family

On Frozen Pond
As Time Goes By, Tony Dorsey Band, 1943 The stellar view of the almost frozen pond and wind-danced trees from the enclosed porch reminded me of the saying, time waits for no one. Valerie, my daughter, a self-proclaimed exception, was late as usual. She pulled into the gravel driveway in her Hybrid vehicle, came inside and greeted Papa, her grandfather, and me with a hug. At eighty-nine years old, Papa had been physically struggling the past month, and I encouraged her to visit him. Like the short days of winter we endured, his time on earth was limited. She hadn't seen him in over a year and not since they had a heated argument about the person of her romantic interests.
By J. S. Wade5 years ago in Fiction
The Edgewater
He selected a chocolate from the crystal bowl. The exterior was frosted with divots. The bowl reminded him of a snapping turtle that caught his line by mistake two summers ago on the pond. He hoped he snagged a walleye…but it felt bulkier, like an old tire. His heart beat faster as he reeled in the line. When the rough uneven half moon emerged from the water, he felt a pang of grief for the turtle. The hook penetrated the left side of her cheek. Somehow he believed it was a girl.
By Lydia Larson5 years ago in Fiction
The Winter Soltice
She didn't know what, but something always drew Emily back to the pond. At least once a week she found herself there, circling the water. Now that winter was taking hold, her visits were more and more frequent. Sometimes she'd bring a book, thinking she'd sit on the rickety, wooden bench and lose herself in some reading. But she never did. Instead she'd realize she'd spent the last hour staring into the depths below the lapping water of the pond.
By Diana Anderson5 years ago in Fiction
Shattered Ice
Ice was scattered across the floor, shattered in pieces. The table where the cake sat was turned over on its side. A few chairs knocked over and out of place. The streamers and ribbons were hanging skewed and falling down. The barn was empty now but a few hours prior it was filled with laughter. People rushed out as soon as the commotion started including Maddie and Chase. Maddie looked around at the mess; today was suppose to be fun and one for the memory books but then it happened…
By Rebecca Hackney5 years ago in Fiction
Freeze-Framed Moments
Jake woke up before the world. He’d set his alarm for six, so he could sneak out and practice before Mom arose. He glanced at his drugstore alarm clock. The faint green glow-in-the-dark numbers said 4:30.
By Sarah Paris5 years ago in Fiction
Pictures Belonging to You
With a grunt of effort, I lifted the box onto the table, setting it down as gently as possible. It was heavier than I’d expected. Who would have thought a box of pictures could be so heavy my arms hurt? Then again, I wasn’t the strongest of people. With a heavy sigh, I pushed the box further onto the table and leaned against it. I took a moment to breathe. God knows I needed it. The past week and a half had been rough.
By Drake5 years ago in Fiction
The First of January
Shifting beneath the faded, tartan wool blanket, Isaac turns onto his left side in a miserable attempt to get comfortable. He is lying on their old leather couch in the den - close to a crackling, cast-iron, wood burning stove - and sticks his bare feet out of the blanket to feel the heat on his skin. After a few minutes, he flips the end of the blanket back to cover his nearly-scorched toes - the wool muting the intensity of the heat. It was January first, and Isaac couldn’t sleep.
By Ben Cook5 years ago in Fiction
Chasing the Setting Sun
“La Città del Rinascimento. The City of the Renaissance. Once, Ferrara was the cultural jewel of Italy, drawing some of the greatest artists, musicians and thinkers of the Renaissance: Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, even Leonardo DiCaprio! Our family was the head of a glittering, exhilarating place in a vital period of history. Even more influential, in some ways, than Venice or Florence, thanks to the House of Este and their court. Ferrara was an international powerhouse, long before New York or Paris reached their prime. Now, people remain fascinated to this day with the Medici family, but the House of Este- “
By Chloë J.5 years ago in Fiction
The Killing Lake
The walk to the killing lake was so much louder than usual today. The snow crunched under my feet, and the sound of the chains around my wrists was an unwelcome addition to the usual quiet. Every member of our small town was walking through the trees with me, but they were silent. Only their footsteps and the occasional quiet sob could be heard.
By Alyssa Gutierrez5 years ago in Fiction
Happy Birthday
I sit at one of the North facing windows of our family cabin, tucked in at the base of Yoho Valley in the National Park. I watch as the day’s light seamlessly disappears over the mountain range making way for the darkness to creep in and settle across the night sky. It’s snowing and the howl of the constant November winds sweeping around our cabin reminds me of the scenes in the Harry Potter movies when the Dementors arrive. As the darkness descends so too does the icy cold air, sucking the life out of the day.
By Kerie Adamson5 years ago in Fiction
Driving
Metres and metres of tarmac shot under the tires as we cruised down country roads. With my big brother driving and our two best friends in the backseat, life couldn't be better. Everything that had troubled me in the last week was left behind us. Windows rolled down, I found myself singing along to the blaring radio, something I hadn’t had it in me to do for a while.
By Grayson Clayton5 years ago in Fiction
Elder's Tree
In life as we grow, sadly, our loved ones pass away and all we have to remember them by is our memories and pictures. When I was five years old, I experienced my first loss when my dog Bear died from rabies. I was completely heartbroken because my grandparents got him as a puppy when I was just a babe. Bear and I grew up together, we were inseparable. When he passed, my grandfather told me to go back into the house, so that could prepare for Bear's immortal life. He planted a pear tree in front of the house, and told me that if we bury Bear in front of this tree, then he would live on within the tree. This way, he would live as long as the tree. Which outlives human lifetimes.
By ElRey Niffen5 years ago in Fiction