Ladder To Nowhere

Cleo skipped through the woods as Jak trailed after her. “What do you want to do on your last day?” Cleo asked as she spun around, kicking up fiery leaves with her feet. “I don’t know,” Jak mumbled as they scuffed their boots in the dirt. “Hmm, I know! We could climb the magic ladder […]

By the Phone

The second day she checked her phone every 15 minutes, not on the 15 marks of the hour, but according to her own mental clock that started the minute her eyes opened. After the 20th time she checked, she had to admit the pocket-sized hunk of rare metals, plastic, and glass would turn on again. […]

Beyond expat

Father dreams of buying a plot of land with a barn to build a boat in. Someday he and my mother would sail around the Mediterranean. A few years ago we bobbed around the local lake in our houseboat until we realized that the back end was rotted through. That boat has been sitting on […]

Starbucks Tea

She orders the green tea, her boyfriend’s arm around her neck, In Starbucks, with me standing in line behind. Who orders tea here? For 5,60 too. He asks for an Americano—I miss the states— Does he know he know he’s going to be up all night? Will she be with him? What’s my order, I […]

Time for Tea

Marjory opened the door a second after the first knock. Ruby stood on the step with her fist still raised for a second knock. I saw you through the window. Just put some tea on the kettle, would you like a cup? Marjory said as she ushered Ruby into the house. Ruby fiddled with her […]

Speaking Kiwi

The day doesn’t start with my alarm, or with my required bowl of cereal. It didn’t start with the shower or the scramble to grab my stuff. My day starts as I stand at the doors of the lift and wonder for the hundredth time why one is always broken. And it’s not even the […]

To My Someday

Love is not enough. There is string that connects you to everyone who cares for you. When you miss someone or remember how much you love them, it resonates as a plucked harp string. Sometimes it spring back like a rubber band. And sometimes you can feel the hollow ache where you know love should […]

Relationships

He said, “It’s like this teacup.” I didn’t bother to point out it was, in fact, a coffee cup. That used to have hot chocolate in it. “Eventually, it’s going to have so many cracks, it’s unusable.” I rotated it back round, looking for that last drop. “Yeah, but I’m the one who smashed it.” […]

Missed Connection

He held out his fist for a bump. I didn’t leave him hanging. He wished me a good break. I reciprocated. There was a bus ride, a flight of stairs; it took until I was cleaning the dishes for my stomach to want to rip itself out. He asked her to talk about her feelings. […]

God As It Were

I recently realized that I do believe in god until proven otherwise I will believe that god exists yet I feel no need to define god nor to confine my beliefs to any dogma I am content believing there is a god or perhaps many gods maybe one god with many faces that matters little […]

Sunset

“What?” He asked as he glanced back down at me. The wind was toying with his short brown hair just like my fingers usually did. Standing on the hilltop with the setting sun framing him in a halo of light, he looked like an angel. Like he always did when he saw me, he was […]

Should Have Stopped There

Jeff “Of course Tracy would be the one to have a double chocolate wedding cake. So much for tradition.” Mai (laughs) “Yeah, she made me help her pick it out. Almost went for a stack of brownies instead. Jeff “It’s been years since I last saw you, Jack. How you doing?” Mai “I go by […]

Letters for Shyness

Year 1999, it’s kindergarten and they’re learning the shapes of the alphabet. Each day they use a different medium to create the letters. Today is toothpicks and she figured out that you need at least three toothpicks to make a capital A if you don’t break one stick. The class is turning into an arts […]

NZ Surprises

I arrived in NZ on Wednesday, February 18th, at 7:00 am, local time. Since then I’ve noticed some rather odd things – mind you, I’m from the States so these things could be completely normal to other people – so I thought I should share them in a list so people can be informed, humored, […]

Two’s Company

No one was home. Well, I was in the house, but I didn’t count anymore. My home was gone somewhere else. Half the windows were boarded up. A box of nails and a hammer sat beside a pile of plywood on the window seat. Glass sparkled from the greyish carpet. The dust was so heavy; […]

Long Way To Go

“3. 2. 1” She tapped her foot on the edge of the roof and her crossbow against her thigh. The wind whistled up from the streets, barely ruffling her closely cropped hair. It brought the smell of rotting corpses and eggs. Her throat itched. Footsteps pounded up the stairs. How long did it take to […]

Future Making

My flight jacket was wrinkled from a two day long shift at the helm. I stumbled into my cabin, smacking the light pad with my elbow as I passed by. A soft glow emanated from the walls to slowly illuminate my small, barely furnished cabin. Even a captain could expect few luxuries on a ship […]

Lingering Influences

“You’re mom, is such a trooper,” my dad sighed. “She practically was a single parent,” he laughed as he looked around the dinner table, trying to catch the eye of one of his kids. Max, the oldest, nodded slightly and gave him a half smile. “You were there too, dad.” “Not like your mom.” Dad […]

Halls Under the Sea

Beginnings The Winter Sea was frozen between Elderland and Sunderland. Only during the summer months could ships attempt to sail through the shifting islands of ice and whirlwinds of ice and snow. Only elves were swift and sure enough to attempt the voyage and for many centuries they refused passage to any not of their […]

Brewing Bad

Gameplay Sketch Intent : Brewing Bad is a lighthearted puzzle game that asks players to solve riddles to make potions, poisons, and bombs for clients. Although the character is wizard, (s)he only has rudimentary powers so instead of casting magical spells, (s)he uses ingredients to make mystical items instead. The game is meant to be […]