I used to have a recurring dream. A dream where I was on a boat out on the sea, off the coast of Africa. I didn’t know anyone else on the ship, except for one person, and she was a reason I was on that ship to begin with. The details of the dream would become sketchy each time…like a collage of events taken out of time, space and context. Did I see her smile at me or “the camera” did we swim in a pool with blue and green rocks on the bottom or was I remembering an aquarium I used to own?

WANDERLUST

Light a Candle

I backed away from Mr. Martin and stood in the middle of the hallway with three million voices running through my mind—all of them screaming sand laughing at me, with the exception of one, but it next to impossible to hear through the din. The yelling was so loud I kneeled to the floor and closed my eyes in an attempt to silence it all.

It Only Hurts When I’m Breathing

A Love Calling

It wasn’t too long before the gym was packed, which blew my mind, as no one ever talked about the volleyball team. They were apparently the black sheep of the red-headed stepchild because Emily’s dad recounted how they had won nearly every single game so far and were going to go to state. He whispered that he couldn’t say exactly how he knew, he just said, ‘modesty forbids’ and gave me a wink.

KAREN ANNE

When

TOO FAR TO DRIVE

Hey You!

I arrived in Birmingham, Alabama, a little after 11:30 PM and checked into a motel along the highway. The attendant was cold and bitter—almost hesitant to rent a room to me until I flashed one of several cards. I almost told him to just keep the card as I really didn’t care at that moment. He gave my card back to me along with a room key and I left the office.

Due to another story on the site, I have changed the title.
This is not a part of LadyDragon623’s “Desert Rose” story.
The title is based on the song “Desert Rose” by WhiteHeart

Storyline

Intro

How do I describe it?
At first it was like a few million needles being driven into your flesh by a drunken acupunctureist who has it in for you. Then the burning goes away and you feel a bit of euphoria until the second of wave of pain surges in along with a voice in your head that screams “this is it, my man, this is where you put it all on the line! Get out there, guns a-blazing!”

Games People Play
"He said he had to work," she stated with such adamancy you'd swear she was defending his life in a court of law. In a way, she was defending him...in the court of public opinion...or at least to opinion of her friend, that being me.
"I just saw him at Starbucks. He' s not at work." I replied with an equal amount of gusto--I didn't want to win the battle or the war, but Renee could be an idiot sometimes. You'd think our class salutatorian would have at least a pamphlet's worth of street smarts.
"You’re lying "

I have always been a Sentai fan since I saw the animated versions of GForce (The Science Ninja Team) and Voltron and when SABAN brought it to the US in the form of Power Rangers, I had to wonder what if such powers were given to others who weren’t exactly “worthy”...but that’s another a story that I’m trying to complete. “Q-Men” uses a mix of Sentai, James Bond, and budding superheroes formed under former MI-6‘S “Q”.

II. Lonely Heart

I stayed up half the night trying to figure out what I would say. Melissa was the outgoing one. She would simply walk up to him and just “take him”—envision that how you will. I couldn’t do that. I hadn’t tried since fifth grade and ended up stuttering my way through it all, but recovered as he had gone into a sneezing fit, nearly blacked out and went to the school nurse.