The sun shone through the windows as Tammy washed the dishes left from the mad rush of breakfast. “What a beautiful day it is out there!“, Tammy thought as she lifted up another dish to be cleaned.

Suddenly, the quiet of her neighborhood was shattered by the shouts of running men dressed in black uniforms. Screams could be heard next door, and Tammy quickly ducked to the floor to avoid being seen. The sound of a door being kicked in, followed by one shout, and then suddenly there was gun fire. Frozen in shock, Tammy could only pray that she was safe.

The phone was a million miles away, or so it felt because Tammy knew that she’d have to stand to reach it. “Please, please, please.“, she chanted as she slid across the floor and tried in vain to reach the handset that was floating above her head. “Why didn’t I grab the cell?” , she mused as she carefully peeked through the doggie door that was at the perfect height.

Tammy could see boots walking past her door, and a pair of legs dragging between two of the officials. “Who are these people?“, Tammy thought as she tried to wrap her head around the events that she’d only ever seen on TV. “They’re wearing uniforms, so it must be ok?” But Tammy had never seen these uniforms before, and listened to her gut instincts telling her to stay hidden.

“Ma’am, we know you’re in there. We’re coming in to talk. There’s nothing to worry about.” A deep baritone shot out like one of those gun shots and she screamed. As soon as she screamed, Tammy knew she’d made a mistake because she was seeing her own door get kicked in. Boots rapidly entered along with more violent yelling, “Did he go through here?”

As Tammy lay cringing in the corner of her kitchen, she refused to raise her face to see her attackers. Somehow, it felt like she could make it go away if she just didn’t see it.

“Are you Tammy Hendricks?” One of the dark-suited officers was crouching down to her level to try to get  a look at her. With a quick nod, she answered the abrupt question. After hearing the man order the others to stand down, she slowly looked into the hardened face of the man who was clearly in charge.

“Who are you people? How can you just come in without any warning?” Hysterics made her voice shrill, but the questions just came tumbling out without waiting for answers. Not that any were coming from the man who stared hard at her.

“Ma’am, did you know anything about your neighbors?“, the officer questioned impatiently. Without waiting for her answer, he continued, “We’ve had reports that they’re violating statutes 1.5.7.18 of the penal code and selling illegal and inflammatory documents against our great nation. Do you know anything about this?”

Shaking her head again, Tammy looked at the man in hostility. “Are you talking about the Kahns? Why would you say something like that? They’re wonderful teachers who have contributed so much to this community. What kind of documents are you talking about?” Rising to her full height, she gave all of the men in the room a look of contempt. “They’re science fiction writers as well as being historians. What could they be writing that even approached illegal? I’ve read their books, and they are non-fiction. You know, not real”

The officer shook his head and gestured to one of the men standing near Tammy. “It looks like we’ll have to take her in for deprogramming. Such a shame, since her husband did his civic duty in reporting those people in to the commission.”

Rough hands grabbed her and held her imprisoned, though she continued to fight against the unwelcome hold. “Who are you people? What’s this commission?“, erupted as she felt herself get dragged out of her own home like a criminal.

“We’re the commission on morality, Ma’am. It was passed to help maintain control of the population during these troubling times that are endangering our very nation. We can’t let people question authority if we’re to have law and order. It’s what the majority wants.” The officer stood proudly as he watched another victim of knowledge get taken away. “The people want safety. Well, every demand requires a sacrifice. Even freedom has a price. Our savior has told us that free will comes with limitations. We’re his enforcers.”

A squad of black SUVs left the neighborhood as quickly as they descended. In the quiet, a voice rang out, “Tammy, honey. I came home when I heard about the commotion on the news. Are you ok?”

But there was no answer…

It’s been a while since I did any creative writing, so today seemed like the day to share another new rough. Hope you like this new short called Lessons. Enjoy your holiday weekend with your loved ones.

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“Stop! Is that really what you want to do?” A pale figure emerged from the mist into the darkened alleyway.

“Who are you?”, spat the aggressive giant holding a weak and terrified man on the ground.

“I am the spirit of history. I have been there through all of the lessons of learning. I appear when lessons are in danger of being lost.”

“I don’t need to learn any lessons. I just need to beat this guy down. Then he’ll get the lesson that he obviously needs. Yeah, why don’t I start with your arm, since you tried to rob me.” The giant wielded a monstrous club in his hand, and had a sneer on his face as he spewed out the ugly words. He didn’t seem to notice that the alleyway was changing in hue, becoming threatening even to him. Read more »

We’ve looked around

but failed to see

just what was really

meant to be.

Our thresholds of perception

are nothing but intolerable

for anything that is truly vulnerable.

Nothing is perfect,

though we fail to see

that everything really is

as it’s meant to be.

Not only for you, but also for me.

So when you make a demand

that exceeds every scale,

then you’ve done nothing to land

a future where possibility will prevail.

She stood shyly by, waiting for him to appear. She just knew that if he didn’t walk by soon, then she would run out of cour…

“Oh, there he is!” Fluffing her curls up, she looked down to make sure that everything looked perfect. This was her chance!

After soulfully gazing in his direction for what seemed like eons, she just had to find a way to tell him her feelings. Sure, she wasn’t a perfect little doll like a lot of the female specimens around her, but she had a heart as big as the wide open sky. Actually, she didn’t think all that much about looks, hers or his. Her thoughts focused on the feeling she got whenever that particular male specimen was in range of her notice.

Holding up the heart shaped box, she was ready to hand it to him when a beautiful girl ran up to him and gave him a hug. After seeing both of their smiles, she knew that this whole thing was useless. Putting the candy on the bench in front of some lockers, she quickly left through the vaulted doorway leading out into the open. She’d get over this….somehow.

As she sprawled on the lawn and gazed up into the blueness above, she could feel a tear trickle down her cheek. Frustrated, she swiped it away.

“Oh, come on, you knew this was a long shot! Buck up, girl. There’ll be someone for you. He’s probably out there waiting to hear from you right now…”

A shadow loomed overhead, cutting out the warm sunlight that made her feel a little better. As she looked up she saw…

“Hey, did you leave this behind? I tried to come talk to you, but my cousin got in the way, and then you were gone. Was this for me?”

The boy who made her heart beat faster was standing over her, looking down with a shy smile on his face and intent eyes. In his hands was the heart-shaped box of chocolates she’d been planning to give him. And on top was a simple note, “From Me to You”, that she wrote because she was scared of his reaction.

As he sat down beside her and opened the box, he grinned in delight, “Hey, these are my favorite!” Popping one in his mouth, he slid his hand over hers and admired their fit. But all she could do was stare in wonder.

Mile above, cupid was doing back strokes as he grinned at his new creation. Unlike those silly humans below, he wasn’t worried about superficial looks. No, his answer could be found much deeper. As two cords connected, a light emanated from the new couple, and it shone like a thousand bright red LEDs. Once lit up, two halves of a heart became one glowing symbol of love. THAT was what kept him going.

Happy Valentines Day, everyone!

This is something that I wrote a while back, but it never got published so here it is:

Point of the Arches, Olympic National Park (Kevin McNeal / Nat Geo)

Inspiration strikes in a moment of absolute purity. A flawless harmony or the brilliant light from a full moon might be all that it took for creation to take wing.

Sometime in the distant past, one of our ancestors looked outside of the familiar and saw something that sparked a thought. Who knows what that spark of inspiration was, but that’s not the point that I’m trying to make. The spark wasn’t the driving force behind that first creation. Yes, the spark may have been the source, but it wasn’t the fire that stoked the dream. That fire was inside all along, burning in the depths of a soul that was waiting to unleash it. Finally, that something was seen in a new light, and that light was the guide on a wondrous journey of creation. That simple creation then altered the perception of another, and so it continued throughout our timeline. One fire that raced through time, looking for new dreams to ignite. Read more »

The uniformed reflection looking back seemed like it was carved from stone. An unyielding force necessary to hold him together. Because once Jake fell apart, well, he wasn’t sure that anyone could put him back together again.

Like Humpty Dumpty… the one nursery rhyme that never failed to get his daughter crying. He knew how she felt.

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The ticker tape parade only lasted an hour, and his entire platoon was the guest of honor as they’d just returned home from the war after two grueling years. All of them were alive, and their small hometown was celebrating. Only, none of his troop brothers wanted to be there. The one thing they couldn’t imagine was why anyone would celebrate their actions. By the end of the route, Jake couldn’t hold it together anymore and stood behind a tree so that he could hide his meltdown. At least here, he could be alone…

“Mommy, why is that man crying?”

With a start, Jake glanced up and saw a little angel of a girl stare at him from behind her mother. The woman quickly moved away, gently explaining to her daughter that he was just happy to be home.

That wasn’t the reason why he was crying, but they did do him a favor. He couldn’t do this in front of his own little girl, because she was too sensitive to his feelings. And it didn’t help when he saw the worried looks that his wife cast when she thought he wasn’t paying attention. Little did she know that he was always paying attention. He had to, because his life used to depend on it. Being away from the war didn’t change that. Read more »

To all you artists who work so hard creating from that spark:

The white burns my eyes. It’s always that way in the beginning of a new project…

The paper stared at him, simply waiting for that first mark. A mark that could become the start of something monumental. The image was in his head, triggered by an avalanche of thoughts that fought to come into being. Strong and silent until life could be breathed into those lines that were trembling at the tip of his pencil.

One scratch. No, that’s not the right angle. I can’t see it going anywhere. I mean, where could it go since it already stops in my head? Pick up the eraser. Gone. Good. Starting again. This time, the line will be the perfect start, and will continue to another. And then another.

There, that’s the rhythm that I’m looking for. Look at how they’re merging together. I’m finally starting to see what’s in my head on this piece of paper. The paper’s alive! Read more »

I am a child of this world.

In my blood runs the legacy of so many before me.

Their experiences are the little shivers that my soul feels

when I reach a place of memory.

Who I am is but one in an ocean of many

All reaching out to touch infinity.

Our dreams inspire,

While our souls conspire,

To bring them to our desire.

All of the beauty

And all of the ugly

Mesh together

To simply become Me.

I am a child of this world who simply seeks

To become more than who I am

Better than I can be.

And so I keep seeing from within me…

If you’ve been following me, then you know that I’m pretty passionate about finding inspiration and making it into something bigger and better for everyone. Well, I was asked to be a contributor for The Urban Times, an online magazine that investigates our future in an optimistic way. Their authors write on a gamut of subjects: built, culture, environment, media, politics, science, technology, the world, and their own features that talk about the future of humanity on this delicate world that we live in. Go on over to read the articles, because there are a lot of extremely thoughtful, passionate, and innovative people who want to connect with us through their words in order to help build a better world. I’m thankful to have found this venue, and look forward to writing for them.

Here’s my first article for them, Humanity’s Outcries Build. Let me know about your thoughts about where humanity is heading.

“What do you mean it’s MY fault?”, said a tiny but booming voice that sounded like a cannon had gone off. “Of course, it’s not my fault! I’m a pirate, and everyone knows that little boys love pirates!”

“But, it can’t be our fault because we bring him little bits of magic for his dreams!”, wailed what sounded like chattering little mice.

“Oh, and you’re going to blame us, I suppose? We’re the league of superheroes and we’re the role models for little boys.”, sounded a voice that posed as proudly as its owner.

A little boy with golden locks rolling in unruly abandon around his head sat at his desk, looking at the sky outside of his window with little notice for the bouncing little voices. The pitch of the fight picked up until the sounds seemed like it was coming from an invading army of angry dragonflies. But the little boy took no notice, as he sat in rapture of his daydream.

“Oh no, he can’t even hear us anymore!”, sobbed the soft fairy voice that was usually as bright and happy as the sun. “What will we do?”

The group of fairytale characters clambered up onto the desk using anything that they could to reach the little boy. The golden boy would have been amazed at the sight of little tiny bodies huffing and puffing their way up desk legs, over globes, and past glasses that comically magnified their sparkly personalities. Soon, one by one they reached the book that sat open in front of him. Peering from behind his storybook, they noticed that he was reading one of their stories but hadn’t moved from the first page. Big shiny worried eyes blinked out of tiny little faces as they stared at one another in confusion.

“What do you think it is? Maybe he sees a bird and wants to fly. You fairies should whisper your stories in his ears until he pays attention to us again. Yes, yes, that’s the answer!” The pirate bellowed his answer with glee. “Because I obviously cannot do anything since I cannot fly!”

But somehow the fairies knew that this wouldn’t help their cause. Looking at the superhero, they begged, “Oh, can’t you do anything? After all, you’re everything that a little boy wants to be. And you can fly!”

But the superhero shook his head in resignation. “I don’t think that we will be able to do anything about this until he gets his head out the the clouds. I’ve seen that look before.”

The mice looked at the superhero in confusion. “Well, if you know the answer, then tell the rest of us! What is it? What did we do?” The beady little mice eyes were filled with tears as they all stared up at the larger-than-life (well, to them anyway) figure of the man who looked remarkably like Superman.

“Take a closer look at the book”, said Superman, “and you’ll know what I’m talking about.”

So several little figures clambered onto the book’s page and looked down, then up at the boy, and then back down again. And they all fell down into a heap as they cried out…

“He’s too young to be in LOVE!!”

Yes, on top of that first page of one of his favorite stories lay the picture of a sweet little brunette girl with long cascading curls. They could only hope that this didn’t make him grow up too fast and forget all about them. After all, they still had so many stories left to tell their favorite little dreamer.