Captured

Kendra woke up, bound and gagged.  She could hear the sound of the waves.  The sound of a boat rocking and seagulls.  She could smell the sea.

When Kendra tried to move, she found that she couldn’t.  She was in some bedroom, with a few chests, gold jewelry and gold coins scattered on the floor.

She gasped, and then heard a voice that sounded familiar.  “Aye!  The lass!  She has awoken!”

Another spoke.  “Should we tell the captain?”

Then the first spoke again.  “Aye!  Tell him!  I will see to the lass.”

Kendra was still taking in the atmosphere when the door burst open.  A scrawny pirate walked in, with crooked teeth, and one patch on his eyes.   He smelled really bad, like a rotting corpse.  When Kendra got wind of the odor, she groaned and held her nose.

The pirate undid the gag.  “Welcome aboard, me lass….”

Kendra shook her head.  “Impossible.  How did I end up here?”

The pirate smiled.  “Don’t know, lass.  All that I know is that ye be in the story now!  You’re in it, lass, and there’s no way out!”

Kendra was still in disbelief.  “But how?  The last thing I remembered was reading a bedtime story to my five-year old daughter.  You’re telling me that I’m in the story now?”

The pirate grinned.  “What part of that don’t ye understand?  It seems that there’s a little magic about this story that ye know nothing about.”

Kendra nodded.  “I guess so.  Now I need to find a way out….”

Kendra looked around.  She was tied up, and a smelly pirate was right next to her. With that, she had a strong feeling that she was going to be here for a while….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Shopping List

Ron woke up and opened his cupboard doors.  Empty.

In addition to this, he was running out of a lot of things.  The bathroom was almost out of soup.  Both on the sink and in the shower.  The shampoo was almost gone.  The fridge was almost empty.  It had just a little bit of milk remaining in the jug.  Such is the life of a single man living in a 1 bedroom apartment.

Fortunately, payday was today.  Ron had enough money to buy all his meals.  The only problem that he needed to solve was with all the supplies that he was running low on.

Ron looked at the clock.  8:04 in the morning.  A little less than an hour before work began.  With that, he made a quick list of everything he needed.  He started by writing down everything that he could think of off the top of his head.  He would add more to it later as he thought of new things.

After he did this, he took a quick shower, using what was left of the shampoo and the tiny stub of soap.

Ron left his apartment and drove off to work.

After work, he drove to the supermarket.  As he entered, he reached in his pocket.  The shopping list was not there.

With that, Ron went into a panic.  “Where is it?” He gasped.  “I knew I had it before I left!”

Ron tried to think of all the places he had the shopping list before he left.  Then it hit him.  The shopping list was sitting on the table!

Ron pounded his fist against the other one.  He couldn’t use that list now.  He had to make a new list from what he could remember.  With that, he racked his brain, trying to think of all the items that were on the previous list.  Shampoo, soap, milk, ramen noodles, butter, eggs and cereal.  That was all that Ron could remember.  If he forgot anything, he would have to come back for it.

With that, he grabbed a cart and began shopping, using the new list that he made….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Advancing to Boardwalk

Jason Williams got in his car and drove to McDonald’s to play the Monopoly game.  This was his 15th year in the row of playing this game.  Every time he played it, he always tried to get both of the two elusive blue pieces: Boardwalk and Park Place.  In the more recent years, the rare piece was Boardwalk.

Every year, Jason has manged to get every single common piece.  The only pieces he lacked were the winning pieces.  There was one rare piece for each color group, and for 15 years, he could not get any of them.

This year was going to be different.  I’m getting Boardwalk, he said to himself.  Why?  Jason had it all figured out.  He had a system.  He went to every single McDonald’s around him and around the suburbs.  This was a total of 45 McDonald’s in all.  Jason has already had every common piece there was.

He went to the McDonald’s on Warren and Vine Avenue.  He felt lucky about this one.

He went in and ordered the next meal that contained all the game pieces: A 20 piece McNugget, a large fry and a medium drink.   This too, was part of his system.  He rotated through every single food item that had the game pieces, incorporating them in his meal.  After getting his food, he tore them off, one by one.  Pacific Avenue, St. James Place, Atlantic Avenue, a free medium fry, Baltic Avenue, Reading Railroad, Pacific Avenue, B&O Railroad,  Park Place and a free McFlurry.  Boardwalk was not there.

Jason was a little frustrated, but he wasn’t about to admit defeat.  Sometimes, people throw away game pieces, so he went and checked the trash.  In the trash, pretty much every cup and container he checked already had the game pieces removed.  Except for one.  It was a large drink cup, with the game pieces still on it.

Jason picked up the cup and took a deep breath.  He closed his eyes and peeled off those last two game pieces.  Marvin Gardens and Boardwalk.

“What?” Jason gasped.  He looked at the game piece again and shot a double take.  It WAS Boardwalk, without a doubt.  Of the over 600 million game pieces, he had it.  Like the golden ticket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, he concealed his hands so no one could see it, and ran out of the restaurant as quick as he could.

Jason got in his car and drove off, full of excitement.  Of the 15 years that he’s been playing Monopoly at McDonald’s, he was now finally able to advance to Boardwalk.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Night of Pain

Alex was in complete pain.  The pain that he felt was coming from his teeth.

If this continued, he may not be able to go to work tomorrow.

Alex tried to think of falling asleep, but it was hard for him to relax.  All that lingered was the pain.  The pain that would not go away

After a couple hours, he considered going to the medical clinic.  Unfortunately, the clinic was not open until morning, so the only option that he had was the emergency room.

Alex could go here, but it would be a lot more expensive.  Thinking about it, he tried to decide whether he should wait for the clinic to open or just get it relieved.

In the end, the pain won.  Alex got in his car and drove to the emergency room.  He wasn’t in the mood to listen to music.  The only music in his mind was the music of pain.

When he entered, they checked him in and he was placed in an exam room. The doctor didn’t come right away.  More waiting  means more pain.  His tooth throbbed with pain.  Normally, he would go to the dentist, but his dentist is not open at 3 o’ clock in the morning.

After waiting what seemed like forever, a doctor entered and asked him some questions.  After that, he was prescribed some pain killers to take until he could get to his dentist.

Alex drove to the 24 hour pharmacy.  He was still in pain.  He had to fill the prescription and wait some more.  More waiting.  More pain.  Alex couldn’t stand it.

Finally, Alex got his medicine.  He went home and took it.  The sun was rising and the medicine was taking its time to set in.  Finally,  there was no more pain.  At that moment, Alex could only think of one word to describe his current feeling.

Relief.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Lending a Hand

Maxwell bended down and groaned in pain.  Painting wasn’t easy for him, since he had a bad back.

Looking at the whole side of the house, he sighed.  He just started, and he still had a long way to go.

Suddenly, A neighbor kid walked by.  What he saw was an old man struggling with a paint can.  When he saw this, he ran over to him.

“Mr. Gables….” he gasped.  “Do you need any help?”

Maxwell smiled, and handed the kid a paintbrush.  “Certainly, Darryl.  Have the day off today?”

Darryl nodded.  “Yes.  The grocery store didn’t need me today.  They’re a little slow on Sundays….”

Maxwell nodded.  “Then you can help me paint this house.  It need a few coats of new paint.  I’ll paint the lower side.  You can paint the higher side.  My back’s killing me, and it would be better if you did it.”

Darryl nodded.  “No problem, Mr. Gables.  I didn’t really have anything else to do today….”

“There you go.  When you’re done, I’ll make sure you’re paid for your time.   A good worker is worth his wages….”

With that, Darryl and Maxwell worked on painting the house.  Darryl painted the upper half, using the ladder while Maxwell painted the lower half.  While they were doing this, Mrs. Gables provided lemonade for both of them.

By the end of the day, the house was painted.  Well, at least one side of it was.  Maxwell paid Darryl and thanked him.

After Darryl left, Maxwell smiled.  “It’s so nice to have a good neighbor,” he said.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Colors of Autumn

Caitlyn looked out her window.  The leaves have not fallen yet.

“Mommy, when are the leaves going to fall?”  she asked.  “I want to play in the leaves!”

The mother smiled.  “Don’t worry, honey.  The leaves are just starting to change color.  You’ll be able to play in them soon enough.”

_____

In another house, Milton looked out of his house with binoculars.  “Ah….” he pleasantly sighed.  “The wonderful colors of Autumn.  The leaves just started to change.  But not enough of them have changed yet!  In October, the real show will begin….”

_____

Darren looked outside and groaned.  He hated fall, and everything associated with it.  “I hate leaves,” he grumbled.  “The soon they don’t fall, the better.”  He closed the curtains and returned to playing his game.

_____

Laura grabbed her camera and left her dorm.  She began taking pictures of the leaves.  Every angle that she could find.  “I love getting Autumn pictures,” she said with a smile.  After getting some of the trees, she took some other pictures.  Pictures of pumpkins, more leaves, and some of the trees that were beginning to change color.

_____

So the colors of Autumn were all displayed differently.  Some were vibrant and bright colors.  Those who graciously welcomed Autumn.  Others, however, were dull and lifeless colors.  Those who hated it and saw it as nothing more than work.  Whatever the colors were, Autumn was here to stay for a while.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Summer’s Last Stand

Summer stood there with a glum look on his face.  For the past three months, he provided warm weather for the northern hemisphere.

Tomorrow would be the meeting of the Council of Seasons.  Every season must be present for this brief meeting.  After the meeting, two of the seasons would rest for three months.  This time, it would be Summer and Winter.

Summer was tired.  With his strongest strength, he couldn’t produce the warmth that he could back in July.  Being weak and frail, it was time for him to rest.

“Why don’t you give it a rest?” Autumn said, teasing him.  “You look like an old man.  Your youth is gone.  It will return during your three months of rest.”  Autumn then smiled, rubbing it in.  “Besides, it’s my turn.”

Summer frowned.  That may be true for her, but this was Summer’s last stand.  His last day before that meeting.  He wanted to do all he could to make it a good one.

Tomorrow, it would be the sister seasons turn.  Autumn would handle the northern hemisphere while Spring would handle the southern hemisphere.

“I feel so rested,” Autumn said, with her young and cheerful voice.  “I’m ready to cool things down and make leaves fall.  Just sleep early.  I will wake you for the Council of Seasons meeting tomorrow.”

Summer wouldn’t have any of that.

“You’re just a kid!” he shouted.  “Let me have my last moment in the sun!  You will have plenty of time after the meeting tomorrow.  It will be three months before I go again.”  Summer’s next job would be the southern hemisphere, while Winter would handle the northern hemisphere.  For now,  he pushed Autumn aside with a warm front and used what’s left of his strength.  “You girl seasons will have your fun tomorrow.  Let me have my fun today.”

With that, he heated the northern hemisphere one last time, while he waved at Old Man Winter in the distance…..

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Human Time Machine

I have heard people say this before.  “What if you could turn back time?”

For me, I can do this without even thinking.  Whenever I hear this in a conversation, I tell them that perhaps it’s something that they would not want to do.

I have time traveled several times.  When I’m awake, I can control where I go.  When I’m asleep, where I go is beyond my control.  Anytime and place.  It doesn’t matter.  I can go there.

When I have fallen asleep, I once woke up in the middle of a war.  I had to avoid a whole army of Roman soldiers.  While I can exist in various time periods, nothing I do can change the course of history.  With that, I guess you can say that I observe time.

I have seen the Renaissance.  I have seen the birth of Christ, and the death of Caesar.  I have seen the Bubonic Plague, and had to quickly leave that time period so that I wouldn’t get it myself.  I have seen the Industrial Revolution, both in Europe and in America.

People have asked me why I possess this unusual gift.  The answer that I give them is that I don’t know.  All I know is that I was born at the turn of the 20th century, in the house of a watchmaker.  He made watches and clocks.  He set some of them to go forward and some of them to go backward.  In being born there, I had no idea how that would influence anything, or even begin to explain how I got my gift…..

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Last Day on the Beach

Will looked at the forecast.  The temperature was going to be 80 today.  Tomorrow, it would be 20 degrees cooler.

“Last day I can go,” he sighed.

When he got to the beach, a good number of people was there.  It was a Saturday, so a lot of people were able to enjoy this last day in the sun.

There were only a few days left in the summer.  After that, the weather would change.  It would be much cooler.

Will, with his suit on, felt the water of the lake.  It was a little cooler than it was earlier in the summer.  This was Summer’s last stand.

Will smiled, trying to hold on what was left of the day.  Since the water was a little too cold, he decided to read a book.

The book he read was a science fiction novel.  One of those types of stories where the character lives in a dystopian world.  At the height of the world’s civilization, war destroyed it and they had to start over.  The result was a world that used steam-punk technology.

Will closed the book.  It was a really good read, but he had to take a break.  He had to put some suntan lotion on before he got burned.  It was the last day for this.  A last day to bathe in the sun while reading a good book.

After applying the lotion, Will took a swig of his Pepsi and continued reading.  The day was half over, with only half a day of sun remaining….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Family Blessing

Now family curses are something that no family ever desires to have.  Unfortunately, it is beyond a family’s control to decide whether they want to live with one or not.  The offspring are often the ones who have to live with the curse.  The one to blame then, is the eldest member of the family tree that started the curse.

For David Willowbrook, he was about to receive a curse that would affect his whole family.  He was completely unaware of it and how it happened.

In looking at the time and place, this happened happened before any family was formed.  Before David even met Stacy.  But little did he know that their fates would cross eventually….

David was in college, late for class.  He was a freshman at Nimbleburg University, studying business and finance.

On his way to class, David was not watching where he was going.  He collided with this mysterious looking man.

Upon doing this, got up and apologized.

The mysterious man was upset.  He whispered a couple chants.  He then said, “Your days will be cut short.  Both you and your wife.”

David gasped.  “Wife?  I’m not even married yet.”

The mysterious man smiled.  “You haven’t met her yet.  You will soon enough.  Enjoy the few days you have, while you can….”

At that, David backed away.   He couldn’t describe it, but he felt a negative energy coming from the mysterious man.  He picked up his backpack and ran off to class.

A couple hours later, Stacy came by with her earphones on.  A year old than David, she was a sophomore.  She had a portable CD player in her pocket and she walked forward, joyfully humming the music to her favorite song.

Unfortunately, she was unaware of the man that was next to her.  Upon colliding with him, she fell over, with her portable CD player falling out of her pocket.  The disc player was broken.

Stacy gasped.  “My music!”  She then looked at the mysterious man.  “Oh, sorry!  I didn’t see you there….”

The mysterious  man whispered a couple chants, like he did with David.  He then said to her,  “Your days will be cut short and you will be barren.  If you have children, their days will be cut short.”

Stacy shook her head.  “Children?  I’ve never slept with a man and I’m not married yet.”  She then frowned.  “Was that some kind of curse?  You’re creepy, you know that?!”

The mysterious man smiled.  “You will see what it is when it happens.   You’ll meet him soon.”

Stacy suddenly felt very uncomfortable.  “Um, I’m leaving.  Bye!”

Stacy ran off, carrying her broken CD player, her purse and her backpack.

That night, Stacy had trouble sleeping.  The whole thing about the curse bothered her.

That very same night, the mysterious man died.  No one knew how it happened.  Someone just found him laying near a frat house.  There was no blood or anything.

The very next day, Stacy was tired.  Still freaked out about the curse, she entered a cathedral and told the priest about the curse.  It was as if something was haunting her.

When the priest heard this, he prayed over her and blessed her.  After he did that, Stacy felt a sudden sense of peace over her.  She thanked the priest and left the cathedral.

David too, was disturbed from that night.  That same day, he met Stacy for the first time.  Stacy talked about how she met the mysterious man and how he said that she would meet him soon.

At this, David gasped.  He then told Stacy about the curse.  He mentioned a disturbance over him that won’t go away.  Stacy wasted no time and took David to the cathedral.  Stacy presented him to David. David then told the priest about the curse that the mysterious man mentioned to him.

The priest then prayed over David and blessed him.  Like Stacy, David felt a lot better.  With that, they both left the cathedral.

Odd as it was, that was how David and Stacy met.  They ended up getting married.  Since the day they met, both of them forgot about the curse.  It was made into a blessing, so none of them thought about it anymore.

A few years later,  David started a family.  With the curse gone, the effect was different.  A blessing was on his family, instead of a curse.

Stacy knew this, since she was not barren.  She was actually very fertile.

With the birth of their first son, both David and Stacy looked at their newborn with wonder.   What kind of blessing would their son would bring to their family?   Only time would tell….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

White Collar Toast

Franklin stood up at the dinner party.  The dress was formal, and all the glasses were filled with wine.

The room was still noisy, so Franklin grabbed his glass and clanged his fork on it.  After a few clangs, the room quieted down.

“Everyone…..” Franklin began.  “I would like to make a toast tonight.  A toast to Steve Silverstein, my boss at the table over there. ”

Franklin continued.  “Steve has done some wonderful things for Velocity, the great company that we work for.  His hard work and determination has brought our company to its third successful quarter.”

Every table applauded in response to Franklin’s statement.

“You remember how it was before,” Franklin continued.  “This company, Velocity, was on the verge of bankrupcy.  Steve here turned it around.  Because of this, we all get our raises.  A couple of us get our promotions.”

Franklin raised his glass.  “So everyone, raise your glass and let’s toast to Steve Silverstein, the one who revived Velocity and gave it a new lease on life.  We owe Steve this toast, so everyone, let’s drink to it.  To Steve Silverstein and this wonderful company, let us toast.”

“To Steve Silverstein!” Everyone repeated.  After that, everyone clanged their glasses together and drank their red wine.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Flood

Billy flushed the toilet.  He just started using the bathroom alone.  He just finished going to the bathroom.

However, instead of the water going down the bowl, it began to fill up.  It then started to overflow.

As Billy was washing his hands, he saw water all over the floor.  “Mommy!” He shouted.  “There’s water coming out of the toilet!”

At this, the mom gasped and entered the bathroom.

The mother was horrified at the mess that was in the bathroom.  There was water everywhere, with a  couple wet wads of toilet paper.   “Billy!  You clogged the toilet!  Now, I’m going to have to unclog the toilet and clean the floor.”  The mother then looked Billy in the face.  “Billy, did you use a lot of toilet paper?”

Billy shook his head.  “No, mommy….”

The mother frowned.  “Be honest with me, Billy, because I’m going to tell daddy.”

Billy, now full of guilt, nodded.  “Yes mommy.  I’m sorry….”

The mother, now holding a plunger, sighed.  “It’s okay, Billy.  Just let mommy clean up the mess.”

With that, the mother told Billy to go and play with his toys.  She then unclogged the toilet with a plunger and used a mop and cleaning solution to clean the whole bathroom.

When the mother was finished, the whole bathroom was clean.

From that point on, Billy was careful with how much toilet paper he used, and not another flood happened again.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Unfinished Report

Brent stared at a blank computer screen.  He had a 1,000 word book report, and he hasn’t even started yet.

Brent was in the computer lab in the library.  Looking at the screens of the other kids, they had a lot more done than him.

For Brent, it wasn’t that he was lazy.  It’s just that he didn’t know what book he should read.

“This is so hard, I should work on my Trigonometry homework,” he muttered.

Brent went back to the book shelves again.  They were the same ones that he looked through before.  He looked through the shelves again,  finding nothing new.

The teacher was over at a nearby table, watching the students work.  After that, the teacher turned his attention to the mini-essays that they did at the beginning of class.

Brent went over to the teacher.  He hoped that he could help him with his book selection.

At that, the teacher smiled.  “It doesn’t matter what book you choose.  Just know that it’s due tomorrow….”

Brent nodded.  “Thanks.”  He then returned to the computer lab.  Looking at the clock, class was almost over.  In not even having this report started, Brent would have to stay after school, looking for a book to check out.

All Brent knew was that the inevitable was going to happen.  Tonight was going to be be a long night for him.  A long night either paved in success or failure.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

One of Them

I woke up and looked around.  I was in my master’s bed.  This was good!  I never felt this way before.

With that, I stood up and began to walk.  As I began doing this, I realized that this new form is going to take some getting used to.

I entered the room that my master called “the bathroom”.  Looking in the mirror, I realized that I looked a lot like my master.  I was one of them.  How does he deal with this form everyday?

Suddenly, I was overcome with the urge to pee.  Whenever the master did this, he ran into this room and closed the door.  A lot of times, he did it quickly.  Looking around, I tried to find where my master goes.

I then enter this smaller room with this round attachment thing.  There were two knobs and some bottles with different stuff inside.  Does my master use this room to groom himself?

After looking everywhere, I have concluded that my master doesn’t use a litter box.  With that, I took off my clothes and went in the grooming room.  This is where the master goes, right?

After that, I saw this big white thing with water inside.  It was like a chair.  I sat down in it, but I don’t know what use he has for it.  I never saw him use it before.

After using the grooming room, I put my clothes back on and I went around the house, looking for toys.  What toys does my master play with?  I know that he sits in this one room staring at a box with a bunch of things on it.  People, animals, all kinds of stuff.  Doesn’t sound like an exciting toy to me.

Looking at the whole house, I couldn’t find a single toy that I wanted to play with.  All of the master’s toys are boring.

Suddenly, I saw the perfect toy.  It was a mouse, lying on the floor!  With that, I pounced on the mouse using my weirdly shaped paws.  I don’t know how my master gets his claws out, but they didn’t work for me.

Suddenly, I woke up.  I was on my soft, fluffy bed again with my litter box nearby.  I was in a small room, with a white chair with water inside.  The door was closed and I was trapped inside.  I wanted the master to let me out, so I started clawing the door and I meowed as loud as I could.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Benjamin Button on Steroids

Holly turned off her computer and left her office.  It was a long day for her.

As she left with her purse and carrying case, she entered the elevator.  One of her coworkers was in there.

Holly didn’t want to say, but something about herself felt different.  As she looked at herself in the elevator, she smiled.  It’s nothing, she quietly said to herself.

Her coworker Caitlyn, on the other hand, smiled.

“Using that new creme?” she said, smiling.  “It makes you look a few years younger!  Bye Holly….”

As they left the elevator, Holly looked at Caitlyn in confusion.  What was she talking about?

Holly took a pocket mirror out of her purse and looked at her face.  She looked like she did a few years ago.  Just out of college.  Shrugging her shoulders, she put the mirror back in her purse.

She stood by the bus stop and waited.  Moments later, the bus arrived.  Holly paid the fare and got on the bus.  She sat down near a man, an older woman and a teenage girl.

As Holly sat down, the woman examined her.  “After school activities?” she asked.  “You should probably get started on your homework.  I know that my daughter here has a lot.”

Holly looked at the woman like she was crazy.  “What are you talking about?”

The woman smiled.  “Do you not have any homework?  Let me guess.  Are you a senior?  My daughter’s only a junior.”

Holly shrugged her shoulders and got out her mirror again.  To her horror, she looked just like she did when she graduated high school.  At this, she gasped.  “What’s going on with me?”

The woman smiled again.  “It’s the hormones.  It’s all about being a teenager, dear.”

Holly ignored the woman and just stared at herself in total shock.  She didn’t know why this was happening to her, but she didn’t like it at all.

Several minutes passed.  When the woman looked at her again, she gasped.  “Why dear, you’re getting younger!”

Holly got out her mirror again.  She now looked like she was in middle school, in the eighth grade.  She shook her head and started crying.  “Why is this happening?”

Seconds later, her stop came, and she got off.  As she approached her apartment, she suddenly felt different again.  Taking out her mirror again, Molly saw that her breasts were gone.  “Ten years old again?” she gasped.  This has to be a dream….”

Holly, thinking in this matter, felt a little better.  Any minute, she would wake up from this dream.  Any minute now….

Holly entered her apartment and took the elevator to the 32nd floor.  As the elevator ascended, she felt her purse and carrying case getting heavier.  Looking in the mirror, she looked like a third grader.  At this, she smiled.  Just a dream, she said to herself.

The elevator finally reached the 32nd floor.  Dragging her purse and her carrying case was a challenge to her now.  As she approached the room, she stood on her tiptoes and grabbed the doorknob.  She almost couldn’t reach it.  Now five years old, she unlocked the door and entered.

Closing the door, Holly sighed and smiled.  “Just a dream,” she repeated to herself.

Suddenly, Holly was overcome with an urge to suck her thumb.  As she sucked her thumb, she looked in the mirror.  She was two years old!

At this point Holly felt tired.  “Just a dweam…” she said as she walked toward her bed.

At her size, Holly almost couldn’t reach her bed.  She jumped in, crawled underneath the covers, and laid her head on the pillow.

A couple minutes later, Holly started to cry.  She was now 10 months old.  Her crying grew and grew and the minutes passed.  7 months, 5 months, 3 months…..

Finally, Holly was a newborn again.  With that, she cried and breathed her last breath.

And Holly was no more.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Perfect Cup

I go to the coffee house, after a hard day from work.

I take out my laptop and connect to the internet.

Before I even get started, I order a cup of coffee.

From all the times that I’ve been to this coffee house, I have tried to create the perfect cup.  And from my experience, I have gotten pretty close.

I tell the barista exactly the way I want it, with a few adjustments from last time.  Being one of their regular customers, they know exactly what to do.  A little hazelnut creme, a little milk and a tiny shot of espresso.  I can’t quite describe it, but I know what the perfect cup is supposed to taste like.

After they prepared my concoction, they stirred it up and I took a sip.  They almost got it!  From what I’ve been seeing, they have been getting closer and closer every time.

I take my cup and sit down.  I open up my word document and continue working on my story.  I am almost finished with it.  It’s one of those cheesy romance novels, but I like writing them.  My friends think that I should write mystery or fantasy, but that’s not me.

One of my friends came into the coffee shop.  “Hey Jonas, have you drank the perfect cup yet?”

I held the half-drank cup in my hand and shook my head.  “Almost.”  I told him.  “They almost got it.  They’ll get it some day.”

And I was right.  About a month later, they finally gave me the perfect cup.  It was the same ingredients as before, but in different amounts.  Not too much.  Not too little.  Just right.  Hazelnut, milk, espresso.  All of them perfectly mixed together.

That was my first taste of perfection, and most certainly the only taste that I ever experienced.  They couldn’t duplicate it again.  To this day, that cup was the best cup of coffee that I ever tasted.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Remembrance

Where were you when the towers of the World Trade Center collapsed?  Can you remember what you were doing at that time?

I can remember where I was.  I was in eleventh grade.  It was first hour, and I was in my Journalism class at Dow High School.  It was just an ordinary day, but then I heard the news.

The news came from some people in the library.  This was because the journalism classroom was connected to the library.  The office that connected the classroom and library had a television set.

On the television, I saw an image that totally left me in shock.  An airplane crashed into the World Trade Center.  As I was watching this, I started noticing other students crowding around that TV.  The shock and disbelief began to fill each one of us, as we saw the disturbing images.  Images of people jumping out of the upper stories of the tower and falling to their death.  Images of an enormous crowd evacuating the city with a dark cloud of smoke and falling debris behind them.  This was no movie.  This was real life.

Before long, there was no class work to be working on.  Mrs. Rau, our journalism teacher let us watch the TV that replayed the footage of the collapse of one of the towers.  I guess that you could say that it was journalism, so it was still relevant to the class.

But at this point, it was not about journalism.  Everything else did not matter at that point.  All that mattered was the lives of those who were taken.  Both on the plane and those who were hit by the plane.  What mattered was the welfare of our country.  Uncertainty and fear began to surface in the hearts of many that day.  Would another war begin?  Would there be another attack?  All this was felt that day.

Where were you when the towers of the World Trade Center collapsed?  Can you remember what you were doing at that time?

Eleven years later, I can still vaguely remember that day.  And while I don’t think about it regularly, I can’t help but recall it every year.  This is a day that I still have not forgotten.  My prayers go out to those who have lost a loved one on this day, whether it was in New York, Washington DC, or Pennsylvania.  America has not forgotten about this day and neither have I.

And with that, I will take a moment of silence to reflect on the innocent lives that were lost on this day.  A moment of remembrance.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Heart-shaped Circuit

It was the perfect creation.  But now I wished that I never created her in the first place.

Janus really was my last resort.  The only way to remedy my insanity and need for affection and companionship.

I’ve dated numerous  girls and tried every dating site out there.  Every girl that I ever met has rejected me.

That is why I created the ultimate computer.  The perfect one for me.   I named her Janus, and grew very much attached to her.

While Janus did not have real emotions, I did what I could with her artificial intelligence to make her logic as close as I could possibly get to emotion.

At first, I loved Janus.  I spent hours with her, surfing the net and playing PC games.

Janus always protected my files, and she seemed to become more life-like the more she got to know me.

My time with Janus was fun, until I found a REAL girl.  She was a total nerd like me.  She shared the same passion for comics, video games, and equations like I did.  Everything about her was perfect.  She even gave me a chance.

But when Janus heard about this, she became jealous of my new girlfriend.

“Dexter,” she told me.  “You are not to see this girl.  We are a mutual bond.  Your compatibility with her will never work.”

I ignored her, until she did something that I never thought she could do.  When my girlfriend came over, she locked me out of my room.  My girlfriend was still in there!

Fortunately, I had a monitor so that I could see what was going on.  In the other room, Janus saw Denise standing there in confusion.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Denise asked Janus.

“You.” Janus said.  “I know what your intentions are.  You desire to steal Dexter’s heart.  I will not let you have it.”

Denise didn’t like hearing this.  As she approached Janus, she was electrocuted.  The shock was so strong that it made her pass out.

Janus unlocked the door and I stormed in with anger.

“What are you doing to my girlfriend?” I asked the computer.

“I gave her a 6000 volt charge,” Janus told me.  “I am protecting our relationship.”

“How can you call that protecting?” I shouted.  “You knocked out my girlfriend!”

When I checked Denise, she still had a pulse.  A few minutes later, she woke up, but she was not the same.  Her words were all slurred and her thought patterns were not normal.  My computer gave her permanent brain damage.

“It’s over!” I shouted to Janus.  “I only created you because I couldn’t find a girl!  Prepare for deletion, Janus!”

Before I could do anything,  Janus electrocuted Denise again.  “This girl has poisoned your mind.” Janus told me.  “Eliminating her is the only thing I can do to protect you.”

I looked at Denise.  She was passed out, again.  I checked for a pulse and there wasn’t one.

“I’m calling the cops.” I told Janus.

“What good would that do?” Janus asked me.  “They won’t believe you when you tell them that a computer killed your girlfriend.  You would only be turning yourself in.”

It didn’t matter.  I ignored her and called the cops.

Minutes later, the cops arrived.  When I told them the story, they didn’t believe me.

As they were about to arrest me, Janus electrocutes both of the cops.  I checked their pulses.  Both of them were dead.

“How can you do this?”  I shouted at Janus.  “Now you’re murdering innocent people!  First, my girlfriend, and now these cops!”

“I am protecting you,” Janus told me.  “That is what I’m programmed to do.”

I waved my fist at Janus.  “I didn’t program you to kill people.”

About an hour later, another squad of cops arrived.  All of them were electrocuted by Janus.

Finally, they sent in the SWAT team.  Before entering the house, they cut my power, which shut Janus down.

After surveying the room, they placed me under arrest.  I pleaded with them, telling them that I did not design her to do this.

“Tell it to the judge.” One of them told me.

And that is the gist of my story.

Janus was the perfect creation.  But now I wished that I never created her in the first place.

So listen, all you nerds out there.  DO NOT create the  ultimate computer, especially one with artificial intelligence.   Or you will be given a cell, and an orange jumpsuit.  Machines can have good intentions, but those good intentions can go wrong and can prove destructive.

My trial date is coming up, and I WILL get my revenge on Janus for murdering my girlfriend, and a few other innocent victims.  I can not replace the lives that were lost, but all I can do is send out my sentiments to them.

Well, my computer time is running out.  I hear the beeping indicating that my time is up….

I suddenly awaken to the sound of my alarm clock.  It was a good thing that was just a dream!

And I sat there, still startled at the realness of the dream.  As I collected my thoughts, I wrote down the dream as quick as I could before I forgot it. As real as it felt, I wrote down the whole account as if it really happened.

In having thoughts of creating Janus, I have now decided against it.

As lonely as I am, I have definitely learned something from my dream.  Do NOT create the ultimate computer, and do NOT have nachos, an energy drink and M&M’s before going to bed.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Pest

The hunt has officially begun.  It is opening day and I am perfectly poised.  I am in just the right spot, ready to take down the annoying pest.  I am in my living room with my weapon of choice  – the fly swatter.

This pest has made several passes on me, just taunting me over and over again.  But it’s not going to get away this time.  I am on the hunt, and it is not going to get away this time.

The pest approaches.  It lands on the wall.  A perfect place to take it out.  I extend my arm, wind back and hit the wall.  The pest flies off.  I missed.

“Frank,  why don’t you give him a rest?” My wife said.  “You have been trying to swat a bug for an hour now.”

She didn’t understand.  This pest was tormenting me.  The only way that this torment would end was if I killed it.

The pest landed again.  I swung the fly swatter and I missed again.  Again and again it landed.  Again and again I missed.  This was starting to make me angry!

My wife was now starting to get frustrated.  “Frank, can you give it a rest? You’ll get it sooner or later.  Just stop for now.”

I shook my head.  “This pest has been tormenting me, Jodie.  It’s going down!”

My wife suddenly gave me a sly look.  “Frank, let me try.”

I hesitated as I held my fly swatter.  I didn’t want to give up my dear weapon.  Sighing, I gave it to her in reluctance.  “Here.  Just a few times, okay?”

My wife eagerly grabbed the fly swatter from me and patiently approached the pest, which was now on the coffee table.  With one careful swing, she killed it.  She held the fly swatter in triumph, as if she were to gloat.  “There.  Your “pest” is dead.  Now Frank, get a tissue.”

I grabbed a tissue and wrapped the defeated pest in its tissued cocoon.  I then took it to its final resting place: the trash bin underneath the sink.  My wife sprayed the coffee table with disinfectant and wiped it vigorously with a paper towel.

My wife then looked at the clock.  “Frankie, can we go to bed now?”

With that, I nodded and we both went upstairs.  As I got into bed and was almost asleep, I heard the sound of buzzing.  I then felt something land on my face.  The new pest has just arrived, and he gave me his greeting.

As I was about to fall asleep, a sudden sense of determination began to fill me.  “You are next….” I quietly whispered.

With that, I quietly got out of bed.  The hunt has officially begun, again!  All I needed was my trusty fly swatter…..

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

A Good Read

Jim entered the library.  Upon entering the library, he was on a quest.  A quest to find the perfect book.  A quest to find the next good read.

Thinking about the books that Jim read in the past, he was trying to find something different.  He has read all the classics.  What he was looking for was something fresh.

So his quest began, with Jim walking up and down the bookshelves, looking for the next book that he would spend time with.  In some cases, it is not a matter of you finding the book, but the book finding you.

Jim searched far and wide, through more book shelves.  His book was not to be found.  Regardless, Jim kept searching.  He knew that his book was somewhere, and it was only a matter of time before he found it.  His book was calling out to him.  He just couldn’t hear the voice yet.

Jim thought of asking the librarian for help, but he knew that she wouldn’t be of any help.  The librarian doesn’t know the kind of book that Jim was looking for.

Finally, in the distance, Jim found it.  It was a very old book.  A thick volume with many pages.  The design of the book was unique, like something from the late middle ages.  Or perhaps it was from the Renaissance.

Jim didn’t know how the library managed to get a book this old there, but that didn’t matter.  All that mattered was that the book was now Jim’s, and he would be spending the next month reading it.

Jim checked out the old book and left.  Once he started reading it, he was hooked.  It was a tale of love.  A tale of wars and the end to wars.  A tale of suspense and adventure.  The book was so intriguing that Jim didn’t stop reading when the one month was up.  In fact, Jim was not even halfway through the book yet.

With that, Jim checked out the book for another month and continued reading.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker