Dribbles and Drabbles

"A song or a story tonight?" She asks, already knowing the answer. I look expectantly and she begins. Warm and safe, I listen. The fluorescent lights add depth to the words that dance across my mind. Bedtime was the highlight of my day. Always the best way to end it.

"A Trail in the Grass" by Nathan Rakhlin

The savanna leaves little room for error. Blind, I grip my mother's tail. She knows how to navigate this struggle. Where to go, what unwritten natural rules to follow. So naturally, I follow her. It's not too hard for me yet. But one day, someone will have to follow me.

"Photographed Sunset" by Daniel Dolinsky

It was simply a normal, August night. I was hanging out with my friends for little did I know the final time. We walked down to the elementary school. The first thing that caught our eyes was the sunset. The combination of the pink, orange, yellow and blue hues were so incredibly emotional, and I couldn’t understand why until after everything unfolded. We got our phones and cameras out, and captured that moment, of our last night. That photographed sunset was the end of our freshman year friendship. The last peaceful night, where we could lie around, before it ended.

"Bumblebee" by Talia Reiss

Ella woke up to use the bathroom. The floor beneath her was creaking with each step as she neared the door, but the handle was jammed. She walked back to her bed, noticing that the noise she was hearing was not her footsteps. It was coming from the attic above.

"A Touch with Death" by Jude Keene

It slipped from my grasp. My hands reach out trying to catch it, they only grab air. Plummeting towards the ground. Falling faster and faster as my heart drops. The world slows down as it nears the end of its fall. My eyes track its descent, every ounce of my being tenses up. My heart beating in my ears. The panic sets in, I can’t catch it, it's going to fall and I can’t stop it. Each second lasts an eternity. I brace myself as it hits the floor. A wave of relief washes over me. My phone is fine.

"Monopoly" by Emmy Udry

I tiptoed up behind him, praying he wouldn’t notice. He did. Suddenly he was off again, sprinting down the block towards the county jail. He leapt confidently over the building, landing squarely on the opposite side. Realizing he had once again lost me, he strolled around the corner and casually entered the first building he approached- a petite, expensive-looking hotel. He sauntered inconspicuously up to the front desk before cramming a hand into the front pocket of his tuxedo vest and producing a huge wad of cash. He slammed the cash onto the front desk.

“I’ll take it,” he proclaimed.

"Checkmate" by Jack Thomas

He built his empire brick by brick. The city’s people needed a home and they were counting on him. Each piece had to fit together perfectly, each building had to impress the future generations. The boy knew his legacy lied in this rubble, if only he could cement it he would be sure that his memory would live on. They would sing songs of him and his builds. Unfortunately the tiny plastic squares don’t have the structural integrity of steel but the boy knew he must quicken his pace before his mom saw he was playing with LEGOs past bedtime.

"Fun and Games" by Anonymous

I'm staring down my opponent, our eyes locked on the game. The silence in the room is deafening, only adding to the intensity of this situation. I can feel the droplets of sweat racing down my forehead, and the shakiness of my hands. I was winning, but not by a lot. I needed to strategize. One false move and it could blow this whole thing for me. I looked down to examine my cards and started to laugh in my opponent’s face. I said with a big wicked grin, “Go fish.”

"Winter Light" by Nicole Cracovia