Ipsum Cafe

She was reading. Legs curled up under her body, book balanced expertly on her lap. Her blonde hair hung loosely against her right shoulder, some of the strands falling in front of her face, allowing her to hide from the rest of the cafe.

It was the first time I'd seen her. Jupiter, the manager at Ipsum Cafe, told me she's always here. Everyday, at the same time, in the same green corduroy chair, by the same bay window, ordering the same drink. 

"Your order's ready Iris" Jupiter called from behind the counter. I smiled as I lifted the mug onto the table full of condiments. His horns were growing, they used to be tiny stubs and now they had a slight curve at the end. Focusing on my tea I put my usual in, two spoonfuls of sugars and looked back at Jupiter. 

"You're horns are looking rather curvy today Jupiter" I say, running my hand up and down his right horn. The rims on them were still small but I could feel the ridges as my fingers followed their curves. As I took my hand away and reached behind me for my mug I saw him blush.

"Well yours are looking as beautiful as always. I swear you got the best ones out of us all." He reached forward over the counter and grabbed one of my horns, causing me to fall forward and spill me tea.

"Jupiter!" I cursed, ducking out of his grip, placing my mug rather forcefully onto the table behind me, and looked down to see if it spilled on me. There was a dark stain running down the length of my dress. The light brown color of the tea, mixed with the dark green color of the dress, creating a very unappealing mud looking concoction.

I could feel my ears heating up cause I was making I scene. Without looking around the cafe, I sighed and mumbled, "it's okay" and practically ran towards the bathroom. Slowly closing the door so it didn't make any noise, I looked in the mirror. My black hair was frazzled, part of the bang between my right ear and horn was messy and looked knotted. The color on my cheeks was evident, red almost like I'd been slapped in the face. And then my dress... it was completely ruined.

"Hey in there. Are you doing okay?" A soft voice said through the oak wood door. Still a little upset I whipped the door open and stared at her. She stared back at me. A slight smile fell across her lips as she crossed her arms across her chest. Looking at her now I noticed that her eyes were two different colors. Heterochromia I think they called it; very rare. 

"I'm fine. Just a little accident involving tea" I replied, moving to the side to let her in. Sliding back in front of the mirror I started to straighten my bang, splitting my hair in the back into two and bringing each side onto a shoulder.

"Your horns are stunning" the girl said. She moved closer to the sink, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I only hen noticed that her hat was gone. a beanie I believe. She must have taken it off. Now her golden hair fell kind of flat against her head, framing her round face.

'That's what everyone keeps telling me" I reply truthfully. Everywhere I go, everyone always tells me how beautiful they are, the best they've ever seen. I guess they're the only things to pay attention to when the rest of my is not the way it should be; human. I should have goat legs, hooved and furry goat legs like my parents and every other Satyr that exists. But I'm stuck with hairless, flat human legs, making me an outcast among all of the other Satyr's, except for Jupiter who's always been there for me.

"Yes, well I truly mean it. They're gorgeous," she whispered into my ear. I felt my cheeks grown hot as I saw myself blush in the mirror. She smiled. Not like before; at the door. This time it brightened up the room, I swear. It made me smile.

"I don't know what I'm going to do about this." I pointed to my dress. "It's my favorite, my brother gave it to me for my birthday before I left home." I huffed, placing both of my hands on the counter and moved in closer to the mirror. After a second or two I felt a slight pressure on my back and looked up. She stood where she had before, only this time she had a hand placed on the middle of my back, rubbing small circles and was gazing into the mirror, at what I don't know.

"I'm sure he didn't mean for the drink the spill." Her smile this time was different again. More soft, more reassuring. "And I'm sure you'll be able to get another dress. Maybe one you'll like even more?" She continued, removing her hand from my back and copying my posture. This time looking directly at me. One her eyes was a dark green, as dark green as you can get; like the color of pine needles. The other was like the ocean, light blue with flecks of brown dotting across her iris. They both stared at me, entrancing me.

"How do you know my name?" I managed to get out with a squeak. This girl, this close, was making me nervous. As cheesy as it sounds, I felt butterflies. Her smile this time was the same as it had been at the door; small and shy.

" Jupiter. When he called out your order" she replied, standing back upright, moving her hands through her hair, fixing it; although it wasn't needed. "I'm Delilah by the way" she said, now standing by the bathroom door. I didn't want her to leave yet. "I've got to go, see you around" And then she was gone.

I looked back into the mirror, fixing pieces of my hair that were still chaotic and headed for the door. "Delilah" I whispered with a small smile. Beautiful name. 

Daughter of Good: Decorated Soldiers

Prompt: Write a story based off of a line or title of your favorite song.
Song: "1,000 Ships" by: Rachel Platten
Line: "I'd go beyond our fighting boarders if you needed that from me. I'd march with decorated soldiers to get your pretty eyes to see."
_________________________________________________________________________________

Our friends don’t get along. Her friends avoid us when they can and the same for mine. So when Darren Simmons approached us in the hallway before school I knew something was wrong.

“She needs you,” was all he said. Darren is tall for a level one; standing at about six foot two he towers over us in his leather jacket and messy hazelnut colored hair. I looked from him to all of my friends; they all nodded.

I started marching towards the front door. Everyone moved out of the way as I powered through the hallways; almost like a scene from a movie. Behind me I could hear the sound of high heels hitting the titled floor and knew that my friends were with me. We walked in a V-formation; me and my decorated soldiers. They’d all had experience dealing with drama; being friends with girls will got you lots of experience.

Throwing open the front door I stood on the steps and looked around. Kids climbed off big yellow buses, gathering in scattered groups around the outside of the school.  Some walked across the gravel parking lot towards the Junior High School; more scattered groups of pre-teens waited by the back doors for the first bell to ring.

“Where is she?” I ask sternly and seriously. Turning to my right I stared up at Darren, placing my left hand on my hip and using my right hand to shield the sun from my eyes.

“Over here” Darren replied, walking calmly down the steps with us not too far behind. When I realized where we were going I wanted to run ahead of him to her but I didn't because this isn't my territory. We are on either side of a fighting boarder and I'm about to cross it for the first time.

Rounding the corner of the school I see the dumpsters. Why are they not in front of them?  I wonder. They always hand out in front of the dumpster. I've never seen them go behind. But when we turn the corner I understand. Along the sides, by the dumpsters and the chain-linked fence were her friends. They stood stiff; hands by their sides.

Crouched against the brick wall of the school, head in her hands, shoulders shaking, was Katie. I looked at all of her friends and knew, none of them knew what to do. In her group nobody cries, at least not around each other.

Getting a nodding approval form each of them  I approached her and knelt down in front of her, laying both of my hands on her knees, Behind me I heard the loud sounds of combat boots stomping away and the clicking of high heels coming closer.

"Katie, what happened?" I whispered, tucking a loose piece of curly brown hair behind her ear. When she looked up from her lap my heart broke. Tears streamed down her cheeks, both eyes red and puffy beneath her thick rimmed glasses. Katie looked broken.

"It's... it's nothing" she muttered, hurriedly taking off her glasses and frantically wiping away the tears. I sighed and grabbed her wrists, moving them away from her face.

"Talk to me." I demand, looking at her; my heart breaking even more. I studied her, looking over her face, collar, and arms, noticing that her sleeves were down. They were never down; she hates sleeves. When I went to roll them up Katie shoved my hands away, grabbing the ends of her blue sleeves to make sure they were down.

"Okay" she sighed, "it's something" Katie muttered, looking to her left up at Emily and Heather. They smiled at her, an attempt to get Katie to as well; it didn't work. "It's ah... it's kind of everything. Just hitting me all at once. Um... the never-ending teasing from the Needles and the fact that I can't rely on my friends..." she put "friends" in quotations, "...to make me feel better. You saw it, they don't know how to deal with it. And it sucks!" She yelled the last part, the pain evident as more tears sprung from her eyes.

"Katie, what did they do?" I know I should have waited but I'm a rather impatient person. Gently I pulled up one of her sleeves until it reached her elbow and immediately I felt tears in the corners on my eyes. Light yellow bruises, the size and shape of a grown man's hand, wrapped around her wrist. In some areas I could see purple starting to appear; these bruises weren't that old. I quickly rolled up the other sleeve to see the exact same bruises wrapped around her left wrist. 

"They didn't do that." She said clearly, making sure I understood they didn't physically harm her (which would have meant expulsion). "They said really bad stuff about Andrew and the bruises though; it hurt more than usual," Katie sighed, making a move to stand up but then falling back down with a little laugh when all of us caught her. "I guess my legs fell asleep" she smiled, which made me smile. 

I figured the problem ran a lot deeper than the Needles making a horrible connection between her father and these bruises; which would impose abuse and if that was the case, then school would not be the best place to talk. I decided to wait until we got to my house after school; I hoped she would open up. I really hoped. 

Drop of Water

Prompt: Write as if you were a drop of water. Describe your journey whether through oceans. rivers, mountain streams. forest creeks, house pipes, city sewers, rain storms and hurricanes, whatever...
_________________________________________________________________________________

We move fast. The currents make it so that we have no other choice. They decide which direction we travel in and how fast. It's our job to follow. 

I see many interesting things while traveling, although nothing lasts long enough to fully understand what it was. Everything whisks by so fast I don't bother to look anymore. I wish the currents would slow down. They move so fast as if they're in a hurry to got somewhere, but that somewhere never comes.

Right now I'm in a place with a lot of trees and plants. It's very green and colorful. Animals appear along the shoreline. Big ones, small ones. Some of them even have WINGS! They fly above me and look for food below me.

Here, among the trees, the currents are more patient. They slow down and allow us to see the beauty all around.  I think that in this place, surrounded by all of the wonders and colors and wonderful colors, they find serenity; a peace and calmness to the reckless and distress of the world. Here the wind blows softly through the trees, never hitting them too hard, always a nice little nudge; letting them move and sway.

As the currents take me away from the green and the calm and the color, I feel a numbness. We are re-entering the real world. The one full of war and hatred and ugliness; the one water spends most of its time. We look forward to the little amount of time we get to admire the places and things that have yet to be corrupted. The places still full of wonder and excitement.

Maybe in time I will learn why the currents move so quickly through this world and so slowly through the other. Maybe I will understand that they mean to take us away from the hurt and disaster and bring us, for what little time can be spent, to a world full of beauty. The currents I now feel, are trying to reach a destination, but it is not one that we can stop at. It is simple one they make sure we see.

Curse of Hell's Rose

Prompt: Write a curse; detailing what will happen to someone who opens this pirate treasure chest without permission.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Hell's Rose plundered many a ship

Captured countless gems, jewels, and gold

The women aboard soon all net their end,

By illness, childbirth, murder, and accident

Whomever fool enough to open this chest,

Will soon learn first-hand the brutality of their ends.

__________ . __________

Victim #1: Jaclyn Shepard, Age 25, Toronto, Ontario

Spring Break. The time of the year when students go wild. Most of the people on campus travel during those few free weeks but I like to stay behind and relax with Netflix and the whole campus to myself. 

It's not that I don't have the money. Ever since we all discovered the treasure of Hell's Rose. The famous ship run completely by women; Jane "Peacock" Ramsey, Betty "Red- Eye" Scott, Gloria "Magpie" Fry, and Maize "Salty Dog" Ramsey. Between Daniel, my former boss, Summer, my former boss's boss, and Emily, my former fellow intern, we'd each gotten enough treasure so we never had to work again. Although I chose to continue going to school to get my journalism degree.

Tonight I was lying on my bed, binge watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix, when I felt the sudden urge to go clubbing. I never go clubbing; I hate drinking in any fashion. But I get up, put on a really tight dress and heels and drove to one of the local clubs.

The music was blaring and sweaty bodies danced close together on the dance floor. I made my way to the bar and ordered a shot of vodka . Then another and another and another. After I lost count I started dancing. I don't know how long I danced for but I know I stopped when I got a phone call; it was Daniel.

"Emily's sick. Caught something in Europe," he said quickly. With the sound of the music pounding in the background I tried to make my way towards the door, stumbling into many people and tables on the way. "Are you drunk?" Daniel asked, surprise in his voice.

"Maybe" I replied, dragging out some of the letters to make it sound longer then it was. Opening the front door a small breeze brushed past my cheek, making me shudder. "Did you say Em's sick?" I asked. Emily was the person I was closest to out of the four of us. After we found the treasure and split ways, we stayed in touch via snail mail.

"They don't know what it it yet, all they know is that it's deadly." I closed my eyes, that wasn't good. "Summer and I are flying out tomorrow. She's at Hospital de I'Hotel-Dieu in Paris, France. Get there as soon as possible!" He said rather loudly. 

"No need to shout. I'll be there in a couple of days" I replied. Hanging up I shook my head and walked towards the road; I needed to get back to my dorm as fast as I could. Stumbling across the wide sidewalk I walked onto the road, in between the parked cars. Sticking my hand out at the taxi coming towards me I stepped out too far and it crashed into me. I watched the sky sailing past above me before everything went black

Victim #2: Summer Moore, Age 35, Paris, France

Airplanes always stress me out. After almost a decade of flying experience and I wasn’t any closer to being remotely comfortable on one. The way I can even remotely get through a three-hour plane ride is with Gravol.  I have to take it a half-hour before boarding the plane in order to settle my stomach. Even with the pill it takes my husband, Daniel’s hand to keep me calm during takeoffs and landings. Now we were on an airplane, on our way to visit our friend Emily in Paris.

After we’d discovered the treasure belonging to the pirate ship Hell’s Rose, she had decided to travel the world; starting with Europe. Jaclyn, being her school driven self, made up her mind that she would go back to school and work for the rest of her life. With the amount of money that we all gained from finding the treasure, this was an absurd thought to all of us. My husband and I had retired early and bought houses in New York, Los Angeles, and our hometown of Wichita, Kanas.

A few days ago Daniel had gotten a call from a hospital in Paris, it was Emily. Her voice was hoarse and she coughed quite a lot. She told us that she had come down with something while exploring the Catacombs beneath Paris’ streets. The doctors had informed her that what she had picked up was very serious and was most likely life threatening. She had called us to ask if we would fly there and be with her when she got the final news. Then Emily said that she had tried to call Jaclyn first but had received no answer; Daniel called her right after hanging up with Emily.

Now we were clutching each other’s hands as the plane touched down in Orly Airport, a little less than a half hour drive to the Hosptial de L’Hotel-Dieu. Getting our bags we ran to the front of the airport and hailed a taxi. Taking out my cellphone I called Jaclyn’s number to tell her we arrived safely but I got her voicemail. I hung up the call and shook it off, she must be sleeping off the major hangover she would have had after the night of drinking she had. After Daniel told me that Jaclyn had been drunk I was honestly shocked, she is not a drinker. Right after I hung up I called Emily’s room number and informed her that we were almost at the hospital.

Emily doesn’t have any family so she considers Jaclyn, Daniel and myself her surrogate family. That’s why she called us with the news. Emily and her parents were in a car crash when she was young and after that she was bounced around from foster family to foster family until she was 18; that’s when she met Jaclyn. The joy in her voice put a smile on my face when I told her we were only a few minutes away.

As soon as we were at the hospital we practically threw the money at the taxi driver and flew through the doors and into the elevator to Emily’s floor. Slowing our pace as we entered her room I immediately sat down in the chair by the door. Being eight months pregnant can be horribly tiring at times and seeing Emily looking so sick and weak just made it so much worse. Her once beautiful, shiny brown hair was now thin and dull, pulled back in a loose ponytail. Emily’s face was paler than usual and she looked so sickly.

Daniel stood next to her, holding her hand when the doctor entered the room. He placed a hand on my shoulder and walked to the right side of her bed. I managed to stand and walk over next to Daniel.

“We just received a call from Toronto, Ontario. It was about a woman named Jaclyn Shepard. The policeman said that one of our patients, a Miss Emily Walker, was her emergency contact.” He took a moment and look down at Emily. “I’m very sorry to say this but she’s been involved in an accident.” Tears formed in Emily’s eyes and fell down her thin cheeks. “They said she was trying to get a taxi and went too far into the road and was hit by a car.” He stopped and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. “I’m so sorry” and with that he nodded at us and left.

“She’d dead?” Emily whispered. This made the realization of the news hit me in the face. I grabbed Daniel’s hand and started balling. I just remember not being able to stop crying and then the pain started. The baby was coming; it was early. With the stress of Emily’s condition and the news about Jaclyn I figured helped with the pre-mature labor.

The doctors figured an emergency C-Section was better than to do a natural birth. Everything was fine until I heard them start scrambling around; the doctor preforming the surgery and all of the nurses were grabbing what seemed like a lot of gauze. Daniel could see the panic on my face so he started trying to calm me down, telling me everything was alright but I knew it wasn’t.

After hearing that Jaclyn had been involved in an accident and knowing that she had been drunk clued me in to the treasure. When we’d found the chest, inscribed on the top had been a curse of some sort. It warned that whomever opened the chest would either die of illness, childbirth, murder, or accident. Of course, there were four of us, one person for each mod of death but like anyone else, we didn’t take it seriously and had opened the chest. Now it seemed as though it was coming true.

Jaclyn had died in a drunken accident, the same way Maize Ramsay had died. Now Emily was sick with a life threatening illness, just like the ship’s captain, Jane Ramsay had. I was having a baby and there seemed to be something wrong so I knew, I just knew it was my turn to die just like Betty Scott had; delivering her baby. And that meant that my sweet Daniel would die by someone else’s hand.

Not too long after the panicking had started it soon stopped. I assumed that everything was alright when I heard my baby crying. It was a lovely sound; it’s how you know they’re alright, when they start crying; it means they can breathe. That’s the last thing I heard before I felt really faint. My head was a light as a feather when I closed my eyes. The best thing to hear as the last thing you hear.

Victim #3: Daniel Moore, Age 33, Paris, France

Both of them were dead. Jaclyn in a freak accident and my poor wife Summer while bringing our gorgeous baby boy into the world. Both of them died in the way the curse had said. It was always on my mind; the curse. Between me and Summer, I was the worrier in the marriage. Ever since we found the treasure and saw the curse I kept bringing it up. I could tell it had been annoying but my mind couldn't stop thinking about it.

Jaclyn went first, just like the drunkard Maize Ramsey. Emily was sick, really sick, just like their Captain had been. Now Summer was dead and I was next. Murdered. That’s what the curse said.

Slowly, I pulled the chair by the door, the one Summer had been sitting in only a few hours ago, over to the left side of Emily’s bed and sat. Looking over at her asleep I sighed. Only two of us left.

“I’m going to go get food. Hospital food always sucks” I say in a whisper, trying not to wake her. Emily’s head turned towards me. “Go back to bed. I’ll be back in a little while.” I stood up and made my way towards the door.

“Be careful out there. You could be next” Emily croaked. Smiling, I turned and nodded. My heart was already racing. I knew the possibility of it happening now was extreme.

Exiting the hospital I made my way around the corner of the block. The sky was pitch black as I passed many buildings. In-between each building was a small alleyway. Into one of them I was pulled. Someone grabbed my jacket as I walked past. They shoved me against the wall of one of the buildings. The lack of light made it hard to see the person but I heard him speak to someone else.

Then I felt a sharp pain in my lower abdomen, then another, and another. It took a whole for it to register that I’d been stabbed. My knees felt weak and they soon crumbled underneath me, causing my body to fall onto the ground. My vision was starting to get fuzzy when I felt hands in my pockets. Muggers. The last thing I remember was footsteps running away from the alley.   

Victim #4: Emily Walker, Age 25, Victoria, British Colombia

They moved me to Victoria General Hospital in Victoria, British Colombia just after Summer and Daniel died. At my request of course. I wanted to be in my hometown when I died; be close to some of the people I grew up with.

Jaclyn was the closest thing I had to a sister, and vice versa. We both were only children when our parents died and we met in a group home at the age of seven years old. After that we bonded fast and had made sure that they put us in the same foster homes; sometimes turning homes down because they only wanted one of us. We made sure the other stayed safe and sane.

Summer and Daniel were the strongest couple I’d ever known. They’d been together for twelve years and married for eight of them. I’m so heartbroken that they’ll never be able to watch their baby boy grow up.

Whoever is reading this might know the story of the four friends that died within a week of each other. Although you might not. Depends on what happens when I die.

Jaclyn died in a car accident on March 8 2014. Summer died during childbirth on March 9 2014, the day after Jaclyn. Her husband, Daniel, was mugged and killed in an alleyway outside the hospital I was in on March 9 2014, only a couple of hours after Summer had passed away. And now, within the next few days, I will die from the unknown illness I caught in Paris.

We all died because we were greedy for pirate treasure. The curse stated that whomever opened the chest would die by murder, childbirth, illness, and accident. The curse of Hell’s Rose had come true.

Mysterious Man

Prompt: "Sometimes at dusk we would see him come out from the hidden interior of his island. For years we had no idea who he was or what he did until..." 
FINISH THE STORY
_________________________________________________________________________________

The man who lived on the island was a quiet man. He rarely came into town and when he did he would buy strange things. Everyone had always assumed he wasn't married and had no children because we only ever sawa him. Yet when he came into town, he would go straight for the women's isle for the tampons.

He looked like he was middle-aged, maybe 45. His hair was already starting to turn grey at the roots and he was always dressed in wool cardigans and beige khakis. We never knew his real name so we all called him The Mysterious Man, for he was nothing if not mysterious.

Sometimes at dusk we would see him come out from the hidden interior of his island. He would stand at the boarder of trees, staring out at the water. Looking at him from our homes he was like a sort of Urban Legend; the way the light from the falling sun was just enough for us to be able to see him. Since nobody saw much of him, the older kids had convinced the children that he wasn't really there. That he was a ghost and would take them away in the middle of the night. If only we'd known how true that story actually was.

The morning of December 10, 1986, everyone was awakened by the screams coming from the Samson house. They all rushed into their boots and outdoor coats as the screams continued. Running in through the open front door they pushed and shoved each other to the top of the stairs.

Kneeling on the soft, grey carpet by his daughter's bed was Mr. Samson and Lucy Samson was nowhere to be found. The whole town searched from top to bottom, by both the townspeople and police. They never found her; she was missing for months.

People were starting to give up hope. It had been six months since that day and not a single clue had been found. Many of the people in the town had, had suspicions about The Mysterious Man but he seemed to act as if this lose had effected him as well. He even paid his condolenses to the Samson's, who were still holding on to the last bit of hope they had.

On June 15, 1987, a little boy was playing close to the coast when he thought he saw someone running through the trees on The Mysterious Man's island. He described them as being no taller than himself and quite thin. The boy also mentioned that he thought it had been Lucy; with the way this small person ran and their long brown hair flowing behind them.

At hearing that their daughter could be somewhere on the island, the Samsons insisted that the police investigate into who the man really was. As it turned out, this mysterious man had been the suspect of another child abduction four years prior. It was almost the same case. A twelve year old girl had gone missing on his block and he been the prime suspect. Unfortunatly when the police had investigated, nothing had turned up.

When brought before a judge the next day, a warrent was granted, although rather hestitantly. What the authorites found on that island shook the small town to its very core.

The trees that cluttered the island blocked any light from making it's way to the ground, making it impossible for any new plants to grow. This was reflected in The Mysterious Man's house. All of the shades were drawn making all of the rooms dark, except for the small amount of scattered candles throughout the bungalow.

Searching the house with the man close behind the police came across a locked door near the rear of the house. Breaking down the door a squeal was heard in the right corner of the closet sized room. Turning on a flashlight to see in the pitch blackness, one of the officers shoved The Mysterious Man against the wall and put him in handcuffs.

Inside the room, huddled against the far wall was Lucy Samson. Her clothes were slightly ripped and her hair was a mess. One the floor was a pillow and a single blanket. Moments after they'd opened the door a crash sounded in the next room and a teenage girl ran out of the kitchen. She was wearing a plain green apron and a blue dress with her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.

Later they confirmed that the sixteen year old was Samantha Wilson, the young girl The Mysterious Man had kidnapped four years before.

Months later The Mysterious Man got a life sentence, and both Lucy and Samantha were doing well in counciling and they'd both been re-united with their families, although it was harder for Samantha.

The man who lived on the island was a quiet man; only now everyone knew the reason.

Under the Stars

Prompt: Tell a story set in the glowworm caves of New Zealand.
_________________________________________________________________________________

It was dark. They didn't have any lights so they felt along the walls of the cave; inching forwards on reluctant feet. There were two of them. Two boys. They clutched each others hand, determined not to get lost in the darkness.

"Zach, why are there no lights?" One of them asked, his right hand slowly feeling along the rock wall. Every now and them his skinny hand would hit a sharp rock and pull away, surprised.

"Just wait a little longer." The other boy replied, giving the skinny boy's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I know how you're afraid of the dark but this will be worth it. Trust me, Justin" Zach continued. They continued to make their way deeper into the cave. "It'll give you something to remember me by when you go n your trip" Just as Zach spoke small blue lights flickered on on the ceiling of the cave. They shone so bright and their numbers were so great that they lit up the whole cave. It stretched back at least another 20 feet and the two boys could see that inches away from their feet, the rocky hard ground gave way to water.

"Justin, here is my secret cave" Zach said, looking to his right. Justin stood stock-still. His hand fell rom the wall to rest at his side as he gazed up at the ceiling.

"Oh my god" was all Justin said. Outside the sun was falling from the sky and the moon's blue light illuminated the woods outside. Cautiously Justin removed his shoes and walked into the shallow water. With his back to Zach he allowed himself to tear up.

"Hey, you alright? I'm not going to regret showing you this, am I?" Zach asked, trying to lighten the suddenly tense mood. He knew that he didn't share much with the smaller kid but his brother was being shipped off to boarding school at the end of the summer.

"Thank you" Justin managed through sniffs and bear hugged Zach, who smiled. "I'm going to miss you while I'm away."

"I will too" Zach replied, returning the hug. To lift the mood, Zach moved away from his brother and back towards the opening. "Let's go for a swim." And with that he was stripped down to his Superman boxers. Pushing his black hair out of his eyes he ran past his brother and swan dived into the middle of the cave. "Coming?" He asked, popping to the surface. Justin nodded, stripped down to his Batman boxers and canon-balled right next to his brother.

I need ideas!

Hey everyone!

I need some ideas for more St. Paul's Adventures shorts. Comment on that page or message me on Tumblr.
Please :)
My tumblr is: livebetter-smilebrighter.tumblr.com

- Emma