1 THE ASSIGNMENT The bell rang at Willow Elementary School. Gavin and his classmates bumped into each other, trying to reach their seats. Miss Sweets, their history teacher, walked in, dressed in her usual flowery dress. Her curly hair was pulled back from her face in a gold barrette, showing off her bright blue eyes and contagious smile. The kids loved her because she was very kind and made history fun. “Hello, sweet pea...

Chapter 1 Atticus sat with his friends at Pizza Hut, the atmosphere buzzing with excitement and relief after they had all successfully passed their final exams. The aroma of freshly baked pizza and the sound of cheerful chatter filled the air as they indulged in a well-deserved celebration. Atticus was described as an athletic-built young man with milky white skin, raven black hair styled straight to his shoulders with a...

I take a deep breath The air is glass Slicing through my lungs I’m choking I lay my head down The bed is made of nails Piercing through my skin I’m weary I drift off to sleep Hands grab at me in the black Ripping at my sides I’m petrified I awake and grab a glass of water The acid stings on its way down Blistering my insides I’m suffering I smile in the mirror A twisted reflection appears My teeth clatter in the sink Surv...

Shelley’s monsters are wailing at me like their lives are at stake, and this guy wants to talk about insurance. Oh, I’ll call him all right – no question. Thanks for the card.The brats pull me free. They lead me past a shoe store, a phone store, a jeweler. We go by a kiosk for t-shirts, a kiosk for hobby drones, a chattering pack of teenage girls, and now we’re near the food court. I corral the kids over to a table, and w...

As we get older, we tend to forget a lot of things. How to build the perfect pillow fort, say, or how much fun it can be to climb a tree. Or just how much getting punched can hurt See, for most of us, as we get older, we start to concentrate more on finding a job, making some money, keeping a job, buying some nice things, taking a break from the job, going on a little vacation. The older and more job-centric we get, the l...

The shame upon your face as you turned and walked away, spoke silently in volumes of the things you could not say; You'd finally given up, thought you'd fought a valiant fight; Our marriage just a casualty of the battles in the night; The vows we shared as one, hope-filled dreams and happy tears; Could not withstand the distance that grew with passing years; Awkward strangers once again, we went our separate ways; Each ho...

It had taken some time for Alex to assess his situation after Arakne disappeared. Of the multitude of supplies he had started out with, only his bag, a few changes of clothes and an empty water sack remained. Even the gold he'd hidden within a pocket on the inside of his shirt was gone. That damn witch, he cursed silently. It was going to be a long walk, especially without knowing where in the forest he was. Alex sighed a...

Sam was leaning on the tank again, trying to look into the window. The blue liquid was making it hard to tell what was inside, but looking at the dimensions of the tank and the location of the window it wasn’t hard to guess. When he concentrated on where the head should be, he wasn’t shocked to see two eyes staring back at him. “What’s in the tanks?” Sam’s question caught all of their attention. “Because I’m willing to be...

I don't want to hear it.All about how you became this way, Or any way at all. Face all the facts. It was your decision to make your life hell,And now you fall. But don't you tell me such a whiny story. I don't want to hear it, 'cause... Take away the drugs. Take away the booze.Take away the pain that's in the news. Take away the screaming. Take a way the fighting.What is left but peace in this big blue sky? I just want to...

The darkest day is not always the one without the sun.At times, it may be the one without someone.A period we feel as if we are empty,Without that best friend to make us happy.The brightest night need not be with every star in the sky.Sometimes, it is when we dance together.A moment where we are in perfect sync,Without care for what others may think.The coldest summer is not always the one that brings ice.Occasionally, it...

Vampires Lullaby Chapter 11Chapter 11: Countdown to DeathI did as Vladimir told me, scooping Alex into my arms. Vladimir was quite far away, protecting his human relative. I had to find a way to get Alex somewhere safe."Vladimir. Hurry!"I managed to weave a path, Vladimir close behind with Alex’s father."Mars. Over there."Vladimir pointed to a small shack."You’re not going anywhere. My first creation."A man with long brow...

What did you really gainWith your little bashingWere you hoping to cause painLots of tongue lashingYou and your boyfriendRunning around making funSo glad we're not friendsI'm glad we're doneA signature made with raccoonsAsking my friends to join youI now understand your tuneSeems a bit cuckooA club to hate MysteriaI saw the black boxesTrying to cause a bit of hysteriaI was a bit in shockI don't follow you aroundI should h...

I’m so tired of how you treat me I know that you’re stressed I dream of running to be free I’m so not enjoying this mess I hate the way you talk to me We’re supposed to be a team I really think you do agreeI really just want to scream I really am at a loss for words Your behavior is irritating Nothing to really look towards This is highly frustrating You want me to feel bad You made this terrible decision All I am is comp...

Chapter Five - Oasis Once Nick opens the door, he gestures for me to go through ahead of him and I quickly move past him. When he ducks through the door he takes my hand and leads me to the front counter where a young girl is standing and waiting to serve customers. “Hello, Nick. Is this Oasis?” She asks with a grin on her face. “Yes, this is Oasis. Oasis, this is my sister Kendall, Kendall, this is Oasis,” Nick says, int...

We need to see the sage,for he is a wonderfully wise mage.So off we went,we were hell-bent,but he lives all the way in Kent! With a song in our heart'sand a spring in our steps,we found him at Imhotep's. Far away from Kent, he is,we asked him why,but he went into a fizz. "It's none of your biz!"he said in a fizz,and rushed off to watchLes Mis. We rushed after him,not understanding his whim,but he ran away,to another play!...