Short Story
Waking from a Dying Dawn
I gave up hoping of something better the moment she left. Two of us. That was the pact. Two halves of a whole, one heart beating in tandem, a unity that strengthened our resolve and made us resilient against the world. You will not understand what this means if you haven’t sheltered a moment in our shadow and seen it intertwined along the darkest edge. I never truly knew how feted our air was until all reason for breathing was taken from me. We were … we are the … last.
By Jamie Horton5 years ago in Fiction
Play the game.
The sound of phones ringing roared from the doorway, as the door opened, and the employee reluctantly came into the office. An old man sitting on a leather chair with a greybeard flickered his newspaper to the side, and smiled at the employee, while the employee gave him a nervous look. “Jack! Sit down, take a seat! Don’t look so tense with me!” the Old Man with the greybeard said with a signaling of his hand. Jack swallowed his nerves and eased up a bit, as he sat down. “What do you want to discuss with me, Uncle Sam?” Chris nervously asked.
By Jordan Zuniga5 years ago in Fiction
The Gold Heart
The year is 2417, her name is Amelia, but is called Emily. Independence is where she is headed, it is a dark world out there, but she has always had to make her way. She was "accidentally" separated from her family 5 years ago because she was mistaken for another's parent's child. Emily's parents were so afraid of it happening again, they fled. When she escaped and was able to return, it was to nothing, everything was gone. The only thing she had is a gold heart locket around her neck, that belonged to her mom and dad, they each took their necklaces off and combined them into one. Emily's promise to herself was was to give each of them back. She realized she was alone, scared, hungry and decided that anywhere was better than Smithfield, Canada. That began her trek, she made it to Alaska in hopes of a better life. It was not, Alaska is brutal and actually worse than what she left, this was not a life for a city girl. To get there she faced a long, hard fight and did not have the energy or means to go back to Canada. The days were cold and harsh, the nights were almost unbearable. She worked in the kitchen at a local restaurant, the owner allowed her to board in a room over the bar, it had no heat or electricity, but it kept her out of the brutal elements. When it was really cold, she would sneak back into the bar and have shots to warm up her blood and curl up in a booth. In March of the next year, word was sent along the trails that her family was headed that way. Each passing second her excitement grew, as hours turned into days and weeks. Finally, they made it, her mom, brothers, sister but where was her beloved dad? Sadly he passed away on the trails, due to slipping off of a cliff. His body was being transported in. Emily was able to share her life with the rest of her family, she gave her mom part of the gold heart-shaped locket back. At her dads' services 10 days later, she was able to give his portion of the chain back. She shed tears, then looked up, it felt as though someone wiped her face. She knew that somehow, someway, even though they had a rough road ahead, they would survive because family sticks together. As Emily and her mom walked hand in hand away, she knew that she was going to get her through this. The small town, which seemed not to care, all came out to support their newest member, old man Kelley ( a local wall holder, drunk) was to be sure to let her know that this was the first and last time, they would all get together like this. As tough as this was, they were all able to smile. The family wished they could take time off, but they needed a home, the next day everyone started back to work. The boy's truck drivers, detailing. The girl was in the kitchen with her sister Emily, as mom was home and taking care of the house. There were no breaks given, it was work from sun up to sundown, go home, eat and bed, they all dreamed of one day off. Their mom oftentimes talked about one day off and only working from Monday-Friday. This way has surely changed and must have been in ancient Egyptian times. Her mom, Sally often talks about things from an unknown time, that seem like a dream. Emily has never seen pavement, concrete, trees, or grass, it's always steel. metals. It would be really strange to see any of these things, actually, she tells her mom it may scare her. Emily remembers her dad telling her bedtime stories about this strange world, but she thought it was a made-up fairytale. After she has grown up, she heard other people talking about what their ancestors say. Now thinking back, she remembers that she had saved the contents of both lockets, it was four seeds. The puzzle all came together now, it was now against the law for any trees or green. Her parents had someone get these four seeds so she could plant and grow, learn to love. This, was why her father said he planted many things and had the biggest fruit for her one day, it was that day. Emily went and purchased a pot and some plastic flowers. She carefully planned not to get caught. She made a composting area in the basement of their home. When it was soil, she planted the seeds asked questions to her mom, how did her ancestors take care of their plants. She then grew her seeds, it was lettuce, blueberries, watermelon, and tomatoes. Emily finally understood what her dad's seeds were and what his biggest fruit was for her. She began to preserve, stock, and the new seeds, she dried out to have the next seasons. Life was still hard, she wondered why people did not take care of their natural world? It is a time that she would have loved to be a part of. Her mother, beams with pride, but will not say that she knows. Emily has not begun to share with others because it is a crime, but she is planning to slowly open the world back up to these endless possibilities. The four plants are named Paul's Palace, in her mind. After one of her creators, her dad. Emily often thought back to the small gold locket and how she thought it was just a symbol of love. She now knew that it was so much more, it was a symbol of life.
By Sherry Riddick5 years ago in Fiction
Callie's Shadow
The churchyard was quiet. Everywhere was quiet really, now, but after three years I still hadn't fully adjusted to it. Every time I came, the surrounding woods had encroached a little more into the cemetery; the grass was now as tall as the gravestones, and the trees loomed larger at its edges, their roots disturbing the outermost graves. Luckily, it didn't seem there were many people left that cared – I'd never seen another living soul in the churchyard, and it didn't surprise me one bit. Too many people had lost too much too recently to care about the dead of generations past.
By Niall Gray5 years ago in Fiction
Hope Falls
The sky lit with a bright yellow hue. The air was cold and the wind blew light waves throughout the district. From a third-floor window, Des’ree, at the age of fourteen was in the bay of her window. Watching the different people walk by to their destinations or no destinations as Holland Bay, renamed after the districts General Holland Bay Fager, who died valiantly during the war, was an island that dissidents were placed on to prevent resistance and uprising or influence to the mainlands and the people who were able to conform to the new government and laws. Over 6,000 people overpopulating Holland Bay. Jobs were nonexistent. The people were not permitted to leave the island. No one lived to say if they did and no one looked back if they made it.
By Jazzmine Wolfe5 years ago in Fiction
Her Locket
I race around as quickly as I can, gathering things I’m going to need. I know they will be back. I must hurry. Now that my mom is gone, I have no one. I have no time to grieve her loss. This is how it is now. Keep moving. I have lost everything to this new world. My dad, my sister…..all of my known family. Now my mom. I kneel down next to her, removing the precious heart-shaped locket she wore around her neck for as long as I can remember. It’s mine now. It’s all I have left of the family that once was. Tears streaming down my face, I cover her beautiful face. I am gone.
By Tracy Stockard Letts5 years ago in Fiction
ThE InFEcTed YoUth
Remember that scene at the end of 1982's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, When that boy Elliot is saying goodbye to that ugly little alien crying like a little baby. E.T. reaching his finger out and touching Elliot's finger. Oh man, that movie touched everyone back the day. Back when children were actually sweet and innocent, NOT ravenous piranha-like monsters who'd eat your goddamn brains out in a matter of seconds. Man, those were days.
By Angelo M. Rocha5 years ago in Fiction
City Of The Stars
The heart shaped locket in my hand pulsed in a rhythm much like the object it was shaped after. When the beating had started I was no more than a child, and it had continued as my one constant in life. It had taken several years of moving through the planes to notice that the rhythm changed ever so slightly with each new place I slept in. I would arrive at an inn or make camp on the side of the road to the same pulsing rhythm, and before I closed my eyes to rest there would be a cadence change.
By Melissa Woodroffe5 years ago in Fiction
