Photo courtesy Annie Spratt via Unsplash “What if I fall?” Dryaia snuck another peek over the edge of the cliff that fell into oblivion, butterflies swarming her belly. “You won’t.” Her papa put an arm around her shoulders. “You’re one of us and you’ve come of age. It’s time for you to grow your wings.” “But how do you know I’m one of you? You found me orphaned and under a tree. What if I’m not a true fairy? What if I’m… human?” Hot tears pulled at the corners of her plum col

Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash The last bell of the day buzzed through the classrooms of the junior high. Doors flew open and the hallways were flooded with students ready to enjoy the weekend. “Hey, Trevor!” A small boy with cracked glasses and shaggy hair ran down the hall. Trevor stopped, adjusted his backpack. “What’s up, Noah?” Noah panted. “Where you headed?” “Lost and found.” “Sweet. I’ll join you. I’ve been missing my black hoodie since Monday.” “Oh yeah. The one wi

Photo by Philipp Berndt on Unsplash The precious jewels weighed heavy in Andy’s hand. Emeralds, rubies, diamonds. The corner of his mouth curled as he spilled them into his small sack. He took one last glance at the sleeping figure of King Henry VIII. Then he tip-toed out of the bed chambers and slipped through the door. “Did you get them?” His father, Drew, stood within the shadows. Andy nodded. “Thief!” A voice echoed against the stone walls. Drew jumped. “Time to go.” They

Photo by Kate Stone Matheson on Unsplash Morning sun crept through the bedroom window. Marlene yawned. A pounce jostled her. Her cat Butterscotch joined her in bed. The cat bumped Marlene’s back, forcing her to lift the covers so he could climb in. She complied, the drum of purring vibrating from beneath the covers. Marlene scratched beneath his chin. Her beloved roommate. The only “someone” she shared her apartment with. Another minute passed. The door squeaked open. She gla

Photo by Tai’s Captures on Unsplash Ruby twirled in front of her mirror, her champagne colored dress spinning, too. Her smile waned. The pandemic had swept the world in a matter of weeks. School = canceled. Graduation = postponed. Senior year = ruined. Prom = gone. Her stomach clenched as she snatched up her phone and fell onto her bed. Her fingers quickly messaged her best friend, Lacie. This stinks. We should be leaving for prom like now. Little dots popped on her screen as

Photo by Food Photographer | Jennifer Pallian on Unsplash Tabitha licked the sweet gooey batter that dripped from her finger. Yum. The idea of baking chocolate chip cookies had popped in her head during suppertime with her family. Now she had the kitchen to herself with no one around to warn her against eating raw dough. She smiled and dipped her finger back into the bowl. Satisfied that her sweet-tooth was appeased (for now), she popped the first tray of cookies into the ove

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash Quarantine Day 1: Deadly virus spreads. Entire country housebound 30 days. Military delivers staples, medical supplies weekly. No one allowed out, including medical personnel. Quarantine Day 7: Family bored. Elderly neighbor Mr. Wilson injured at home, military medical staff arrive, take him away. Quarantine Day 10: Mrs. Wilson says unknown when husband will return. Quarantine Day 14: No response from military regarding Mrs. Wilson’s inq

Photo by Alison Marras on Unsplash “Tomorrow is Thanksgiving!” Mama Mary plopped herself at the rickety dining table, the weathered cookbook passed down from her great-grandmother spread before her. “It’s a day when we give thanks.” She flashed a smile filled with crooked, yellowed teeth. “And it’s a day for eating!” “Yay!” All three of her young children danced around the room. “Will we have Golden Quiche?” Harry asked. “Of course!” Mama nodded. “Will we have Golden Omelette

Image and dialogue from “Titanic” courtesy of Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox The young man stood at the bow of the ship, the evening breeze tossing his hair as the sky faded from muted pink to deep plum. “Hello, Jack.” Rose approached in a cautious manner, a smile on her lips. “I changed my mind.” Jack’s eyes glinted against the dipping sun. “Give me your hand.” She did as she was told, cheeks flushed. He led her to the thin railing that lined the ship. His grin curv

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash The pumpkin was simple, yet unique. Not your average shade of tangerine orange. More of a rich honey color. Three faint kelly green stripes bled from the stem, reaching halfway down one side. The shape was mostly round, a small bulge the size of a fist near the top. Perfectly normal for carving a perfectly ordinary jack-o-lantern. Or so the Pattersons thought. This is their story. (Law and Order theme “dun, dun”) “Scary or funny?” Aubrey blew

Photo by Erik Witsoe on Unsplash “Remember, let me order the tickets.” Sandra ran a hand through her chestnut hair, took a deep breath, and yanked on the door handle of the movie theater. Her three daughters followed close behind, walking in order of age. Fifteen, thirteen, eleven. Her oldest stood a head taller than her. She approached the acne faced concession worker with a wide smile. “Hey. We’d like four tickets to Toy Tales 5, please.” The boy narrowed his gaze, glanced

Simon looked around the doctor’s office. Blank, white walls. Plain, dark chairs. He gulped. “Do I have to do this?” His mom patted his hand. “You’ll be fine.” “But why do I gotta get it done? I’m not sick or anything.” “Sweetheart, we’ve talked about this. Science has advanced in recent years. There are things we just don’t need anymore. Like the appendix. You wouldn’t complain if they took that out, right? If it burst, it could be deadly.” “Yeah, but I like my body the way i

Darcy scooped a level cup of flour into the mixing bowl. She brushed her bangs aside, smudging powder across her skin. The ten-year-old consulted the recipe once more. Her mom would be so proud. This was the first time she’d been trusted to stay at home alone—even if it was for only an hour. She smiled. She wanted to prove to her mom that she could take care of herself and that she could make dessert for supper that night. After combining the rest of the ingredients, she care

A monstrous growl echoed outside Rella’s bedroom door. She stepped back, crossed the worn rug, her spine flush with the stone wall. Her fingers twisted in the layers of fabric of her tattered gown. Roar! She hiccuped back fear. Splat! Her eyes went wide. Either that was the beast that had stood guard at her door since childhood, or it was the unfortunate fate of yet another valiant prince. The door swung open. Rella squealed. Then she smiled. “You won? You slayed the dragon?”

“Do I have to take a bath?” Lydia clutched her stuffed teddy close to her chest. Her mother tested the feel of the bathwater and shut off the faucet. “Of course. Tomorrow’s a big day. You can’t be stinky.” She tweaked Lydia on her nose. Lydia refused to smile. “But Mommy, what about the drain? What if I fall in?” “You won’t.” Her mother ruffled her hair and walked to the door. “You’re a big girl. You’ll be just fine.” The door shut. Lydia stood in the middle of the chilled ro

“Mama! I can’t sleep.” Travis pulled the covers over his eyes and waited. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” His mom ran into the room, settled onto the bed, her head tilted. Travis dared to poke one eye back into the world. “I’m scared.” His mom tried to hide her smile. “Scared of what? Papa and I are just in the next room. What has you so frightened?” “The monster…under the bed.” Travis whined like a four year old, even though he was already five. He lifted his chin in an attempt

The sweet sugary scent of cookies drifted through the sparsely furnished house. Chocolate chip cookies, iced and sprinkled with silvery balls. “Are they ready?” Allyson bit her lip as she wrung her hands. “Almost there.” Valerie scooped the last of the cookies from the warm metal sheet and arranged it neatly with the others on the plate. “Is the milk ready?” “Got it,” Taft said, holding the cold glass of milk in the air. None of them smiled. The three children walked like the

Today is the day! Allwyn will receive her wings, the most important event in a faerie’s life. She pads across damp moss-covered ground, shadows sprinkled around her from the great canopy of trees. She makes no sound as she moves, something she’s always taken pride in. With effort, she pushes open the door to the treehome, her luminescent skin translucent in the spotty sunlight. “Florin? Are you home?” The older faerie appears from her kitchen, a sad smile on her lips. “Good m

Agatha bounced through the front door with a bright smile on her face. She could barely see over the object that filled her arms, the same one that put that smile in place. “Mama! Look what I made at school this week.” The six-year-old huffed to catch her breath as she gently—as gently as a child her age could—set the work of art on the dining table. Her mom inspected it with a wide gaze. “It’s beautiful, sweetheart.” She bit her lip. “What exactly is it?” “It’s a fairy house

“Is my wig on straight?” Scarlett tugged on the ends of the yarn. Maddie nodded, her smile missing a front tooth, the bow on top of her Cindy-Lou-Who hair, bobbing. The best friends glanced back at their moms who walked slowly behind the pair. They weren’t quite old enough to trick-or-treat alone, but at least they were together. Scarlett swung her plastic jack-o-lantern bucket filled with candy at her side as they walked up the driveway of the next house. The scent of a bonf