Orange Tail

 

The tail was fluffy, and stuck up like a proudly raised flag. The bright orange fur was impossible to miss, which made the fact that the rest of the creature's body was invisible seem kind of pointless. Yet it was invisible. Other than that bright orange fluffy tail, nothing else of the creature could be seen. It didn't even leave any tracks where it walked!

How was one supposed to prove the existence of a creature that your own eyes believed was just a tail?

Whatever the creature was, it wouldn't allow anyone close enough to touch it, so feeling its shape was out.

Perhaps it could simply be known as the spectacular floating tail? No, people would claim it was fake, that there were wires or something.

The creature did eat. It ate whatever it could, no matter what that thing was. Plant, animal, rocks, the life boat, all had been consumed by the creature. Yet it never left anything half-eaten, and thus one couldn't compare its teeth marks to any other animals.

Well, there it goes, a streak of orange shooting off into the distance. Maybe it will come back, and I'll be able to find some answers as to what it is.

Until then, it is simply the Orange Tail.

Stocking Stuffers

 

1. Candy.

2. Pens.

3. An orange.

4. Socks.

5. Jewelry.

6. Toy cars.

7. Rock animals.

8. Craft supplies.

9. A letter.

10. A screwdriver.

Unwell

 

Who is there when you feel unwell?

There are so many possibilities.

Parents, tending to their sick child stuck inside all day while the other children play.

A spouse, bringing home medicine and turning on a comfortingly familiar movie.

Your sibling, who knows all the ways to make you smile even on the most horrible kinds of days.

A kindly neighbor, who comments on how good it is to see you on that day.

Your pets, who shows you love in their special ways.

When you feel unwell, it can make you feel alone. Forgotten. Sad. Like you might never be better again. But such feelings can be banished by remembering those you love, and those who love you.

You might feel weak and useless now, but you will be strong again.

You will be well.

And you needn't ever suffer alone, for there are so many people there to lift you up.

So take heart, and let yourself have a moment to rest and recover from whatever made you feel unwell.

To Stay Up Late

 

1. Because you don't have to be up early the next morning!

2. You just got the next book in a series, and you're too excited to wait 'til tomorrow to read it.

3. You lost track of time while talking to a friend.

4. You might have had a little too much candy.

5. You were in the writing zone, words were flowing, and you did not want it to end.

6. Movie marathon. Sometimes you don't get to sleep for days.

7. You want to sleep, but an icky cold isn't letting you rest.

8. You're waiting to hear exciting news from a loved one, and your different time zones means someone has to stay up.

9. Just one more chapter, you said... fifteen chapters ago?

10. What kind of stargazing party ends when the stars are still shining?

Sleep

 

When the sniffles come and leave you sneezing, sometimes sleep is all you need.

A gentle rest to recover your strength.

 But sometimes sleep does not come easily.

You toss and turn, hacking through the night.

It can leave you feeling like quite a fright.

 But despite the difficulty, catch some sleep while you can.

And then you might wake up feeling brand new again.

How to Share

 

1. Have extra snacks.

2. Be willing to let someone else play with your toy.

3. Have a good attitude.

4. See someone who is looking lonely, and go introduce yourself.

5. Don't be a grumpy grump when asked to play with your younger siblings.

6. Accept that your books might get dog-eared.

7. Know what things you are and aren't willing to share, and plan accordingly.

8. Stealthily, one icky veggie at a time, with the dog under the table.

9. Know that it can be okay to ask the other person to share as well.

10. Know what things are never to be shared.

Aldo

 

The new song played on, and all I could think is how much I wished I wasn't here.

Its a slow song, thrumming through the ballroom like a steady heartbeat. In the dim rosy lighting, I could see the other couples dancing, masked faces leaning in close. It should've been romantic, all a girl could have wished for, but I couldn't enjoy it.

Not while he stood there, offering out his hand.

Tall and with unassuming features that could never be called handsome, yet somehow manages to be alluring all the same. Dark eyes watched mine in patient expectation from behind his masquerade mask, which had golden accents that streaked from the sun resting against his forehead like rays of light.

His hand was still unshaking as the moment stretched beyond what could be considered polite without me voicing an answer to his question.

"Well?" He offered another smile, teeth perfectly normal, perhaps unusally perfect. "Shall we dance?"

My friend Trisha nudged me with her closed butterfly fan, the matching monarch wing mask hiding part of her smile. "Of course she'll dance with you! That's what this party is all about, right?"

The man's smile remained in place as he leaned closer in, and Trisha gave me a harder nudge that made me stumble.

The man's hand caught mine in a cold grip, not too tight, but alarming in its chill.

I looked back at Trisha as he drew my hand to the crook of his arm, as if to escort me to the dance floor. Trisha opened her fan and fluttered it with a giggle. "Go on, before the song ends!"

We reached the dance floor, and the man took my hand again as his other hand settled on my waist. I reluctantly moved my free hand to his right upper arm, since his height made his shoulder the less comfortable option of the two.

Without a word, he led me into a waltz, his steps flowing smoothly across the floor. My own were able to keep up wih his cues thanks to the dance lessons I'd had one summer in my teens.

He led me across the dance floor, turning and weaving through the other dancers as if they were standing still. The whole time, his dark eyes never left my face, contemplative behind his mask.

"What shall I call you?" He asked, voice low and blending well with the instrumental music.

"Why should you need to call me anything, when the song is nearly over?" I asked instead. "Besides, you haven't even offered me your name yet."

The man smiled and tilted his head. "Quite rude of me. You may call me Aldo."

He still seemed to be waiting for my name. "Call me Sunny." I said, glancing at the sun on his mask. Aldo gave a soft laugh.

"Yet your mask has the moon hung upon its brow."

"It is merely a reflection of my own light." I replied, defending my name choice. I doubted he'd given me his real name, and I wasn't about to tell him mine. Not when a huge part of me still wanted to be as far from him as possible.

"With how beautiful the reflection appears, the full glory of your light would surely turn any who gazed upon it to dust." Aldo said, voice warm with a hint of humor. The song finally ended, and I dropped my hand from his arm and took a step back.

"I'll return to my friend now." I said as I attempted to free my other hand from his. He took a step towards me and shifted his grip so my hand was again on the crook of his arm.

"Allow me to escort you." He said, and proceeded to lead me back off the dance floor before I could protest that it wasn't necessary.

We returned to where Trisha had been, and I thankfully found her chatting with some guy in a bat mask. "There she is." I said, and Aldo moved us through the crowd to her

I turned to Aldo and forced a smile. "You're a smooth dancer."

He shifted my hand in his, tilting his head down to kiss it as he met my gaze. "Your light is radiant, Sunny. May we have the pleasure of meeting again."

I pulled my hand away with that forced smile still fixed on my face, and he let it go.

Without another word,  I turned away and rejoined my friend.

"You're back! How was your dance?" Trisha grinned and fluttered her fan, glancing behind to where I'd left Aldo.

"He was a good dancer, but not really my type." I answered, before tilting my head to the guy in the bat mask. "Want to introduce me to your friend?

---

The dance ended well after midnight, in those wee hours of quiet between the night life and the dawn.

I drove Trisha home, before finally reaching my own apartment. Climbing up the stairs, I let myself in and flipped on the light.

Nothing.

I flipped the switch on and off a few times, then gave a growl and twisted on the little keychain flashlight on my keyring. "Have to talk to the landlord about that busted breaker again."

I moved down the entryway to my little bedroom, setting my purse down on the bed. Digging through it, I groaned when I realized I'd forgotten my phone in the car.

I'd leave it for the morning, but my brother's wife was due to go into labor any day now, and I'd promised to keep my phone with me in case their babysitter wasn't available when it happened.

Grateful I hadn't changed yet, I grabbed my keys and a better flashlight and headed back outside.

"Too many stairs," I grumbled as I headed down the stairs and back where I'd parked. Someone had taken the spot right outside where I usually parked, so my car was actually a ways down.

Unlocking the car, I got in and fished about until I found my phone underneath the passenger seat.

No missed messages, thankfully.

Getting out of the car, I locked it and turned to head back to my apartment when I heard something behind me.

Twisting about, I let out a laugh as a familiar tabby rushed away. "Mr. Nibbles, out for your nightly hunt?"

A cold hand slipped over my mouth, the other pinning my arms to a tall form. "He isn't the only one looking for a bite, Sunny."

I struggled, but he was strong. He leaned over my left shoulder so I could see his face.

It was Aldo, still wearing the sun mask. He smiled, but this time it wasn't perfect.

His canines were too large. Too long.

"I won't drain you." Aldo said, nostrils flaring as he took a deep breath. "You really are radiant, you know. I wonder if that radiance would survive the turning?"

He leaned back, and I couldn't turn my head to follow his movement. In fact, his hand keeping my mouth closed moved, forcefully tilting my head back and to the right.

I felt lips press against the left side of my neck, cool and perversely gentle.

Then a sharp pain. Something stabbing through the skin, digging down through the flesh to meet the pulse beating frantically beneath.

Contact, then the icy heat of blood flowing the wrong way, drawn out of the body.

---

Woozy. Spots of light obscuring my vision. Am I standing? Falling? My neck hurts. Is it hurt? Is Mr. Nibbles okay? He was here, wasn't he?

"Sunny, drink."

Who? My mouth's like cotton. Is that why my neck hurts?

"Come, Sunny, drink."

Something's against my lips. A drink? Doesn't feel like a cup.

"Sunny. Drink."

The voice feels dangerous. It can't be talking to me, but I am thirsty.

"Drink."

My lips part, because they don't hurt. Something wet, warm, and coppery flows onto my tongue. Bleh! But whatever was against my lips won't move away, so I can't spit out whatever's in my mouth.

Swallowing hurts, but the liquid keeps flowing into my mouth, so it has to go somewhere.

I'm shivering. Am I cold?

The liquid is hot in my stomach, which is churning like it doesn't want any more.

The flow into my mouth stops. After the last bit of coppery liquid is swallowed, the thing against my lips moves.

My teeth chatter, and something touches my check.

"Good, Sunny. Now sleep."

The voice still seems dangerous, but some part of me wants to trust it.

I sleep.

---

When I wake up, I know something is wrong. Besides the fact that I don't recognize the pale cream walls or the yellow quilt I'm tucked beneath.

What happened? I got home from the party, and forgot my phone in the car. Then Mr. Nibbles...

My hand shot up to my neck, and I winced at the tender flesh my fingers found. Tender, kind of achy, but not ripped open. not even a scab.

A door opened, and my head jerked towards it, despite the protest of my neck.

A tall man with dark eyes stood there, dressed casually in jeans and a faded tee.

Even without the mask, I knew him.

"Aldo," I said, his name coming out in an actual hiss unlike any I'd ever made.

"Sunny, I'm pleased to see you've survived the turning." Aldo said, striding into the room. He claimed a chair beside the bed, and I gripped the quilt tightly.

"You attacked me." I said, glaring as I sat up.

"You were radiant. I couldn't help but be drawn to your light." Aldo said, offering a smile that did not hide his strange canines. "I'm pleased to see you retained that radiance."

"What are you talking about?" I asked shortly, glaring at him. My stomach growled, and I glared harder.

"You're hungry." Aldo held out a smoothie cup. "I thought you might be."

I didn't take it, though my stomach grumbled again at the sight. "What did you do to me?"

He shook his head and tapped the cup with a finger. "No answers until you start eating."

"What, so you can drug me?" I was not going to eat anything he offered.

"Take it." There was something different about his voice, and I found the smoothie cup in my hands before I even realized I'd moved. There was a smell coming from the cup, something familiar but strange all at once. My mouth was watering, which was not the usual reaction I had to smoothies.

"Drink." That same tone, and a coppery taste filling my mouth. Blood.

I jerked my mouth away from the straw, but my instinctive reaction after that was not to spit it out, but swallow.

After swallowing, I belatedly tried to spit out the blood. "What kind of trick was that?" I shouted at him, wanting to throw the cup in his face, but finding that my hand refused to let it go.

"No trick." Aldo said, amusement clear in his voice. "A fledgling such as yourself is still too new to hunt for themselves, so as your sire it is my duty to ensure you are well fed."

"You're not my dad." I hissed.

"Sire is the term used for the vampire who turns another into a vampire." Aldo said patiently. "And I am yours."

"Vampires aren't real. And they're supposed to be dead, which I am not." I said, wishing my hand would just let go of the blood smoothie.

"They are, and so are you. Or have you not yet noticed your lack of a pulse?"

With my free hand, I checked my pulse, just to prove him wrong. Then I frowned, and checked it again.

And again.

And again.

Finally, I pressed my hand to my chest, willing my heart to pound against my ribs in a frightful drumming.

Nothing.

Aldo held out his hand, palm up.

Shaking, hating the unease he'd built with such an unbelievable story, I pressed my fingers against the pulse point at his wrist.

Nothing.

He smiled, and I ran my tongue against my teeth.

My canines were wrong. They felt bigger.

Was he really a vampire?

Was I?

If I was, then it proves that vanpires could faint.

Stocking Stuffers

 

1. Candy.

2. A favorite fruit.

3. A letter.

4. Writing utensils.

5. A pocket journal.

6. Toys.

7. Craft supplies.

8. Socks.

9. A nice rock.

10. A favorite drink.

Rabbit in the Garden

 

A little rabbit popped out from beneath the garden's tree. Its nose twitched as it looked about, ears twisting this way and that as if to catch the slightest sound.

At last, the rabbit seemed satisfied the the way was safe, and darted out from beneath the tree and into the garden. There, it nibbled on the vegetables, only pausing to reach for danger every few mouthfuls..

From underneath the back porch, eyes gleamed with deadly intent as they watched the rabbit.

A moment came at last where the rabbit was distracted ny a particularly tasty cabbage.

By the time it head the dog, it was too late.

Or so it seemed, until the chain connected to the dog's collar ran out of slack just before the dog could enter the garden.

The rabbit took that brief moment where the dog's own momentum jerked it back to run, bolting for the garden's tree.

A tree that was within reach of the dog's chain.

With the quick dog snapping at its tail, the rabbit ran with all its might, diving for the safety of its burrow.

The dog, left with nothing but a dirt covered nose, eventually gave up with a growl and returned to its place beneath the back porch.

To Eat Cookies

 

1. They are yummy.

2. They just came out of the oven.

3. You have a lonely glass of milk.

4. The children want to see how many you can fit in your mouth at once.

5. You know you didn't make it onto the nice list.

6. Because if you don't, then no one will.

7. You're at a party.

8. Your cat insists that one of you eat it, and it really shouldn't be him.

9. Because you're happy.

10. They're your favorite kind.

Culinary Embraces

 

Pepper in the nose causes one to sneeze, whilst pepper in eggs makes for a nice complement with cheese.

Salt is tasty in many a dish, but add too much and you'll be suffering for your wish.

Onion and garlic go well with many meats, but even in a vegetable dish they'll have you eager to take your seats.

Herbs and spices come from all sorts of places, and their distinctive flavors are like culinary embraces.

Food makes me hungry, this I'll admit. And if I'm not invited to my own dinner, I might throw a fit.

What I'm Grateful For

 

1. My family.

2. Being able to work.

3. Cats.

4. Books.

5. Good food.

6. A nice community with friendly people.

7. The opportunity to sleep in on occasion.

8. Being able to use and improve my talents and abilities.

9. Oven mitts.

10. Being relatively healthy.

Unchosen

 

They said it was destiny.

One hero, a shining light to cast out darkness from the land.

They gave me training, a magic sword, faithful companions, everything one could possibly need to fulfill the prophecy.

The journey was long. The road hard.

I lost friends.

My sword.

There was a point when I felt I had lost everything.

But...

I picked myself up. Found new friends, a new weapon, and another path.

I faced the darkness that had darkened the land, and I drove it out.

The people cheered. Some even cried.

I was praised as the Chosen One.

But now? Now they dare to tell me I'm not what they've molded me into?

They dare to claim that instead of being the light, that I'm just another shade of darkness?

That can't be right.

I've sacrificed so much for them. Given so much, without claiming any debts owed.

I became exactly what they asked for, and yet now they claim that I went against their wishes? Against destiny?

What do they know, those advisers who've never stepped outside of their safe places? How dare they judge me for hands stained red by their prophecies?

They cannot unchoose what has been Chosen.

They cannot dare call me the villain, and send some pretend chosen to vanquish me.

I won't let them.

For I am the Chosen One.

To Close Your Eyes

 

1. Because not everyone knows how to sleep with their eyelids open.

2. It's a surprise! So don't peek!

3. You're trying very hard not to lose your temper, and looking at the sorce of your irritation only makes it harder.

4. The movie just got to that icky kissing part, and you really don't want to see it.

5. You just hit the snooze button, and want just five more minutes of sleep.

6. The cat's paw is uncomfortably close to your face, and his nails need trimming.

7. Because your sibling just sprayed you with the garden hose.

8. Needles.

9. It's dark out, and someone just flashed a light in your face.

10. Because some colors really  shouldn't be combined so enthusiastically.

Gingerbread Men VS Sugar Cookies

 

When it comes to cookies, gingerbread men are lucky. They have legs.

Gingerbread men can run away from thise who would eat them.

But when you're a round suger cookie, there is no chance to run away. You're sweet, and often decorated with frosting and spinkles. How could anyone resist?

No, in the world of cookies, it was your shape the determined whether you were eaten or lived long enough to grow stale.

Somehow, the gingerbread men had made it where people didn't eat them. They even got gingerbread houses made for them!

It was unfair, that they got both legs and houses. But that was the way the cookie crumbled.

At least the sugar cookie was sweet.

Things that are Brown

 

1. Chocolate. Deliciousness comes in many shades.

2. Brown bears. It's right there in the name.

3. Wood. Lovely and full of uses.

4. Dirt. A rich soil helps make your garden grow all sorts of yummy foods.

5. Russet potatoes. Sometimes they even come with an extra layer of dirt just for your cooking pleasure.

6. Brown recluse spiders. One way to identify it is that it has three pairs of eyes, with two per set.

7. Cardboard boxs. Typically brown, they make for a nice fort once you've collected enough.

8. Brownies. These baked goodies go well with ice cream.

9. Swamp wallabies. Did you know that they can have overlapping pregnancies, with an embryo formed just a couple days before the full-term fetus is born?

10. Kiwifruit. Fuzzy brown on the outside, and a fun green on the inside.

Arachnid Community

 

The intricate stands wove a masterpiece along the knot-ridden stump. Each web was the work of a single spider, yet each of those spiders had come together to form their own community.

Individual webs blended together at the edges, protecting the lower layers from external threats.

Some bold spiders had even moved beyond the original stump in an attempt to expand the community, with delicate strands reaching for the neighboring flowers and saplings.

Would this arachnid community thrive? Could the differing spiders get along, or would they turn on one another?

And perhaps the greatest question: will the spiders survive an encounter with Timothy Tyson, terror of all critters small and squishy?

Cookie Flavors

 

1. Suagar cookies.

2. Chocolate mint.

3. Lemon raspberry.

4. Toasted coconut.

5. Iced orange.

6. Gingersnap.

7. Almond cranberry.

8. Oatmeal chocolate chip.

9. Pumpkin spice.

10. Apple jam thumbprint cookies.

Hair

 

The brush ran smoothly through raven locks, each stroke slow and deliberate. No knots nor snarls were allowed, nor were split ends.

After the long care routine was complete, the head of fabulous raven hair was set oh so carefully upon the vanity,  and its owner proceeded to the bed to sleep.

Soon, gentle snores filled the otherwise silent room.

From the vanity, the carefully tended hair began to move. Strand by strand, it slipped off the model head. Each strand then moved like tentacles, with the bunch at the center part massed to form a psuedo-body.

The hair crept across and then down the vanity, masking its slight sounds beneath the snores. Upon reaching the closed door, it spread itself flat in order to shimmy underneath.

Once in the hall, the hair moved faster, its strands almost wild in their haste. First, it went down the long hall to the top of the stairs, then it proceeded down the steps.

Once on the lower level, the hair took a right down another hall, before stopping at a closed door.

Shimmying beneath the door, the hair had but a moment to gather itself before something pounced on it. The hair twisted beneath its attacker, each strand coiling around and around the attacker until the hair completely covered it.

Then, the hair shuddered, and fused itself to the attacker.

The attacked shivered once, then gave a rumbling purr.

Thus, the hair without a true body and the cat without a hair became one.

How to Respond to Your Cat's Meow

 

1. Say his name, so he knows you're listening.

2. Fill in your half of the conversation. It's the polite thing to do.

3. Check that your cat is okay. Sometimes our kitties do silly things like lock themselves in the bathroom, and it is our job to help them. 

4. Tell him that 2am is for sleeping, not singing.

5. Make sure that it isn't the "my bowl is empty and I need your opposable thumbs to get the food" meow.

6. Meow back.

7. Look at what interesting thing your cat has found to play with. It might be a straw, is might be a spider.

8. Quietly hush them, because commentary is for the second viewing of a film, not for the first viewing.

9. Separate the siblings, before someone loses a whisker.

10. Give your cat the cuddles he asked for.

Grandmother's Rules

 The forest was dim, lit only by the flicking moonlight of the waning crescent moon. A movement of air followed by the dying squeal of a mouse gave evidence that there was life in the forest, despite none being visible.

Except for the eyes.

Luminescent orbs that lurked in the shadows, always watching. In brief moments, they would reflect the flicking moonlight, revealing hints of a hunger that was somehow held back. A hunger, that seemed directed at you.

No matter how often you walked this path, the eyes always brought dread to your heart. You knew, just as well as you knew your own name, that those eyes would get you if you ever disobeyed Grandmother's rules.

First: never leave the path. No matter how enticing something appears off into the trees, no matter if it is a flower just out of your reach, never leave the path.

Second: always wear your cloak with the hood up. It limited your vision a little, and got uncomfortable in the middle of summer, but the hood had to stay up.

Third: never speak your name in the forest. Not to yourself, not to Grandmother, not to any stranger or creature you might meet. In the forest, you were nameless.

Fourth: never travel on nights of the full moon or new moon. Any other night was fine, if you needed to travel at night, but those nights were ill luck to any traveler.

Fifth: never knowingly kill in the forest. Doesn't matter if it's a bear or a bug, knowingly killing anything in the forest brings terrible consequences.

Those were the rules my Grandmother taught me, when I was small and she could still make her way into town to visit us. My siblings laughed at her stories if the forest and what happened to people who broke the rules. I listened, and then put what I learned into action when Grandmother fell ill and needed help getting supplies from town back to her cottage.

As time went on, she delegated all the town chores to me. Shopping for supplies, selling her tonics on market day, all the things that gave her reason to come into town.

It's been so long since she last left the forest that I don't even remember what Grandmother's name is.

Still, I care for her, and she cares for me. So long as she needs it, I'll bring her supplies from town every time I visit her home.

Even if it means enduring the eyes of the forest while I obey Grandmother's rules.

Fun Gifts

 

1. Keychains.

2. A punny t-shirt.

3. A scarf.

4. Fun pens.

5. Socks.

6. Cool hats.

7. Notebooks.

8. Chocolate.

9. Craft supplies.

10. Books.

A Girl and Her Ghost

 

A chill wind blew through the graveyard, stirring up flakes of snow to glitter in the sunlight. The day was quiet, as most days are in a graveyard.

A lone figure tread through the snow, weaving a path through and between headstones. Their steps were light, barely crunching the snow beneath their feet. When the figure reached a certain headstone, they paused to glance around before crouching before it.

"Hey, it's me again." The figure said softly, their voice a light alto. "I thought you'd like to know how the recital went."

The headstone seemed to sparkle like the snow for a moment, before a wispy figure floated out to rest atop it. It was a rather lean boy, somewhere in those awkward teen years. His wispy form seemed barely there, like a hot breath on a cold day just before it disappeared. Yet there was enough for the girl crouched before the headstone to see him smile. "I'd forgotten that was today. How'd it go?"

And so the girl told him all about the recital, and then they talked and laughed about all sorts of things. If there had been anyone else in the graveyard, the girl may have be told to be more respectful, to not be so loud.

But no one else was there, and so the girl and ghost continued laughing.

When the day started edging into twilight, the boy looked around and sighed. "You have to go now."

The girl frowned. "I shouldn't have to."

The boy leaned down from his headstone and tapped her nose, his finger becoming more distinct and solid until it actually pressed against her nose. "You know what the others will do it they find out about you." The girl lifted a hand to touch his hand, but the ghost pulled away before she could, his hand growing more wispy and out of focus the farther from her it got.

"I wish you'd come with me." The girl said, her voice once again soft. The boy sighed and shook his head.

"You know I can't. You know why I can't."

"I could handle it, for a few days." She said as she stood. The boy shifted his position on thr headstone, idly kicking a foot in and out of it.

"I know you think you could, but I'd drain you before daybreak." He shook his head and gave her a sad look. "You really should have picked a better friend. Someone who could have actually gone to your recital."

"What's the point of being able to see ghosts if I can't help them?" The girl asked, glancing at the gathering twilight.

"You're not strong enough to be an anchor. All you'd do is give the ghost a chance to swap places with you." The boy said, repeating what she already knew. "Now, you've really got to go."

"All right, but I will be back." The girl said, and the boy gave a soft laugh.

"Maybe you should try to actually live that life of yours, instead of hanging out in a graveyard talking to a ghost."

"Maybe tomorrow." The girl promised woth a shrug. The boy just laughed again.

"Good night."

"Night."

And so the girl worked her way back out of the graveyard, while the ghost boy watched from his headstone. Part of him longed to go with the girl, to live again, but he shoved it back down. He tried to be a good ghost, and that meant not purposefully harming the living.

He was just glad she'd stumbled into his headstone the day her powers awakened, and not into his sister's. She wouldn't have hesitated to latch herself onto the girl, and drain her of the very power that allowed her to communicate with the dead, the power that could bring a ghost back to some semblance of life.

Now, all her had to do was keep the girl a secret from the other ghosts until he could get her to stop visiting, or get her strong enough to fight off any leaches.

He just hoped he wouldn't accidentally kill her in the process.

To Count to Ten

1. You're teaching a child how to count.

2. You are it for hide and seek.

3. You need exactly ten of something small, and are carefully counting them out.

4. You stubbed your toe really bad, but are trying to calm your urge to cry because you have guests over.

5. A little kid just sold you something for exactly ten dollars, and is so excited about it that you just have to count out each dollar for them.

6. You're keeping track of how many times the cat can rush up and down the stairs.

7. You were given the honor of making sure all ten chickens are back in the run.

8. Because counting helps you fall asleep.

9. The child was given ten minutes to finish playing before dinner, and you get to let them know when their time is over.

10. Because you like practicing how to count in various languages.
 

Shop Interlude

 

The old shop was filled with old trinkets. Jewelry, glittering paper weights, even the odd bottle cap.

Some would call the items here treasure.

Some would say it was full of junk.

But for the shopkeeper, each item had a story, and his shop was merely an interlude chapter.

Some items were only here for mere moments, while others had been waiting years.

The shopkeeper knew each item was valuable, even if it didn't look like much. His favorite moments were when a customer would come back, and tell of how the item's story had continued. Snippets of the next chapter,  reminders that the items did still exist beyond the walls of his shop.

One day, he hoped that his shop would be empty of items, that all the halted stories would have continued on beyond his brief interlude.

Then, perhaps he too could continue to the next chapter.

Pets for a Dragon

 

1. A salamander. Cute little fire lizard that won't mind if you sneeze a fireball his way? Just the right pet for a dragon with allergies.

2. A cat. Because a cat doesn't care whether their person is human or dragon, they just want a warm lap for cuddles.

3. A snake. If not careful about keeping their cave clean, a young dragon could find themselves living in a den of snakes during the colder months.

4. A horse. These poor creatures often find themselves abandoned outside of a dragon's cave, and if he isn't too hungry, a kind dragon will take the terrified beast into his care.

5. A princess. The pet most dragon fledglings long to have when they're old enough. Fine, pretty critters, who sometimes know how to make the most delicious desserts! Yes, a princess is the most sought after pet, even if one often attracts pesty knights to your cave.

6. A dog. Loyal pups love to go for runs through the wood, chasing after their flying master for a treat.

7. A leprechaun. A pest turned pet that is quite good at caring for a dragon's hoard. Just be sure to tame it before letting it near your gold.

8. A chicken. Provides a tasty, eggy snack and the loose feathers can be used to cushion the more fragile pieces of a dragon's hoard.

9. A fish. The hardest part is keeping their water clean of ash and not too hot.

10. A dragonfly. Named such because dragons used to love having them as pets, and even bred some giant ones that were more resistant to heat and flame.

The Flooded Ruin

 

The ruin was flooded. It had been for centuries, and even after all that time, the water level had never decreased.

The local village warned their children not to stray too close to the ruin, though when asked why by outsiders, no one could say why the warning was given. They'd received it when they were children, and so had their parents, and grandparents, for as long as anyone could remember.

The children were warned to stay away.

Despite the warning, every adult in the village could remember going into the ruins as a teenager. It was wet, and cold, and smelled like something might have recently drowned. But the water was crystal clear, even in the deepest halls that led to some underground area of the ruin. You could see clearly all the way to the edge of your light, enough to see that the sloped hallways always turned to some deeper, hidden corner.

So the adults and teenagers knew the ruins, at least partially. But still they felt that their children and siblings wouldn't be safe there.

Outsiders suggested someone take some scuba gear and properly explore the underground chambers, but the locals never gave them access. They didn't remember the purpose for the ruin, but they felt that it wouldn't be good to let an outsider go that deep into it.

Some outsiders troed to sneak into the ruin anyway, but somehow somethung always stopped them.

Broken gear.

Dangerous wildlife.

Violent storms.

Local authorities catching them.

Injuries just as they reach the ruin, forcing them to turn back.

Something always came up.

So the ruin sat stagnate with water, a local mystery that no one seemed willing to solve.

For what good would come from drying out whatever was best left submerged?

For Habits

 

1. They can save time. Sometines a habit is formed by repeating the most efficient way to complete a task. As each step becomes something you could do in your sleep, how quickly you can do it can also increase.

2. Because you wanted to aviid something. Like to jog, but don't like the big dog that barks every time you pass its house? As you scout out another path to avoid the dog, that new path may become the one you automatically jog, even after that dog's family moves.

3. To help you be healthy. Good habits for caring for yourself are great! Sleep schedule, regular meals, time with or away from others. Figure out what you need to be happy and healthy, then work to fit those things into your day-to-day life!

4. For your pets. Animals can recognize the daily routine. The dog knows when you supposed to feed him, and the cats know when it is time for bed. Sometimes, your pets remember the routine better than you do.

5. So you know what to do. Following the steps of your routine can help you know when something unusual will occur. Maybe part of your routine is to recognize and add those alterations to your schedule.

6. Because practice can make perfect, so long as you practice the good habits.

7. So you can focus your mind on other things. Simple, time consuming habits can be made more enjoyable by multitasking. If it is something you can confidently do, having your mind work on another problem while your hands are busy is great.

8. For when you just don't feel well. Sometimes a you don't feel comfortable at all, but still need to work on something. That's when having the familiarity of a habitual task can be nice.

9. It could give you something to talk about. Maybe you have a habit of eating all the red candies first, or you always pat your pocket before closing the car door. If someone notoces and is curious about what you're doing, you might be able to make a friend.

10. They help you not feel lost.

Barrier Bubble

 

There were ducks on the pond. Just paddling about, quacking happily as they went about their business.

I, on the other hand, was neither happy nor getting any work done. For you see, I'd come to the park to meet with a potential client, because the park provided a lovely backgound for my photos. Only, my client never arrived.

After awaiting around far longer than I should have, given that the client wasn't answering my messages, I'd gotten up from the bench by the pond with the intent to leave.

But before I could, the heroes arrived.

It can be frustrating to live in a town with its own hero team, because no one ever realizes just how time consuming both the battles and the aftermath is for the civilians. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if the heroes were more experienced, or if they didn't keep atteacting the bad guys woth really weird powers that affected their surroundings just as much as they affected the heroes.

But hey, I could handle all that. No, what really made me hate the local heroes was their mentor: Guardian Wall. For you see, Guardian Wall's power was that he could make all kinds of magical barriers. Now, I love a protective barrier that keeps me safe from the contagious drippings of Zomkey the Undead Monkey, because there are only so many times you can handle waking up after getting the antidote only to have the taste of rotten bananas stuck to your tongue for a week.

So the protective barriers Guardian Wall makes wouldn't be too bad, if he could just remember to take them down afterwards.

But the old guy never remembers, especially if he's been chasing the heroes and baddies all over town and crafting barrier bubbles everywhere he goes. His barriers bubbles are great. Keeps everything out out and everything in in, while still allowing a clean exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. So you're safe in the barrier bubble, but stuck until either the old guy remembers to come back and pop the bubble, or for the necessary eight to seventeen hours to pass for it to pop on its own.

So until one of those happens, I'm stuck on a bench by the duck pond, trapped in a barrier bubble. At least I have somewhere to sit this time.

Weekend Activities

 

1. Chores. They have to be done, and someyimes the weekend is the best time to do them.

2. Crafts. Be it a new project or one you've been working on, the weekend provides a nice opportunity for crafting.

3. Sleep. Sleeping in is something that might only be available on the weekend, fepending on your typical schedule.

4. A day trip. Got a cool place you've been meaning to visit if only you had a free day? The weekend might just be the time for that trip!

5. Cooking experiments. Time to try a new recipe, and hope it is a tasty one.

6. Spending time with family. The week can get so busy, that you feel like you barely get to see the people you live during it. So a calm weekend could give you the chance to catch up on how they are.

7. Exploring the outdoors. Be it hiking, fishing, or simply a trip to the park, getting outside can be a great way to spend your weekend.

8. Reading. A good book will make the weekend pleasantly fly by.

9. Serving others. Opportunities to help out those in your community sometimes coincide with the weekend, and can be an excellent way to spend it.

10. Petting the cat. Just try not to fall into a villainous monologue while you're pettting it.

Go Fast

 

Run, run, run.

You have to go fast, can't stop, not even for a moment.

First one way, then another.

Quick!

Grab it!

Now  race back!

Nothing else matters at the moment. Just you, running, and the glorious yellow treasure flung through the air.

Hurry!

You need to get it before anyone else can. It bounces and rolls, but you give chase.

Got to get it. Got to bring it back.

And got to go fast.

Staycation Ideas

 

1. Read books! All those books that you've been meaning to read? Now is the perfect time!

2. Hang out with friends or family. Even if the hanging out is virtual, a home-based vacation is a great time to connect to people who you haven't had the time or energy to interact with for a while.

3. Eat dessert first. Whatever you typically eat before going to work is off the menu for now. Eat dessert first, or make that super fancy and fun meal you've been wanting to have.

4. Get a souvenir. Just because you're not going away on a fancy trip doesn't mean you can't have a souvenir. Even if it is just a funny looking rock you found in the garden, the significance given to the item is based on what you felt when you got it, not where it came from.

5. Give your pet love. Arguably one of the best parts of a staycation is not having to leave your pet behind.

6. Do the thing. You know, the craft, or hike, or whatever the thing is that you've always wanted to do where you live. Go. Do it!

7. Sleep in. Enjoy the fact that you don't have to get up just yet.

8. Build something. A bookshelf, a greenhouse, or even a model ship. Make something amazing, something that you'll use well beyond the staycation.

9. Learn something new. Anything at all, whatever it is that interests you, try and learn it.

10. Wing it. Aftserr all, part of the fun of a vacation is doing something you hadn't planned to do.

Something Wet, Something Icky

 

All pet parents know the disgust of waking in the middle of the night, getting out of bed, and stepping in something wet.

Housebreaking a puppy? I hope you're not wearing just socks.

Have a cat who occasionally eats too fast? The hacking and retching noises can wake you from a dead sleep, no matter how tired you are.

Fish? If the tank gets a crack or the filter starts leaking, you might want to have some buckets handy.

Pets make messes, and often leave icky gifts for those they love. But despite the soggy socks, pets have a way of making your life just a bit better each day.

So, try not to be too upset at the next accidental mess your pet makes. Even if it meant you had to scrub your toes.

Names for a Goldfish

 

1. Freddie.

2. Bubbles.

3. Goldie.

4. Doubloon.

5. Phineas.

6. Small Fry.

7. Tiny Terror of the Tank.

8. Bloop.

9. Thor.

10. Dragon.

Staring at the Darkness

 

The cat lies staring into the darkness, waiting. What is he waiting for? How long will he wait?

The darkness provides no answers, and the silence of the house is broken only by the mechanical hum of electronics. No living thing makes a sound. The cat is still in his waiting, without even the twitch of his tail.

The would outside the house is lit by starlight, the new moon a dark spot. The wind flutters halfheartedly along, offering only the occasional howl as it gets a brief swell of energy.

Back within the house, something changes. Was it a sound? A scuttle of movement where none should be? The glow of an eye?

Whatever it was, the cat reacted. He leapt, claws unsheathed. An otherworldly hiss crackles against the electronic hum. The sharp stench of a festering wound fills the air, before vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared.

The cat retreats from the darkness. Something slick and wet is clenched between his teeth, wiggling in an attempt of freedom. The cat bites down harder, but the thing in his mouth refuses to die.

Even as the cat curls up within sight of a particular patch of darkness and begins to eat the thing, it continues to wiggle.

Once his meal is finished, the cat returns to staring at the darkness.

To Have a Freezer

 

1. Frozen pizza.

2. To store meat. Sometimes the best deals come from buying in bulk, but if you don't have somewhere for longer term storage, then you'll potentially have some meat spoil before you can use it.

3. Frozen vegetables. Depending on the season, some vegetables may become expensive or hard to find. Plus, some vegetables taste better when they were rather than when canned.

4. Leftovers! Made too much turkey? Freeze individual portions and then enjoy it whenever you want!

5. Ice cream. Delicious. Cold. Flavorful. This treat is one that must be stored somewhere cold, luke a freezer, or eaten right away.

6. Premade meals. Whether from the freezer section or from your own kitchen, a premade meal that need only be thawed and cooked can be a great time saver!

7. Ice packs. When you get hurt around the house, it is nice to be able to pull out an ice pack to help with minor injuries.

8. Cookies. Did you know that you can freeze cookies if you happen to bake too many? Then, you can pull out a bagful and enjoy a tasty cookie whenever!

9. Store ice. Because, you know, ice melts when it gets warm.

10. To chill a topping onto a cake. Have a cheesecake that has a melted layer of ganache on the top? Stick it in the freezer for a little while, and poof! Solid ganache and a cheesecake ready for slicing!

Yellow

 

The sun shining brightly in the sky, and the petals of a daffodil.

Both the honey bee and the hooded siskin show off this color in flight, while lemons and bananas display it with their peels.

It is a color that can make you feel both happy and hungry, though too much of it can make you feel as if you've been blinded by its brightness.

What color is it? Why, yellow.

It rhymes with mellow, and can make you want to bellow to the fellow who's rocking that cello.

Yellow is a nice color, and a good word too.

So don't forget to smile next time you see something yellow.

To Wear Socks

 

1. While hiking, a comfortable pair of socks can help keep your feet blister-free and warm.

2. When sick, soft fuzzy socks help you find a little joy in a day of sniffles.

3. Toe socks make it so you can wiggle your toes while keeping them covered when wearing sandles.

4. Knee high socks are great on days when you want to wear shorts, but don't want your legs to get cold.

5. Socks can show off part if your personality, ecen if you're the only one to know that your current socks have tacosaurs on them.

6. Because your feet get cold easily.

7. You can't stand the feeling of bare feet in boots.

8. Socks help protect your feet amd legs from getting bitten by ants and other bugs when you're outside gardening or hiking.

9. Because socks comfortable.

10. So you can slide around the kitchen floor like it was a skating rink.

Picnic on a Hill

 

There once was a flower that grew on a hill. It was small, with bright yellow petals.

Every day, the flower waved in the morning breeze, ssying hello to a new day. And when it would rain, the raindrops would sparkle off the petals once the sun came out from behind the clouds.

One day, a family climbed the hill for a picnic. The children ran about and played, their laughter carried by the breeze. The parnets sat on a blanket and smiled as the watched the children.

One child saw the yellow flower, and plucked it from the ground.

Running back to the blanket, the child offered the flower to his mother, who took it and smiled at the pleasant scent.

When the picnic was done and all was packed away, the family and the flower left the hill, and the breeze blew through their hair in farewell.

Objects Found in a Bathroom

 

1. Air freshener.

2. Tweezers.

3. Bandages.

4. A laundry basket.

5. Cleaning supplies.

6. Nail clippers.

7. Dental floss.

8. Towels.

9. Shampoo.

10. A hairbrush.

Weeks

Sometimes you get a week filled with responsibilities. The usual chores, additional duties, crazy spur of the moment ideas that have to happen right now.

You know that kind of week.

It pushes you into a sprint when you were expecting a nice jog.

By the time you reach the end, you're exhausted.

Then there's the kind of week that just drags on and on. Each moment stretches into the next, lingering far longer than you ever wanted it to. Not only does ever minute take in hour to pass, but even the simplest of tasks become unending.

This kind of week clings to your feet like a tar pit, refusing to let you go no matter how hard you fight to be free.

By the time this week ends, you don't know what a day is supposed to be. What is a second, and why do they keep coming back for more?

Just like a week spent in the blur of responsibilities, a week stretched beyond its accepted length is exhausting to endure.

But then, there are those rare, wonderful weeks wherein neither responsibilities nor time move beyond your ability to accomplish.

Those blissful weeks are just right in all ways: just enough tasks to fulfill, not too much time stretched out, and a comfortable pace that allows for both moments of haste and moments of leisure.

Enjoys those weeks, for they seem so rare in the bustle of life.

Some Might Give Up On a Project

 

1. It is difficult understand.

2. It doesn't make them happy.

3. It takes up more time then they thought it would.

4. It takes without giving anything back.

5. You never really wanted to do it in the first place.

6. You've lost the drive to continue.

7. An accident made you lose all your progress, and you don't feel as though you could redo all that work.

8. What made it fun was the people you were working with, but now they've left you alone.

9. You've found something else you love more.

10. You weren't able to reach the goal you set, and so don't feel as if you could continue.

The Woodcutter's Robot

Once there was a robot, who could do all sorts of fun things. It could pick up sticks, wheel around the forest without getting stuck, and even cut and stack logs in the shed.

Then one day, the company which built all the robots decided that it didn't need all these different kinds of robots, and slowly began to discontinue services and parts for robots the company deemed obsolete.

This wasn't a problem for the Woodcutter's robot, not at first.

But then came a day when the treads that covered robot's wheels broke.

Without working treads, the robot couldn't wheel through the forest collecting sticks, nor could it maneuver around the shed properly.

The Woodcutter called the company to order replacement parts, and was told that the robot was one the company had discontinued service for. There were no spare parts to get. The Woodcutter was upset, because the company had orginally said that the robot was covered by a lifetime warrenty. The robot still worked just fine, except for the lack of maneuverability. Didn't that mean the robot's "lifetime" hadn't ended yet?

Not according to the company.

The company offered to send another, newer robot, at a discounted rate even.

But the Woodcutter didn't want another robot. Instead, the Woodcutter called an old friend, and asked her to come visit.

The old friend was a mechanic, who worked with all sorts of vehicles. Together, the Woodcutter and the Mechanic worked on the robot, making a new set of treads so that the robot could continue to do what it was there to do.

When all was done, the robot got back to work with an eager-sounding chirp, and the Woodcutter thanked his friend for her help.

The company may have given up on his robotic partner, but the Woodcutter wouldn't. Not while the robot still seemed eager to work.

Plants You Might Have in a Garden

1. Flowers. Because flower gardens are pretty, and quite often smell nice. Some are even edible!
2. Strawberries. People love strawberries, so why not grow your own?
3. Potatoes. How big will they be when they're ready to harvest? You'll have to dig them up to find out!
4. Mint. Fresh mint is great for desserts and drinks, plus it smells nice.
5. Tomatoes. They are a useful fruit that is used like a vegetable, and can come in various sizes!
6. Eggplant. For when you need an alternate version of chicken parmesan, eggplant is the vegetable to choose.
7. Rhubarb. Alien celery can be surprisingly tasty, just remember not to eat the leaves, as they're toxic.
8. Lettuce. Because you need a base vegetable to add the others to.
9. Rosemary. Useful for both dinner and dessert!
10. Weeds. They come, you take them out, and they come right back.

Bad Time

When time goes bad, it tends to favor three approaches.
First, the bad time. A bad time is inconvenient, but often manageable. A bad time could be a leaking dishwasher, missing homework, or a sick child on the day you and all your friends were going to get together.
A step above a bad time is when you're suffering from bad times. Bad times is when all the potential causes of a bad time get together to hit you all at once. Missing keys when you're already late for work, the whole family down with food poisoning on the day the hall bathroom decides to become a waterpark. A broken heel causing a twisted ankle while the wind rips your umbrella out of your hands so that the rain drenches you. You know how bad times look.
The third approach is rare, but always catastrophic. For it is when time goes bad. It becomes rotton, and portions of reality ooze away beneath the strain. Monstrous creatures breK theough the weakened barriers, and people fall out of time entirely. The lucky fools find themselves in the past or flung into the future. The unlucky fools are frozen in between seconds, trapped forever in a state of neither existing nor creasing to exist.
But the third approach rarely ecer occurs, and fixes itself in what could either be called no time at all, or after all this time. Eyewitnesses are split on which exactly is correct.

When to Make Ice Cream

1. On a hot summer day.
2. During a winter storm.
3. When you have ingredients that need to be used.
4. When there is space in your freezer.
5. If you are going to have a few friends over.
6. When you are happy.
7. In the morning, when the kitchen is nice and cool.
8. When you have the house to yourself.
9. During a calm week.
10. Why not get started now? You can at least decide on a flavor.

Curling Roses

"Notice the way the central petals curl inward after its prey has been lured within by the sweet scent." The tour guide said, motioning toward a large pink spotted flower, which had all its petals tucked in so that the grooves at the edges of each petal were interlocked. The flower shook every so often, as whatever was trapped within fought to get free.
"That same sweet smell will soon fill the inner flower, causing the prey's muscles to relax until they can no longer support the prey's efforts to escape. Once the flower senses a decrease of movement in the prey, it will release digestive enzymes and begin consumption of its meal."
The flower wasn't shaking anymore. As the tour guide led the group on to another part of the complex, I glanced back at the field of drooping flowers. The inside of the petals blended perfectly with the field, and the center looked like a pink rose bush. You couldn't really notice the petals the curled underneath and along the ground, and I guessed that they must have developed a texture that mimics the ground these plants grow in.
You really wouldn't notice that trap until it was sprung, especially in  the dark.
"Come along, dear! You don't want to be left alone in a field of curling roses." The second tour guide, who'd always stayed at the back of our group, called to me.
As I hurried after them, I couldn't help but think that the flowers did smell nice.

Uses for Mint

1. Ice cream.
2. Lemonade.
3. Simple syrup.
4. Chocolates.
5. Mints.
6. Garnish on a dessert.
7. Frosting.
8. Cheesecake.
9. Cupcake filling.
10. Jelly.

Bread

The dough was somewhat sticky, and soft. It wanted to cling to your hand as you maneuvered it into the proper shape, but you gently pulled it free.
The dough, now shaped, was set to rise in a warm humid proofing box. There, it was left alone to grow, rising and expanding to full the space alloted to it.
When it reached its peak, the dough was removed from the proofer and placed into the hot oven.
You set the timer, and left the dough to its fate.
The oven's heat brought one last burst of growth to the dough, which grew a little more before the heat turned the soft dough into a firmer structure of baked bread.
When the timer beeped, you carefully took the baked bread out of the oven and out of its pan, setting it upon a rack to cool.
After it had cooled, you'd happily cut slices off and enjoy a sandwich. But for now, all you enjoyed was the comfroting scent of fresh baked bread.

Summer Activities

1. Go camping. Experience the wilderness and adventure that awaits you outside!
2. Summer cleaning. Because what better time is there to go through your stuff and get it all sorted back where they belong?
3. Fishing. A fun, relaxing way to spend your day, and you'll even get a future meal if all goes well!
4. A roadtrip. Just get out on the road and drive. See places you've never seen, and visit with friends and family you haven't seen in a while.
5. Yardwork. There is always something to do out in the yard.
6. Reading! You've veen waitng forever to scratch a few dozen books off your to-read lost, after all.
7. Eat lots of cool treats. Because summer and hot, and you need to stay chill.
8. Make a new friend. Lots of people get time off during the summer, so what better time is there to build a friendship?
9. Enjoy the weather. Hot and sunny one day, cool and wet on another, and on some days you get both sun and rain!
10. Build a birdhouse. Just make sure it's thr kind the birds in your area like.