Thurman appeared to me on a Tuesday, in a wall tile of my newly renovated bathroom. It was a little after six P.M. and I was drawing a hot bath. I perched on the edge of the tub and waited for the water to reach that perfect temperature. I was tired. Worn out. Exhausted. My day had started just like any other day. Alarm at five A.M. got dressed in the dark, scurried out the door by five-thirty-five to open the cafe by six...

  ****                                                                                                                                                                                                         **** Reader discretion strongly advised.The story you are about to read contains content that some may find offensive or disturbing, including strong language and graphic violence. By choosing to read this piece, you a...

Study hall… last class of the day before what is supposed to be a relaxing weekend restoring another car he had just bought. However, the relaxing weekend would only happen if Jim finished his history report before the bell rang, and now that just did not seem possible. Jim had been sitting at a workstation in the back of study hall. He had an open book in front of him. It was still turned to the same page that he had ope...

At the time of my first marriage, my youngest stepdaughter was a very pretty slender thing. She was not aggressive or a loud mouth or a fighter by any means, but it seems she became the favorite target of a large blond female bully.These attacks were mostly due to her Hispanic blood; her biological father was Hispanic. No, she did not look it, she looked more Italian or Greek. Just the knowledge was enough to start the ha...

In the darkness of the night, a young child's voice could be heard. He was whimpering softly to himself behind an old wooden door. Endless tears stained his black and blue cheeks, soaking through his once-favorite Sticker Man sheets. He gripped the soft, plush material, piercing the flesh of the mattress with his nails as the screams he bottled up for so long, running past his lips with their venom began to seep through h...

As the girls sat in Marcia's room, they talked about the party. Marcia asked, "I wonder what happened when the glitter bombs went off. Also how long did they wait until they discovered we left?" "I don't know, but I bet you will hear about it from Sarah. She must be humiliated by now. I hope she was in the room when the glitter fell. That will be a nice mess to clean up." Naomi said. The girls watched a movie and went to...

Marcia wanted to call Naomi after she talked to Sarah, but it was easier to talk to Rebecca and Naomi at school together. As she drifted off to sleep, her mind raced with many thoughts and questions. She knew Ralph would be around at the party. Sarah still held a grudge against Marcia. The Halloween party would certainly test the relationship between the two girls. She slept badly tossing and turning all night. When she w...

Life returned to pretty much normal the next day. Taylor and I were in suspension but still hated each other. My mom still hadn't come home, but I wasn't worried. Bill still came over every morning. Life was life no matter how you looked at it. Or that's at least what it seemed."Why the hell did you sit next to me?" I growled."I have a matter of importance I wish to discuss with you," Taylor replied cooly."Not interested,...

Wednesday. Once more it was four in the morning and I was just waking up. Mom hadn't made it home the previous night, telling me she was probably with one of her co-workers from her second job again. A knock at the door quickly drew my attention. I already knew who it was. I couldn't care any less. That bastard could stay out there all morning. I wanted nothing to do with him today.  I prepped myself for school. Glancing...

Bullyboy skipped lunch. He accomplished what he wanted. Marcia sat confused with the morning's events. She had no idea who did it. It turned out he had an unwitting accomplice who was also a suspect. He knew Rebecca was Marcia's cousin and the school darling. When Marcia arrived, all that disappeared for Rebecca. The logical person for the perpetrator of the prank was Rebecca. Marcia sat alone at lunch. Naomi was out sleu...

Marcia spent the rest of the day looking at her plight. Bullyboy knew she was there. He had not made any threats, but the gestures were bad enough. He ruined her day. School dragged on and Marcia's depression deepened. By the end of the day, she had no will to leave the classroom. Naomi dragged her to her locker and pulled her outside to walk home. "Come on Marcia. Snap out of it. You will be fine. Remember you are strong...

Summer arrived with high heat and humidity. Being near the Hudson River did not help with the humidity. To escape the heat most families had places on the Jersey shore where the family stayed all summer. Neither Marcia nor Naomi's family had a place like that. The girls endured the summer heat together. Almost daily, they went into the woods. The trees provided a canopy, which shadowed the whole area underneath. It was co...

The classes all sat waiting for the third bell, which signaled the start of the school day. The school went quiet, while it waited for the morning announcements. Before the announcements began, a loud scream echoed through the halls into every room. Soon the putrid smell of a skunk penetrated the air in every classroom. Naomi looked at Marcia and they both smiled trying to contain outright laughter. Of course, they missed...

It was Friday, the weekend before the Spring Concert. Cricket walked home with Naomi to spend the weekend at her house. Naomi planned to have a few friends over for a small party. The girls played in Naomi's room trying to keep her brother out. Her brother always wanted to be around when Marcia was there. After thirty minutes of playful fighting, her brother gave up. Shortly after the family ate dinner, two more friends a...

I knew what I was walking into. It wasn't the first time I had walked home to find the apartment empty and the snooping old broad next door trying to find something now to complain about. She had told my mom of a fight I had gotten into just outside the gates. Mom freaked when she found out, worrying about lawsuits that would destroy us financially and ruin her chances of ever getting a better job. I was just happy I had...