FLASH FICTION
100 Word Stories
It all begins with a photo. A story percolates and bubbles up to the surface. I write and rewrite. I count the words, always too many. I rewrite some more. I look at the photo again. Something in it catches my eye. The story morphs, changing shape, bending into something I wasn’t expecting. I count the words again. I’m getting closer. Change this one, move that one, rewrite a sentence or two and Yes! That’s it! Except it’s 101 words. Hmmm. A few more adjustments, make every word count. A 100 word story!
These stories come straight from my imagination and do not reflect the lives of the people in the photos.
SIMPLE SIMON He was simple. That’s what the locals used to say. He always had a smile as he sat on the benches downtown, people watching. He had the soft hands of someone who had never done manual labor and he was impeccably dressed which lead them to believe that despite his transient life style he had money. The day of his funeral his entire family showed up. They explained that his eccentricities wore them all down. He would come home once a year at Christmas and then once again disappear. They never knew where he would go but he never complained.
BUSTED! I sat on my front porch swing one evening and could see the parking lot through the trees. A family van drove into the lot and parked in a corner away from the other cars. No one got out. I watched and wondered. Not long after, a sports car screeched to a halt beside the lone van. Both drivers got out of their cars and ran into each others arms. Without delay they opened the back end of the van and climbed in. Thirty minutes later they both climbed out, got into their respective cars and drove away. I smiled.
SUMMERTIME The lawnmowers roared to life as young children played and dogs ran free. Neighbors knelt in their community garden working toward a bountiful summer harvest. Abruptly our eyes were drawn skyward with the noise of the plane spiraling out of control. We couldn’t tear ourselves away from the sight of the plane as it fell through the blue sky and disappeared into the trees, culminating in an earsplitting crash that made us all jump and tears spring to our eyes. In the silence that followed we recognized that we had witnessed a chilling tragedy on an otherwise blissful summer afternoon.
RUTHLESS He ambled into the coffee shop with an obvious limp, signs of a past injury or perhaps early onset arthritis. His order was always the same - coffee black and a large ice water. He would find a seat near a window and wait, sometimes falling asleep. Eventually a young woman of diverse ethnicity would join him and the argument would ensue. The woman pleading and he showing no pity, his eyes devoid of emotion. The woman would finally leave desperate and humiliated and without the money promised for her previous night’s foray into the wretched world of pimping and prostitution.
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY When I spotted her, she was dressed for work. She wore a dark blue suit, the kind female lawyers wear in courtrooms. Her high heels clacking as she walked caught my attention. I knew they would slow her down. I followed her through the tunnel, keeping my distance so as not to frighten her. She looked back and picked up her pace. I could feel her distress and smell her fear and my own heart raced with anticipation. I kept my pace consistent to avoid suspicion but she had been spooked and I knew I needed to make my move.
STUNNED I sauntered across the front of the classroom chalk in hand. As I turned toward the board to write the math formula a shot rang out. I instinctively ducked and turned to see a gunman making his way down the aisle, students scrambling to get away or crouching beneath their desks. The victims seemed to be random until he found the one he was looking for. The woman’s face tightened in fear as the gun was pointed at her heart and she pleaded “Please Daryl, No”. He showed no mercy and followed that shot with one to his own head.
SNEAKER WAVE Charlie and Izzy walked hand in hand along the ocean shore. Just coming from a quiet lunch of chicken salad and lemonade, they chatted and joked and commented on the beauty of the water. This vacation had done them both good as they relaxed into the days of sleeping in and enjoying the outdoors. Standing on a rock jetty Izzy looked out toward the horizon and the now setting sun. She waved as Charlie focused his camera. Through the lens he saw Izzy turn toward him only to see a wave roar up behind her and then she was gone.
JOINING HER IN HER PAST Mary Kay leans forward and tells Laura that she attended a wedding yesterday. Uncle George and Aunt Betty were there. The cousins all came and she danced with Dan, her favorite. She didn’t understand why her parents had not attended. Laura nods and explains that they had been away. Mary Kay accepts the explanation and goes on to describe the details of the wedding: the exquisite bridal gown, the charming groom, the tasty food, the enchanting music, the elegant flowers. Laura listens attentively knowing that tomorrow she will hear the same story from Mary Kay who turns 92 next week.
REMINISCENCE Elena was still able to laugh the day of Miguel's funeral. The memories swirled around her as she caught pieces of conversation. And the ones she tuned in to were the ones that brought a smile to her face - stories that would wipe away the grief of the past 92 days spent at Miguel’s side. Some felt her laughter was disrespectful but she no longer cared what others thought, she no longer looked to others for approval. Just as Miguel had moved into a new realm she had moved into a new realm - one of forgiveness and laughter and song.
URBAN LEGEND With some trepidation I wandered over to the cement wall over which it was said the bodies had been found. It was Halloween and my best friend had dared me to be here at midnight to celebrate the anniversary of the Marin Murders. It was all urban legend as far as I was concerned. I took a picture of the wall to prove that I had been there. The next day, we both looked wide eyed at the pictured wall. A pale, muscled hand was coming over the top grasping at the ledge as if pulling itself up and over.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS His unassuming smile pulled you in. His charm and charisma were legendary and everyone knew to approach him with extreme caution. He could convince you to give him a pint of blood and your first born if needed. All I needed from him was a promise - to keep my secret and let me live in peace. But it was not to be. Behind that unassuming smile was a man capable of lying, cheating and blackmail. My secret would never would be safe. And so on a calm, quiet night in his own home I killed him - efficiently and without mercy.
THE RECKONING With her emotions in turmoil she walked quickly down the path and to the far side of the park. As she looked up she saw him in the distance making his way through the tight crowd. He smiled and waved but she turned away and began to move in the opposite direction hoping to escape what today she could not face. When she looked back he had picked up his pace and there was confusion and longing in his eyes. She stopped and waited and dreaded the conversation that was imminent. Today it would end with heartbreak and hurt feelings.
GOOD CATCH The heat rose from the white sand burning the feet of the beachgoers. It was late August and their final beach day of the season. As her parents sat reading in their beach chairs, Mary wandered to the water’s edge excited and unafraid. She was drawn to the foam of the breaking waves. The water was cool and refreshing as she made her way in. Just when the next wave grabbed at her feet and pulled her under, she felt strong hands reach below her armpits and pull her out of the water. Her Mom smiled and held her close.
FORCED CONTRIBUTION Every time Patrick stepped out the loud, insistent bird was there, waiting. He repeatedly tried ignoring it, chasing it, cajoling it, chastising it, threatening it, feeding it but it was always the same. He wore a hat pulled down over his brow but found it useless. It was two weeks of torment and multiple bruises on his head. Every morning he left his house in trepidation and returned in fear. Then it stopped and Patrick discovered the beautiful nest, tucked discreetly under the eaves of the porch - leaves and twigs joined lovingly together with strands of his bright red hair.
HIATUS Wes struggled into the small confines under the dashboard, barely able to reach the wires he assumed were causing the trouble. His wife looked on anxiously, knowing it was just a matter of time before Wes would be able to figure it out. She decided to go for a short walk to think about the days ahead that would be spent with her estranged sister. Anger and regret were the filters from which feelings about her sister rose. This pause in their trip was perhaps a godsend, a time for her to forgive and look forward to the coming reunion.
SHARED HOPE With slow, heavy steps, Mia headed out to the pier, a broken woman, wanting only to end the relentless pain in her heavy heart. At the end of the pier stood a mangy dog alone and fearful. It cowered as she approached. “Are you sad and lonely too?” Mia asked. The dog’s ears perked up and his eyes softened. He slowly crawled toward her, his tail between his legs. She put out her hand and as he licked it, she knew, they both knew, the two of them would start over, together, hope springing up in their hearts, in tandem.
THE RETURN The door opened and out walked a child so small and slight I worried the wind would take her away as it swirled around her. Without hesitating she ran into my waiting arms. After two long years I had been reunited with my granddaughter and my heart swelled when I saw that she had remembered me. By the time we got to the small outdoor cafe where we both ordered blueberry pancakes, our favorite, she was chatting incessantly about her friends, her kitten, her troublesome brothers and we both felt the sorrow of the past two years effortlessly slip away.
FIRE IN THE HOLE His first job in a professional kitchen did not go well. He arrived early ready for the beginning of his career. From the minute he walked in he could do nothing right. But he watched and learned and he did manage to impress them with his knife skills. Just as it seemed the day was looking up the fire broke out. It was at his station and he didn’t move quickly enough to keep it from spreading. He was suddenly surrounded and angry voices were coming from all sides. That was his first and his last day at “Le Jardin”.
COME TO NOTHING Leigh heard the bee before she felt it’s sting. She ran to the house in full panic mode. Struggling at the door the knob finally turned and Leigh flew down the hall to grab her epipen. As she popped the top and moved to give herself a shot she knew immediately that it had misfired. She did not feel the familiar needle stick. It was her only pen. As she grabbed her phone to call 911 she felt her throat close on itself and fear wash over her. She lay on the floor feeling the life in her ebb away.
AN UNUSUAL AND TEMPTING OFFER The tiny creature popped out of the spring flower and surprised Emily as she lay in the grass. Emily thought she was seeing things but when the little fairy squeaked out a greeting she knew it was real. The fairy revealed to her an enchanted land in which the fairy could help Emily gain entree; a land of beauty and perfection. But the only caveat was that she could never return to her present home and family. Emily stood at the threshold of this promise trying to decide in which realm she wanted to spend the rest of her life.
GONE It was Bigfoot that scared him the most. As a young boy Zach had a love-hate relationship with monsters and aliens. His interest in them slightly outweighed his fear of them and so he read about them nightly but also had nightmares that followed. It was up in Humboldt County, Bigfoot country, that his nightmares came true. He had gone on an afternoon hike with his family through the redwoods towering over the prehistoric ferns, mist rising from the cool red clay. His father had gone ahead to see how much further the promised lake was and never returned.
LOVE AND COMFORT IN THE TIME OF NIGHTMARES Behind the bright red door sat two young brothers, tears running down their cheeks, each caught up in their own anguish as they hear their mother’s wailing cries from the next room. In total despair and fear, they reach out to each other to provide comfort in the cacophony of their usually tranquil household. It had been two long days of never ending grief when finally relief came in the form of an uneasy silence throughout the large victorian house. They fell asleep whimpering, hoping that when they woke the tragedy that had transpired would be only a bad dream
A DAY LATE As Joe meandered through his expansive garden he picked the red, ripe tomato and ate it as he would an apple, reveling in its sweetness. He savored the juice of the raspberries as they exploded in his mouth. He peered up at the nearly ripe cherries. One more day and they will be perfect for picking. The next morning he rose, put on his garden clogs and headed to the cherry tree with basket in hand already tasting the sweet fruit in his mind. As he entered the garden, his heart fell; the birds had picked the cherry tree clean.
THE ANXIETY OF THE DAY Judy looked up as the planes flew across the sky in all of their splendor. The crowd around her cheered the spectacle and small children watched in awe. She on the other hand could only think about sitting down to dinner tonight with her husband, Ryan. Watching him walk in the door, greet her with a kiss and head for the shower. This was all she ever wished for. Her hands were sweaty and her heart raced. As the wife of a Blue Angel pilot she lived daily with the fear of the small error that could kill her husband.
UH-OH Effie peers over the pillow to assess this unexpected situation. Mom is putting on her pink lipstick and her fancy shoes which usually means she’s going somewhere special. Do I get to go with this time? If not who will stay with me? Who will keep me safe? Who will help me get to sleep? Oh no, this could be bad! I better give her my Bambi eyes. She can’t resist my Bambi eyes. I hear knocking. As Mom reaches for the door she turns to me and smiles. The door opens - Grandma!!!!! Yay!! It’s going to be ok.
HANDS ACROSS TIME When I look at my gnarled hands I see the scars of long ago, of a time when factory work was my bread and butter. I was in my twenties when I landed a job that assaulted all of my senses: the monotonous turning of the weighty handles on the candle making machines, the sweet smell of bayberry hanging heavy in the air, the suffocating heat coming off the massive machines causing the sweat to drip down my back and sides. My shoulders would ache, pain shooting up my neck. To this day I can’t stand the smell of bayberry.
NIGHTMARE ON HUCKLEBERRY STREET It was every parent’s worst nightmare. Coming home from a movie Charlotte and Tony’s path was blocked by a fire engine. They could see down the street that it was their house that was filled with smoke and fire. The babysitter was out in front with their four year old and six year old at her side. They ran to the trio holding back their feelings of hysteria. Charlotte turned to the fireman, “But where is Ben? Where’s my baby?” She screamed when she looked into his moist eyes and saw the angst as he tried to find the words.
SAVIOR I jump out of my seat, but Tommy beats me to the door. My father enters hesitantly with the case worker accompanied by a black and white Australian Shepherd. Ollie is a service dog brought home to help my brother get through his days as safely as possible. Over the next few weeks we all slowly get acquainted with sweet Ollie and he to us. To me, he’s just another pet until the day he unexpectedly lays his head on Tommy’s lap and whines, minutes before Tommy has a full blown grand mal seizure. Tommy’s guardian angel has finally arrived.
AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE The movie was long and boring and she fought to stay awake. George squeezed Gracie’s hand and nodded toward the exit. They left quietly, slowly making their way down the narrow aisle until they reached the back door and stepped out. They were blinded by the bright sun. They had gone in only to escape the blazing afternoon heat. Day after day the temperatures had risen burning the grass, drying up the rivers and lakes and making climate change a harsh reality that in the past had only been a blip on the population’s consciousness. There was no going back.
AND HOPE GROWS Three weeks ago I was pregnant. Three weeks ago we were still full of dreams for our little family. Three weeks ago we couldn’t imagine that fear and grief would be our daily companions. Every day my stomach churns as we enter the NICU never knowing what this day will bring. We quickly look to her room knowing that if it is filled with people something is not right. Knowing that if only the nurse is there she is stable at least for now, this moment, this day. And every day that goes by, a little of our hope returns.
FORGIVE AND FORGET? Mark held a lit cigar in the corner of his mouth while he poured himself another glass of cheap red wine. The campfire cast an eerie glow over the scene and Sally hugged herself as she watched. The night had turned cold and she wished she had a warmer jacket. She wanted to love this man who was her husband but forgiveness had to come first. His financial transgressions had brought them to this crucial place in time and she felt cheated and betrayed. He, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to her pain and that’s what she couldn’t forgive.
UNSOLICITED ADVICE My Dad liked to give unsolicited advice. He was always offering his opinion of every situation and I often would groan and say “Sure, ok Dad.” We used to play football with the neighbors on Thanksgiving Day. My Dad would squat down to my level and give me my instructions “I’ll hike the ball to you and you just run like crazy, ok? Don’t let anyone catch you!” His words came back to me the night I was in the parking garage and a gang of men started toward me. I ran like crazy and didn’t let anyone catch me.
LOST AND FOUND Chloe was my high school sweetheart, my first true love. Her skin was the color of sweet caramel and her shoulder length hair smelled of lavender. I was a year older and when I left for college I also left Chloe. We both ventured out into the unforgiving dating scene unsure as to what we were looking for. I saw her thirty years later on my TV, with her wife. They were one of the first gay couples ever to be legally married in San Francisco. Sitting alone in my living room, I blew a single kiss toward the television.
FIRE ON THE HILL Twas midnight. Out the window the horizon glowed with a fire stretching across the ridge of the mountain just a mile from her home. Quickly Cece woke the kids and sent them out to the car. Their sleepy silence turned to screams as ignited branches and ash swirled around them. As Cece drove, the fire seemed to be coming in from all sides and she was unsure in which direction to go. She chose poorly and their car was engulfed. The last thing Cece remembered were the tortured screams of her children and her own anguish coming from deep within.
SAVED BY THE GATE The gate was partially lit by my headlights. It was closed with a sturdy lock to keep trespassers out. I peered into the darkness beyond. That’s when I heard it, a child crying. I yelled out “Who’s there? Do you need help?” The crying immediately stopped and I heard a rustle and movement. It was a little boy running toward me followed by a large man with heavy steps. I shook the gate furiously and made a space for the boy to squeeze through. As the man stopped to open the lock, we jumped in my car and were gone.
PRAY FOR ME Mother Mary pray for me. Please make Jimmy Callahan love me and not Janice Campbell. Make Marcy McClintock invite me to eat lunch with them and tell Robert Houlihan to leave me alone. Please make my breasts grow faster and don’t let me get any taller. Mother Mary I pray to you to get rid of my zits because Homecoming is coming up. Help me lose ten pounds and don’t let Mrs. Manfree call on me in history class. Please don’t let anyone know I go to speech therapy and by the way, fix my Mom cause she’s a bitch.
EVIDENCE OF TRUST In an effort to eliminate any evidence of wrong doing a fire was built. What had started out as a small loan had turned into a large scale embezzling scheme. The three friends tossed the files and other paperwork into the fire and watched as it disappeared into itself. They stirred the ashes to be certain nothing was left and their secret would be forever protected. They did this all in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, each feeling equal part guilt and relief. And each looking to the others for validation that their trust would not be broken.
WARNED The path curved gently toward the trees in the distance. Dave’s horse was at a gallop straining to reach the shade of the forest on this smoldering day. But it was in that forest that danger awaited and when the horse drew close she stopped abruptly nearly throwing Dave off her back. He urged her on unaware of what only the horse could detect. Ears upright and head drawn high, the horse refused. Finally, giving up, Dave turned the horse in the opposite direction and they headed home. He would never know that she had saved his life that day.
AFTERALL My first born, Jett, sat at the head of the kitchen table, relaxed and pensive. His dark eyes seemed to focus on his high-spirited wife of four years as she chatted with her brother-in-law. Suddenly a smile crossed Jett’s face and he laughed along with them. It had been over a year since I had heard that laughter and felt his joy. The relentless stress of a start up had affected every meaningful relationship in his life. His wife turned in surprise to the welcome sound of his laughter and smiled tenderly. She too had missed him.
ONE DAY AT A TIME The little girl sat on the worn front stoop and waited patiently for her Mom to return from work. A butterfly coaxed her out of her melancholy mood as she followed it from flower to flower. As the sun set and the day quieted, she returned to the little house just as her Mom drove up. Her loneliness dissipated as they entered the house hand in hand and danced in the kitchen to the sounds of the Big Band albums her Mom had kept all of these years. Tonight was a good night. They would have full bellies before bedtime.
NAKED AND CONFUSED He woke with a start and jumped to his feet. He looked around wondering where he was when he realized he was stark naked. Two young women stood in front of him holding a blanket toward him which he grabbed and wrapped around himself in modesty. They explained he must have come in by accident, probably was at the party across the hall. He apologized and asked where his clothes were. They shrugged their shoulders and pointed across the hall with their eyebrows raised. He chuckled and headed out the front door. They chuckled too and reached for their blanket.
NIGHTLY ROUTINE “No Mom, you are not going to pee in a coffee can in our tent. You need to go out and pee in the bushes.” “It’s so dark. I hope some wild animal doesn’t get me,” she murmured as she reluctantly left the tent. She was distraught when she returned. “I peed on my shoes.” she lamented. I tried not to laugh without success. The next night once again she had to pee in the middle of the night. She was giggling when she returned. “Did you pee On your shoes again?” I asked. "No", she chuckled, "I wore yours.”
OBLIVIOUS It’s September, the leaves are beginning to turn and there is a definite Autumn nip in the air. Marybeth heads over to the Farmers’ Market with her straw basket in hand, humming to herself, glad to finally be out and about after her knee surgery. She peruses the colorful fruits and vegetables under the white awnings of the vendors and stops excitedly at her favorite apple farmer’s booth. She wonders at his absence the past six months “You’re back!” she exclaims with joy “Where have you been?” The farmer looks at her quizzically. "Ah well, I've been growing the apples.”
THE FRAGILE HOMECOMING Her tiny body lay quietly with the machines keeping her alive humming in the background. The doctors and nurses gathered around making decisions as we looked on helplessly. Blood gases, ventilators, pic lines, O2 sats - an entirely new vocabulary that at first was foreign but gradually became as familiar as the menu at our favorite restaurant. Ninety three days of worry and stress and then the homecoming. At home our little four pound baby, three times her size at birth, lies in our arms and neither of us can pull ourselves away long enough to get some much needed sleep.
SHOOTIN' THE MOON As Cindy watched her husband back out of the driveway she turned to her five year old son and said “Let’s moon him.” “What’s mooning?” Charlie asked. “Well, we turn around and show him our butts. It’s just for fun.” “OK”, he said with little boy giggles. They slid their pants down and flashed their butts out the front window. When Cindy turned around to see her husband’s reaction he pointed behind his van. Standing at the flagpole of the Marine Headquarters across the street were a row of young soldiers standing at attention, trying in vain not to laugh.
HORROR MOVIE This is a classic scene from a horror movie she mused. Sandy was walking home alone down a dark, deserted street. Her vivid imagination went wild as she pictured boogey men jumping out from behind the bushes. She thought she heard footsteps but attributed it to her fear and the adrenaline racing through her veins. She picked up her pace as she got closer to her destination. But she wasn’t fast enough because she was in fact living a scene from a horror movie and the gray, slimy creature grabbed her from behind and that was the end of Sandy.
WHISPERING SECRETS As grandpa held her close and whispered in her ear she reached up to stroke his cheek. He shared with his new granddaughter the secrets of the world and what he wished for her as she grew into a young woman. He told her about love, life and family. She gazed intently into his moist eyes seeming to take in his every word. Her eyes reflected an unexpected maturity and understanding and he felt the invisible connection between them. He only hopes she remembers how much he loved her, knowing he will not be around for even her first birthday.
INTUITION Chrissy hesitantly approaches the horse once as familiar to her as her favorite tennis shoes. Her mother stands by contemplating the return of her daughter after six months of psychosis. Chrissy is anxious and the instructor moves slowly with her giving her the time she needs to remember her previous life when she was an excellent and fearless rider. She pats the horse and turns toward her mother who encourages her with her eyes and a wave of her hand. The Instructor helps Chrissy onto the horse and horse and rider take tentative steps forward as Chrissy’s mother silently cries.
FAMILY MATTERS I looked around the crowded bar with its usual assortment of people - the partiers, the regulars, the troubled, the lonely and the desperate. And behind the bar a middle aged woman attending to them all with patience and compassion. She had only been working here a few months but already she was part of the family, knew everyone by name and could read their moods even as they walked in the door. She took care of us all in her unassuming way and it was to her we would turn for help, not our spouses nor our friends, just Angie.
BREATHING SPACE The porch beckoned. As I ambled through the french doors I greeted my neighbors who had come by to relax at the bar on our back porch. At our urging they often came the back way through our yard unannounced. On this day they were particularly animated and I was greeted with laughter and gaiety. On other days it was melancholy and somber as they tried to settle the quandary of the day. I sidled up to the bar and silently gave thanks for our porch which provided us all with this respite from the dust of our daily lives.
HOMELESS He parked his old bike and headed into the Starbucks. People turned and looked at him with pity and some with disgust. His well worn, dirty clothes lead them to believe he was one of the homeless living on the streets of San Rafael. He ordered a large cup of coffee, black, something to warm his body and his soul. He had been riding for twenty three days now. Riding away from his home filled with hate and anger and riding into his future with hope and a vow to make a better life for himself and his dog, Harvey.
ESCAPE The grassy hill before me goes on forever. I plod along with my trusty walking stick, my feet heavy with the effort. Sweat drips down the center of my aching back and I feel flushed and weary. Reaching the top at last I stretch my arms out to my sides and do a full circle taking in the flower covered meadows, the clear skies and the small brown coyote resting under a buckeye tree. These are the moments I will remember when I return to the city with its contrast of concrete, tall buildings and pick pockets stalking their prey.
RELEASED Furiously paddling toward the small islands she let her frustration and anger dissipate into the still water of the Bay. Her tightened chest relaxed, her knitted brow lay flat and the cool breeze off the waves spun around her tired body and gave it the strength it needed to move the paddles through the water. She watched the torment that was her job rise above her and drift away. It was in this tranquil state that she realized she could no longer be part of a system that would treat anyone as less than human. The next day, she quit.
WELCOME RELIEF The pain from the broken bones in Ann’s hands awakened her and reminded her of her predicament. Her left knee was swollen to unnatural proportions and she couldn’t feel her foot. She looked up at the road too far for anyone to hear her and felt the helplessness of her situation. But scream she did and then once again Ann passed out. Three more times she woke and three more times she passed out until finally she gave in to her plight, rested her head on the large rock beside her and welcomed death as it slowly washed over her.
AN UNFORSEEN CHANGE IN PLANS The crisp Spring day started normally enough. Sunshine and a light wind met Sarah as she left her house. She breathed in the bright, clean air and began her brisk walk to work. On her way Sarah noticed the now blooming wildflowers and smiled in appreciation at the end of a long snowy winter. It wasn’t until she had gotten to town that she realized how quiet it was, how deserted the streets appeared, how quite suddenly she felt alone and anxious. A man came quickly toward her, with a darkness in his eyes and a purposeful walk. Sarah screamed.
LADY OF THE NIGHT As a reluctant lady of the night Ma worked from dusk until dawn at which point she would come into my room lie down beside me, cry and breathe in my innocence. Her only goal in life was that her daughter wouldn’t have to follow in her footsteps. She would send me off to school where I was often bullied. So, I put up a wall, a wall that would serve me well as an executive assistant, VP and finally CEO of a large corporation. But I had my mother and she had me and that was all we both needed.
REGRET He will never know why he had not paid closer attention to the warning signs. The missed connections, the abrupt halt to their email exchanges, the excuses for her unavailability. He thought he understood that theirs was a tenuous relationship but that didn’t help the situation or make it easier to weather the storm. Her dissent into the depressive side of her illness always took him by surprise and this time his lapse in judgement and inability to see the obvious allowed her to take her own life before he even realized she was going down that dark black hole.
FIND ME WHERE I AM NO LONGER The nightmares were relentless. Jed tossed and turned and finally called out to his Mother. But his mother did not respond, nor would she ever respond again. How does anyone accept that one minute a person is there and the next they are not. They simply no longer exist. But then it happened. He heard her voice and felt her touch and knew in an instant that she did still exist in a place and time that he couldn’t touch with his mind but gave his heart the comfort it craved in the dark, intimate hours of the early morning.
STELLA Everyone else avoided Stella. She flaunted her blondness as she walked at my side, tall and statuesque. She was impatient with my clumsy efforts to keep her happy. Regardless, I spent more time than usual with her, feeling in my heart her pretentious attitude was a symptom of her loneliness and need for love. I tried to stay calm in her presence and sometimes whispered in her ear secrets that I only shared with her. I fed her ego and was rewarded with a close friendship and sense of peace when I led her back to her corral after grooming.
NO ESCAPE Her dark house looked a bit foreboding. Had she forgotten to leave the porch light on? The darkness closed in on her as she approached the oak door. Ah well a little fumbling of the key and she was in. As she entered the foyer she was immediately on red alert. She felt the presence before she saw it and turned to run only to feel a fire of pain stretch down her back as she fell to the cold floor. She rolled over to look into the eyes of her ex, dark as onyx. I’ve been waiting for you.
CLUELESS The early morning Farmers’ Market was teeming with the privileged who lived in the surrounding up-scale neighborhoods. They wore their clean white sundresses, Ray Bans, and linen suits - all stopping briefly for fresh produce before going on their way to more important events. An affluent woman stopped by the booth filled with large pots of lilac bouquets. She turned to the owner and smiled “This must have been such a fun harvest!” As the woman sauntered away, the vendor watched with incredulity, her muscles feeling the fatigue of waking this morning at 3 a.m. for the “fun” harvest.
THE UNDER APPRECIATED The quick movements of the line cook kept the food moving from plate to griddle and back to plate again. The heat of the grill was no longer noticed and the occasional burn only made the cook hesitate for an instant. The young boy watched in awe as the cook produced one breakfast plate after another without a break. It was an art of sorts, a finely honed skill that often went unappreciated by the businessmen and women who depended on his talent and competence to get them to work well fed and satisfied and ready to face their day.
COMPUTER GENIUS “Mom, again? What did you do this time? It’s always user error, can’t you see?” My son admonishes me as he sits at my computer. How many hours did I spend teaching him to feed himself, dress himself, tie his shoes, ride a bike? “Ya know you could have a little patience with me Charlie. It wouldn’t kill you.” “Sorry Mom. I just don’t understand why this is so difficult for you.” I smile. How many hours did I spend teaching him to read, helping him with his homework? I just don’t understand why these things were so difficult for him.
CELEBRATING LIFE IN DEATH We walked through the front door of the unconventional funeral home and every sense was awakened. Instead of the usual muted colors we took in the bright tones of yellow and blue. The music was cheery and pleasant in a way that made us smile. There was a faint smell of lavender as we made our way to the owner’s small office. Instead of a dark suit, he wore white linen pants and a green button down shirt opened at the collar. We immediately knew that my mother would be celebrated instead of mourned. It felt good. It felt right.
TIME INTERRUPTED As she lay awake once again the light from the neighbor’s garage shined through the parted curtains. She heard the screeching siren well before the ambulance pulled up to their side of the street and two shadows rushed, with cases in hand, to the porch of the house next door. For the third time that month the young son was brought out on a stretcher and the ambulance disappeared into the night. But it was after this particular trip that the boy did not return and the couple’s life was defined as the time before Joey and the time after.
SUMMER DARE The hot summer days dragged on and the two young boys, Jose and Mario, tried to fill their days wandering the neighborhood challenging each other to ever more dangerous feats of agility and strength. Crossing a log over Crystal Creek, climbing the junk pile in old man Perez’s back field, trying to hit squirrels with the crabapples in Mrs. Santiago’s yard. Jose and Mario stood at the bottom of the towering pine tree gazing up at the owl box nestled in the branches 50 feet up. They turned and looked at each other; last one up is a rotten egg!
BELIEVE IN ME The contractions came hard and fast at seven in the evening as I scraped the delicious crusty bits from our dinner casserole. Much to our chagrin the on call midwife was two hours away. As I labored in the master bedroom I overheard my husband, Mom and neighbor discussing the options and their decision to keep me at home. Better to have a baby unattended at home than on Route 101 they laughed. I was glad they could laugh. It meant we all felt confident in my body’s ability to give birth to my fourth son, unassisted, as nature intended.
CHICKEN AND HOT DOGS I sat in the bar with my chicken suit on. I had spent the day in the hot sun twirling a sign to bring attention to a new restaurant in town. The air conditioning felt cool and breezy and I settled into my seat drink in hand. In walked a hot dog with a billboard draped over his shoulders. Of course he was drawn to the stool beside me. “New restaurant in town?” “Yeah, you?” “Yeah.” “Let me guess, they sell hot dogs.” He chuckled. I took off my chicken head and that was the beginning of a glorious romance.
THE FORBIDDEN DOOR The forbidden closet to the attic beckoned every time I visited my Grandma. I couldn’t walk past it without the desire to discover what was on the other side. The day came when I could no longer resist. As I opened the heavy door I was sucked up the attic stairs into a vortex of darkness, then down through tunnels as bright as the summer sun and finally landed at the feet of a towering inferno. I had no idea where I was or how I would return but finally understood my Grandma’s admonitions to never open the attic door.
SAFETY IN NUMBERS Lucy silently rolled herself under the bed where she would feel safe. Her spirited puppy scooched in beside her all legs and unspent energy. Even as she pushed him away Lucy knew he wouldn’t leave her willingly. In his desire to protect her he would give away her hiding place. The muscular hand that smelled of dirt pushed the puppy roughly aside and reached for her. The puppy yelped and Lucy bit into the tough flesh knowing it would only anger him. He must have felt she wasn’t worth the trouble because he turned and left. She was safe for now.
