Witness Protection

I watch the lights that decorate the lobby as the glass elevator lifts. I no longer see the twinkle in the lights but the shadows they cast for I understand what lives in the dark.  When the elevator door opens, I rush to my room, lock the door behind me, and slide to the floor.  A knock startles me. “Are you okay?” my bodyguard, Joe, asks through the door. “I am well,” I answer,…

Memory Eater

The rug that covered the hard wood floor muffled the sounds of her footsteps.  He jumped when Alea placed her hand on his shoulder. “It’s just me,” she said softly.  “Taking another selfie?” Watching her image on the screen of his phone, he said, “I don’t want to forget myself again.” “Henry, that was temporary amnesia.”  Because, I…

Keepers

Arboria’s voice followed the contours of the land until it reached Wistrema on the other side of the world.  The mighty oak tree whispered, “More land east of the great ocean has been cleared.” Wistrema whispered back, “How many Memory Keepers were lost this time?”  “Many trees were felled, both young and ancient, and a plethora…

Rage

The monster roared to the surface.  Its barbed tongue lashed out with venom and it dug deep, cutting and slicing.  Not even the look of pain on the face of its victim ceased its attack. For most days, the monster bides its time, waiting to be seen, impatient to be heard.  When it struggles to claw its way…

Hope

She stumbled through the forest until she came across an abandoned cabin.  For a time, she rested, rocking in a chair on the porch.  A full moon rose as a familiar figure walked from among the trees.  “It is time you returned,” he said.  “They no longer listen,” she responded.  “There is too much hatred.”   “Without you, there…

Thursday Doors: Summer in Perpignan

Yesterday, my husband and I took a thirty-minute walk to the downtown Perpignan prefecture where we picked up our new resident permits for France.  We’ve been waiting for months for our visa to be extended.  I don’t go out much yet.  But, we needed to go.   The weather was warm and sunny, so the stroll was refreshing as…

The Good Old Days

Sharon laughed with her brother. “Remember our family trips to the ocean, Doug?  Crammed in the car, no seatbelts, snaking over the back seat to sleep in the tail end of the station wagon?” Doug nodded.  “Yeah, I remember racing through our neighborhood on our Schwinn bikes, free as a bird without the hassle of helmets” “My…

Many Other Worlds

In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors. (William Blake) One horrible day, my internet went down.  I wondered how I would cope.  There was news to read, emails to send, Zoom calls to join, and social media to engage with. Frustrated, I decided to go…

What’s Important

A language Sally did not understand swirled around her in chaotic jibberish.  The laughter of patrons eating at the dumpling shops unnerved her.   Why am I here?  Five years later, Sally sat at a wobbly table.  Surrounded by friends, she gripped a pair of chopsticks with acceptable form.  The taste of savory dumplings delighted her tongue.  She lay down…

Warnings

The day began with her daughter’s screams.  The little girl writhed back and forth atop the stained mattress.  “Why her?” Matilin asked the dark as she made her way to her daughter.   The dreaded nightmares of a Seer should have been passed down to Matilin instead of Royanna.  For months, they had fled from one hiding place…

Never Forgotten

We fell deeply in love when we were young.  We built a family and watched them grow.  We laughed, fought, loved, and cried.  As our backs bent and our minds faltered, we sat together.  Your camaraderie was more than enough for me.  This world of woe spun around, but we hung on until you let go.  I don’t blame you, you…

Retirement

They promised better days for our golden years.  I stood with the others at the bank of the Seine River.  Travel pods floated toward us.   Theo stepped up beside me. “No! It’s not your time,” I argued. “Your time is my time.” The pod was roomier than I imagined, and the travel time shorter.  After landing with a slight thump, Theo…