At two o’clock in the morning, Cassidy stood in her driveway and watched the only home she ever knew burn to the ground. She clutched a thin blanket around her, attempting to keep the cold January winds out, even though she was close enough to feel the heat of the flames. Close enough to smell ...

A dying fire burns in the hearth, grey smoke unfurling and twisting into the open air. Dust particles alight beneath the breaking of a new day. And he sits in his chair, old, decrepit, half-mad, as old thoughts bring fresh wounds. The first thought is of her smile: how it crinkled her face and brought ...

colors vibrant beneath the sun’s light, a clash, a collide, within the scope of your eyes. how bright the world must be to see what you must see, uplifting thoughts to think, always to float, never to sink paint-covered hands grace worn piano keys, count to four and back again; what whispers of music can ...

I was like every other creative kid growing up. I had imaginary worlds that I created to help me deal with problems in my everyday life. I created a planet called Planet S. Please forgive me for being unoriginal, but the S is for Stephanie. I was six. I can’t even lie, and say I ...

Content Warning: contains references to assault, drug use, death of a parent, and child abuse. When we spotted her, she sat in the corner. A tiny child holding a doll, she picked its poofed hair with the ferocity of potential future trichotillomania. Her skin’s patches of white and darker tan contrasted with the doll’s color ...

“Will it hurt?”    The question posed was not an uncommon one for the surgeon. But as he looked into the boy’s bright blue eyes, eyes on the verge of tears, eyes that could not disguise the horror that he felt, a catch formed in the surgeon’s throat, and he had to look away as ...

I don’t want to be a link On this chain of misery Forged from blood Of broken hearts Twisted and rusted From endless tears I don’t want to spread the poison Passed from them to me It coils through my veins Infects the victim, Through anger, and insecurities I don’t want to keep the fear ...

Martha-Marie changed her gait when she fell and broke the gate.   This ain’t no delightful tale of cute Fi-Fi’s little tail.   The damn dog refused to shoo– she wobbled and broke her shoe.   The furball then gave a pause, then ran off on all four paws.   The dog, she wanted to ...