response

Hi! My name is Kelly to! I am six! How are you? I am good. I love flamingos! They are my favorite animal. Is your flamingo pretty? I like plaid! Could he keep the monsters out of my closet? Does your flamingo have a name? I would love to have your flamingo if you can not have him. Where do you live? Could he fly to my house? I can not wait to meet him! Can you send me a picture? My address is on the envelope! I am glad you love flamingos! I hope you like college!

Sincerely,

Kelly

Broken Smile

Maybe you just had a hard day.

Do you have a newborn who wakes you up at all hours of the night?

Did your significant other just break up with you?

 Did you have constant pain all day?

Did your boss yell at you?

Did something happen that I wouldn’t know? Not in a million years?

Maybe it was something huge. Maybe it was something small.

But you’re standing in front of me. The corners of your mouth are trying to turn up and it just isn’t working. And your smile doesn’t reach your eyes.

Do you need a hug?

Ready to Die

Out of water

Out of food

No survivors

And no rescue

The two of us, we’re the last of our team.  I don’t know who fell first, but we’re both on the ground. Panting.  Looking up at a broken sky with ash swimming around like dying fishes.  It must be August, the heat is scorching.

I can feel my throat closing.

So thirsty.

My breathing slows.  My eyes close.

Ready to die.

I don’t ever want to wake up.

But something presses into my cheek.

And doesn’t stop.

I open my eyes. Blink twice.

There’s a child poking my face.

Elimination

He had found it. He had finally found it.

After countless hours of time spent. After sixty years.

The cure to avoiding his own demise. His own fate. 

He had just changed his fate. 

Realization dawned on him. 

But instead of running screaming in excitement, he leaned his hands on the desk, breathing deeply. 

He had thought he had wasted his life trying to avoid her. 

The one who waited for him at the edge of death. 

He never wanted to see her again.

And now he wouldn’t have to. 

He had found the fountain of life in a vial. 

Cookies and Lemonade (part 6)

“Nana Mae, I come bearing hungry youngsters,” laughed Crystal as she led the posse into the kitchen. “Thank you for the visit, Nana Mae, but I have to go help Mother with dinner.”

“I’ll walk you home, Crystal,” offered James.

They each said goodbye to Nana and the children, then walked outside.

“Remember when I beat you in that race down Nana’s drive?” Crystal teased.

“Bet you couldn’t do that now,” retorted James.

“I bet I could.” Crystal hiked her skirts above her ankles and ran, looking back over her shoulder with a laugh.

James took off after her, laughing.

---

(I am trying to think of a different name for this series. If you have any ideas comment them) :)

For All Your Justifications...

“If you ask me, you should be sitting right next to me.”

“And how do you figure that?”

“Well, sir, I have this notion, that we are all wicked. It’s in our blood. We’re born evil. You’re no better than I.”

“I don’t murder and eat children.”

“No, that’s my sin. But you've got yours, don’t you? Gambling addiction? Cheatin’ on the missus? Your sins aren't so bad as mine, so you’re okay. Well, sir, I’m not so bad as Hitler. And maybe Hitler wasn't so bad as someone else. Where do we draw the line?

No, you deserve this chair as much as I.”

small talk

"Can't find what you're looking for, huh?"

"Yeah. My wife sent me out to get some pam for the brownies she's making. 

What's Pam anyway? She expects me to know, but, quite frankly, I really don't. Heck, the only thing I can cook is a poptart, but she doesn't let me eat those, says it's not good for my health."

He clutches his swollen belly. 

"Don't see where she's coming from, to be honest! But, I love her. 63 years and I wake up every morning with her next to me and i think to myself, 'Can't believe we've put up with each other for this long.'"

His hand finds the Pam on the shelf. 

"I think I'm gonna go buy her a dozen roses. Just 'cause I love her so much."