told that grey skies and clouds molded together are all-telling, but no. It is when your muscles are loose, and you genuinely believe that the smile on your face could never be stolen. It is then that the rain creeps in and pours because you are open and defenseless. That's how I feel right now in the middle of this field, surrounded by lime green grass and marigold flowers. The picturesque beauty and serenity fed into the edge, eating away at me. I felt that way the day before the accident a year ago, when I was only 22, and he was 24, fresh out of college and creating a life of our own.
By Norma Jane4 years ago in Fiction
May 7
Liam wakes suddenly to the light streaming through his 8 foot windows and the blaring sound of his alarm. 8:04am- it reads. He’s late again, how long has that alarm been going off? He hadn't been getting much sleep, insomnia became an unwanted companion. He flails out of bed and stumbles to the bathroom. On the mirror it reads “don’t forget to comb your hair!” on a sticky left by his wife Jane. He throws on slacks and reaches for a shirt. Ugh, why does my head not fit. He chuckles, oh wait these are Jane’s scrubs. In 2 minutes, he’s finally dressed and heads to the kitchen to feed Chunk, their British Shorthair. They had been on the adoption list to get him for over 3 weeks, and what a prize he was in all of his Chunk glory. He gives a quick scratch to Chunk’s head, “bye dude,” and in 7 minutes flat, Liam is out the door, flying down the street towards the subway. He settles into the sardine tube and looks down at his phone- at the top a notification reads “May 7 Jane’s birthday.” Crap. It’s not that he’d forgotten, he’d just lost track of the days.
By Christina Galang4 years ago in Fiction
Love at First Sight?
Karl might have been right those days when he thought no one could love him back on first sight. He was however decided: the only way to find out whether one can love another is to love another. He had to give a try at erotic love. There was wasn't anyone who seemed to look at him. At last he found his missing rib. It was those early days when he was a freshman in the university . His mother had told him that the university would give him opportunities for him to uncover his manhood. The moment seemed to be nearer. On Monday of his second week in the lecture hall, his eyes couldn't resit looking at Claire. She was the most beautiful in her college and all boys wanted to have a glimpse her smile, if not, of her love. When she met Karl, she noticed something different about him. Although he looked shabby as compared to his mates, his sense of humour was that type that would capture just any damsel. Of course, Claire couldn't resist. Karl's erotic journey commenced. He approached Claire and asked her,
By Mbangchia Chester4 years ago in Fiction
Marigolds In Her Hair
Cass was a simple girl, she liked her country life, her small family and her school and friends. Cass loved her small family farm and her neighbors around her. She loved to wake up to the fresh country air and watch out her window as the homes around her woke up as well.
By Becky Arthurs4 years ago in Fiction
Her Most Magnificent Flower
Her earliest memory was of her tiny fingers deep in cool earth, planting bulbs, next to her mother, their backs towards the sun, shoulders turning a bright pink. Birdsong could be heard in the trees, and if they were lucky, a small breeze would dance through the air, cooling the sweat that gathered along temples and brows, down their backs and necks. Barefoot, in well worn jeans and straw hats, they’d tend to the garden, prune weeds, water and plant new flowers for the next season. They would turn in only once the job was done, a good kind of ache deep in their bones.
By Nicole Caggiano4 years ago in Fiction
Maybe Two
Maybe Two The air was thick with moisture, the humidity was near unbearable. He trudged his way down Main St. looking for an oasis of fresh, or otherwise, cool air. That's when he spotted that new little bakery shop with the pretty owner's face painted on the front window and door. He tentatively pushed on the door only to be met with a rush of chilled air. The little drops of sweat that had formed on his face were now shimmying and shrinking at a torrid pace. There she stood, the face on the window, smiling the most welcoming of smiles as I smiled back. "Can I help you on this fine day", she said invitingly. Just a few more steps and I was face to face with," give me a sec to read her name tag", Lilly, yes Lilly. "Hi Lilly, you have a beautiful little shop here, loving your Air Conditioning!" Lilly was eager to engage in conversation as she had been open and ready for business for two hours without a single customer. My eyes shifted to the left where they beheld a glass display case filled with the most magnificently decorated cakes and muffins I had ever seen. Not just your average ornate pipping and floral arrangements, but wonderfully sculpted fairies and sparkling magic wands casting sugar dust spells. "I must say, those look too good to eat, I would be consuming a work of art". Flattered, Lilly then said. "I insist you try my wares, first customer of the day gets a free cupcake of their choosing". I wasn't sure if Lilly could tell I was down on my luck of late as I keep myself as well-groomed as a person who lives in a shelter can. But maybe I was just projecting my own insecurities on her kind gesture. It was the beginning of the month so I still had a few bucks to shell out for a cupcake, but still felt really at odds with the whole first customer of the day thing. As I reached into my pocket Lilly started to say no but caught herself and realized that I had caught on to her very charitable ruse. That's when I saw it, right in mid-pocket reach, the biggest, darkest, most elegant chocolate cake in the world!!! It stood a full foot tall with tiny white pearls separating each tier. Lilly caught the direction of my gaze and promptly informed me that cake had been ordered and was to be picked today. She must have seen the disappointment drain out of my withered face as she then said, "wait right here". Lilly was a true artist and had sculpted that cake to perfection, taking off an evening slice here and one there. She hurriedly retrieved her canister and lo and behold a perfect-sized slice of chocolate cake sitting on top of several broken pieces. A smidgen of chocolate icing remained in her piping bag as she delicately applied some along with a few tiny white candy pearls. She came out of the back carrying a pink box, with her picture on it, you know, the one on the front window. She presented it to me and said, "I don't usually sell my cakes by the slice, so let me see, that'll be one slice of chocolate cake, $2.99, no tax. Let me tell you, that slice of chocolate cake was not only the best I had ever tasted, but it was also a magical one. What is now a lifetime later, Lilly and I will be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary, with what you may ask? Why, not just a slice of Lilly's chocolate cake, but maybe two!!!
By Vincent Shany5 years ago in Fiction
True Love
I feel him before I actually feel him. He tries so much to just let me rest but he also wants to show me that he loves me. “Hey, baby,” I say, half asleep still. It feels like I have not slept these past couple of days. Just a couple of days? It feels like I had a month crammed into that time. I sit up and give him a coy smile and he winks at me with that smile of his own that makes me tingle.
By Aaron Gensel5 years ago in Fiction
Everything You've Always Wanted
Simone is exhausted. A 9-5 (more like 8-7) employee at a publishing company in New York City. She always thought when she moved here it didn’t matter what terrible job she took, what crappy apartment she could afford, the city would bring her all the life she needed.
By Alexis Fenton5 years ago in Fiction
