The path narrowed as she ran; her lungs burned with each breath. Then, up ahead, a steep incline appeared. She knew the area well enough and remembered there was a small, dark cave to take cover. With little time left for escape, Petra slid down the hill to the cave. Crouching in the darkest corner, ...

Our story begins on a Tuesday in the cafeteria of minimum wage jobs. None of us wanted to be there; then again, who wants to work a job that only allowed a bare minimum of living? We were just three strange faces who barely knew each other. Our shifts were different, so we were passing ...

“Sometimes I reach out into the sky wishing that maybe just this once the laws of reality suspend and I finally touch a star,” the woman with thick glasses lazily sighed to herself in the back alley. Her arms displayed stories sketched with scar tissue; her features blurred her age to be somewhere between twenty-five ...

There are approximately 500,000 service dogs in the United States that help disabled individuals mitigate their disability-related limitations. How exceptional is that? The first week of August is all about celebrating all the devoted, hardworking service dogs who dedicate their lives to help disabled individuals navigate through life’s challenges. Service dogs are more than a companion. They ...

Take a break from the electronics and dust off your sports gear. It is time to play catch! It does not matter if it is an old pigskin, softball, or baseball. Just grab a ball and go outside. There’s always someone yearning to learn and another yearning to share some skills. Playing catch is an excellent way ...

National Missing Children’s Day is the inspiration for this short story. National Missing Children’s Day was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan on May 25th, 1983. There was a series of high-profile missing children cases that made national headlines in the several years following the establishment of National Missing Children’s Day. For instance, the Etan ...

“I’m going stir crazy. I might come to the beach too,” Aunt Monica said over Facetime. “I just don’t wanna catch germs and die.” “Why does it even matter?” Jasper stated in the background. “If the virus won’t kill ya, the smoking will.” “Yeah. That machine is useless,” Penelope added. “You do a breathing treatment ...

Part 1 It was getting late. I decided to just stay in this car with him. I instantly forgot what I needed to do today. Yes, I needed a ride to work, but being near this man and hearing his voice, was far better than hearing my co-workers complaining about their day or customers demanding I ...

We were safe for the time being, but it was no time to let our guard down. Levi peeked through the bushes, trying his best not to make a sound. He looked both ways down the street. All we could see was the crossing guard, Mrs. Hankins, letting children pass. “All good,” he whispered. “Come ...

When I first saw him on my way to work, he was sitting by the bus stop on one of the wooden benches. Just casually smoking his cigarette as the summer wind blew through his thick long raven hair. I hesitated to even sit near him, but there was no other place to sit. I ...