Trusting you. Kills me.

My life is yours - yours to make,

To break. But you won’t....

“Clearly you Cadets are not getting this,” Lieutenant Humphrey sighed, “so allow me to demonstrate.

Those words no sooner left his lips than his hand, flat as a board, whipped out like a viper finding its target. Unfortunately for that target, Cadet Matthews, that meant a chop to the throat that left him on his knees gasping for air and making strangled noise of pain.

“Incapacitate,” Humphrey ...

Momming ain’t easy,

It’s not for the faint of heart.

Keep them safe-always.

Fills my cup with love.

Happiness does fill my days;

Tiny laughs bring joy.

Can I do this right?

Doubt always filling my mind-

Am I good enough?...

With night comes darkness,

But also stars.

Stars burn brighter and bring us hope.

With change comes uncertainty,

But also growth.

Growth defines us and makes us who we are.

With adversity comes struggle,

But also perseverance.

Perseverance builds fortitude and strengthens us.

With obstacles comes frustration,

But also perspective.

Perspective brings realization and understanding.

With...

I’m used to people whispering when they see me. Or, even worse, they stop talking completely and just look at me with such palpable sympathy I just want to meld into the shadows.

Today was no different. I walked into the bustling village market. The air is thick with the smells of freshly baked breads and pastries. There are a rainbow of colors along the clothing stall section. Wares from around...

Mia and Winnifred are inseparable. They just get each other. From to moment they met they just clicked. Mia loves that Winnifred doesn’t judge her. She accepts her for who and what she is. Winnifred can sit with Mia in a companionable silence that Mia has never experienced before. The fact that Winnifred is a dog doesn’t change anything for Mia.

Winnifred wakes up every morning right before the ...

“Hmmm.” Xion said aloud to himself. He had pulled one of his grandmother’s history books from the shelf and was looking through it. The book felt both sturdy and fragile in his hands. It was big, thick, but its binding was coming loose and the pages were yellowing from age. Nana had said these books had belonged to her grandmother.l, and may have been even older.

Flipping absentmindedly through ...

“Shit.” Alice rolled over and patted the space in the bed next to her that was supposed to be empty. It wasn’t.

“Shit.” She searched for her phone, finding it under her pillow. She reached in the direction of the nightstand, searching for the glasses that should be there by habit. Luckily, even in whatever state she was in when she went to bed, habit prevailed. Sitting up, bringing the blanket w...

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry that you were left wanting,

Love, support, concern.

I’m sorry that you weren’t given enough,

Thought, compassion, understanding.

I’m sorry that you went without,

Confidence, security, stability.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry that you struggled,

To love, be loved, to trust.

I’m sorry that you believed,

You were unworthy, unloveable, unnoticeable.

I’m sorry that you are obliged...

The house was quiet and she was alone. It groaned in its normal way as it settled in for the night. The lamp she sat near had a lightbulb humming with life that she couldn’t relate to. Well, she wouldn’t be alone for long, she laughed to herself.

As if in cue, her phone buzzed and lit up showing a one word declaration.

Here.

Amelia sighed, “Let’s get this over with.” She walked to her door a...