I walked in the hallway with my friend, her hand in her lovers hand. It hurt so much to see someone I loved so much in love with another. Her boyfriend slipped his hand away, kissing her on the cheek breaking off to his classroom. Her and I had lunch. She sat across from me, retrieving the cut sandwich from her bag. I couldn’t take it anymore. “I like you”, I said, looking down at my hands. In the corner of my eye, I saw her head shoot up, a shocked expression planted on her face. “Oh..” she sat her sandwich down. I already knew what her answer would be. “I’m sorry, you know I already have a boyfriend. I just don’t like you like that”, she said, tilting her head downwards, trying to make eye contact. I smiled and nodded. As long as I’m by her side, I guess it doesn’t really matter how she thinks of me.
I never would’ve guessed what happened that day. I was kneeling outside the high school, taking pictures of the variety of flowers planted in the garden. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see a beautiful girl that had been my age, blonde hair that shined with big, round emerald eyes. She asked to see the pictures, so I showed her. She complemented me and asked if she could pay me to take pictures of her. I took pictures of her, free of charge. Afterwards, she let me take her to the old burger place next to my neighborhood. As my wife and I are looking through old photos, a photo falls on the ground. It is the photo from high school. Her and I are smiling. My job as a photographer wouldn’t have come this far if it weren’t for her. The brightest in the garden.
I stood far at a distance, watching red suits scavenge the crashed ship. I wasn’t supposed to be this close to the scene, so I hid behind bunches of snow-covered hills. It didn’t seem like they found anyone, almost like the ship flew down here itself. Good. That must mean my team also got out. I don’t know what this place is, but I’ve shifted myself to blend in well with the creatures on this planet. I plan on staying here until I can find the rest of my team, and then we must find a way to get back our ship and repair it. Whatever it takes, we’ll find a way.
The party was filled with drunken teens in Halloween costumes. The party’s host’s sister, Anna, was sitting on her bed upstairs. She had tried multiple times to fall asleep, but the mix of screaming and blaring music was not one to sleep to. She had texted her friends to see if she could sleep at any of their houses, but none answered.
As she played on her phone, she heard a knock on her window. From the second floor? She reluctantly opened her window, peeking her head outside. She heard a whistle overhead. As she looked up, she was yanked into the air. She screamed as a voice hushed her.
“Hey now, quiet. I’ve got you. I’ve got you”, The voice laughed.
She met eyes with a boy that looked about her age smiling, his face slightly blushed. They were flying.
“How are you floating? I don’t understand what’s happening. Put me down!” She said, pushing off of his chest. She could feel his grip around her waist tighten.
“Put you down? Are you sure?” He said, smirking.
She looked down. If he would’ve let go, the fall would’ve at least broken a leg. She looked back up at him, frightened. He laughed, floating down to the ground. As he put her down, he patted her shoulder.
“I won’t let you miss out on the party, alright?” He said, placing his feet on the ground. He grabbed her by the hand, waiting for a response.
“Whatever”, Anna said, miserably failing at trying to hold in a smile. The boy chuckled as they both walked into the house.
Anna had never seen this magical boy before, but she thought that maybe the party wouldn’t be as annoying as it was before.
In my small, isolated town, there is this thing that we call ‘The Author’. You see, multiple people in this town have found brutal stories of how they will die right before it happens. “Shaun struggled for air, sinking into the lake. Water breached into his lungs, filling painfully.”. Shaun drowned in our town’s small fishing lake. If you ever find a small, black book, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. At least, not that they know of. These books haven’t just been found in our town. Slowly, they’re multiplying around the world. Now, wherever I go, it follows, and I will gladly write your story.
Toby and I went out into the woods. We talked as we walked, hoping for all our problems to drown away. Toby stopped in his tracks. I was confused until I looked forward, seeing a wooden tavern on the water. Was this here last time? I grabbed Toby by the hand, rushing to the building. Toby insisted we didn’t go inside since we’ve never seen this place before, but I was curious. There weren’t many people inside. There was a bartender and an old couple sitting in a booth in the corner. We sat down at the bar, looking at the neatly lined drinks on shelves. The bartender let out a small chuckle. “I’ve never seen you before. Here, on the house, the bartender said as he slid Toby and I glasses of what seemed to be red wine. Toby reluctantly took a sip of the drink. I copied his motions. It was sweet yet sour. We both drank the remaining of our drinks, thanking the bartender. Toby and I walked out hand-in-hand, laying in the grass beside the water. We did not want to leave each other just yet. The flowing waters and the woods made us both drift to sleep. The next morning, Toby lightly shook me awake. He did not want my parents to worry. We got up, walking back out of the woods, when I turned around to see the tavern was no longer there. It had gone as quickly as it had shown up, like it had other places to be. I just wish that Toby and I can someday stumble upon it again.
The moon brightening streets, raindrops fell as kids ran from house to house, recovering candy. Tyler watched from the driveway as his excited little brother knocked on the neighbors door. Tyler felt his phone buzz. He grabbed it from his pocket, texting back his friend. Instead of hanging out with his friends, Tyler’s parents had made him take his brother trick-or-treating. He pocketed his phone, looking up to see that his brother was no longer there. Frantically, he looked around. He started towards the door when a car pulled up into the driveway. The neighbors had said that no one had been home, and the door was locked.
Tyler jogged up and down the street, shouting his little brothers name. It had been what felt like hours without site of him. Tyler held back calling his parents, for he did not want to get into trouble. He stopped on the sidewalk, out of breath, drops beating down on him.
All of a sudden, the drops above stopped, blocked by an umbrella. Tyler turned to the hand holding the umbrella. Green skin. He turned around to look at the person’s face. Tyler’s jaw dropped open. Wide white eyes, a mask covering his mouth, and no nose.
Tyler stumbled backwards, falling on the concrete. The man slowly reached his hand out, index finger pointed. A bright, blue butterfly, seemingly coming out of no where, landed on the man’s hand. A raspy voice came from the man. “Beauty can help you. Follow wisely.” The butterfly flew off the man’s finger, circling Tyler. Tyler turned to watch the butterfly. When he tried to meet eyes with the man again, he was no where to be seen. As Tyler stood up, the butterfly slowly flew away. He chased after it.
The chase ended when the butterfly vanished in thin air, disappearing in front of a ditch. Tyler peered down to see his brother laying there. He slid down, grabbing his brother by the shoulders. He slightly shook him until his eyes opened slowly, full of confusion. Tyler helped him up and lifted him from the ditch. His little brother explained how he slipped and must’ve rolled down.
As they walked down the road towards their house, Tyler spotted the bright butterfly in the sky, the moon shining on it’s beautifully patterned wings. He smiled as he mouthed the words ‘thank you’.. Putting their arms around each other, the brothers laughed and schemed a way to steal all the leftover candy at home.
In a poor town, there lived a human that was different from the others. On his back, he had large black wings, and on the top of his head, he had small shiny horns. He wanted to be like the others, so, he accepted a cruel offer. “All I have is $5”, the old man said. The winged man agreed. The old man said it would be painless. He was wrong. The winged man, waking up wingless, was in deep pain, for all he wanted to do is be like the others.
She was so beautiful, the man couldn’t resist walking up to her. She was the one everybody talked about. She wasn’t human. She was dead. Legend said that if anybody fell in love with the female ghost, she would live again, so nobody got close to her. The man was a tourist and didn’t know who she was, so he talked to her. They talked for hours. Eventually, the man told the ghost he was attracted to her, and then, she vanished. Everybody watched in fear, as they knew what would happen. An ancient evil awakens.
