Excerpt
Blood in the Water
Her skin was sticky with sweat and blood. The afternoon heat mixed with the smell of the salty sea beyond the treeline didn’t cover the smell of her sweat or the blood on her arms. At least there is rain, she thought as she slipped down the trail. You could see her footprints making long grooves in the mud as she tried to keep her balance. She was tired of covering her tracks. There was no one left to find them anymore anyway. Damn them if they did.
By Alisha Christensen5 years ago in Fiction
The Locket
He picked up the glass and took a sip grimacing slightly at the taste. In his hand sat a heart-shaped locket, the only clue to the past life he could not remember. He pressed the gem in the center and the recording stored inside played in front of him. A beautiful woman with long dark hair smiled up at him, her carefree face, and bright blue eyes alight with it. A blond-haired child, a girl he thought barely more than a year or two, toddled around giggling. The image of the child turned and faced him, her bright blue eyes full of life, "I yuh you, dada" she giggled as she ran unsteadily back to the woman who scooped her up and held her in her lap. "We love you,” the woman said, “come home to us.” Though her smile never dimmed, there was sadness that accompanied her plea. Then the image faded and disappeared waiting until he chose to play it again. A wave of agony ran through him. He had no memory of the woman or child, but deep inside he knew he was the one for whom the message had been left.
By Roland Durendal5 years ago in Fiction
A Solar Oydessy
It’s been a long time since I’ve been really afraid of dying. In my, almost five billion years alive, death is still a certainty. Just not by old age anymore. Science once improved so much that medicine allowed the body to decay slower, and last as long as the heart is still beating.
By S. M. Risdon5 years ago in Fiction
A Fox Went Out And I Still Remember
An old folk song from England speaks of a weary fox, out collecting food for his family. The song, originally a poem, dates back at least 500 years and is quite adorable. I'm not sure how common the song is in America, but I remember it from my childhood. I do know that the poem and song are popular enough that they've been turned into picture books for children. The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night: an old song, illustrated by Peter Spier and Fox Went out on a Chilly Night, by Wendy Watson. Spier was a Dutch-American illustrator and writer who produced over two dozen children's books. He sadly passed away in 2017. Meanwhile, Watson is a third-generation author and artist, and member of the Authors Guild.
By Daniel Goldman5 years ago in Fiction
A Different World
Part 3 Mia didn’t think when she got the Heart-shaped locket where it would lead her to. “Let’s get to it Mia,” John remarked. “This has just become extremely intriguing”. “I’d like that John, I’m feeling somewhat nervous though”. According to what Granddad wrote we have to stand facing the heat so the only thing I can think of is the fireplace. And the red and white could mean blood cells or the dark red bricks and off white mortar, and the hearth is the bottom part of the fireplace”. What do you think John? Could that be it”?
By Graeme Waddell5 years ago in Fiction
Meditations After The End Of The World
Together the crone and I walked in country by sea an afternoon late that summer. Having left through a pass in the southern hills we started out not long after dawn. The sun in our eyes and harsh bearing upon us. Along past the winding hills turned northeast down a disserviced road; an hour later cleared a wooded area, diverged onto a rubble backroad and started coming back closer to the water.
By James B. William R. Lawrence5 years ago in Fiction
Waiting for the Sun to Rise
Two arches. A point. Two arches. A point. Over and over again. He’d done this many times. He knew this shape well. Mindlessly, his finger traced the heart in the filthy dust that seemed to coat everything down here. It was easy to ignore the dull chatter of the others despite how gratingly their voices bounced off the stone walls. He’d been around long enough to get used to it; for it to be just one of the many things pushed to the background.
By Mai Ly Nguyen5 years ago in Fiction
Death Week
Wind blows my hair back and away from my face. My gaze darts from one end of the street to the other as I hide in between two shops. The air is cold but sweat still rolls down my forehead anticipating a group of Reapers to show up any moment. Assholes who simply take joy in killing.
By S. M. Risdon5 years ago in Fiction
Vendra
Vendra by Brett Tyndall Pain jolted throughout my body, hitting every nerve end. I felt a dampness around me, but it was too dark for me to tell if it was rain or blood. I was buried in wet rubble and debris from the explosion. I needed to get out of this pile. I felt around my uniform, which was dying from a lack of solar energy. I noticed one of the vials around my waist was empty. I assumed the suit shot me with HE/LP, or Healing Emergency/Life Preserver. The serum was only good for broken bones and blood loss, so I guess none of my organs failed. The suit would tell me if it wasn’t running out of energy. I didn’t bring a backup vial. I didn’t think I would need it.
By Brett Tyndall5 years ago in Fiction
