'Christmas, snowman, Santa, presents, baubles, sleigh, reindeer, crackers, stocking, pudding.' Dr. Wichser held up each picture one by one, taking notes after Penny had looked at them. This confirmed his suspicion: it was the reading of the words or hearing them spoken that triggered a reaction in her, not the visual interpretation of the images. "That's quite unusual and, I imagine, socially challenging," the doctor said...

"So, the vice squad has been disbanded, and you'll all be working for the vibe squad starting tomorrow." The room fell silent, aside from a stray fart that echoed around the room. It seemed to sum up what had been said so perfectly. The police chief was a powerful man, more like a character from a movie than in charge of a northern town ravaged by the loss of its industrial roots. His announcement had been shocking, but t...

We gave up on trying to get pregnant. My sperm count was tested and found very high and lively. Her eggs were extremely fertile. No matter how often we tried, it never happened. Rachyl even participated in a new In-Vitro innovation which failed. Nothing seemed to work until that one Christmas Eve night. The office party itself was another dull affair. I do believe Rachyl enjoyed it more than I did. Rachyl had taken off th...

Lying naked wrapped in your arms Your body so warm against mine It is easy to imagine in that momentThat just maybe I can still be saved Lying there I can picture the jagged piecesThat make up my tenuous existence Being delicately pieced back together Bound tightly by our invisible bond I listen to the sounds of you sleeping Slow deep breaths that each speak to me Quiet whispers of unspoken words Each breath somehow a com...

Silently she faces her personal war She did not choose this battle It was chosen for her. It is hers now and only she can choose to fight back.Illness tries to rob her of her future Joy and hope are muffled by pain and fear Her inner light may sometimes flicker But she fights hard to let her light shine.Now curled alone on her bathroom floor she begs for the pain to please stop. Until him, she begged only for mercy now sh...

Many miracles of all sizes surround us They happen to ordinary people everyday,We don't realize it when we see them Each miracle appears in a different way.It may be the frail old lady in lineWaiting at the local grocery store,Whose doctors just found a cure For a disease they never saw before.Or remember the ragged homeless man,Who begs for money on the street?He is newly homeless from massive debtBut his “incurable” can...