Dear whoever the hell is reading this, you know how you have that time in your life or those moments where you really hate your parents? Yeah, that’s what have. I got this- this- this fucking bag it’s magic mama says but baba doesn’t believe in magic so I’m not sure what to do or who to believe. She’s said not to put anything inside but that the things I need are already there. That- “in time you’...

A gun.

This bad was going to be right up my alley. Perfect for me, both useful and fun.

A small bottle filled with purple liquid.

I had learned a long time ago to never drink an unknown substance. I still wince at the memories.

A flower.

I have no idea how that would be useful.

A spool of thread.

I guess I could use it. You never know.

A bandanna.

At first I though it was useless. And then I saw t...

One delightful day, under a light blue sky with fluffy clouds that seemed to frolic among themselves, I went out to an old beech tree and placed my magic satchel down by the roots. It looked like a bag made from an oriental carpet. I opened its wide mouth and pulled out a fawn colored angora rabbit. Very cute. Tuffs of hair dangled from his upright ears. I gave him a hug, then I plopped him down o...

Young Victoria stood limply in the center of the onyx road, a huge bloody fissure pooling on her flushed knees.

It wasn’t anything unusual, though, not for her. Her body already began to crack years before she could even lift her wand.

_Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. _

Two chasms, charcoal black, ran jaggedly through her forearms until they reached her neck. _Lightning Veins_: a condition that ma...

A set of pearl earrings came out first. Clearly used, perhaps long ago. The gold had blotted; the pearls lost their shine. They still had potential, though. A good wipe could bring them back into shape.

Then, a photograph. It was of me, and my husband Daniel, in black and white, standing on the U.S.S. Texas in 1946. He'd come back from the war a year earlier. Daniel was afraid of flying again but...

John found a letter next to the bag. Both were on his desk next to the morning coffee. His business partner, Mike, normally left him a coffee, but John had not seen him this morning. He took a sip of the coffee. It was his usual, so maybe he just missed Mike.

The bag was a medium sized drawstring bag made of well worn leather. John could imagine it as a prop for some medieval or steampunk movie. ...

The old gypsy handed Maisie the satchel. Both women’s faces were shrouded by their dark hoods. The old woman’s hand shook, the bracelets on her wrists jangling. Maisie held it in her pale, steady hands and peered inside.

“What’s in it?” Maisie asked.

The gypsy replied in verse:

“Take a look,

And you will see.

It’s not what I tell you,

But what **you** think.”

Maisie just nodded and slung the s...

NOTE FROM PENNY: This is way longer than my usual stuff. My apologies. Hope you like some of it.

Young Charlotte was never sure what would happen when Auntie Barbara would babysit. Auntie Barbara was a wonderful, loving person, with episodes of delirious madness.

The week before Christmas would be another odd adventure.

Mother wasn’t paying attention, or didn’t seem to care, what would happ...

Leather satchel holds

Five secrets, whispered and still

Keys to worlds untold....

Timothy clutched his satchel close to his side as he turned the corner to the side of the school. 

“You got the goods?” The bully asked, arms crossed waiting for Timothy’s arrival.

“If I get caught, I’ll be grounded for…” 

The bully puts his hand out, telling him to be quiet. He wasn’t interested in anything other than what was promised to him.

Timothy took a deep breath and undid the straps h...