A rain came, sudden and hard. Fortune lent them favor as Ilenia and Helaia made it to the forest before the deluge was made all the fiercer by billowing winds. The leaves of the trees here were broader than the usual fare, which gave them some measure of shelter. They huddled together against a thick ...

Part One A knock at the door permeated her dreams. At first, she ignored it, assuming one of the children were playing games or perhaps someone was mistaken. “Ilenia?” questioned a familiar voice. Helaia. Groaning and stretching, Ilenia covered her mouth to stymie a yawn. “What is it?” “Can we talk?” “Is it so important ...

| Part 1 | Part 2 | There’s a lot of reasons why I’m glad 2019- and this decade- is ending. I could list them all, but at the time of writing this, it’s the holidays, and I do care somewhat about those. While this isn’t a true part 3 to my series on looking ...

Everyone was laughing, Everyone was dancing under the midnight sky, It was a joyous night, Filled with hope and love, The world we are in; is now our peaceful place, Filled with laughter and joy, We can dance the night away, We can fill our souls with this joyful laughter…  

If you are a parent, chances are that you have said something to the effect of: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” It’s a lesson that we learn early in life and try to teach our children as soon as they have the ability to string recognizable ...

Perfection, I must fulfill that void, The broken mirror of my essence, I must achieve the best, Nothing compares to this void, I boast in my pride, No credit will be given to my success, I’m better than all the rest, But once that measuring up catches to me, My purity is gone, It leaves ...

Dear Santa, Thank you for giving people something to believe in. The excitement, the joy, the magic that people experience year after year is magnificent and memorable. So, Santa, I decided to ask several family members to share a Christmas memory or two and was delighted by their responses. I hope you enjoy them as ...

I sit on my bed, shirtless and sweating and trying to ignore the pain that floods my legs. Grey smoke curls from my cigarette as I inhale its contents. It burns to ash and scorches my throat. The orange glow that pervades with each inward breath pierces the darkest folds of the night. I’m wide ...

Recently, my husband and I took the upperclassmen from our small private school on a college trip. We traveled twelve hours (one way) from our rural community to Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown, Wisconsin.  In preparation for this event, the school rented a Ford Transit for us to take. No one said anything, but I ...