Slade sat at his desk, looked over the squad room and thought of his missing partner. Connie was not there, she was in the hospital in a coma caused by an explosion when she visited The Main Artery's owner Gustaf. It appeared the explosion concentrated on his office and destroyed his sleep chamber. Gustaf was the master vampire of the city and had many friends and just as many enemies. This explosion targeted him, but onl...

Mary turned to look back one last time at the only home she had ever known. Leaving had been the hardest thing ever – yet she had no doubt that harder things still lay ahead. She had packed hurriedly, wanting to be gone before the townsfolk showed up with their kindness. She took care while packing, not wanting to take anything that would be missed. Her plan would only work if the town believed that she had been taken aga...

My Lady, I’m missing you,That burn, the lasting finish.The way the bottle opens*Crack*, it goes, *glug*,Out pours my Lady. My nostrils take you in, I inhale deeply, I feel that burn,My eyes water a little.My lips rest on the edge of the glass,Nose deeply embedded.The first sip is a slow one,I let you linger and you burn,Slowly I swallow.Burn.You start in the back of my mouth,Slowly slide down my throat,A fire spreads thro...

So here I am working the over night or graveyard shift, 10:00 pm - 6:00 am. My buddy Steve radios in that he is stopping a possible intox driver, as he is about 2 blocks away I advise dispatch that I am en route. As I arrive on scene Steve already has the driver at the rear of his vehicle.The driver has an arrogant air about him and is more than a little drunk and very vocal about being stopped. Steve begins to administer...

Happiness in the Village The geese woke the villagers on this crisp fall morning. Honking all in a perfect V flying south the new sun on their wings. The villagers woke with the spirit of the holidays. One after another a plume of smoke curled up from the houses, rising to meet the new fall day.  Another day, another adventure awaited the children. Laughter filled the paths to the school. Some stopping to throw the new fa...

Today, looking at this lovely pond, I wonder how we came to live here, together sharing the light of the ancient sun and at night, the moon and distant stars. And sitting here in these silent moments, before gathering wood for the chilly night, I look out at the trees, aging like me, and see their leaves falling once again in the autumn air, and I marvel at the orbits we have traveled to spend these days together, and the...

It's been about eight years,Since you passed away,Although we never knew each other,I think about you every day,I remember the first time I got locked up,You said "boy that ain't the way",I'm sorry I'm not the son,You wanted me to be,Although you never said it,I know your disappointed in me,I wish we had more time together,But mom kept us apart,She made me believe some awful things,She lied right from the start,Since you...

When we first moved into our new home, we saw we had endless woods out back. It looked so magical, like a fairytale. It drew me in immediately, but I was warned not to come into these woods. I was told repeatedly, they are just too dangerous. “Promise me, my sweet daughter, don’t go into those woods,” my mumma would plead with me, I promised her, saying what she wanted to hear. Daddy would beg me, “don’t go into the woods...

 Dawn and the pond is still and quiet. Last night I saw the sliver of the moon shining on the water. It was dark and I was looking down, not up as if the water was the sky. But now, as morning comes and the clouds float across the pond and the trees, turning red and yellow in October’s air paint themselves on the water, I smile at their art, glad to have this dawn.

I jumped off the cart, unhitched my horse and stormed right into the forest. I wanted to get lost in the thicket and run free from all the burdens of my life. I wanted to run and keep running as far, as my feet could possibly take me, but I could not run the reason was in the wagon directly behind me. "Brook, wait!" Maple called desperately. Finnick caught my expression and stopped her. He caught sight of my expression, a...

A nippy, dreary, autumn morn today.Sky invisible, everything above is grey. Morning mist enshrouding the trees. Colors of fall embracing their leaves. Creating a wonderful storybook scene. Magical portrait - red, brown, gold and green. Chilly dampness kissing my cheeks. An eerie silence, no living soul speaks. Haze falling deeper into the valley below. Blocking out light from sun's glow. Murkiness consumes most on the val...

FROM THE PORCH Today, the pond is filled with ripples sparkling in the sunlight, not like yesterday, when a storm poured rain on the pond, and a chilling wind tore leaves from the trees. Nearby, a pile of logs is waiting to be split, the axe resting like me, loving these idle moments when everything that could be done is waiting for these moments to go where they go, just like the ripples on the pond moving mysteriously a...

Yes, it sucks to sleep alone.Wouldn't we all like a warm body beside us?To cuddle, to kissthe affection we missCould I give it to youtonight?Oh, how I want toand if drunk I just might.But during this episode of sobrietyI'll pass.Next time you ask(if you ask) I promise to reconsider.Just be sure it's notthe beer talking.

BASED ON A TRUE STORYOn November 12, 1997, a baby girl was born, her name was Nicole. Nicole was uniquely different from her older brother and sister who had brown hair and brown eyes; she had blonde hair and blue eyes. She grew up happy with loving parents, and when she was 17 months old, her parents had another child and she was now the big sister of a red headed, blue eyed baby girl named Brooke. Nicole had a very lovi...

Miranda felt happier than she had in a long time, she was actually going on a date. Oh she had offers of dates from many of her male co-workers, but had refused them all. Some were married, some asked out of pity and the rest came from males that wanted to say they scored with some biker woman . She washed and waxed her bike as it had been awhile since she had been out on it. Then started it to make sure the battery charg...