I was cleaning out my attic when I came across some belongings that had long been put away. I opened a box that contained mementos of my military days, an era that seemed to have been a lifetime ago. In the box, was a picture of me standing next to an attractive redhead. Her name was Felicia. When we met she was working as a server at a local sports bar and I became one of her regulars. What began as friendly conversation...

Several years ago, some girlfriends and I planned a getaway over a long holiday weekend. Vivian and her husband owned a vacation home on a golf course down by the coast and offered to host the weekend’s festivities. I was the first to arrive early that afternoon. I let myself in using the door code and began exploring the house. Once I had worked my way through the house, I made my way into the backyard. I was pleased to...

Sam The next morning, I woke to noisy construction sounds flowing into my open window from across the street, where a new condo building was going up. I groaned and rolled over, pulling a pillow over my head to block the sound. But then my brain put together that construction sounds meant it must be after 7:00 already, and my first class started at 7:30. I pulled the pillow back away and checked the time on my phone. 7:38...

I turned eighteen the year I graduated high school. I was going to college in the fall and I'd be on my own for the first time in my life, and it scared the hell outta me. I'm still kinda quiet but back then I was almost painfully shy. You know the type, not all that good at sports, nose in a book most of the time, total nerd, 6' tall and barely 155 pounds, not even remotely a chick magnet unless it was to repel them. Loo...

It was supposed to be an exciting time in their lives, but for Emma and her boyfriend, James, it was anything but. Twelve months ago, they had decided to move in together, and within two weeks, they had found the perfect apartment and signed the lease straight away. At first, things were working out well for the couple. They were handling the bills just fine, with money to spare to go on date nights and the occasional wee...

Our old minivan needed repairs that were too expensive to be worth the investment. Even though minivans aren’t the most exciting vehicle, having school-aged kids necessitated that we purchase another one. So, on one warm spring day while the kids were at school, we made a visit to the largest car dealership in the area. “Hi, I’m Tom!” A friendly salesman greeted us the moment we walked through the sliding glass doors. Vis...

The whirl of the wheels of the stationary bike filled the room. The laptop was perched between the handlebars. She had intended to ride until something came to mind. Twenty minutes and the laptop screen was still blank. On the bike, she looked out their bedroom window. She had hoped that the forest beyond their fenced yard would somehow give her inspiration. She stopped pedaling. Frustrated. Decided some tea might help. S...

It was Christmas time once again, and, at the North Pole, all of Santa’s helpers worked hard to bring all the children joy. There was Holly, who worked in assembly. She always made sure all the gifts were ready to be played with when the children unpacked them. There was Jolly, who worked in packaging. He always made sure all the gifts were properly packed and wrapped, so nothing would break along the way. There was Stalk...

It was late in the fall and I went out for a hike in the local nature park that was going to take a couple of hours. It was late in the season so there were no cars in the parking area when I arrived which I expected. The trail was lesser known and traveled which was perfect because I wanted to be alone in the woods and enjoy the solitude. I got my gear together, locked the car, and headed out on the trail. It was a lovel...