THAT FUNNY FEELING

It’s morning as I hear the bell ring. I ran to class. School can be so boring. There would come a time, though, when I’d long for a feeling as inviting as mundanity. 

It all started that one Friday morning as I entered class. Something didn’t feel right. I thought it might have been something as simple as forgetting my favorite pencil or, at most, a homework assignment. My friends felt the same way so at least I wasn’t alone. 

Sitting next to me was someone I have known since early childhood, my BFF Carol. We even dated once. I actually had the nerve to invite her to the homecoming dance. It was so awkward. I’m so glad we were able to remain buddies. Especially after that trainwreck. 

There was a pop quiz that day. A lump in my throat grew. That couldn’t be the reason for that funny feeling, could it? Maybe. Carol handed me a pen as I cheated off her test papers. I’m not ashamed. She was always more knowledgeable about things than me. What kind of things? All kinds of things. 

I finished the test. I still couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong. That’s when I saw him. It was Big Mike walking into class, late as usual. He pointed his two fore fingers at me. His thumb pointed straight in the air. He mouthed the word “bang” as he took his seat. He always had something against me. I never was certain what it was. There had been rumors among other things. You know teenagers, once a rumor starts it becomes hard to kill.  

The bell rang again. It was time for a much-needed lunch break. That was when my life changed forever. As I walked the hall with Carol, I heard a student yell the one word you never want to hear in a school, “gun!” As it turned out, Mike had a pistol hidden behind him, complete with a bullet meant just for me. He raised his weapon. I could see the murderous intent in his eyes. The gun went off. I looked down, clutched my chest. I knew I was as good as dead. I was not, though. I was very much alive. As I gathered myself, realization set in as I saw Carol standing in front. She saw the weapon just in time to protect me as Mike fired. Mike holstered his gun and ran off. All of us were lucky to still be breathing that day. Just not my Carol as that was the last time I saw my life-long friend, the same person I shared everything with, alive. 

EVERYDAY I FEAR THEM

Every day I fear them 

They’ll pull me over when I drive. 

Every time I’m near them 

I’m ‘fraid they’ll shoot me til’ I die. 

TV says be afraid of us 

But that just isn’t true. 

I fear not my brothers and sisters  

But I fear the men in blue. 

People try and silence us 

As they hate when we protest. 

There is very little they can do  

when they cause civil unrest. 

A knee to the neck 

A shot in the back 

When will it stop? 

When will it end? 

When will the day come

I can call an officer my friend? 

Every day I fear them 

When I see my brothers cry 

Every time they kill them 

I have to ask just…why? 

PROJECTION

Death is a hard thing to explain to a child. Dying is the easy part. What happens afterwards is where things get complicated. 

The rich can use a device that reads past thoughts of others. With the right amount of money or the right connections, you too could have your very consciousness uploaded to an online database. 

The problem is once uploaded, others can view your deepest, darkest desires. I promised my son that if I were to die, I would have my entire life uploaded for him to view as he pleased. That way I would always be with him. 

After saving all the money I could for that one fateful day, I began to have second thoughts. I did things. Many of which I’m not proud of. Most of which happened before I met his mother and maybe even beyond that. 

I had no idea the day of my demise would happen so soon. That cancer was a real son of a bitch. Who could have predicted it would eat away at my organs so quickly. Therefore, against my better judgement, I finally went through with the uploading process. It wasn’t my son that convinced me, however. It was my wife. It was always difficult to say no to her. 

The day had come. It was time to have all of me uploaded to that server. It was a very strange sensation, a literal out of body experience. I could see my thoughts manifest into an almost physical form as I floated around. I felt like God within my own world except that I didn’t have control over anything. So, I guess nothing like God at all, really. 

The time came for both my wife and son to come visit me. They saw my world and could interact with everything within it. I floated toward them and gave them a personal guided tour. We spent most of the day reliving our memories in real time. There was the time I got married, all the way to when I took my son to his first ballgame. It was so joyous. 

Then it happened. My son’s curiosity got the better of him. 

“What’s that over there?” he asked. 

He pointed to a single door. It was pass the fields he played in and stood in a single dark void. 

“You don’t want to go in there,” I said. 

“A single peek won’t hurt,” he replied. 

He darted toward the door as both my wife and I tried to stop him, but it was too late. He had already reached the door. He peeked inside. A quick look was all it took. He saw his grandparents. Before he could comment, he saw me, a separate projection of me anyway, approach them. I picked up a knife and stabbed my mother repeatedly. My father tried to stop me, but I was able to push him away and then stab him three times. My poor son wet his pants. I had told my wife and kid that I had gotten a promotion. The truth was I collected my parent’s insurance money. A hefty sum. Ironically it was the only way to pay for the data transfer.  

As soon as my wife saw the truth, she took our son, and she logged out. I haven’t seen them since. 

I don’t regret what I did. It was a necessary evil. The only problem is that now I am alone. So very, very, alone. 

THOU ART IN HEAVEN

My family never cared for me. They have forgotten all about me. Now I am floating in limbo. I don’t know if I’ve reached Heaven or Hell at this point. Legend has it that Limbo is where you go when no one cares about you. That has to be where I am. I guess I have no one to blame but myself. I remained so distant and cold. Since I left the Earth I have watched others grow old and pass away including my own family. There is no one left on the planet to mourn me. I was that insignificant. I haven’t so much as seen my parents in limbo. I guess that means they made it to Heaven.

I was a fool to run away with a boy a barely knew at a young age. We drank and we argued all the time. One day I ran out of his house in such a rage that I didn’t see the van coming as I crossed the street.

There is no one left to pray for me, no one left to care. I look up and see my parents in the clouds above. They don’t even know I’m down here. I see my father reaching downward as if he were trying to grab something. My mother reaches with him. I feel myself moving upward. Maybe I am not so forgotten after all.

FATAL QUEST

Jessica and Isaiah Hart experienced much pain in their life. No matter what, however, these siblings always had each others back. Our story takes place on a planet similar to Earth, the planet Javalonia. It was here that the people began feeling ill. The disease spread like wildfire in a matter of months until the majority of the planet’s population succumbed to the mortal illness.

During the months the virus began to spread, Javalonia suffered an alien invasion. They struck both without warning and without motive. This couldn’t have been a coincidence, yet no media outlet and no government announcement made mention of the connection. Jessica and Isaiah took notice of this and wanted to find the roots of this potential conspiracy. Having noticed these connections they began referring to the mysterious alien race as the Plague believing they to be the cause of the virus killing the planet. They formed a resistance to help put an end to the alien takeover. They called themselves Plague Hunters. Unfortunately, with the combination of the war and the virus slowly took out every member they’d recruit until all that remained were them and a magic user who they knew only as Greene.

Somehow, word got out about the Hart siblings and their war against the Plague and instead of thanking them, they became wanted by the government. Jessica and Isaiah needed to get to the bottom of this. That is when Greene had an idea.

FROWNING OLD MAN

Two kids went Trick-or-Treating one Halloween night

They walked toward a castle, it was quite a site

Little did they know that the castle in town

was home to a man who always would frown

They knocked on the door, once opened what did they see?

A frowning old man apparently lacking in glee.

“TRICK-OR-TREAT”

the kids said aloud

But the old man’s grumpiness covered like a cloud.

“Go away!” the old man said with a vileness to fear

“I have no candy now get out of here!”

The two kids left then two more came

Again the old man’s response was the same;

“Go away!” he said in a voice to fear.

“I have no candy now get out of here!”

The old man reentered his castle

considering kids to be a real hassle.

“Darn those kids, they’re always around

causing me to do nothing but frown.

They come here every Halloween night

expecting me to happy and full of delight.

They always come and always go,

They make me cringe whenever they show.

Oh well, I guess I should no longer worry

I’ll just sit back, relax, and enjoy my stories.”

It was then the old man heard another knock on the door

“Another child wants candy? This becoming a chore.”

The old man opened the door and to his surprise

was a young child with no bag or even a mask for his eyes.

Instead all he held were a series of books

of which he wanted the old man to simply just look.

“May I come in and read these tales?”

The old man sighed and said, “Oh, very well.”

As the child read stories of friendship and hope

The old man realized it was hard to cope

with being alone for so many years,

happiness just seemed to disappear.

He felt those old emotions coming back,

having someone with him was better than his usual TV and snacks.

“Thank you for being here,”

The old man said

“My only hope is that you’ll come back next year.”

So what happened to the old man and the child?

Did the child ever come back around.

It doesn’t matter. What matters is that at least for that one night

The frowning old man’s expression was turned upside down.

THE CLIMB

My wife, Celeste, made it to the top of the mountain. Always loved her ambition. It feels like only yesterday Celeste was dying of cancer. She’s always been a fighter and that spirit allowed her to make it to the top.

Personally, I’m afraid of heights. Since my wife climbed to the top I felt I had to as well. Come hell or high water, I was going to make it. Climbing when you’re terrified of heights is a rush. As I climbed, I stopped occasionally to admire the view. Sky was clear, birds were soaring. It’s like I could hear my wife’s voice coming from the birds. It’s like they were cheering me on. I was halfway there when I started thinking I won’t make it, wishing for solid ground. Still for Celeste, I had to join her.

A few close calls later I reached the top. Before standing I admired the view one last time. Now everything was silent. The sounds of the birds and the wind were gone. Standing up I noticed the bright sun and clear sky. Celeste made one more call to me. “You made it!” I heard her exclaim. Yes, I made it, and I never looked back.

VEGGIE ON THE RUN

In the food section of a supermarket, there lived two small groups of produce. They lived across from one another. They rarely mingled or communicated in any way. That is until a single vegetable, a carrot, dared to be different.

Carrot frolicked over to the fruit side. He walked to the side of the refrigerated counter where the young fruit would usually play. He noticed several of them playing. He climbed up to meet them. “Hey guys, what’s going on?” Carrot asked with excitement. “None of your business, replied a banana. “Yeah, go away,” said an agreeing pineapple. “I just wanted to play,” a now saddened Carrot said. “Listen!” Banana fiercely demanded, “we don’t like your kind of produce hanging around here. Just go back to your bitter tasting friends.”

Carrot tearfully stood his ground, refusing to move. “It’s going to be that way, is it?” Questioned Pineapple who’s frustrations were rising steadily. A third member of the group, a watermelon, approached Carrot. “Hey, Watermelon!” Championed Pineapple, “show him who’s boss, get’em outta here.” Watermelon was of intimidating size. Carrot knew he’d be no match for him. Watermelon gave Carrot a swift punch in the eye. He then threw him on the floor away from the fruit counter. Watermelon looked down to Carrot and called to him, “I’d start running if I were you,” he said. “Run back to your puny veggies.”

Carrot ran. He ran and he ran as his sore eye continued to swell. He ran back to his vegetable counter. He cried and he cried. He cried so much that his eyes started to burn from his own tears.

A concerned tomato approached Carrot. “What’s Wrong?” Tomato asked. Carrot turned all of his feelings into words and they began running out of his mouth. “Pineapple, Banana, and Watermelon wouldn’t let me play with them,” he cried, “They wouldn’t even let me near any of the other fruit. One of them even punched me in the eye. Carrot pointed to his throbbing eye hoping Tomato would notice.

“Oh my, what you went through must have been awful,” Tomato said with concern. “Myself, being considered both a fruit and a vegetable, has had to deal with bullying and name calling all my life.” How could you handle it?” Asked Carrot, Was there anything you did about it? Was there anything you could do?” Tomato smiled, then continued, “One day I just told myself enough was enough. I decided I was special. I was good produce and no one could take that away from me. What you need, Carrot, is just a little self-confidence.”

Carrot began to find inner strength. Tomato could see it in his eyes. It was then Tomato came up with a plan. Something that could make Carrot happy and possibly even let him get a bit of revenge. “I’ve got an idea but let’s take care of that eye first,” Tomato laughed.

Tomato, with the help of some friends, decided to start a party for Carrot. Unlike with the three fruit he encountered, everyone was invited to his party. In fact, Carrot even named it the All Food Party to let everyone know all was welcome. Health foods, candy, chocolate, if it was food, they could join.  Once the party started everyone was having a good time. They played games and danced the night away.

The only food that didn’t receive invitations were Banana, Pineapple, and Watermelon. They rushed over to the vegetable section with excitement and banged on the door. Carrot peaked through the door’s small crack. That’s when he saw them: the very same fruit that mistreated him earlier that day. “Hey!” Shouted Pineapple, “You gonna let us in or what?” “Sorry,” Carrot replied spitefully, “This is the All Food Party. It says nothing of bullies.” Carrot closed the door and went back to the party. There was nothing the three fruit bullies could do but bow their heads in shame.

HALLOWEEN BULLY

On a Halloween night

when it was time to trick or treat

there were three trick or treaters

named Sid, Kat, and Beat

They found plenty of sweets as they continued to wander

as going house to house wasn’t a bother

“I have so much candy”

Beat said aloud,

“I got more than you two, I’m oh so proud.”

“Numbers are nothing,”

Kat said with a shine,

“because my candy is truly divine!”

Poor Sid, however, didn’t have much to store

as he was most nervous to go door to door.

“You have no candy”

Beat said with a laugh.

“SHUT UP!” yelled Sid, not liking Beats sass.

“Better watch out ’cause my fightings high class.”

Sid punched Beat swiftly then he fell to the ground

Beat then kicked Sid’s leg so he too would fall down.

“Oh no, not again!” Kat loudly exclaimed,

“They try to solve problems with their fists, not their brains”

Kat knew she could not remain silent

she had to stop the fight from becoming too violent

“STOP!” shouted Kat, “there is no need to fight”

“We have plenty of candy, we can share this tonight”

“You’re right” said Sid, “fighting truly stinks”

“and it’s not worth causing our friendship to sink.”

“Sharing is caring” the three children thought

and sharing they did, offering the sweets that Sid sought

So the moral of the story is it’s not nice to fight

If you remain ones friend you will surely do right.