-
Chapter 3: The Boy in the Glass Bottle
Start reading at Chapter 1 After a time of walking, the sun climbing higher in the sky, the trail Amira followed faded from dust to pastel covered pebbles. The vegetation surrounding the path growing palpably thicker, she began looking for her tree. An ancient weeping willow stood as a silent guardian to the gateway of the lands of The East and had been Amira’s friend since she had learned to explore on her own. It stood towering at the height of twelve men and its trunk could easily fit them all inside. The willow was in the season of its flowering, the hanging leaves seemingly covered in what appeared to…
-
Florida Summer Shower
“I found a massive dead rat in the shed,” my husband said by way of greeting. Jesse stood in the doorway leading to our backyard, his black hair wet with humidity and sweat. “That’s disgusting.” I crinkled my nose. “Come look at it.” He gestured behind him. “Absolutely not!” “Please!” “No!” I stood up from my work at the table and walked to the kitchen. “Remember when you worked at the Mill and you sent me a text of that mouse caught in the trap! I’m scarred for life!” “Yeah.” Jesse laughed. “That was before trigger warnings. Well, come help me anyway. It’s about to rain.” “No it isn’t.” Jesse…
-
Chapter 2: The Boy in the Glass Bottle
Start reading with Chapter 1 Amira awoke the next morning from the sweetest of dreams, before the first light of dawn rose in pink rays over the hill beside her home. It was time to pick flowers for the party later that evening. Stretching her arms out, she grabbed her basket from the bedside table and hurried to put on her cloak, checking the inside pocket for her book. It was a dewy spring morning in early April, and she was to witness the awakening of the tulips. For it was in a meadow by a stream beneath an ancient mossy oak that the flowers bloomed as brightly colored candy…
-
Chapter 1: The Boy in the Glass Bottle
He was a beautiful boy. Black hair and black eyes set in skin like sandstone. “Boy,” she said. “What are you doing in that bottle?” He stood tall and straight, his head just grazing the top of his glass prison. The bottle lay over on its side, a cork stuck in the neck. “Girl,” he smiled at her. His voice was muted, like hearing through water. “What are you doing out there?” She thought it a strange question from someone who was trapped. “Why are you in there?” she amended. She pressed the palm of her right hand to the glass, her breath leaving a mark like frost that soon…
-
Short Story: If God Were a Woman
She wept, and the stars were born one by one. She stretched out her hand and the rocks broke against one another and burst forth into planets, comets, rocks and dust. Stardust. She rubbed the celestial powder between her fingers. Again, The Lady cried because she was alone. Her inner essence sighed in a desperate overwhelm as she longed for companionship. She longed to be loved. She caught a rock in her right hand and breathed the very breath of life. Plants and grass sprung up. She spoke, and water gushed from her mouth creating the lakes and the rivers, the streams and seas. She screamed a great scream and…
-
Short Story: Oh, But How I Would Learn
I needed a change of scene, needed to get out of my house and think. Everything was going great, my life seeming like it was finally smoothing out. Only a semester and a half left of my schooling, my husband had a new job after graduating, and both my young kids were in school for most of the day. It was the first time in six years I found myself completely alone, with free time to wander. Not to mention, my marriage was fire. We were connecting in a way that marked a new stage of our lives. My husband and I had married young and it was hard, like…
-
Short Story: “You’re from out of town, we’ll help you.”
“Okay, love. See you soon.” The man put down the corded phone and spoke to my husband in his Cuban accent. “He’s on his way back. It took him so long because you told him it was a full kit, not just the pump.” Jesse put out his hands in earnest supplication. “I’m so sorry. I got confused.” “Yeah yeah. It’s no problem. We got you the new pump under the warrantee.” Making his way back to me and the kids who were sitting in the waiting area, my husband looked as stressed as we all felt. We had been stranded in Tallahassee for four hours and it was now…
-
Turn Off The Damn Light
“Turn off the damn light!” said Jesse, squinting his eyes to glare at me through the dim glow of my bedside lamp. “No,” I said, looking over my glasses to squint back. “I’m tired. I can’t sleep with that light on!” “This is the only quiet chance I get to read in peace.” Jesse turned over muttering, “Every night it’s the same. Apparently reading is more important than my sleep.” “Reading is more important than everything,” I muttered back. Jesse reached behind him to grab his phone. “What time do we need to wake up tomorrow?” “The storm isn’t supposed to hit ’till one o’clock. I guess we’ll just get…
