Mystery
Soap in the Grass
VOCAL Marigold Short Story Competition: Soap in the Grass I had been longing for Cape Cod since my last visit over eleven years ago. Growing up in New York, we would spend every summer camping at Nickerson Park, and riding our bicycles on the twenty-two mile path that cut through the greenery where sand was not so plentiful. October on the Cape was a comfy, charming, well-kept secret, or so said my cousin, Morgan, who moved there permanently after high school. With a sprawling house that bordered the bike path, staying with him would be the perfect, autumn long weekend.
By Lynn Henschel4 years ago in Fiction
The Marigold Killer
David Campbell was arrested and put on trial. Accused of being the Marigold Killer, Campbell entered a plea of “No Contest” with the death penalty hanging over his head. Had he plead not-guilty, he may have received a life sentence while the police investigated further. A no contest plea, however, allows the defendant to take the punishment without admitting to committing the crime. David Campbell insisted that he was not the Marigold Killer, but the jury just wasn’t buying it. The police had a substantial amount of mostly circumstantial evidence against him.
By Nicholas Kleinhenz4 years ago in Fiction
Harper Jones and the missing sorting hat...book 2
I look at Tori. She seems shocked and we both stand up. "Should we look?" Tori looks at me and smiles slightly. "Something bad always seems to happen when we go searching." I laugh. "Yea that's true." We run out of the hospital wing. We are abruptly stopped. I almost run into them. "Hey sorry about your loss..." I look up. "Ashly?" "That's me." She laughs slightly. Tori grabs my arm. "Let's go. We don't have time for this." Tori starts pulling me away. "Wait." we stop and turn around. "What." Tori says as less of a question and more of a threat. Ashly backs up a bit then clears her throat. "In a hurry?" "Very." I just stand there listening. "Listen." Tori rolls her eyes. Obviously bothered. Ashly pulls out a coin. "That's for what exactly?" I ask starting to be done with standing here. She flips the coin and catching it she says. "I flip this. Heads you stay here with me. Tails..you can leave." She shrugs smirking. "That's rubbish. We can leave if we want." Tori tries to pull me away but Ashly appears in front of us. Apparition? What is going on here? "Going somewhere?" She asks us with a face innocent smile. "You're mental." I start back up slowly. She gives me a smirk. "So shall we?" I gulp and she flips the coin. I watch as our fate is decided. It lands on her hand and "Heads!" My heart sinks. "Pity really guess it's just my lucky day. She gives my shoulder a squeeze and I can see Tori give her a dirty look out of the corner of my eye. Ashly shoots one back then looks at me and smiles. "So what should we do?" She squeals. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun! Don't you think?" I dip away from the hand she has placed on my shoulder. "You're...you're..." "I'm...I'm what?" She asks mockingly. "You're not a first-year are you?" She turns around. "Hmm figured me out huh?" I step back shocked. "How old are you?" "Hm I don't know." she turns back around. She looks sad. "Well, what's your name?" her eyes start to get glossy. "I...I don't know." "She's mental," Tori whispers in my ear. I nod slightly. "Why are you here?" Ashly looks back at me. "I don't know..." She whispers. There's a sound and we all look over. Its nothing. We all look back at each other. I'm the first to talk. "Well do you remember anything?" She justs stares at me for a moment with her bright yellow eyes. Hn yellow I've never seen that. "There was a man." how cliche. "I think I've been here for a long time..." I nod. "Ok well maybe instead of being enemies let's be friends?" She gives me a hopeful look and I smile in return. "O-ok." She nods slowly. "Well, we need to go," Tori tells us and it hits me how empty and quiet the school is.
By Epiphany Spence4 years ago in Fiction
A new beginning or a strange ending?
Life had been really hard – not just the past few months or even years but the whole of my adult life. It started with a marriage, at a really young age, which then turned into 20 years of mental abuse. I had finally escaped that “prison” but not without substantial issues. They probably led to my next relationship with an alcoholic who died after seven years. Unbelievably – but sadly true – my next marriage was to another alcoholic who died after four years. I hasten to add I had nothing to do with those deaths! Both had died from conditions caused by drinking.
By Angela wilkinson4 years ago in Fiction
Marigold of Glowing Life
Have you ever heard of a flower that can bloom even without water and roots? Most people would answer no to this question, but Margaret and Henry were about to learn firsthand about the undead flower. It would become a story that would be passed down and would eventually become just another urban legend, but this was very real for the people who witnessed it. The story has been passed down for many generations, much like many other stories. Only difference is, one family holds the proof of this urban legend in their hands.
By Laura Loflin4 years ago in Fiction
Bound by Blood & Fate (a novel)
Chapter Three Adventure Awaits The next day Kate was bleary eyed and yawned incessantly while reading one of her favorite novels. She fingered the crisp pages of the novel while trying to clear her head of the alchemical book and her unnerving dream from the night before. Whenever Kate was troubled she took solace by losing herself in her favorite novels. Books were her darlings. They allowed her to be anyone she wanted. To experience any adventure, solve any crime, save any and every damsel waiting to be rescued. She was a pirate king sailing the high seas, a great detective solving crimes using the power of deduction, and she was a warrior fighting endless battles for honor and glory. She was all of these things without ever leaving her room and they allowed her, even if only temporarily, to escape from her troubling thoughts.
By Jessica Burns Piraino4 years ago in Fiction
Lost a Home
Sitting at my desk, filing the last of my cases I finished not too long ago. It wasn’t a big case. Just a cheating spouse case. Pays the bills. It is all anyone wants from you in the private sector. Most of the exciting stuff is handled by those who follow district lines and have a boss. I feel like neither of us are appreciated by the general public if they even think we exist. And we aren’t paid well. People always want information but the ones in need can never pay and the ones who never like to.
By Unabated Lemon4 years ago in Fiction
Letter #1
I wish I could say that I knew for sure you would be able to read this. The truth is, I have no idea. I have no idea what you’re doing or if you even think about me at all. But let me just say, I think about you. I think about you right when I wake up. I think about you before I go to bed.
By Jools Dembo4 years ago in Fiction
The Painter of Dreams
London was relentless today. Icy drops of rain battered my umbrella, and angry swaths of gray swirled in the bleak sky, hanging over the city like a curse. I trudged through the slick streets, making my way to my flat on the other side of town.
By Megan Jenkins4 years ago in Fiction
