The dolphin was in its crate, packed with 24-hours worth of dry ice. The naked young woman, shyly covering herself, was slowly melting on a buffet table at the Four Seasons. The trophy was finished, waiting in the freezer to be crated. Karen was done for the day. She lay on the couch for a long moment, just recovering her energy. As an ice sculptor, she di...
A collection of arcane and under-appreciated words for the edification, education, and entertainment of the reader. Definitions are included, along with clarification. Also, the word is used in a sentence, where appropriate, to indicate its proper usage in everyday language. NOTE: An asterisk (*) following a definition indicates that the word and definition...
The Honey-Do List Ah yes, the honey-do lists, never ending yet constantly expanding. I have come to loath and fear this reminder of how "days off" are never easy nor relaxing in preparation for the next week of work. Once again, the weekend begins and soon the list rears it's ugly head. The sink to fix, the tub to re-plumb, and the grass to be mown is only...
We had the cabin for the weekend. The kids had things to do Saturday morning. So, one of the Grandparents said they would drive them up after the kids were done. Friday we got a late start up there, and barely got the place heated up before it was time to get some sleep. So much for our romantic evening alone, but getting some sleep was a great thing on it’s...
The silence stretched in the car. It wasn't uncomfortable – it rarely was. It was more aware than anything. We were always so painfully aware of each other. I think I could have told you exactly how many inches we were away from each other, just by that sixth sense. Mark's nervousness (which he'd been unsuccessfully trying to hide all night) increased that....
Hello. First submission. Apologies if unsatisfactory. Comments appreciated. * Crunch, pit pat, crunch. Ah. Crunch, pit pat pit pat. Crunch. It was the same rhythm every time. As I strolled down the untouched path in the forest, my dog would take a few quick steps ahead. The forest was typically quiet when I walked my dog, whom I address as Felix by the wa...
Luckily Netta and I were able to take shelter from a nasty avalanche as we were using a mountain ski run. The weather was turning nasty and we were very cold after cuddling up together in a rock bluff. We had been forced to ski for our lives away from the avalanche and away off the ski run. I had gone through some trees and I had lost my compass as the lanya...
"Mike! Quick, help!" Tim was talking before he even had the door open properly. Looking up from the Christmas tree he was happily (and somewhat childishly) decorating on the screen of the laptop, Mike saw his brother half carrying someone through the door. "What the hell?" Tim had gone out to the car for a jacket which, for reasons known only to Tim, he ha...
In a family of four, Shannon Cole was always referred to as 'The Black Sheep'. When her siblings grew up listening to contemporary classical tunes and doing their homework, Shannon was blasting God Module from her noise-canceling headphones, taking long drafts of the pink muscato she kept hidden in a discarded bottle of body wash. While her brother Andrew wa...
Willem was perched atop a crumbling tombstone as he played. The cold air tousled his baby blue hair as his fingers dance over taut strings. The abandoned cemetery was haunted by his dark, delicate violin. Its voice reached out into the dark and drifted across the deserted yard. This was a secret place, a forgotten place, hidden away from the noisy city and...