My muscles quiver and my shoulders burn. Just one more crest and then I’ll make it. I’ll make it this time. My breath clouds out in front of me. The wind is relentless. I’ll make it this time. Carefully I stretch my foot out to the next crevice, gritting my teeth and holding my breath as I try to hook my toe——

I’m sliding! I’m falling!

My desperate fingers snag a hand hold. I dangle for a momen...

Foot steps echo down the darkened hallway. Trevor ducks around the corner, pulling me with him. He places a finger in front of his lips to encourage my silence. My heart pounds hard inside my chest. Moments later two guards go tramping past. Dressed in tactical black, with a belt full of weapons and rifles swung across their backs. Neither of us take a deep breath until they turn the next corner.

...

Friendship is cheap and abundant

Loyalty is rich and rare.

Friendship is a loose name

Thrown out to simple acquaintances and colleagues

Loyalty is the true gain

We all crave a partner when life fatigues.

A friend or a brother?

Which one takes more of a priority?

What about a true lover?

Blood doesn’t matter when it comes to loyalty.

Do you trust a crowd more?

One loyal friend is worth twent...

My hand trembles as I carry the pitcher of ice water from table to table. I stop to refill the glass of an elderly woman, but my attention is focused on the position of Miss Gibbs only a table away from my parents. This fundraiser and auction is four hours long. It will be a true miracle if my teachers makes it through the banquet without noticing my parents.

“Ugh! Mind what you’re doing!”

I st...

Turning the page I pick up my sword. My lack of training and small stature does not prevent me from being the chosen warrior. I can and will defeat my enemies and slay the dragon threatening the kingdom. I have a humble background, but with a salty mentor, in denial of his own greatness, I will attain the best training. He will growl and grumble but love me like the daughter he never had. I will b...

First it was just here-say.

A school shooting.

Another one?

Aren’t most schools out for the summer?

Where?

That’s just a few hours south isn’t it?

An elementary!

An elementary?

Awards day?

Second graders?

What kind of a sick…?

An elementary.

Another one....

To be isolated among strangers made sense to her. How could they possibly understand her hopes, dreams, or obsessions. How and why should they care. However, she found herself more isolated amongst family. The very people who she had envisioned caring for her the most, didn’t have a clue of her inner thoughts. Instead they went about the day touching only her surface. Demanding things of her body ...

We once went on Spring break and then never returned......

They both looked worn and thin. Not completely malnourished, but lean...threadbare. On first thought we envied the stranger. It’s hard to imagine ever having that much freedom to just ride all the way to New Mexico on your horse with only the bare essentials to worry over. It seemed extraordinary. I could see the look in Joe’s eyes...not exactly jealousy but a longing to do whatever you want on a ...

It never failed. It’s like they spent all day planning those ten minutes each day to cause their mother a near mental breakdown. There were some days when things started chaotic right off the bat, but most days were lazy and easy going until she needed them to be quiet, or be still, or be clean for “just a second”. It was those “just a second” moments that made her want to pull out her hair. For i...