Birthday Wish

Cindy stepped out of her room and sighed.  The house was quiet.  Too quiet.

In the kitchen sat a birthday cake.  It was a round marble cake with five candles.  Her mom made it before she left.

Both of her parents were not there.  Cindy sighed.  I won’t be able to have this cake until they come home tonight….

Cindy stared at the cake.  She couldn’t wait any longer.  Getting out the matches, she lit the five candles all by herself.  She felt proud doing this, considering this was her first time.

Very quietly, she sang “Happy Birthday to You” to herself..

After that, Cindy closed her eyes and wished with all her might.  A tear rolled down her cheek.  “I wish I had a friend….” she sniffed.

Right after she blew out the candles, there was a flash in the room.  A great big genie appeared.

The genie smiled, and looked at Cindy.  “Happy birthday, Cindy!”

Cindy smiled.  “Who are you?”

“I am a genie!”  The genie told her.  “You wished for a friend, right?  I will be your friend today, and will grant you any wish that you want.   And unlike my friends, I will give you unlimited wishes, but for today only!”

Cindy giggled with excitement.  She looked at herself and frowned.  “I wish I was older….”

The genie frowned.  “How old?  I can’t grant the wish unless you tell me.”

Cindy looked at a toy car that she used for one of her Barbie dolls.  “I wish I was old enough to drive, like mommy and daddy!”

The genie waved his hands.  “Your wish is my command!”

Cindy suddenly flashed and she grew taller.  She was now 16 years old.

Cindy giggled again.  “I can now drive like mommy and daddy!  I wish that mommy and daddy was home early from work.”

The genie waved his hands again.  “Your wish is my command!”

Seconds later, both cars entered the driveway.  Her parents entered the house and noticed Cindy, who was now 16.

Cindy beamed with excitement.  “Mommy!”

Cindy’s mother stared at her in shock.  “Cindy?  Is that you?  No!  It can’t be!  Miss.  I don’t know what you’re doing in our house, but have you seen our daughter?  We came home early to celebrate her birthday.  She just turned 5 today….”

Cindy hugged her mother.  “It’s me, mommy.  I lit the candles and made a wish and this genie appeared!  He’s going to give me unlimited wishes because it’s my birthday.  I wished that I was old enough to drive and for you and daddy to be home early from work.  Both wishes came true!  Isn’t this great, mommy?”

The mother stared at her daughter in disbelief.  “You’ve grown so much, honey.  I don’t know why this is happening.  You may be old enough to drive, but you’re still five years old on the inside.  You don’t act anything like a teenager…..”

Cindy pouted.  “You’re wrong, mommy.  I’ll show you I can drive.  I wish that I knew how to drive!”

The genie, now hidden from view waved his hands at Cindy.  “Your wish is my command!”

Cindy flashed.  This made her smile.  “Did you see him, mommy?”

The mother frowned.  “See who?  I don’t see anyone, honey.”

Cindy quietly sighed.  Maybe only I can see him….

Cindy walked out to the red minivan and got inside it.  “Let’s go for a ride, mommy and daddy!”

The father entered the car and shook his head.  “You are not driving.  You are only five-years old.”

“It’s my birthday, daddy.  I want you and mommy to ride with me.”

The father shrugged his shoulders.  “Okay….Let’s go.”

The mother got in and sat in the passenger seat.  The father sat in the seat behind her.

Cindy started up the car and pulled out of the driveway.  Surprisingly, she ended up driving really well.  She drove around the city and down the highway.  Cindy then stopped at one intersection.  “See? I know how to drive!”

The mother shook her head and stared at the father.  “Don’t you think that it’s strange that our little girl can drive?”

The father sighed and shrugged his shoulders.  “None of this is real.  It’s a dream and pretty soon I’ll wake up.”

“We must be having the same dream then.  I hope you’re right.”

Cindy continued driving and entered downtown.  “This city is boring….” she sighed.  “I wish that this city was a giant amusement park, with ponies, and ribbons and beautiful colors….”

The genie waved her hands at Cindy and granted her wish.  The skyscrapers became rides of every kind.

Cindy’s wishing continued.  She wished for an enormous castle for her to live in the center of the amusement park.  She also wished for giant stuffed animals and trees that grew candy.  She wished for talking bears, rabbits, cats and stuffed animals.  She made numerous other wishes that a five-year old would wish for.  The list is so long that I will spare listing everything.

The mother managed an artificial smile.  “I am glad that you are enjoying your birthday, honey.  Why don’t you wish your self back to your own sweet self….”

Cindy shook her head.  “Don’t be silly, mommy.  If I did that, I wouldn’t be old enough to drive.”

The mother sighed.  When is this dream going to end?

Cindy continued wishing.  The father and mother could no longer see the world that they lived in.  It was no longer the world that they knew.  It was now a five-year old’s paradise.  Everything that Cindy loved was there, and everything was full of color.

Cindy then opened up her presents.  All the gifts were pretty much everything that she wished for, of course.

After the presents, Cindy moved on to the birthday cake.  It was an enormous cake that she wished for, with five candles on it.  It was much bigger than the cake that her mother made.

The mother shot a double take.  “It should be 16 candles, honey.”

Cindy shook her hand.  “But I’m five, mommy!”

“You don’t look five to me.”

“I know what you’re trying to do mommy, and it’s not gonna work!  I’m five, and I’m staying old enough to drive!”

Cindy wished for the candles to be lit.  They then sang “Happy Birthday to You”.  After that, she wished that the candles were all blown out.

The cake was then cut.  Cindy and her parents ate part of the cake.  It was a marble cake, like the one her mother made.  This was eaten with vanilla ice cream.

After that, it was time for bed.  Cindy, still having the appearance of a teenager, put her pajamas on.  She then brushed her teeth.

Cindy looked at the mirror and sighed.  “Why are these bulges on me?”

Cindy shrugged her shoulders.  She kissed her mother and father good night and went to bed in her elegantly decorated chamber of the castle.

The genie hovered over Cindy and smiled.  “You sure gave me a work out today.  But I needed it.  You still have three more hours to make wishes.  If you need anything, just let me know.”

Cindy thought for a while and then smiled.  “I wish that everyday was my birthday!”

The genie waved his hands at Cindy.  “Your wish is my command!”

The next day came.  Everything was back to normal.  Cindy was five-years old again.

Cindy stepped out of her room.  The house was quiet, once again.

In the kitchen sat the same birthday cake.  It was a round marble cake with five candles.  Her mom made it before she left.

Upon seeing that cake, Cindy smiled.  Grinning from ear to ear, Cindy knew that this day was going to be a whole lot of fun….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

A Dream Come True

Zuna woke up.  She wore the royal gown that a princess would wear.  She was in an opulently decorated palace, sitting on a richly decorated bed.

“It came true,” She smiled.  “I really am a princess.”

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

“Zuna! Open up now!”

Zuna sighed.  “Yes mother….”

Zuna opened up the door to her room to find her mother standing there, frowning.

“Zuna,” she scolded, “You are not a princess.  If the king found out that you had this dream, you would be in big trouble!  Now turn back this instant!”

“No!” Zuna shouted.  “I wanna be a princess!”

Her mother sighed.  “Fine.  We’ll do it the hard way….”

Zuna’s mother cast magic on herself to make herself fall asleep.

Almost instantly, Zuna’s clothes changed back into pajamas.  She was no longer a princess.  The palace transformed back into a normal house.

Zuna’s mother woke up.  “There.  I dreamed this place back to normal again.  Don’t have that dream again or you will be in big trouble, glimpta!”

Zuna sighed.  “Yes mother….”

Since it was still dark, the mother sent Zuna back to bed.  “Sweet dreams, my glimpta.” she told her.

Her mother left the room.

Zuna closed her eyes and smiled.  Her pajamas became a royal gown and the house became a palace.  The door to her mother’s  room became locked.  Zuna then grew ten times her size.

Her mother, though, was still sleeping.  And it’s a good thing that she was.  Zuna was going to be in a lot of trouble when she wakes up….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Windfall

Sam roamed the alleys of the city.  He didn’t do this by choice.  He HAD  to.

Sam lost everything.  When the company that he worked for went bankrupt, he lost his job.  In just a few months, he ran out of money.

Suddenly, Sam felt hungry. He usually rummaged the dumpsters for food, but he didn’t want to get sick again.  It wasn’t something that he wanted to do.  With his old job, he could eat anything he wanted.

Now, Sam was just standing outside of a drug store.  That’s when he suddenly noticed some guy exiting, holding a bunch of lottery tickets.  He was holding so many tickets that one of them fell out of his hand.  This ticket fell right next to Sam.

Sam was about to walk away from the ticket, but he didn’t.  Instead, he picked it up.  The numbers read as follows: 8 40 22 41 87 12.

The next day, Sam approached a coffee shop.  He usually went there in the morning to beg for food.  With that, he took the ticket with him and entered.

Since Sam found that ticket, it went everywhere with him.  Not that it mattered, he thought.  This wasn’t going to be the winning ticket, right?

As Sam was about to beg, he noticed the TV.  It was on a local news channel.  It was currently discussing the lottery numbers from last night.

“Last night’s numbers for the $248 million jackpot were 8, 40, 22, 41, 87 and 12.” The news anchor announced.

Sam looked at his ticket, and then at the numbers on the television screen.  Sure enough, they were all the same.

At this, Sam started to cry.  His life was about to be totally different….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Bright Wish

Laura stared out her window.  All of a sudden, a star fell from the sky.  The bright light radiated from it as it neared the earth.

The light flickered brightly.  It was so bright that Laura had to close her eyes.  While she was doing this, she heard a loud crash.

With that, she ran outside to see what was going on.  She was in her pajamas, but she didn’t care.

As she walked to the backyard, she saw the crash site.  A bright, shiny stone was sitting there in the center of the crater.  Curious of this stone, Laura reached out and grabbed the stone.  It flashed in her hands.

After that, Laura began to flash.  “What’s happening to me?” She gasped.

It then dawned on her.  This was the star that she wished for.  The stone that she grabbed contained her wish.  Her wish was to be beautiful and bright.  To be able to fly and pave her own future.

With that, Laura flew into the sky.  She became brighter and brighter as she went higher.  Eventually, she was in space.  She became the star that she wished for.

Laura then woke up.  It was only a dream.  A rather weird dream….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Returning Home

Amy sat down and sighed.  She felt bad, because of her disposition.  Granted, she was loved by many.  But she just wanted to be noticed.

Oh, how she longed to have someone see her as she really is!  This sent chills down her spine.

People won’t like me because I’m different…. Amy thought.

But Amy wasn’t about to give up so easily.  With that she got up.  She flew upward and through a tree.

She then flew into a house that looked familiar.  She flew right through the window and into the bathroom.

Amy looked in the mirror.  There was no reflection.  Having seen this, she quietly sighed.

Amy then flew through the wall and into a bedroom.  It was a pink room,  with stuffed animals lying all over the place.  Amy flew over to a stuffed bunny, which was lying on a bed, next to the pillow. This was her favorite stuffed animal.

Mr. Snuffles, she cried.  She tried grabbing the stuffed animal, but her pale hands went right through it.  After several failed attempts of grabbing it, she started bawling.

After a few minutes, Amy looked at the door to her room.  Perhaps mommy and daddy will make me feel better….

Amy flew downstairs.  The TV was on.  It sounded like her parents were watching TV.  Flying through the floor, she listened in on the conversation.

“I don’t know why Amy had to die!” the mother cried.   “That person….”

“It was an accident, honey!” the father argued.  “The other driver wasn’t paying attention.  Amy’s in a better place now…..”

“Is she? Amy didn’t even finish kindergarten! She can’t, now that she’s gone….”

Amy sighed.  What “better place” is mommy and daddy talking about?

Suddenly, a light flashed down on Amy.   She then heard a loud voice.  It sounded like it was calling her.  Amy listened, and she soared up into the sky….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Butterflies

Mike shuddered.  He was standing there, totally paralyzed with fear.

“Well,” Josh sighed.  “Are you going to say anything today?”

Mike nervously grunted.  He stammered, advancing through various slides of his presentation.  Finally, he said  “Thank you everyone for listening.  With this information that you saw, I hope we can get our financing in the right direction.”

Mike quickly sat down before anyone could react.

Josh sighed.  “What we have here, ladies and gentleman is a case of stage fright.”

Josh stared carefully at Mike.  “Anyone,” Josh continued.  “How do we handle people who have a bad case of stage fright?”

Stacie raised her hand.  “We invite them to a Toastmasters meeting!”

Josh smiled.  “That’s right.  Now Mike,  we didn’t get a lot out of that presentation today.  I would like you to try Toastmasters and give this presentation in another month.  You can come to our company club tonight.  How does that sound?”

Mike smiled sheepishly.  “Sure. I’ll be there.”

“Very good,”  Josh beamed.  “We’ll see you there tonight.  Don’t worry about the presentation that you gave today.  We’re going to work on that, okay?”

Mike nodded.

Having been relieved that he didn’t get fired, Mike left the room.  After that fiasco, Mike was curious about the meeting.  What was there to learn?  Mike was about to find out….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Storm at the Summit

Jeremy Stone dug into the steep slope with his pickaxe.  With a pair of them, he alternated, striking higher each time.

For this mountain, it was no big deal to Jeremy.  He has climbed numerous mountains before.  As a display of his confidence, he decided to do this alone.

Well, not entirely alone.  His expedition group was waiting back at the base camp.

Jeremy reached the top of the slope.  In just another 100 feet,  he would be at the summit.

“Almost done with this one,” Jeremy said to himself.  “There is no mountain I can’t climb.”

Jeremy took another rope out of his bag from his backpack and anchored it on the icy rock.  It was time to climb the summit.  He fastened his harness and set everything up.  He then used his pickaxe and began digging into the slope.

Finally, he reached the summit.   Jeremy held his hands up and raised them in victory.

“I am master of the mountains,” he proudly said.  “Who has ever reached the top alone?”

As Jeremy began to plan his descent, it happened.  A strong, icy wind blew, bringing a light snow.  The light snow intensified, and the visibility lessened by the second.

“I’ll make it. ” Jeremy said with confidence.  I’ve experienced blizzards worse than this.”

The blizzard worsened and the wind grew stronger.  It was now impossible for Jeremy to see what was in front of him.

As Jeremy began to rappel, the rope above him snapped.  Jeremy began to plummet down the mountain.  In a desperate attempt to break his fall, Jeremy searched for the nearest slope that he could cling to.  A small ledge was just below him.  He reached for the ledge, but missed.  He then swung his hands forward, trying to reach the  rock face that was near him.

As he neared the rock face, he clawed against it, but he found his hands slipping.  He could not grip it.  It was no use.  The cliff was frozen and covered in snow and ice.

Jeremy slipped downward against the cliff, his hands brushing against it.  With the rapid change in altitude, Jeremy became short of breath.  Barely conscious, Jeremy landed on a lower ledge, in a new pile of snow.

Jeremy could suddenly make out the figure of a man on a higher ledge just above him.  He looked like another mountain climber.  With the blizzard, Jeremy couldn’t see him very well.  It could be one of his friends from the base camp or someone else.  Jeremy couldn’t tell.

The man looked like he was holding something.  Jeremy guessed that it was a coil of rope.  “Do you need any help?”  The man asked.

Jeremy breathed heavily, shaking his head.  “No!  I’m fine!”

The man grabbed one end of the rope and threw the coil toward Jeremy.  The coil unraveled and the rope landed next to Jeremy.  “I’m going to help you, okay?”

Jeremy backed away from the rope.  “I….don’t need your help!”

The man began anchoring the other end of the rope.  “Just grab the rope!”

The blizzard intensified, with the winds blowing stronger.  Jeremy refused once more.  “No!  This is a solo expedition!  I’m returning to the base camp, so leave me alone!”

The man began climbing down the ledge toward Jeremy.  He backed away, and then began readying his rope to rappel down the mountain to the base camp.  As he was getting ready to anchor the rope, the very end of the ledge that he was standing on began to give away.  It began to crumble beneath his feet, dissolving into a powdery mix of snow and ice.

At this time, the man reached the ledge that Jeremy was on, and he threw the rope over the edge of the cliff.

As Jeremy began to fall, he saw the rope falling just below him.  Immediately, Jeremy firmly grabbed the rope.  He could see the man, staring over the edge of the cliff.

Jeremy tightened his grip on the rope and watched the man as he stepped slightly closer to the edge of the cliff.  “Do you need any help?” he asked again.

Clinging to the rope with all his might, Jeremy coughed.  Then he burst into tears.  “Yes!” he cried.  “Yes! Yes! Yes! Please help me now!”

The man pulled up the rope and helped Jeremy back onto the ledge.

Jeremy wiped off his tears and embraced the man.  “You saved my life.  I really appreciate that.”

The man then pointed upward.  “You fell below your base camp.  Keep heading upward and you will reach it.”

Jeremy stared at the man with a puzzled look on his face.  “I did?”

“Use that rope that I anchored to get back up.” The man told him.  “You can keep it once you get there.”

Jeremy prepared the rope and began walking toward the slope above him.  “Hey, thanks!”

Jeremy turned around.  The man was gone.

This puzzled Jeremy even more.   Where did he go?  How am I going to thank him?  I didn’t even get his name….

The blizzard began to lessen and was now a steady snow.  Jeremy began walking toward the cliff and shouted.  “Hey man!  Where did you go?  I want to thank you!”

But Jeremy never found the man.  But then it hit him.  The man didn’t sound like any of his friends at the base camp….

Jeremy climbed upward and eventually reached the base camp.  He told his friends about the man but they didn’t know anything.  The man never visited the base camp or any of his friends.

Filled with wonder, Jeremy just quietly sighed and smiled.  He didn’t know where the man was, but he knew that he helped him.  What he found to be the most mysterious was the way that he was rescued.  It was as if the man knew that the ledge was going to give away and that he was going to fall.

Whoever the man was,  Jeremy was grateful, and would never look at mountain climbing the same way again.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Deadline

David looked at the clock.  It was 10 minutes to 5:00.

Now it’s official.  Only 10 minutes remained before David had to turn in the report.

David remembered his boss telling him how important this report was.  “Yes Dave,” he told him.  “Please get that report in today.  You have started on it, haven’t you?”

The report was only halfway finished then.  Now, it’s just about complete.

7 more minutes.  David typed like lightning on the keyboard.  The figures needed to be correct.  The data needed to be correct.  Everything needed to be spotless.

5 more minutes.  The report only needed to be spell-checked now.  David ran the spell-check.  No errors.  What a relief.

4 more minutes.  Now to print the report.  David printed the report, but to his horror, nothing happened.

The remaining minutes ran out.  David’s time was up.  Sadly, David had to break the news.

Just as he went to his office, his boss was leaving.

“So,” the boss smiled, “do you have that report?”

“No….” David sighed.  “The printers….”

The boss then gasped.  “Oh yeah.  I almost forgot.  The printers are currently having problems.  They’ll be fixed tomorrow.  Just have the report to me by the end of the day tomorrow, okay?”

David nodded.  Another relief.

Looking at his watch, the time read 5:04.  The deadline was not necessary.  But it was only prolonged for another day.  And that was all the time that David needed.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Paradise’s Clever Disguise

Jolene looked out the window.  It was another sunny day, like always.

“Always sunny,” she sighed.  “Isn’t the weather ever different?”

Bradley smirked.  “Of course not.  We’re in the Paradise Republic, remember?”

Jolene scowled.  “I know that the weather doesn’t change.  I just would like it to, sometime.

Jolene walked around the room.  Posters of a political figure hanged everywhere in the house.

Jolene sighed.  “I wish that we didn’t have to have all these stupid posters.  That Ivan Nimsky’s a fake, you know.”

Bradley nodded.  “I know.  Outwardly, he’s a man of peace.  But inwardly, he’s a cruel dictator.  But it’s not like we can escape.  We’re on a floating continent, so good luck with that.

Jolene grinned.  “Maybe there is a way to escape.”

“You think there is?  No one can escape Terra Majesto!  No one ever has!”

“Not until now.  If the Master wants us to escape, we will.”

“He might, but don’t be so reckless.”

“I want to escape, though.  I want to see what’s in the world below.  I really want to leave this socialist’s paradise….”

Bradley gasped.  “You better hope his spies aren’t around. They’ll arrest you for saying that.”

“Let them.  I’ll escape their jail, too.”

An alarm suddenly went off.  Maybe it was something Jolene said.  Whatever the cause was, it happened to trigger the alarm.

The alarm sounded louder and louder.  It served as an indicator.   An indicator that Jolene and Bradley’s troubles were only beginning….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Unable to Awaken

Angela pulled back the covers and got up from her bed.  This was not the bed she was sleeping in.  Looking at her pajamas, a sudden realization hit her.  Those were not the pajamas she was wearing, either.

The pajamas that Angela remembered wearing were a bright orange, with yellow dots all around.  The ones she was wearing were totally different.  The pajamas she were were pink, and resembled a dress.

Looking back at her bed, Angela remembered sleeping in a full-size bed.  It had a bright green comforter, too.  Instead, this was a queen-sized canopy bed, with with white sheets and a white comforter.

Regardless of the changes, Angela accepted them and continued on.  The world around her was not the world that she remembered.  It was a world of her own imagination.

Angela skipped through this world, carefree.  While she was in her early thirties, she maintained the innocence of a child.  She often did this in her dreams.  Outside her dreams, she acted like an adult.

After skipping through a field of flowers of every color, Angela decided to wake up.  After pinching herself a few times, a sudden reality sent chills down her spine.  She wasn’t going to wake up.  She was stuck in her world.  The only thing she could do is learn to live in it.

Upon having this thought, a nervous smile came on her face.  Perhaps it won’t be so bad, she thought.

So Angela remained in her own world.  The world of her dreams.  The world of her imagination.  And she never returned to reality, because she was unable to awaken.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Parched Land

Everett looked outside his house and frowned.

The fields outside were totally dry.  The  sweltering heat of the sun beat down on the rows and rows of starving crops.

The worse part about this is that it has been like this for weeks.  Even worse still is the harsh reality that Everett, having a small farm, could not afford the irrigation tools needed to keep his crops watered.
The land remained devoid of moisture.  There was not a single cloud in the sky.  It was 103 degrees, with no indication of the temperature going down in the next few days.

Everett left his house and cried out: “Oh, if my crops could have a little bit of rain!  They are about to die.  If I lose these crops, I lose everything….”

Everett walked out to the crops and threw himself down on his knees.  He folded his hands and looked to the sky.  “Lord,” he prayed, “please water these fields.  They are dying a thirst and are crying out to you.  Please answer their cry!”

A few hours later, a darkening cloud entered the sky.  Before long, the entire sky was dark.  Torrents of rain began pouring down on the land.  After having a drought for weeks, the parched land was parched no more.

And while it was a start, Everett quietly thanked God and entered his house.  The air became cool, and the torrents became a steady rain.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Leaving the Colony

Tigerlily pouted.  She pounded her fist into the ground.  The pouting became a fit of frustration.  He raised his fist and beat the dew drenched grass.

“Why can’t I separate and leave the colony?”  He shouted.

Cobralily looked at Tigerlily sternly and brought his hand to his face.  “Geminis are not supposed to leave the colony.”

“Why can’t I?” She pouted.

“It’s a rule of the colony.” Cobralily affirmed with her soft and stern voice.  “Geminis are not supposed to separate either.”

Tigerlily frowned and then changed into his/her alternate form (a form often used by Geminis to increase their productivity).  A male and female both stood there, shaking their head in disagreement.  Upon deciding, they both agreed to finish each other’s sentences.  Being two halves of the same body, this was possible for them.

“If you don’t let us leave….” The male said.

“….we’ll leave on our own.”  The female said almost immediately.

And it was so.  Tigerlily was no more.  Upon separating,  their alternate form became permanent.  Each left the colony with half their name. Tiger and Lily each went their own way, in their own direction.  Their paths were opposite of one another.

Having banished themselves from the colony, the half-Geminis were ready to live their lives anew – separate from each other.  With each having no regrets, their union was over, but their journey has just begun….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Perfect Game

I threw the ball, and watched it roll down the lane.  Quickly it went,  directly into a row of pins.  All of them fell.  Another strike.

I looked at the score. 270.  I haven’t missed a single pin yet.  Nor do I plan on doing so.

I bowled the ball again.  All the pins fell.  280.  It was the final frame, so I had two balls left….

Once again, I threw the ball down the lane.  they all fell again.  290.  Just 10 more to go….

Full of confidence, I knew I had the last one.  I threw the ball down the alley.  The ball hits the pins, and….

The center pin wiggled back and forth.  It almost fell, but it didn’t.  It stood right back up.  299 was the final score.  Just one pin shy from the perfect game.

Looking at that one pin, I scowled.  I WILL get that one pin some day.   I will knock them all down, and score the perfect game.

With that, I started a new game.  Someday will be today.

I paid up front and the lane was reset.  I raised my ball and approached the lane.  Perfect game, here I come….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Dream Girl

I woke up.

As I was walking over to my dresser, I noticed a beautiful young lady standing next to me.

“Hi John.”  She said with a grin.

This shocked me, since this was the same girl that I was dreaming of.

“Excuse me,” I said, all bewildered.  “How is this even possible?  You are here, in the real world.  How did you get out of my dreams?”

My dream girl, Shanna looked at me and frowned.  “Real world?” She gasped.  “What is this ‘real world”?”

“You’re here!  This is not the world that you live in.  This is the world that I live in.”

Shanna got up on my bed.  “Can we fly in this world?”

“No Shanna, we can’t….”

Before I could even finish my sentence, Shanna lunged forward, attempting to fly.  She landed hard on her stomach.

“We can’t fly,” I told her.  “This world has different rules.  My world has this thing called gravity, okay?”

Shanna was even more confused.  “Gravity? How can we fly then?”

“Birds can fly, but we can’t. ”  I told her.  “The only way we can fly is in an airplane.”

Shanna smiled.  “I want to turn into a bird.”

I sighed.  “You don’t understand.  You cannot change your shape in my world.”

Shanna frowned and scowled.  “Your world is boring!  I want to go back to my world!”

Shanna closed her eyes as hard as she could.  It was no use. She was stuck in my world.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Dreaming While Awake

I entered my daughter’s room and she woke up.  A grin appeared on her face.

My daughter smiled.  “I’m ready, daddy!”

I smiled and gave my daughter a hug.  “Okay honey.”

My daughter looked around the room.  Everything was different.  Unicorns entered her room and a waterfall appeared.  A tiara appeared on her head.  “Do you like it, daddy?”

“Oh, it’s beautiful honey….” I said with my usual grin.

My daughter is a very special daughter with a very special talent.  When she’s awake, the whole world is her canvas.  Anything she wants to create can be made.

“Stairs….” The daughter said.  “Stairs leading up to the sky….”

The stairs appeared just as she said.  The daughter then grabbed me by the hand.

“Come on, daddy,” She pleaded.

I followed her up the stairs.  On my way up, I saw flying hippos, purple cactuses, and a furry cat-creature.

“As tall as the sky!” My daughter said.

And the house did just that.  The house grew as tall as the sky.  There were balloons of every color, hearts, diamonds, sparkles, and bright lights everywhere.

My daughter looked at me with a bright smile.  “Isn’t it beautiful, daddy?”

I looked at her and smiled.  “It surely is, honey.”

My daughter then looked all around her.  “Again! Again!”

I then woke up, to find my daughter entering the room.

A nice big grin appeared on my daughter’s face.  “Let’s do it again!”

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Fight

I looked back at the boxing ring in regret.  Why did I take on that fight in the first place?

Oh yeah.  Now I remember.  It was that ad that I read in the newspaper.  $200 will be rewarded to anyone who can last 10 minutes in the ring against the Masked Crusher.

All I could think of was the money, so I decided to give it a try.

After I entered the ring, it was official.  I already signed the legal waiver freeing them from any liability regarding any possible injuries that I might receive from my “opponent”.  Now it was just me and The Masked Crusher.

I nervously approached the giant and managed to land one jab, which he effortlessly blocked.  I kept reminding myself  “You don’t have to beat him.  You just have to last 10 minutes.

Before I knew it,  he closed in on me.  He then started punching me.  I was cornered in the ring, so I had no other place to turn.

Then he landed that one jab, and that was the last thing that I could remember.  Everything became black.

When I woke up, I was told how long I lasted in the ring: 4 minutes and 28 seconds.  Not even half of 10 minutes.

“Now come on!”  I cried.  “Don’t I get at least about half the money?”

Unfortunately, I didn’t receive anything.  It was all or nothing.  In being desperate for money, this was disappointing news for me.

So now I’m here, with a bruised eye and a depressing story.  A story of desperation and loss.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Mysterious Blond

I was overcome by her beauty.  She wore a golden strand of hair, decorated in jewelry that I have never seen before.  I have not seen anything like it on earth, nor have I ever seen anything like it before.

She wore a pink dress woven in a mysterious pattern.  It was almost like a robe, but it looked so much like a dress.  Her footwear was mysterious, and flashed brightly with every step she took.

I tried talking to her, but she shyed away.  It was as if she didn’t understand a word I said.

“Hello,” I nervously choked.  “I am Kyle….”

The blond-haired girl backed away, as if she didn’t understand.  “Ma qua qi?”

“I’m sorry.” I sighed.  “I don’t understand….”

The blonde-haired girl walked toward me.  “Ma….” She quietly said.  “Ma….”

At this point, I was confused.  “Do you want your mother?” I asked her.

After I said that, I became completely embarassed.  I just asked her a question that she did not understand.  If she didn’t speak my language, how would she understand a word I just said?

Regardless, we both stared at each other, trying to communicate to one another in some way.

The blond-haired girl then stared at me and closed her eyes….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

I feel terrible that I have allowed this site to suffer so much neglect.  Starting today, I will try something new.

I will think about a subject to write about.  It can be anything.  It can be a story, a poem….anything.  For 10 minutes, I will write about this subject.  There is only one rule: NO REVISING.  Whatever is written cannot be erased.  I’m thinking and WRITING, not thinking and revising.

With that,  let the thinking and writing begin!

———–

Farewell to a Friend

Cindy woke up, her face all wet.  Her face was covered in tears.  She got up from her bed and started to bawl.  “Mittens!  Why won’t you come back?”

Cindy got up and left her room.  She knocked on the door to her parent’s room and entered it.  “Mittens is gone, mommy!  Mittens is gone!”

The mother invited Cindy to sit down on her lap. “Come here, honey.  Go back to sleep. You are just having a bad dream….”

Cindy continued to sob.  “But Mittens….” she choked.

The mother gave Cindy a hug.  “I know that Mittens  hasn’t come back yet.  But where ever he is, he’s in a better place.  Mittens is happier there.”

Cindy wiped the tears from her eyes.  “I know.  I just want to see Mittens again.”

The mother brought Cindy to her feet and led her back to her room.  “Mittens wants you to be happy.  I miss him too.  Everyone in this family misses him.  Your brother and your younger sister.”

______

©2012  K. L. Walker