• a yellow sunflower
    116
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    What will you do this Summer?
  • 770
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    Disclaimer: This story is based on the St. Augustine Lighthouse. This story is not affiliated with the lighthouse or its staff. ________ The dim green glow from the necklaces that hung around their necks did not illuminate the room. It was a small room, and from what Alice could make out. There was a rocking ...
  • man standing in the rain at night smoking a cigarette and looking at a train
    1622
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    I base my little tale on the actual life events of my grandfather, Wilburn Elliott. The Elliott characters in the story are all real, and I used their real names. However, the other men who appear in this tale are all fictional people I created to fill in the gaps in the story. You see, ...
  • man standing in the rain at night smoking a cigarette and looking at a train
    1381
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    Filled with nervous anticipation, Willie scanned the station. His focus scattered as he looked from face to face, hoping one would be familiar. People bustled everywhere. The troupe glided through the crowd of pedestrians, each man searching for anything out of the ordinary. Tobias lifted Willie on his shoulders to get a better view. “Anything?” ...
  • man standing in the rain at night smoking a cigarette and looking at a train
    1779
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    Willie walked across the desert, day and night, sticking close to his road companions. His whole body felt like mush. He couldn’t remember exactly when his feet went numb, but he kept them moving. It’s not so easy to start back up once you stop. It’s best to dig in and keep walking until you ...
  • man standing in the rain at night smoking a cigarette and looking at a train
    1602
    1

    Tobias woke the next morning as the sun started to light the sky. The men packed up camp and hopped the first westbound train. They taught Willie the ways of the rails—the difference between a bum, a tramp, and a hobo. A bum was a no good, dirty, rotten thief that would rather steal from ...
  • man standing in the rain at night smoking a cigarette and looking at a train
    1613
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    “Well! Sounds like yer in a right big mess there, Wilburn,” Tobias said to him. The men looked at each other and nodded to one another, except one man. Owen Little shook his head. The men glared at him, and Little scowled back. “Dammit, Little,” Tobias said. Wilburn’s brow creased in confusion as he watched ...
  • man standing in the rain at night smoking a cigarette and looking at a train
    1415
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    The rain hammered on the roof of the boxcar, waking the brothers from their sleep. They’d reached Tucumcari and prepared to jump off a few miles before the train reached the depot. They sloshed through the muddy streets of the small New Mexico town. Wilburn noticed it wasn’t much to look at. The train depot ...
  • man standing in the rain at night smoking a cigarette and looking at a train
    2005
    4

    The leaves rustled in the cold January breeze just off the railroad tracks as Wilburn stood beside his brothers. The three boys lined up before their father, Nelson, and waited in silence for him to speak. Wilburn’s heart drummed in his chest, his palms grew slick, and his blood surged. Nelson stopped in front of ...
  • Purple-tinged Trees
    2206
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    Zana sprints around Planet Kaddasm’s rough terrain in perpetual darkness with great ease. Her large, light-sensing eyes give her night vision, and her cold-blooded body allows her to thrive on the frigid planet. She veers left and right, maneuvering through the tree groves without effort. Zana searches for volboar, creatures that run amok on Planet ...