Young Adult
Murray's Gall
Murray was upset, but he had to admit there wasn’t much choice. Margins were slim, they were going to need to cut staff, & Corbin just wasn’t cutting it anymore. Mistakes on his reports, work not getting done, coming in late, leaving early, the number of sick days…. Murray liked the guy—everyone seemed to like the guy—& he’d done what he could to cover for him. But these past few months he’d been spiraling deeper & deeper into some dark place Murray just couldn’t understand.
By Randy Wayne Jellison-Knock5 years ago in Fiction
A Fear of Flowers
Larkin was shaking with fear. A small black crate was sitting innocently in the middle of the marigold field. The marigolds were ridiculously oversized. Instead of being ankle-high, these flowers reached to her waist. Larkin believed walking a path with giant flowers on both sides was one of her challenges, but no, that would be too easy. Conquering her fear of plants was hard. Before coming to the castle, Larkin saw one plant in her entire life. Plants were so vibrant and green that her eyes avoided them.
By Toni Crowe5 years ago in Fiction
A Death Goddess' Mortal Enemy
I groaned as I woke up. The blinding purple lights surrounding me caused my headache to intensify. I tried to rub my eyes but found my hands were tightly bound behind my back. I muttered Icelandic curses under my breath, squeezing my eyes shut as if it would help the pounding in my head. I shook the loose strands from my braid out of my eyes as I attempted to stand up, but my feet were also bound. I opened my eyes and squinted, trying to limit the amount of light I saw. I found that the four walls surrounding me were covered in ornate mirrors. No wonder I had a headache. Other than the fact I had just been knocked out, the mirrors were reflecting the light back and forth in every direction.
By Greek Girl 5 years ago in Fiction
Destiny Intertwined
There thrice lived a young man whose destiny was intertwined with the fate of a young woman. This will not be your typical love your story because love was not what kept these two constantly meeting; but the promise to kill each other once and for all.
By Gracelee Campbell5 years ago in Fiction
The Gatekeeper
“Its time Adrianna”, I open my eyes holding a hand up to block the harsh glare of the Sun. As I show a finger to the Sun, it twinkles. It laughs at me and my predicament. A prisoner in her own choice of prison. Every soul who walks through this meadow knows my name, but none will remember it once they leave. I take a moment to appreciate the meadow around me, filled with beds of vibrant yellow marigold flowers. “Adrianna, it’s time. Please”. The owner of the melodious voice, pulls my attention back to him. The man’s name is Carlos, tilting my head I look at him curiously. He should not be here, it is not his time yet, I can feel it. He is too alive, untouched by the winds of death. His hazel eyes shine against the sun light, he seems so at ease. So at… home. His muscular arms twitch in anticipation and fear as I close the distance between us. “Carlos, I would say it’s nice to see you. But since you interrupted my nap…”. The tremble in his voice, the wriggling of his fingers. He is more than twice my size, he could easily overpower me in the physical sense, all are equal in this meadow. Yet he fears me, trembling like a child would when in trouble, how odd. “I am… I am sorry Adrianna. But, I … its time”. “You must really be desperate, if you are willing to offer me anything”. I take his trembling hands into mine. My small hands fitting in perfectly with his. I intertwine our hands and lead us to the edge of the meadow. It is not his time yet, I know it. But who am I to stop him if he wishes to walk the path.
By Resham Mehta5 years ago in Fiction
The Last of the Summer Sun
Summer starts on the day the flower opens; the enchanted Marigold, left to our kingdom the day the Queen passed, it was her favourite of all the flowers in the gardens. She was such a warm and loving person. The sun shone for her every day of the year, we had no other seasons than summer, no rain unless she called upon it for our crops, no snow and ice, no thunder, no gales. Flowers bloomed before her feet, the grass grew thick and softly around her gardens like her own personal, green carpet and the birds rejoiced every single morning and continued to sing their sweet songs until dusk. Life was good; food was bountiful, the animals were bold and carefree, living among us without fear. It was calm and peaceful. Every day was the greatest here. We loved it; we were the most respected, most loved kingdom this side of the hemisphere. We did not refuse trade, even if they could not afford it, the Queen would let payments slide in exchange for a smile, or a flower. We never hunted or killed, we farmed what we needed and took nothing more, we used up everything we farmed so that nothing was wasted, we did not starve or suffer, and we made sure anyone who needed it would receive help in any way we could… we didn’t ever hate or scream until our lungs were fit to burst. We never feared the creatures that lurked, never feared the dark or the rains, the cold. We never wanted more. Until now.
By Nicola mcfarlane 5 years ago in Fiction
Beginnings and Endings
Marigold and William were best friends since they were in kindergarten. As the years passed, they grew closer and became inseparable. Nothing could affect their friendship, not even the high school that had seen many young hearts weave their love stories within its walls and had witnessed so many heartbreaks over the past three decades since it came into existence.
By Simran Kankas5 years ago in Fiction
Their Special Place
Standing at the edge of the treeline, Archer Bishop looked to the field beyond his eyes. Long rows of marigolds stood side by side, their beauty calling to anyone who passed. Taking in his surroundings, he tried to submerge the memories that were bleeding into his consciousness. This was their spot. This was where they would go to escape. Endless days running through those fields, full of laughter and light, days that would never dawn again. Drawing a deep breath he willed his feet to take those much needed steps to reach the fields, the steps towards the flowers that she loved so dearly. It was a place so full of beauty and peace. A place where the sun embraced all, where the flowers danced with the wind, and the sounds blended into a harmonious song. A place she loved more than anything. Approaching the flowers he outstretched his trembling hand, pausing before he could touch the petals. Marigolds were always her favourite, especially the ones from this field. He remembered the first time Grace had led him here, like it was yesterday. It was the day after they had lost their mother.
By Eden Hinspeter5 years ago in Fiction
Friendship Revisited
Pauline had finally convinced her parents to let her take riding lessons after a couple of falls from Simon – once when he spooked uncharacteristically at a flush of birds while loping along the edge of the field, and another time when they decided to jump a fallen tree in their path while galloping along another trail through the sparse woods. Both times, she was bareback, but hopped right back onto Simon without a thought. It wasn’t his fault. She could tell he felt bad about her being on the ground.
By KJ Aartila5 years ago in Fiction
Presidios and Stetsons
It was September 5th, the first day of the county fair. We sponsor a 4H program for the local Youth At Risk program and today we have two teens showing our animals! We have two sheep and two goats showing this year. The teens worked really hard to get their animals looking top notch, and we are really proud of them. Last year we won two first place and two second place ribbons for our pigs. We sold those pigs that very day. My dad gave each teen a hundred dollars from those sales.
By Susan Kulkowitz5 years ago in Fiction
Marigolds
On the day she died, he placed her into the ground. Overnight, under a blood moon, their hearts were both broken. The town talked, it was mysterious how she just disappeared. Just left, everything and everyone she had ever known. And how a mysterious marigold flower, that grew overnight, almost glowed as vibrant as the sun in the dead of dark grew year-round.
By Coraline Faye5 years ago in Fiction
