Short Story

Just as I arrived in the line the previous riders were leaving. Before I knew it, the gate had opened and we were getting onto the ride. It felt like an out of body experience. Perhaps that was just my sanity watching in awe from afar. I left my shoes next to my bag inside the gate. I had to stand on my quivering tip toes to get in the seat. With my heart beating out of my chest, the carnival worker buckled us in. Then the operator moved us up about ten feet. I wanted to shout down at them to lower us back down so I could get back to the earth. Adrenaline rushed, palms sweaty, my breath came out in quiet, rapid gasps. I had just opened my mouth to speak, but the worker beat me to

I raced through the data banks, running through rows and rows of binary code, jumping off some C++ code, racing to make it to the Wi-Fi receptor on time.

I sat up in the dining room chair staring at the battered fridge jammed into the corner of the kitchen. It wouldn’t last more than a few weeks in that condition. Another addition to the long list of things we needed repaired. As I played with the ear of my white mug of chamomile tea, I couldn’t help but wonder what my poor husband Willy was going through. While he didn’t realize it, I knew his work was driving him mad. It upset me to see the man I love in such an erratic state. I took a sip of tea and a deep breath. It was a stressful time; soon enough Willy would be laid off and we would have to find another way to earn money.

“I’ll have 6 eggs, a big glass of orange juice, a banana, and some oatmeal please” said DeSean “ You’re one crazy kid” said the female bartender at IHop. “Yes ma’am, I might be crazy ,but ready for football this morning” DeSean responded swiftly. The bartender responded almost immediately saying “Damn right, hope you do well this morning, I’ll have that food out real quick honey”. DeSean waited for less than 5 minutes before chowing down on over 1000 calories. He exchanged some words with the bartender and he was off to football.

sometimes, if I see an especially sensitive-looking fighter, I’ll bet against him ‘cus I can’t stand the idea of missing the chance to spot a crier before he’s cried. I don’t know how much sense that makes, by when I explained my reasoning to Ed, he said that it was ten-times better to bet with your heart and lose, than to bet with your mind and win. Even though Ed pretends to be this grumpy, grisly guy, sometimes he can be cheesy like that.

I feel my hands cling to the armrests of my fake leather passenger seat. Sweat travels down my neck and shoulders, collecting at the base of my back. I roll down my window to try and feel a breeze on my face; it helps with the nausea. David pulls onto the main street in town and stops at a traffic light. He starts a conversation about the new Chinese place opening up on the corner, “Oriental Pearl” I think it’s called. I pretend to listen to him rant about his critique of ethnic food restaurants in Pine Creek, adding a “mmhm” here and there. There are only a few more blocks to go until we reach my dental practice. I can make it. My breathing quickens as a fire truck speeds by us, its siren blaring. The sound sets my teeth on edge.

I press my face against the icy cold window. I watch one by one the snowflakes fall in the moonlight. I can tell it’s Christmas time even though nobody here says anything about it. It’s as if the ward tries to drag us away from any traditions a normal person would do. I think about the Christmases I spent with my kids.

Driving back to my Grandma's had become the norm due to the lack of wi-fi at my house and minor, yet constant disagreements between my stepfather and I. Owning a gray Jetta that sparkled once it hit sunlight, had an aux cord to play music that changed as much as my mood, and worked perfectly fine filled me with gratitude every time I started up its engine. On May 11 my dismal playlist blared from the partially rolled down windows in the car as a few humble tears rolled down my cheeks. This day pressed hard on my chest knowing my biological father should have turned another year older, not stuck at a young 32. Life happens and you have to keep going; however, I could have never predicted singing "If I die young" by The Band Perry and having

“Twenty-one! The Chief’s vote makes it twenty-one! And by God if that ain’t a majority I’ll eat my hat!” “Yippee,” Cheswick yells. The other Acutes are coming across toward me. “The meeting was closed,” she says. Her smile is still there, but the back of her neck as she walks out of the day room and into the Nurses’ Station, is red and swelling like she’ll blow apart any second.

''Aren’t Joe and Cisco going to help us?'' Asked Barry, noticing that his foster dad and best friend were still absent as the rest of the team was preparing their plan of attack back at the lab. ''I thought you guys said they were supposed to join us here.''

“Please, you have to let me stay!” She heard someone plead. “I’m a nurse, I can help out.”

Remus, seeing strait through the fake interest growled and let Moony take over his mind. He said nothing but instead rammed into the door. He bounced off it and went to do it again, this time he let his magic aid him and swirl around him as he came in contact with the sturdy wood.

constantly picked flies out of my milk pail and had to be careful that one wouldn’t land in my opened mouth. I once killed a fly by smashing it between my lips. I became desensitized to the tingling of their legs dashing up and down my skin. Maybe that’s how I built up an immune system that tolerated germs and made me less susceptible to getting sick. Like how a child would hold out a finger for a butterfly to land on, I would do that same with my hundreds of fly friends. The continuous buzzing sound of the flies throughout the farm almost became therapeutic to me.

The aggressive slam of my door still rang loudly in my ear. I walked over to my bed, unaware of it, just trusting my body to guide me wherever I needed to be. I can’t believe I said those words. I can’t believe she said that to me, I thought to myself as my hands unconsciously reached for a duffel bag on my desk and started filling it with clothes and small snacks. As the multitude of crude insults my mother had said to me still filled my mind, I went for the door and opened it again, hands trembling as to what was waiting for me on the other side. I turned the knob and crept down the empty staircase, quiet as a mouse. Finally making it through the living room and into the kitchen, I reached for the back door when all the lights flashed on.

I walk to the garage which is giant , filled with nice cars with pretty colors.  Not me though i hop on my baby a black Ducati  since I was the leader I got choice of what car I wanted or whatever so I got a sexy beast.