Freshly Dusted

“Where am I?” the traveler asked. Decrepit railroad tracks stretched outward as far as he could see, the only object he could make out in the heavy mist. “You are lost,” God replied.The traveler turned, disbelief and panic fighting through his mental haze. Hundreds of questions tugged at his consciousness, yet he went with the simplest and most applicable. “Why am I lost? Just...

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Mercury’s bare feet slapped the slippery concrete as she ran from the house, lifting her hands to wipe the water from her eyes. “Daddy?” she cried, spying the tall figure as he struggled to tug an umbrella from the back of the red truck where it had gotten stuck. “Daddy!” the five-year-old yelled, running towards him full-tilt, heedless of the plummeting raindrops. He...

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I. Introduction  Together, we raced across the stars, leaping from one fiery ball to another, running solely for the joy of it. The stars dipped and swayed beneath our feet, but if any threatened to fall, we laughed, leaping to the next and turning back to watch the subsequent shooting star outpace us across the universe.  When one of us stumbled or wearied...

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I stood on the roof and cried, tiny pinpricks of light filling my vision with their brilliance. The cosmos stretched above me, tall and brilliant, and I was so close to reaching it. I sneaked over to the ledge, glancing out over the entire surroundings and the nearby highway. One A.M. traffic was scarce, and as the last vehicle rounded the bend in...

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Gray beads dangled from my white-wire hair as I trailed silver paint across the canvas. Most artwork had been digitalized these days, but the occasional buyer would pay additional money for handmade work. The acrylic paints invited weakness, but if I followed the program I drew by, the piece remained perfect. I stepped backward, my circuits analyzing the appeal of the artwork I...

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Alone and afraid, although she would never have admitted it to anyone, including herself, Red sneaked into Bravery’s only tavern, a shuddering place that cast lengthy shadows into the void created in the rafters below. However, Red refused to be dominated by darkness, and she stepped into the flickering lamplight of the room. Contrary to her expectations, not a single one of the...

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Leanna bathed in the dandelions, scattering their pigments everywhere, throwing herself into the weeds without regard to the itchiness they would leave on her skin later. She could have lain here forever without a care in the world…at least until she caught a glimpse of Red LightVale sneaking into the valley. Momentarily frightened, she crouched among the dandelions, allowing their tall stems to...

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Bang. Bang. Bang. The sound of the rubber ball slapping against the wall has driven me mad. Bubby, as the locals call him, sits near the stone brick, throwing his ball and catching it on the rebound—bang bang bang—over and over again until I want to run over there and slam his face into the ground, daring him to do that even one...

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Empress Serenity, Queen of Peace, Ruler of the Restored Lands, and Light of the East, contemplated the gray quill she held, as if uncertain whether to dip it in the inkpot or set the implement aside. One of many utensils to be found on her ornate writing desk, it was the simplest, yet also her favorite. After several silent minutes, she stood and...

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“Mother, what did the world look like before the Denomination?” At the unexpected question, Mother Rachel glanced sharply in Ellie’s direction. “What have I told you about speaking before you are spoken to?” she asked. Chagrin crossed Ellie’s face, and the girl studied her shoes, mumbling a contrite apology. Surveying the girl, Mother Rachel determined that she had been suitably castigated. “Now, why...

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