“Do you want to do an experiment?” the teacher asks, holding up a bag of water balloons.

The children squeal with delight as they nod vigorously.

The teacher laughs, her dark curls bouncing as she hands each of the children a balloon and tells them to blow it up as big as it could go.

The children, all aged six to eight, gulp in large breaths and then blow into the balloons. Their rosy cheeks ...

Snow drifted across the road, swirling in the air like tiny diamonds. Through the haze, hues of orange, pink, and yellow filled with sky as the sun set over the trees on the horizon. Streaks of dark purple, like bolts of lightning, arched through the clouds. Ice icicles clung to rooftops, crackling with caught light.

“Are you sure you wanted to go on a winter stroll?” Simon asked. His voice was m...

Rainbow shards dance across the floor as a gentle breeze caresses the crystals dangling from the ceiling.

The kitten wiggles its butt, ready to pounce as the prism reflected light zips back and forth from a particularly large gust of wind. It’s soft, furry paws stretch towards the closest light, but touches only the carpet.

Confused, the kitten mews and turns to the next light beam. Leaping int...

Dear Diary:

I can’t believe it. I’ve finally met the person I want to marry! I know. I know it seems too soon, but... what can I say? It was love at first sight! I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next!

Did I mention he already asked me out on a second date?

He was quite the gentleman. Didn’t even try to kiss me goodnight after he walked me home!

-Sam

Dear Diary:

He took me ...

Fifteen seconds.

That’s all that’s left. My knee aches where I landed wrong during the second quarter and my jersey is completely soaked with sweat. The roar of the crowd is nearly impossible to drown out.

I dribble the ball slowly, taking my time to assess the best path to the opposite side of the court. We need a three-pointer to win.

But a two-pointer would tie up the game, sending us int...

“Hunt down the traitor, and bring them back to me alive.”

Sounded easy, right? I mean, how bad could it be? Finding a pathetic girl running around the streets? But then, that girl had almost killed her mother-in-law—the queen—so what did I know?

Of course, I hadn’t anticipated having this much trouble locating the girl. She was a princess, after all. Her name and face were plastered all over the...

Smoke fills the air, creating clouds of color. With every boom, light streaks across the sky. Glittering rain flutters down as new explosions burst above. The scent of gunpowder mixes with hotdogs and apple pie. Sweaty bodies reach towards the heavens, sparklers waving in their hands. They sing of battles won. The flag was still there. As one, we say: this is America.

Smoke fills the air, burnin...

People always said Lindsey and I were like two peas in a pod. Peanut and jelly. Time would reveal we treated one another more like sisters than best friends.

There was this one time, not at band camp—though I have some stories to tell about that, too—when we were maybe sixteen years old. We both worked at the local Dairy Queen.

Lord have mercy on us. It was the dead of summer and if you’ve smel...

Just a boy,

But not just any boy.

Waiting with sweaty hands,

And

Wilted flowers for

Just a girl,

But not just any girl.

Wobbling on high heels,

And

Wearing sparkly make-up.

In a car,

Just like any other car,

Sharing furtive glances,

And

Anxiously waiting for

a room,

Just like any other room,

Dancing with hands clasped,

And

Kissing in a crowd....

It was the sound of silence before the storm. Lightning swirled around us in a vortex, a sphere of serenity in the midst of a rampage. Behind the silver mask covering her face, I could see the anger in her eyes.

The hatred mixed with a furious curiosity.

“It’s me,” I said again. “Please, Savina...”

“Shut up,” she growled. She lifted a single finger into the air and held it to her lips. “Just ...