1. Because Happily Ever Afters make you happy.
2. You are tired.
3. An accident has prevented you from continuing.
4. You've run out of material for the craft you're working on.
5. You just really like cliffhangers.
6. The story had dragged on long enough that all interest in it has died.
7. The thing you were working on was canceled.
8. The thing reached a satisfying place to end.
9. You've run out of ideas.
10. Because you've reached The End.
There comes a point when one must ask themselves, Is it worth continuing on this course?
Of course, it is probably best to ask yourself this before you are being chased by an angry dragon in the company of a mad elf and pyromanic human.
Unfortunately, you don't get a lot of opportunities to reflect on your life choices when you happen to be said human's horse.
"Onward, Aodh!" My human urges, and I offer a snort as we angle for the narrow pass that leads out of the mountains towards the forest. If we can reach it, we'll be safe, as the dragon is too large to fit in such a tight area.
Hopefully, the mad elf my human insisted on bringing was able to use her magic to prevent the dragon from using its fire. If not, well, I've been around more than my share of fire since acquiring my human.
We make it to the pass, but barely, the rancid breath of the dragon hot on my croup as its teeth snap shut mere moments too late to catch me. The dragon's roar of fury is painfully loud, and spurs me to greater speeds even as the mad elf gives a piercing laugh.
My human joins in the laughter, and I wonder why I didn't listen to my dam when she suggested I find myself nice bard to travel with. No, I just had to go for the gallantry of becoming a knight's steed, I thought bitter to myself. If I ever sired any foals, I'd make sure they knew to always listen to their dam.
When we finally made it out of the pass and into the forest, I was exhausted. But on the bright side, the dragon seemed to have given up once we were outside of its territory.
My human cared for my needs before seeing to his own, and I reminded myself that a little danger came with the job. I'd wanted adventure, and I was getting exactly what I'd asked for. I was young yet, and I couldn't trust any other horse to keep my human from setting fire to the camp. Again.
Speaking of setting fires, I thought with a resigned huff as I recognized that gleam in my human's eyes. Flicking an ear in irritation, I went to stop with from trying to burn the fancy scroll he'd stolen from the dragon's hoard. We needed to get that back to the court magician, who really should know better by now than to send my human to fetch something so easy to burn.
1. Snakes.
2. Vultures.
3. Crocodiles.
4. Moose.
5. Cats.
6. Moths.
7. Frogs.
8. Owls.
9. Snails.
10. Elephants.
The road was long, but still they traveled on.
Mile by mile, until at last they reached their destination.
There, the family gathered round, eager to exchange tales from their year.
The atmosphere was warm, everyone feeling bright with good cheer.
With how spread out they were, the moments wherein they could all gather were few.
But each time they did, their love for one another grew.
1. Socks.
2. A hat.
3. A block of wood.
4. A game.
5. Anything elephants.
6. A mug.
7. Pajamas.
8. Books.
9. A flashlight.
10. Chocolate.
Rabbits may rush about trying not to be late, and turtles might slowly find themselves winning a race.
Whatever the moment, there are options ahead.
Even in sometimes the best option is going to bed.
Setting a schedule doesn't always work right.
Sometimes you forget until late in the night.
Whether you relate to the rabbit's quick feet or to the turtle's slow and steady beat, rember to take a moment to breathe.
1. Mints.
2. Fudge.
3. Syrup.
4. Mousse.
5. Milkshakes.
6. Candycanes.
7. Ice cream.
8. Hot chocolate.
9. Cookies.
10. Cheesecake.
Should you neglect your dragon, they may just decide to eat you.
If you feel as though this is a potential occurrence, you can attempt to dissuade your dragon from this course by placating them with a treasure for their hoard.
Just be sure to pick something that your dragon will highly value, or else you might insult them into finalizing their decision to eat you.
1. Look at how unique each snowflake is.
2. Take a picture to send to friends who live where there is no snow.
3. Listen to how queit everything seems when covered in snow.
4. Twirl around as it falls.
5. Watch your dog run delightedly through it.
6. Make a snowangel.
7. Build a snow fort.
8. Shovel a path through it.
9. Have a snowball fight.
10. Build a snowman.
Fatigue settles like the a cold chill from being caught in the rain without a coat.
You become sluggish, unsure if you'll ever be warm and dry again.
But an opportunity to rest is like finally getting dried off and settling someplace warm.
It may take a little time to get there, but the fatigue you feel now needn't last forever.
Rest will come, eventually. You must simply be read to seize hold of it once it appears.
1. Yellow.
2. Strawberry.
3. Black forest.
4. Red velvet.
5. Coconut.
6. Apple.
7. Chocolate.
8. Spice.
9. Pumpkin.
10. Carrot.
If the fire died, then the wolves would get them.
But if they kept the fire lit, then the Shadowman could find them. For a shadow could not exist without light.
Looking at those under her care, teenage girl wondered which option was worse. She knew that not everyone would be able to outrun the wolves, especially not with the injuries that Joey and Cecile had.
Yet if they let the Shadowman come, who knew how many of them he would take?
"I'm scared," little Rosie said, and the teen scooped the young girl up.
"Don't be scared, Rosie. We'll figure this out," she said with false cheer. As she passed the girl over to Alec (who was much better with the little kids than she was) the girl noticed a flicker at the corner of her eye.
Glancing around as subtly as she could, it didn't take long for her to notice something that filled her heart with dread. A long, thin shadow that didn't fit the shape of the stump that cast it.
The Shadowman had found them.
He hadn't yet taken on that semi-solid form required for him to interact with their world, however, so there was still a chance. If I can just kill the fire before he acts, she thought as she turned back towards the campfire. But before she could take a step, a voice like the whisperings of a monster beneath the bed breathed in her ear, "I wouldn't do that, dearie."
Turning back towards the stump as casually as she could, the girl moved so that she was between its unnatural shadow and the others. "What do you want with us?" she asked quietly, lips barely moving as she stared at the shadow. It shifted in a motion independent of the flickering firelight, moving closer to her.
"I don't care about most of you at all, actually. It has simply taken me this long to figure out which one of you I needed," the Shadowman said, his indistinct form seeming to grow more solid the closer it came to her.
"If you only need one of us, then what have you done with the others you've taken?" she asked.
"They don't matter, dearie. You'll never see them again," he replied, and she took a step back as she turned her head to call the warning she should have issued earlier.
Her warning never formed, however, for semi-solid arms wrapped around her and dragged the girl back into a world of shadows.
1. Penelope.
2. Quincy.
3. Jolene.
4. Bronagh.
5. Carl.
6. Douglas.
7. Geoffrey.
8. Frederick.
9. Walter.
10. Therius.
A long time ago, there was a frog.
The frog lived in the swamp, and every day the frog would eat his fill of flies and other bugs that happened along his path.
It was a simple life, but one that the frog enjoyed.
Then one day, a young woman dressed in the red and black of a ladybird came to the swamp. Now, the frog had never met a person like this woman, and didn't realize the danger that would come from trying to ask her to stop spraying whatever stinky stuff was scaring away his lunch.
For when the woman heard the frog speak, she decided that he must be a cursed prince.
And so the frog found himself taken from his lovely swamp, and set on a pillow in a room within a castle that was sorely lacking in bugs for him to eat.
When the young woman—who turned out to be something known as a princess—kissed him, the frog was confused.
The princess was disappointed, and decided that she must not be the one meant to break his curse.
Thus began the Frog Festival, wherein every eligible princess or maiden in the surrounding kingdoms who could attend woulf have the opportunity to try and break the (supposed) Frog Prince's curse.
No one listened when the frog said he was just a frog, and so he resigned himself to being stuck in the castle for the rest of his days.
2. Raspberry and lime.
3. Vanilla and strawberry.
4. Lemon and pepper.
5. Cinnamon and clove.
6. Chocolate and mint.
7. Blackberry and cranberry.
8. Oregano and feta.
9. Rosemary and citrus.
10. Garlic and parmesan.
Time can be meaningless if not spent well.
Look around: where do your thoughts dwell?
Do you spend your time on things of mediocrity?
Or do you strive to improve your talents to the highest quality?
Looking around, are you pleased by what you see?
Or do you find yourself wondering if this is all you can be?
Lift up your hand, and reach for the stars.
If you never give up, I'm sure you'll go far.
1. Milk.
2. Apple juice.
3. Horchata.
4. Orange juice.
5. Water.
6. Hot chocolate.
7. Soda.
8. Cranberry juice.
9. Milkshakes.
10. Broth.
It was noisy and cold, but at least one of those problems could be solved. Wrapping a blanket around you shoulders, you shiver in the dark for a moment.
Soon enough, though, the blanket fulfills its duty, and you start to feel warm again.
If it wasn't for the loud party next door, you might have been able to sleep. But the music was so loud that you could feel it in your bones, and the pounding of your head beat in time to the thumping bass.
Your neighbers always seemed to have a wild party on the weekend, and you were exhausted by the chaos it brought. You couldn't imagine what it would be like to actually be at the party, given how loud it was through the solid walls of your house.
Glancing at the clock, you gave a soft groan. Only a few more hours, and it should be over, you thought wistfully. Maybe you'd fall into an uneasy, exhausted slumber before then.
It was unlikely, but you could hope.
The one bright side of all this was that you didn't have to work tomorrow. Your neighber's parties were always worse on the nights where you had to go into work the next morning.
For now, you would simply suffer and how for sleep to claim you.
1. A vampire.
2. Spaghetti and meatballs.
3. A mummy.
4. A book.
5. A tree.
6. A mirror.
7. A giant cupcake.
8. A statue.
9. A time traveler.
10. Your evil twin.
The willow stood restless under the assault of the wind. Its long, thin branches swayed with every turbulent breath.
Then came the rain, pouring down to splash again the ground in a soft pitter-patter.
The wind and the rain continued on through the night, battering at the willow and the earth around it.
When at last the light of day began to creep out from behind the distant mountain, the storm slowly subsided.
The willow still stood, though it had lost a few limbs to the whistling wind.
All would be well— until the next storm came.