Abandoned

Waking early, I slip out the back door. Invisibility is my goal. I never steal too much, only enough. Receiving a good price for my trinkets, I return to the abandoned house.  Mom’s smile turns to a frown as she struggles to sit.  From my backpack, I retrieve the medicine I bought with the money…

Freedom

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers is hosted by Priceless Joy. The challenge is to write a story based on a photo prompt in 100-150 words (+ / – 25 words). This weeks prompt is courtesy of Fandango. ~~ The elderly looking man wearing sunglasses and a hat slowly hobbled toward the park bench. For hours,…

Photo

I sit beside my grandfather.  He grips a photo from a long time ago and revisits the past. “I stood in line waiting.  She was already on the carnival ride.  She looked like an angel.  Her face radiated pure joy.  I had to meet her.” The beeping of the machines brings us back to the…

Running Free

Running wild across the flat open terrain, I’m free.  No one can catch me.  Other animals try, but I’m faster.  The sun on my face has no time to scorch, I blaze faster than its rays.  Gliding through the day, I hunt for prey.  I am as stealthy as I am fast. That was me…

Surviving

Sam walks through the day weighed down, as if being pulled to the grave with her. She was the love of his life.  Four children later came the diagnosis. Sitting at the table, he reflects. His little boy comes up behind him. “Can I have a drink of water, daddy?” Sam answers in a whisper,…

Thursday Doors: Tsim Sha Tsui

This post is Inspired by Thursday Doors, hosted by Norm Frampton. For more interesting doors from all around the globe, check it out. ~~ It’s fun to be a tourist in your own city.  Hong Kong is a fascinating place, with a variety of interesting things to do and see.  This past weekend, my family…

Ode to Mom

I wake early Christmas morning and sneak from my bed. Creeping down the hall, I sidestep the squeaky wooden floorboards, and sit just outside the living room.  A mound of colorful packages lay clustered at the base of the tree that is decorated with stringed popcorn and cranberries, colorful paper chains, nostalgic ornaments, lots of…

Forgiveness

I sleep in a cardboard box.  Walking the frigid streets of London, I look for discarded bits of food. The smell of freshly baked strudel takes my mind back to a small bakery, kilometers away. I am a child.  My father stands behind the counter with flour to his elbows.  He welcomes me home from…

Lace Maker

Dressed in a stunning blue chiffon gown covered in lace, she dances.  Her partner holds her close.  They float across the marble floor to the uplifting music of the orchestra. A sudden pain explodes across the back of her neck.  She throws a look at her owner whose face is a strange color purple.  Bending…

Renewal

In a tunnel beneath the earth’s surface, I stare at the painting on the stone wall. How could this be? It’s the same as from my dreams. Rounding a corner, I spy another. What could this mean? I walk on from there, one painting to another. Others follow me.  The mystery drives us upward. I…