Winter Coat

“I need another blanket,” Susan muttered.  “This is ridiculous.”  The walls of the young woman’s tent rippled against the light wind and she shivered under her blankets as the cold settled densely around her.  The constant light snowfall pelted her tent with muttered pattering sounds.  Susan peeked over the edge of her covers to watch her small tent sway.  She could feel the cold somehow reaching through the blankets to seep into her and her bones ached from it.  She weighed her options.  On one hand, she felt like she could survive well enough with her parka, clothes, gloves, hat and four blankets. …

The Lady Wore Red – Chapter 4

Lily stood from the couch and looked around the little room.  She listened to the faint howl of the wind outside the house while she ordered her thoughts.  The small tree near her front window clawed the glass in slow patterns, sounding all the world like a ship groaning in high winds.  The living room lights flickered and Lily frowned in consternation.  Now, she thought.  What do I need to do?  Makeup?  Something nice to wear?  Neither thought filled her with excitement but she made her way to her bedroom to find what she could.

Every footstep and creak in the house sounded amplified as the growing storm muffled the outside world. …

Hellfire

328 years ago:

When the first torch touched the kindling at the base of the wooden pole, Mary Sturgess moaned and writhed against the rope binding her in place.  She dug her bare feet into the dirt underneath her as if to dig her way out and away.  The wood to her left caught quickly and she felt the sudden heat in the warm night air.  The first Elder stepped back, his eyes shining in the flickering light.  The second Elder stepped forward and quickly set his torch to the wood to Mary’s right.  Younger than the other two and only just raised to his rank, he didn’t raise his eyes to the woman in front of him. …

Layers Chapter 10

What does one wear when one knows one is going to transform into a massive werewolf killing machine later in the evening?  And, yes, that works as both a “werewolf that is a killing machine” and a “werewolf-killing machine” except not a machine, per se.  I don’t need Thomas suddenly appearing in a puff of disgusting, putrid stench to tell me that “Surprise!  You were a robot all along!  Lolz!”  I can handle a lot of stuff but I think that would be my breaking point.  So, what does a young sexy werewolf lady wear?  Something you don’t particularly care about? …

Layers Chapter 7

Elaine turns to look at the two men across the street. I watch as she closes her eyes and sniffs. A strand of her red hair comes loose in the wind and flutters across her small, freckled nose. I watch her hair move and marvel at the way she looks. There’s a complicated play of emotions running through my body while I watch. She’s attractive to me – very much so. But, I feel this ache deep in my soul that makes me think of some base emotion – something deeper than love. I can’t put it into words exactly but I want to take her and just go.…

The Magic School Bus: Halloween Special

Chapter 1

———

 

Arnold’s car rolled to a stop on the shoulder of the small two lane road, gravel crunching beneath the tires. The private road in front of him seemed to lead nowhere and even the full moon, fat and pure silver didn’t give him an idea of where it went. His old Volvo shook as it idled. I should just turn around, he told himself. This is such a bad idea. Instead, he turned on the dome light above him to read the email he’d printed yesterday.

 

“WELCOME TO THE 20TH REUNION OF MS. FRIZZLE’S 3RD GRADE CLASS!!!”…

Simple Needs

My daily routine?

 

I get home around 5 or so.  I work at a 7-11 early in the morning and then I take a couple computer classes at the local community college on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  When I’m home, I usually spend a couple hours catching up on a few of the shows I’ve missed throughout the week.  I like the CSI shows and I loved the old Law and Order series.  The newer ones are okay but the old ones are the best.  My absolute favorite episodes are where the elitist assholes try to get away with everything and then fail. …

Nuns, Cages and Tanks

She stood, staring at the dirt-crusted metallic doors in front of her.  Her breathing slowed as she focused her thoughts and calmed her racing heart.  Every time.  It’s the same fear every time.

 

Her sharp eyes caught the doors vibrating against the low thrum of noise and violence barely contained beyond them.  Her right ear twitched with each muffled boom.  Low hanging lights flickered erratically.  She shifted her feet slightly – left side of her body leading slightly and now her right.  She flexed her hands as she brought her left foot forward of her right.  The chain connecting both ankles clinked quietly in the dark hallway. …

The Lady Wore Red Chapter 1

Another late night surrounded by file boxes, paperwork and twelve different documents labeled with “Important!” sticky-notes. Lily sighed, sitting back in her chair to rub her tired, nearly watery eyes under her glasses. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this. She was wearing herself out working late. Twenty-nine years old and she’d found a single gray hair in the mirror this morning. One single gray hair but it stared at her accusingly. She wasn’t even really afraid of losing her job if she didn’t stay so late – she just didn’t want to leave anything at all to chance in this job market.…

The Walk Back

Amanda walked along the small path, feeling the small rocks crunch under her shoes.  Huge dark clouds sprawled lazily across the night sky.  The moon was huge – silvery and fat.  Brian walked beside her, not close enough for her liking.  This was their third date and he still believed he was being a gentleman by keeping his distance.  They hadn’t even held hands yet.

 

I swear.  If that boy doesn’t make a move soon… She told herself.  She’d worn a sexy little red dress to show off her respectable cleavage and caught him staring so she knew he was interested but he had odd notions of how a man should act.…