Closing Stories

It had been another long night at the dance club and the staff couldn't wait for the bright lights to be turned on signaling the end of the evening. The waitresses began to clean off the tables as the floor security ushered the patrons up the flight of stairs and out the front door. I was standing off to the side of the stairs watching the departing masses when the bartender from the back bar came running up with a look o...

Cricket left school alone. Naomi's mom picked her up to take her to dance class where she studied jazz dancing and enjoyed it. Cricket walked home and instead of going straight home, she wanted to visit the wolf family. She worried about the wound the mother wolf had. It looked clean, but with life in the wild, anything could happen. She walked through the woods and approached the clearing. She saw the mom wolf atop the b...

Cricket stood dumbfounded looking at her locker, as her new friends crowded around urging her to open it. They wanted to see if anything special was inside. Reluctantly Cricket pushed aside the pile of rose petals on the floor. The principal and some teachers stood behind the students in case something dangerous or harmful emerged from the locker. She handed her books and bag to Melissa who stood nearby shaking with unbri...

Christmas vacation started with unseasonably warm weather. Marcia and Naomi spent a lot of time together searching the woods. Their minds focused on vacation and forgot about school. Marcia showed Naomi where all the crickets lived. The girls followed the path in the woods to Sabrina's house. Sabrina joined them several times on the walks of discovery. One day on one of their walks, the three girls came to the cricket are...

The girls spent the afternoon at the movies and enjoyed the double feature. They returned to Marcia's house and waited for dinner while they watched TV. All thoughts and conversation about Sarah moved to the back of their minds. The girls found being together more fun and enjoyment than plotting revenge against another girl. Dinner that night was very quiet. The girls seemed subdued and not very active. Marcia's mom notic...

I turn smiling, though the tracks of my tears still appear on my face, looking at the blonde-haired little girl, as she walks to me. She looks up at me and says softly, "Daddy, it's time. We must go." I look at her and nod. "Why do you cry?" The innocence of the question strikes me to my core. She reaches out and softly lovingly touches my hand. My hand opens and she gently places her hand in mine. I look at our hands tog...