To everyone in the room, she seemed like a normal girl, wearing Vans, blue jeans and a red hoodie. Her hands were both raised high above her head, swaying to music from her iPod. Sierra's body molded the jeans nicely. No one knew what was on her iPod, but it was mostly French music and several types of electronica.  The bus was crowded and warm. But all eyes were on the girl that could dance like an angel. Large but round...

It was all my fault, I should never have said yes. Approaching his birthday he asked for a new car to replace his old battered one. I agreed but told him not to drive too fast, but as usual, he didn't listen. "Don't worry Mom - it'll be okay." I knew it would happen. Much too fast his car couldn't make the curve and flew through the air, smashing into the wall. I was so lucky he only just missed my crystal vase. That's it...

To everyone in the room, she seemed like just a normal girl wearing Vans, blue jeans, and a red hoodie because that’s how she was defined; from home, through school to college. Yet deep within prowled a raging poet, a strutting rock star, a blazing meteor emanating the brilliance of a thousand dazzling suns. When, all alone, she braved that open mic night, one of the milling cool crowd casually asked, “Would you like a dr...

To everyone in the room, she seems like just a normal girl wearing Vans, blue jeans, and a red hoodie, but to me, she is so much more.  This outwardly unassuming woman is not who she claims to be. She is not the woman everyone sees. They see the version she presents because she is so skilled at it. Years of practice have trained her to blend in; to give the people what they want to see. What would make them comfortable, s...

The Girl was exhausted by their deep discussion on the Nature of God, the universe, and reality. She was also recovering from what looked like a significant beating, which showed on her face, and the parts of her arms and legs that were visible. Bear was very much aware of how tired she would be, so encouraged her to lie on the couch when she had begged not to be left alone, to stay in the great room with him. He also sus...

I’ve managed to get myself in a bit of a routine lately, I never thought I could. Untidiness was just one of my little ways. He said he liked that about me, at first. Of course, people change when you've been with them for a while. Now I’m as tidy as tidy can be, nothing is out of place. I’m still the same old me though, just a lot tidier. Having a bit of a lay-in was always one of my guilty pleasures. But, he gets up ear...

There’s a girl who I frequently see on my street. Each morning for the past week or so, I watch from the living room window of my lower east side home as she passes by. It’s usually at the same time and she is always dressed neatly; a valid assumption that she must be walking to her place of employment. She is strikingly beautiful and often I think I should go down, accidentally bump into her. I could time it so that I am...

To everyone in the room, she seemed like just a normal girl wearing Vans, bluejeans, and a red hoodie. But looks can be deceptive; the clothes chosen deliberately to conjure up that very word—normal. The volunteers saw only what they expected to see; what they were meant to see. Don’t look here—nothing to worry about; nothing unusual. Only if you observed more carefully would you notice anything abnormal. If you were a li...

To everyone in the room, she seemed like just a normal girl wearing Vans, blue jeans, and a red hoodie. No one knew how her fingers still fumbled when applying eyeliner and lipstick. Or the struggles she had endured to finally match her body to her soul.  No one knew how they had taunted her when she changed her name. Called her "freak".  No one knew... As she stood inside the new school, she released a long-held sigh of...

Subtlety is for me.Hints of what lies beneath,tantalize me to endeavor further.Whatever may become of she,and the hints of gifts she may bequeath,lather me into a deluge of fervor.Perceivable and prominent is sheto show what lies vulnerable just underneath,Promptly turning me into a rapt observer.For overt and obvious put me at a loss,with her tantalizing lips silencing my speech.Lost amid the raging seas searching for th...

To everyone in the room, she seemed like just a normal girl wearing Vans, blue jeans, and a red hoodie. Such a first impression meant a lot to Saffy, because a sense of normality set her in good stead for the admissions interview she'd dreaded for so long. It was all about confidence, and although The College of Further Education was very undemanding, Saffy had absolutely nothing on paper other than court and care orders...

  Preface This story is about a trip I took in March 2020. For many reasons, I consider it the most exciting vacation I have ever taken. Every day was busy from early morning to late at night. I got to visit places such as the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. It was a joy for me to experience these natural wonders that I had wanted to see my entire life. I also learned a great deal of history that I had had little kno...

To everyone in the room, she seemed like just a normal girl wearing Vans, blue jeans, and a red hoodie. The Vans were a checkerboard pattern and Jeff Spicoli would have approved.  I grinned because I loved that movie. That was the year I came of age. Life was tasty and was about to get very gnarly.  I held out my hand. "Shall we dance, Princess?" She smiled. I could smell the scent of eucalyptus wafting through the open w...

To everyone in the room, she seemed like just a normal girl wearing Vans, bluejeans, and a red hoodie. Nobody looked. No one cared. She was just another customer with a laptop, like so many others in the coffee shop. She ordered a drink, waited patiently, then took her cup to a table in the corner of the room. Not once did she look at any of the other customers as she sat down and opened her laptop. The clicking her finge...

To everyone in the room, she seemed like just a normal girl wearing Vans, bluejeans, and a red hoodie. Only she heard the whirring servos, the soft click of gears, the hum of electronics. Only she knew who she really was. “Come on,” said the boy with the gun. “Five high, six die. Earn it.” He handed her the gun. Her frail, all-too-human finger curled around the trigger. This wasn’t happening to her. This wasn’t her life....