She held out the crumbled paper in her hand toward him. “How could you?”
“It was a moment of weakness.”
“A moment of weakness? We made a promise!”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry? That’s the best you can do.”
“Honey, it was just one hamburger.”
http://ift.tt/1hp0FII
She held out the crumbled paper in her hand toward him. “How could you?”
“It was a moment of weakness.”
“A moment of weakness? We made a promise!”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry? That’s the best you can do.”
“Honey, it was just one hamburger.”
Don’t leave it empty,
I just might cry.
No coffee? Not any?
I want to die.
Who could have done this?
How can it be?
Why would they do this,
Especially to me?
You kill the joe,
You make some mo!
Don’t leave it empty,
I just might cry.
No coffee? Not any?
I want to die.
Who could have done this?
How can it be?
Why would they do this,
Especially to me?
You kill the joe,
You make some mo!
http://ift.tt/1hyxaDW
In an instant, all his plans for the future coalesced one brief second. He breathed out and saw himself crossing the stage at his college graduation. His parents were in the crowd, applauding as his father whooped and hollered, his mother, ever the conservative pulling on his sleeve to quiet him down, but beaming a smile of pride none the less.
He beamed a smile as he was down on one knee, the ring box extended as he asked Stacy, his girlfriend since high school to marry him. Her blue eyes filled with tears as her hands clasped together and covered her mouth. She nodded, speechless, of her consent to his proposal. He saw how blue the sky was and how the sun shone down on her, igniting her blonde hair into a radiant halo of gold.
Golden sunlight splayed into the church from the open doors as he watched Stacy walk down the aisle, her dress trailing behind her, her face covered. She stood next to him as they said their vows. “I do.” followed “I do.” Then the moment he waited for, butterflies filling his stomach, as he bent and kissed his bride and they walked down the aisle to the cheers of friends and family out into the sunlight.
The light dissolved above them and he was in the delivery room, sweat beading on Stacy’s forehead as the doctor coaxed her to push one last time. The grunt as she squeezed his hand so tightly, followed by a sigh, and then the air-filled with the cries of their baby girl. He looked at his wife, then at their daughter, Gwen.
Gwen took her first steps. He applauded as she went to the bathroom. He held her as she lost her first tooth. He taught her how to hold her little baby brother, Jason. He kissed them each goodnight and sat on the couch, holding Stacy’s hand.
He held Stacy’s hand as Jason went in for surgery at the age of 8. Smiled when Gwen said she wouldn’t eat all the ice cream because Jason would need it afterwards. Laughed with his family as they played games and watched as Gwen and Jason turned into little version of Stacy and him.
Stacy and he stood, hooting and hollering as there little girl graduated from high school, he pumped his fist in the air as his son followed three years later. High school blended into college as he continued to stand, cheering for his two kids. Finally he sat down as the cheering came to an end.
He sat, looking at the boy sitting on the couch across from him. The boys lips were moving and he knew those words ever so well. He had said them only a moment ago to Stacy’s dad. He nodded, listened, watched as the boy sat petrified, and smiled.
His smile beamed wider as he looked at his daughter in white. The doors opened and they walked down the aisle. He gave her away and sat next to his wife and son and daughter in law. He breathed deeply.
He exhaled sharply as one of his five grandchildren rushed at him, catching him off guard and knocking the wind out of him. But, who can resist hugs from your grandkids. He hugged them back, each one, in turn, as he sat in his chair and they came up to him.
They came up to him, each one. One by one. He laid on the hospital bed, tubes hooked up to him, Stacy holding his hand as his breathing slowed. He was happy. He was content. He had led a full life. He smiled and as the light grew brighter, he shut his eyes.
He shut his eyes after he saw the semi-truck run the red light. After he saw it barrel across the intersection. After he knew it was too late to do anything. After he lived an entire life he would never live, in an instant.
http://ift.tt/1W2bjou
In an instant, all his plans for the future coalesced one brief second. He breathed out and saw himself crossing the stage at his college graduation. His parents were in the crowd, applauding as his father whooped and hollered, his mother, ever the conservative pulling on his sleeve to quiet him down, but beaming a smile of pride none the less.
He beamed a smile as he was down on one knee, the ring box extended as he asked Stacy, his girlfriend since high school to marry him. Her blue eyes filled with tears as her hands clasped together and covered her mouth. She nodded, speechless, of her consent to his proposal. He saw how blue the sky was and how the sun shone down on her, igniting her blonde hair into a radiant halo of gold.
Golden sunlight splayed into the church from the open doors as he watched Stacy walk down the aisle, her dress trailing behind her, her face covered. She stood next to him as they said their vows. “I do.” followed “I do.” Then the moment he waited for, butterflies filling his stomach, as he bent and kissed his bride and they walked down the aisle to the cheers of friends and family out into the sunlight.
The light dissolved above them and he was in the delivery room, sweat beading on Stacy’s forehead as the doctor coaxed her to push one last time. The grunt as she squeezed his hand so tightly, followed by a sigh, and then the air-filled with the cries of their baby girl. He looked at his wife, then at their daughter, Gwen.
Gwen took her first steps. He applauded as she went to the bathroom. He held her as she lost her first tooth. He taught her how to hold her little baby brother, Jason. He kissed them each goodnight and sat on the couch, holding Stacy’s hand.
He held Stacy’s hand as Jason went in for surgery at the age of 8. Smiled when Gwen said she wouldn’t eat all the ice cream because Jason would need it afterwards. Laughed with his family as they played games and watched as Gwen and Jason turned into little version of Stacy and him.
Stacy and he stood, hooting and hollering as there little girl graduated from high school, he pumped his fist in the air as his son followed three years later. High school blended into college as he continued to stand, cheering for his two kids. Finally he sat down as the cheering came to an end.
He sat, looking at the boy sitting on the couch across from him. The boys lips were moving and he knew those words ever so well. He had said them only a moment ago to Stacy’s dad. He nodded, listened, watched as the boy sat petrified, and smiled.
His smile beamed wider as he looked at his daughter in white. The doors opened and they walked down the aisle. He gave her away and sat next to his wife and son and daughter in law. He breathed deeply.
He exhaled sharply as one of his five grandchildren rushed at him, catching him off guard and knocking the wind out of him. But, who can resist hugs from your grandkids. He hugged them back, each one, in turn, as he sat in his chair and they came up to him.
They came up to him, each one. One by one. He laid on the hospital bed, tubes hooked up to him, Stacy holding his hand as his breathing slowed. He was happy. He was content. He had led a full life. He smiled and as the light grew brighter, he shut his eyes.
He shut his eyes after he saw the semi-truck run the red light. After he saw it barrel across the intersection. After he knew it was too late to do anything. After he lived an entire life he would never live, in an instant.
Don’t you…
Don’t I what?
Don’t you want me?
I do, but..
But what?
I can’t have you.
I don’t…
Don’t what?
I don’t understand.
Somethings in life…
Somethings in life.
Just don’t make sense.
It’s not fair.
No. It’s not fair.
Don’t you…
Don’t I what?
Don’t you want me?
I do, but..
But what?
I can’t have you.
I don’t…
Don’t what?
I don’t understand.
Somethings in life…
Somethings in life.
Just don’t make sense.
It’s not fair.
No. It’s not fair.
http://ift.tt/1gKeqkT
“Hey hun, mind if I borrow your laptop?” His wife said as she sat down and opened it up.
“Um, I just..” His face went pale as her’s froze with a look of shock on her face.
“What is this?”
“Happy anniversary?”
http://ift.tt/1MJCGgD
“Hey hun, mind if I borrow your laptop?” His wife said as she sat down and opened it up.
“Um, I just..” His face went pale as her’s froze with a look of shock on her face.
“What is this?”
“Happy anniversary?”
The restaurant was mostly empty when she walked in. Five minutes late, she knew he would already be there as she looked around for him. There he was, waving from a booth near a window. She didn’t wave back, but only nodded at him as she started to walk over to him, checking her phone one last time in hopes of having some urgent business she could use as an excuse to get out of this lunch and another one of his conversations. He stood up to give her a hug and she threw her purse into the booth before accepting.
“Hi honey.” His smile lit up his face as he gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Hi, dad.” Her voice was dry and flat.
“I wasn’t sure what you wanted to drink, so I got you a glass of water.” he tried to keep an upbeat tone as they sat down in the booth.
“Thanks.” Again, her voice barely hid her contempt.
He knew she was angry. Her face did it’s best to hide that fact, but her body gave it all away. Her hug was rigid, and as she sat, she crossed her arms in front of her and leaned back in as disinterested a posture as she could muster. When she did finally smile, it was more teeth than it needed to be.
“What’s wrong?” her dad asked as he reached across the table and put his hand on her arm.
“Why does something have to be wrong?” Her tone betrayed her.
“It doesn’t, it…” he paused, “But something is.” His voice was almost pleading.
“What if I don’t want to talk about it?” She pulled her arm away from his and went back to staring at her phone.
“That’s fine.” He took a deep breath and got quiet, allowing another one of her many secrets to become a brick in the ever-growing wall between the two of them. After a few moments of quiet, he tried again. “Love you.”
She pursed her lips in a forced smile, speaking through closed teeth as she avoided eye contact with him. “Love you too.” It was hallow. It was apathetic. It was the best he was going to get.
“I just wished you would talk to me. You know, like you did when you were younger.”
“I’m twenty-three. Not twelve. And.. I just, you know what, I just don’t want to have this conversation right now.” She stared at him.
He rubbed his fingers down the sides of the water-glass in front of him, feeling the cool condensation against his skin. He rubbed his fingers into his palms, and then his palms together before he spoke again. “One day, you won’t be able too, you know?” He diverted his eyes to the water-glass as he spoke.
“I know.” She looked out the window again, missing as his countenance changed and a heaviness took hold of him. He wanted to break down that wall between the two of them, to have his little girl back, to erase the years of hurt that had created this monstrosity between them. To share with her that he was dying a whole lot sooner than either of them had planned.
But through silence, that secret also became a brick that quietly slipped into the wall between them.
The restaurant was mostly empty when she walked in. Five minutes late, she knew he would already be there as she looked around for him. There he was, waving from a booth near a window. She didn’t wave back, but only nodded at him as she started to walk over to him, checking her phone one last time in hopes of having some urgent business she could use as an excuse to get out of this lunch and another one of his conversations. He stood up to give her a hug and she threw her purse into the booth before accepting.
“Hi honey.” His smile lit up his face as he gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Hi, dad.” Her voice was dry and flat.
“I wasn’t sure what you wanted to drink, so I got you a glass of water.” he tried to keep an upbeat tone as they sat down in the booth.
“Thanks.” Again, her voice barely hid her contempt.
He knew she was angry. Her face did it’s best to hide that fact, but her body gave it all away. Her hug was rigid, and as she sat, she crossed her arms in front of her and leaned back in as disinterested a posture as she could muster. When she did finally smile, it was more teeth than it needed to be.
“What’s wrong?” her dad asked as he reached across the table and put his hand on her arm.
“Why does something have to be wrong?” Her tone betrayed her.
“It doesn’t, it…” he paused, “But something is.” His voice was almost pleading.
“What if I don’t want to talk about it?” She pulled her arm away from his and went back to staring at her phone.
“That’s fine.” He took a deep breath and got quiet, allowing another one of her many secrets to become a brick in the ever-growing wall between the two of them. After a few moments of quiet, he tried again. “Love you.”
She pursed her lips in a forced smile, speaking through closed teeth as she avoided eye contact with him. “Love you too.” It was hallow. It was apathetic. It was the best he was going to get.
“I just wished you would talk to me. You know, like you did when you were younger.”
“I’m twenty-three. Not twelve. And.. I just, you know what, I just don’t want to have this conversation right now.” She stared at him.
He rubbed his fingers down the sides of the water-glass in front of him, feeling the cool condensation against his skin. He rubbed his fingers into his palms, and then his palms together before he spoke again. “One day, you won’t be able too, you know?” He diverted his eyes to the water-glass as he spoke.
“I know.” She looked out the window again, missing as his countenance changed and a heaviness took hold of him. He wanted to break down that wall between the two of them, to have his little girl back, to erase the years of hurt that had created this monstrosity between them. To share with her that he was dying a whole lot sooner than either of them had planned.
But through silence, that secret also became a brick that quietly slipped into the wall between them.
http://ift.tt/1L5R1H3
The barista stood staring at the customer across the counter. His eyes wide and his mouth slightly ajar as a dollop of whip cream feel from the brim of his hat.
“I’m so, so sorry!” Said the customer apologetically.
“So…too hot?”
http://ift.tt/1HP5VPh
The barista stood staring at the customer across the counter. His eyes wide and his mouth slightly ajar as a dollop of whip cream feel from the brim of his hat.
“I’m so, so sorry!” Said the customer apologetically.
“So…too hot?”
Ballor IV was the 4th world from sun in the Ballor Cygna system. It was a predominantly marsh world that had little military purpose, but the atmospheric conditions and the high water content made it perfect to settle an agricultural settlement. In the last twenty years, the industry had thrived so well that many farms had populated away from the original colony, spotting the small planets surface in a spiderweb like lattice of agro-farms.
It was on the periphery of the western boundary that the USS Argonaut had received the last transmission from the reconnaissance flight Valkyrie 354. The video link was so bad that CIC had to rely on audio only, which wasn’t much better.
“Valk–ie 3-4, be– hit, port e–ine is out. Unkn– squelch –orces. M-yda-, –yda-.”
Captain Nathan Daniels stood up and looked over at his executive officer. “Scramble the ready 5. And get me a rescue team on ground ASAP.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Ten minutes later, the Peregrine dropship, Bastion 115, hovered 80 feet above the planet, the tail ramp opened with a gunner strapped into the M-53 Heavy Gun scanning the rear of the craft. Gunnery Sergeant Hawkins was the first of the team to fast-rope from the ship, dropping heavily into the muck with a loud splash. Specialist Sanchez and Petty Office Kilpatrick were next, moving away in opposite directions and taking up flanking positions. Sergeant Wallace and Corporal Bronski were next, followed closely by Lieutenant Lovejoy.
Lt. Lovejoy walked over to where Hawkins stood. “What’s your gut telling you Gunny?” She yelled over the jet wash as the Peregrine’s engines roared and it lifted away from the landing zone.
“I don’t like it.” He said as silence filled the dead air. “Wallace.”
“Aye.” She responded without turning.
“Secure the perimeter. Bronksi, I need eyes.” Hawkins continued to look around the crash site, the wreckage of the downed Osprey class recon ship mostly in tact. “Sanchez, Kilpatrick, check the cockpit. I want to know if we are rescue or retrieval.”
As the team got about their business, Hawkins walked over to the ship and examined the hull. Scorch marks and explosive damage were heavily evident on the port wing. Or rather, what was left of the port wing.
“That rules out an accident.” Lovejoy said as she looked at the side.
“Boss, crew’s not in the cab. Looks like they were extracted and not necessarily by choice. I got a few casings expended in here.” Came Kilpatrick over the comm. “Means at least one of them was alive when they were taken.”
“What about the recon rig?” Hawkins asked.
“Negative. What wasn’t taken has been fragged.” Kilpatrick responded.
“This is just getting better and better.” Lovejoy sighed.
Hawkins looked around, an uneasy feeling settling on him. “Something’s not right.” He said.
“Boss….” Sanchez’ voice sounded more stressed then normal. “We got to get out of here. Now!”
Without hesitation, Hawkins pipped over the comm channel. “Everyone, west, now!” Kilpatrick scurried out of the cab of the Osprey, scrambling over the wreckage. Sanchez was ahead of him as he headed toward Wallace. Hawkins and Lovejoy sloshed through the muck, trudging away from the aircraft as best they could.
“I got movement, Boss. 2 miles ahead. Three hovercraft heading to the west.” Bronski’s voice cut in over the radio.
The team, minus Bronski, gathered together a quarter-mile away from the wreckage while Sanchez bent over and tried to catch his breath. “Short bodies and swamps don’t go together.”
“Yeah, well, you are the one who made us run, so, suck it up.” Kilpatrick chided, breathing heavily himself.
“Alright, care to tell me why we had to exit so quickly?” Hawkins asked, barely out of breath.
“Bobby trap. Saw it attached to the frame under the reactor.” Sanchez heaved.
“We got to keep moving. If that reactor goes, we are all dead.” Lovejoy looked panicked.
“Relax L.T. I pulled the fuel cell. I’m crazy. Not stupid.” Sanchez looked up and smiled.
“You sure it’s safe, Sanchez? Lovejoy asked. As if in response, the Osprey detonated, sending a massive fireball into the sky, sending shards of shrapnel and debris in every direction. A moment later, a shockwave of hot air from the explosion passed over the team, bending the tall grass.
“See. It’s all good.” Sanchez smiled.
Hawkins shook his head at Sanchez, then keyed his mic. “Bronski?”
“All good, Boss.”
“Good, keep an eye on our target. Time to go get our boys back.”
Ballor IV was the 4th world from sun in the Ballor Cygna system. It was a predominantly marsh world that had little military purpose, but the atmospheric conditions and the high water content made it perfect to settle an agricultural settlement. In the last twenty years, the industry had thrived so well that many farms had populated away from the original colony, spotting the small planets surface in a spiderweb like lattice of agro-farms.
It was on the periphery of the western boundary that the USS Argonaut had received the last transmission from the reconnaissance flight Valkyrie 354. The video link was so bad that CIC had to rely on audio only, which wasn’t much better.
“Valk–ie 3-4, be– hit, port e–ine is out. Unkn– squelch –orces. M-yda-, –yda-.”
Captain Nathan Daniels stood up and looked over at his executive officer. “Scramble the ready 5. And get me a rescue team on ground ASAP.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Ten minutes later, the Peregrine dropship, Bastion 115, hovered 80 feet above the planet, the tail ramp opened with a gunner strapped into the M-53 Heavy Gun scanning the rear of the craft. Gunnery Sergeant Hawkins was the first of the team to fast-rope from the ship, dropping heavily into the muck with a loud splash. Specialist Sanchez and Petty Office Kilpatrick were next, moving away in opposite directions and taking up flanking positions. Sergeant Wallace and Corporal Bronski were next, followed closely by Lieutenant Lovejoy.
Lt. Lovejoy walked over to where Hawkins stood. “What’s your gut telling you Gunny?” She yelled over the jet wash as the Peregrine’s engines roared and it lifted away from the landing zone.
“I don’t like it.” He said as silence filled the dead air. “Wallace.”
“Aye.” She responded without turning.
“Secure the perimeter. Bronksi, I need eyes.” Hawkins continued to look around the crash site, the wreckage of the downed Osprey class recon ship mostly in tact. “Sanchez, Kilpatrick, check the cockpit. I want to know if we are rescue or retrieval.”
As the team got about their business, Hawkins walked over to the ship and examined the hull. Scorch marks and explosive damage were heavily evident on the port wing. Or rather, what was left of the port wing.
“That rules out an accident.” Lovejoy said as she looked at the side.
“Boss, crew’s not in the cab. Looks like they were extracted and not necessarily by choice. I got a few casings expended in here.” Came Kilpatrick over the comm. “Means at least one of them was alive when they were taken.”
“What about the recon rig?” Hawkins asked.
“Negative. What wasn’t taken has been fragged.” Kilpatrick responded.
“This is just getting better and better.” Lovejoy sighed.
Hawkins looked around, an uneasy feeling settling on him. “Something’s not right.” He said.
“Boss….” Sanchez’ voice sounded more stressed then normal. “We got to get out of here. Now!”
Without hesitation, Hawkins pipped over the comm channel. “Everyone, west, now!” Kilpatrick scurried out of the cab of the Osprey, scrambling over the wreckage. Sanchez was ahead of him as he headed toward Wallace. Hawkins and Lovejoy sloshed through the muck, trudging away from the aircraft as best they could.
“I got movement, Boss. 2 miles ahead. Three hovercraft heading to the west.” Bronski’s voice cut in over the radio.
The team, minus Bronski, gathered together a quarter-mile away from the wreckage while Sanchez bent over and tried to catch his breath. “Short bodies and swamps don’t go together.”
“Yeah, well, you are the one who made us run, so, suck it up.” Kilpatrick chided, breathing heavily himself.
“Alright, care to tell me why we had to exit so quickly?” Hawkins asked, barely out of breath.
“Bobby trap. Saw it attached to the frame under the reactor.” Sanchez heaved.
“We got to keep moving. If that reactor goes, we are all dead.” Lovejoy looked panicked.
“Relax L.T. I pulled the fuel cell. I’m crazy. Not stupid.” Sanchez looked up and smiled.
“You sure it’s safe, Sanchez? Lovejoy asked. As if in response, the Osprey detonated, sending a massive fireball into the sky, sending shards of shrapnel and debris in every direction. A moment later, a shockwave of hot air from the explosion passed over the team, bending the tall grass.
“See. It’s all good.” Sanchez smiled.
Hawkins shook his head at Sanchez, then keyed his mic. “Bronski?”
“All good, Boss.”
“Good, keep an eye on our target. Time to go get our boys back.”
http://ift.tt/1Ua9HI5
It was Billy’s turn to hide and, although Johnny always found him, Billy knew he had found the best hiding place ever. He heard Johnny searching. He heard Johnny shouting. But Billy knew Johnny would never find him inside the old fridge.
