They stood across the field from one another. The sun beginning to set behind them. The wind blew dust around them, making their capes rustle. One bright yellow with the sun embroidered in pure gold, the other deepest blue, the phases of the moon lovingly rendered in silver thread. They held their swords ready. The battlefield hushed around them, knowing this was the battle that would decide it al...
Well….this can’t be good, I thought staring at the black and lightly smoking envelope in my hand, my name written in silver ink. I flipped it over and opened the flap, snapping the black and silver seal with Hades own insignia.
I slid out the thick black card inside. In the same silver ink all it said was:
1:00am Friday
Apollo’s Diner
I loo...
You didn’t expect to go out this far, but now that you have it’s peaceful. You bob on each wave and time your breathing to them. The water is cool, the wind is calm, and the sun is setting.
You empty your mind and give yourself the time to forget the worries you left on the beach. Water laps in, one breath in, one beat of your heart. Water laps out, one breath out, one beat of your heart.
This ...
Waiting for anything. Waiting in line, at the doctor’s office, for a meeting to start, for a meeting to end.
Waiting for results, to hear back from the job that they assured you was going to get back to you. Waiting for that person to call, text, like, subscribe.
Waiting for the bus, the train, a cab, a flight. To take off, to get your bags. To check-in, to check-out. To get there, to get back. ...
You suddenly look up, bleary eyed. Your legs are stiff and your neck is bent just a little funny. You realize you’ve barely moved in hours, only to shift slightly or turn the pages of the book in your hand. Time has ticked by, but you were so engrossed in the story, so lost in the words. It’s much later than you planned on staying up, but you had to read just one more chapter, just get to that nex...
It sits in the now overgrown woods. Once bright tents and awnings now covered with mold and shredded. Once lively booths full of rotting prizes. Stuffed animals whose fluff pours out their ripped sides, eyes falling off around sagging noses. Deflated balls and fishbowls with little skeletons in them. The metal of the rides is rusted and bent, the ferris wheel is close to crashing down and the tilt...
All he wanted was directions. “Turn toward the … oh dang it what is it?” I couldn’t get them out. “Go toward the...hhhmmm…north…walk over there. And then slide…slide? to the right and you’ll see the street. What street is it?” He was edging away from me now. “No wait, I’m sorry I know it. Ssss… san…Sanders! Sanders Street. Yes! Take Sanders Street. It should be about 20…time units…” oh god. All d...
At the end of every day the sun dipped itself into the western ocean. It put its toes in first, as if to test the waters. Then, finding the water suitable, slowly it began to submerge the rest of its body. Knees to thighs to hips to belly to shoulders, cooling itself off from the day. Finally, with a contented sigh knowing its work was done, it dipped its head under and extinguished its radiance....