To Swim with Sharks

I had the greatest opportunity to swim with sharks during shark week, and it was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. If you come to Hawaii, I highly recommend One Ocean Diving. They are highly trained and educated about the behaviors, characteristics, and importance of these misunderstood creatures.

I will admit I didn’t know much about sharks. Whenever I hear about them it’s not always a pleasant story, but what I’ve come to learn about them through One Ocean has given me a newfound respect for them.

Here are a just a few things I learned about them through One Ocean Diving:

They are essential to protecting the reefs by keeping the natural order of the food chain.

Young sharks haven’t quite figured out what they’re supposed to eat and what they’re supposed to leave alone.

They see very well, and they pick up on vibrations in the water. They can even pick up on electric fields like our heartbeats.

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The War Inside My Head

It would seem that I am constantly having to fight off my inner demons. Here lately, I have found myself drowning in  doubt and wallowing in self-pity. As my own confidence begins to deteriorate, so grows the ever destructive voice that reminds me why I could never amount to anything. How is it that these negative thoughts can hold so much power over me? While I struggle to pull myself from this darkness, the small but brilliant flame burning inside of me is fighting to stay bright. It is a constant battle to turn off the tirade of negativity, and as I fight this war inside my head, sometimes I can’t help but feel like I am losing.

 

The Fair Maiden

I still love fairy tales very much. I wrote and submitted this one a long time ago,  but it didn’t get selected. Nevertheless, I share it with you here now. 

The Fair Maiden saw the good in everyone. She could melt the frost from any heart, and she could find the light in the blackest shadows. She grew up believing in love, and she believed that one day she would find it. So when she met the kind Nobleman who came from three lands east of her village she knew that the fates had finally answered her.

The Nobleman had traveled a fortnight to get to her village. He walked gracefully through the market square and cordially greeted the merchants as he passed. The Maiden watched from behind the counter as he approached her candle shop. He didn’t notice her right away, but when he did he couldn’t draw his eyes away from hers. The Nobleman smiled and she returned it humbly. He found himself enamored by her and he knew that he couldn’t return home without her.

“Fair Maiden, come live with me and I vow to keep you happy for the rest of your days. You will have everything you could ever hope for and you will want for nothing again. I will grace you with a thousand treasures and love you without inhibition.” All this, the Nobleman promised.

He had a gentle way about him, so much so that the Maiden could not refuse his kindness. So the Nobleman whisked her away and they traveled beyond the countryside to a small village far from home. It was here that the Maiden’s journey began.

The Nobleman led the carriage along winding paths through woods until he reached the village. It was nothing like the Nobleman had described. It was a village in shambles, and she wasn’t entirely sure there were even people living there.

“I must make a confession,” said the Nobleman. “I’m not who I said I was, and I cannot give you the things I have promised.”

The Fair Maiden smiled, “No matter about these things, kind Nobleman. I love you, but please be fair and kind, and above all please be truthful. It is all that I ask.”

 

The Nobleman smiled at her and helped her down from the carriage. They walked nearly half a mile through the abandoned streets of a crumbling village. The Maiden looked around for signs of life but there were none. He led her down narrow alleys that had become narrower and narrower until he had taken her beyond the village into a dark forest. A thin fog crept low to the ground and drifted across their feet.

“How much further, my Love?” she asked. “We’ve passed the village hours ago and there are no houses here.” The Nobleman said nothing, and they had come so far that she had no choice but to continue following him.

Deeper into the woods they ventured until the fog became so thick that she could no longer see her companion. She called out to him, but he did not answer her. Where was the Nobleman, and why had he deceived her so? She continued on searching for a way out of the woods. The air around her grew cold, so cold that she could barely breathe, and colder still that she could barely move. The maiden stumbled over an uprooted tree and fell to the ground until fog had blanketed her completely.zombie-pic-2

As cold and as tired as she might have been, she continued crawling for what seemed an eternity until she could no longer feel the moist foliage beneath her. The relentless fog began to dissipate and when it had cleared she found herself trapped in an iron cage. Then the Nobleman appeared from beyond the trees; his smile had darkened. She was afraid but couldn’t speak, and when she tried no words would come. Tears streamed down her cheek. He had betrayed her and what was worse no one would ever know where she was. He was not noble and she had come to realize he was not even a man. As he approached her his eyes began to sink until all that remained were empty sockets. Its skin turned ashen and its teeth grew jagged and yellow. His hair was nearly gone and all the remained were a few wiry strings of black hair that sprouted from boils on his head. He hobbled toward the cage and tried to reach for her through the iron bars. The maiden sank back to the other side of the cage. He cackled and taunted her, and the Maiden looked away hoping he would leave, and when he finally did she cried out hoping someone would hear her, but no one came.

Weeks went by without hope of escaping her iron cage. Sometimes the creature would return with a bowl of slop and a bowl of water; most of the time he was only there to taunt her by reaching through the iron bars or poking her with twigs. She had come to call him, Pravo, the crooked man with a crooked soul.

The Maiden could barely lift her head when Pravo arrived on the seventh week. He tossed a bowl of water down at her side causing it to spill on her. She was so frail that she could barely lift the bowl to her lips, and there was scarcely anything left when she was finally able to drink it. She could have cried if she had the strength. Pravo was amused.

When the sun went down he left the Maiden alone again. She turned onto her back and looked up at the moon. Her eyes flickered dimly, “This is the end of me,” she uttered unto the heavens sending a swirl of frosted breath into the dark. As her eyes grew heavier she blinked at the sky watching a dust of stars descending – they seemed to dance around her head, and they felt so close that she swore she could feel their warmth surround her. The moon seemed to swell brighter, and she stared in awe of its beauty. It was the first moment’s peace that she had felt in a long time, and she even felt renewed from the warmth that draped over her. She wasn’t sure if it was real or just a dream, but she didn’t care because this new warmth cradled her until she was fast asleep.

When Pravo had returned in the morning he was taken back by what he saw. His sordid grin diminished. The Maiden looked as beautiful as the day he first met her. Her golden waves of hair were full, and her eyes beamed. Her cheeks were rosy and her skin supple. This infuriated, Pravo. She watched him cautiously. He had come with a bowl of slop, but this time he didn’t give it to her. “I feed you too much,” he growled and tossed it aside before hobbling back into the woods. She didn’t care. The Maiden wasn’t hungry. Now that she had regained the energy that had once been lost to her, she would be able to think clearly again. When he returns I will be far away from here, she thought. She looked around her. There were no seams and no doors to pry open. She tried to slip through to no avail, and she tried kicking one loose but it just wouldn’t budge. Magic had welded those bars together and that was what it would take to get her out of there.

Once nightfall returned, the Maiden laid her head down and stared up at the sky once again. She waited for the clouds to part so she could catch glimpse of the moon. She hoped it would be like the night before; after a few hours the sky had cleared, and once again the moon had returned shining bigger and brighter than ever. It beamed down on her and bathed the Maiden in warm light. She felt safe, and she knew Pravo couldn’t hurt her. The Maiden closed her eyes, “Dear Moon,” she said, “Please free me from this dreadful place. I miss my home.” Before long she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Morning came and the Maiden opened her hopeful eyes, but she was still trapped in the iron cage. Pravo returned to see if he had broken her again but he was disappointed to see that she was still as youthful as ever. Pravo had had enough. He stomped toward her and pointed his finger at the iron bars. They split open just enough for him to walk through and they closed behind him. The Maiden pressed her back against the far side of the cage, and when she did somehow she fell out of it. Pravo didn’t understand. He pointed at the bars for them to part but they wouldn’t open, and he shrieked so loudly it shook the birds from their trees.

The Maiden didn’t waste any time and she ran as fast as her legs would carry her back through the fogless woods and toward the abandoned village. Even there, she could hear his shrieks, but she didn’t dare look back. She turned a corner onto a gravel road in the abandoned village, and much to her surprise the horse and carriage were there waiting for her. The horse whinnied and she unhitched it from its carriage. She rode as fast and as far away as she could, thanking the moon for setting her free, and she vowed never again to be deceived.

The End.

Writing Resources

Here are two writing resources I have recently joined: Reedsy.com and Authors.me. 

Reedsy is useful for all of your editing needs. You can also find publicists and illustrators. I haven’t used their services yet, but it already seems promising. 

If you need web support or have questions there about anything regarding the process, the Reedsy staff is there to help, and they genuinely seem to care about your writing success. 

I just signed up for Authors.me today so I haven’t had much experience with it yet, but it is designed  to help you find and submit your work to the right people, and it keeps you organized. 

Finding these websites feels like I have just found the sword and shield in my writing journey! 

NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Round 2!

Here is the second round in the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Contest.

My category: Action/Adventure, an international border crossing, a bathrobe

I will say that I wasn’t too happy with the ending; if I had the chance I would go back and change it, but I do hope you enjoy..

Happy reading!

Even Love Has Boundaries

She dreamed of the perfect wedding, but she got more than she bargained for.

It was after midnight when Cassie finally stumbled back into her hotel suite. Her bridesmaids were still out enjoying themselves, but she was too excited about the wedding to stay; in less than twenty-four hours she would be marrying her love, Alan, on the white sands of Andalucia, Spain. Cassie let her purse and key card fall to the floor. All she wanted to do was get into bed, but her clothes wreaked of nightclub smoke and sweat, that showering became a priority.

She made her way into the bathroom and felt along the wall until she hit the light switch; warm recessed lighting cascaded down from the ceiling. She fumbled for the shower handle and waited until steam covered the glass stall. Cassie undressed and carefully stepped into it; she exhaled as the hot water touched her skin. She scrubbed the remnants of her bachelorette party from her body and watched them collect in a soapy swirl over the drain. She still couldn’t believe she was getting married to a man she had only met a few weeks before, but it all seemed right to her.

Cassie’s shower was cut short when she heard the phone ringing in the next room. She slid into a plush bathrobe that had been hanging behind the bathroom door and rushed to her phone. “Hello?” she answered.

“Hey, honey,” Alan replied.

“Alan!” Cassie sunk into the bed and curled her feet beneath her.

“How was your bachelorette party?”

“It was fine. The girls are still out there getting drunk as hell. I was ready to get back to the hotel room. Big day tomorrow,” she fidgeted with the tags on the comforter, “Do you think we’re rushing into this?”

There was silence on the other end, “Yes,” he said finally, “but I want this. I want you to be my wife, and I want us to go on adventures.” That was all Cassie needed to hear. “Well get some sleep. I can’t wait to see you.

“Okay, can’t wait,” she ended the call. It wasn’t long before she had drifted off to sleep.

***

In the morning, Cassie, still half asleep, could hear birds squawking, and she thought she could even hear frogs croaking; they were so loud she swore she was sleeping outside. When she finally opened her eyes, she was startled to find that she was indeed lying outside in the middle of a jungle. “What the hell?” Cassie was still in her bathrobe. She stood up and headed for one side of the jungle thinking her friends might have played a small prank on her. “Okay, funny guys! Come on, we have a wedding to get ready for,” she called, but as she began walking around she realized she wasn’t anywhere near the hotel. Cassie was lost in the middle of a jungle. “Don’t panic,” she said to herself, “Damn it, I’m panicking!” she ran to one side of the jungle, but it extended for miles. She ran to the other side and could see no end to it.

She fought her way through thick vines and crawled under leaves larger than her body. She walked, then ran, and sometimes cried in small spurts before telling herself to shut up and keep going. By mid-morning her bare feet were black and her bathrobe was tattered. Cassie stopped when she heard people behind her.

“Oh thank goodness, they found me. Over here!” she walked toward their voices, but she didn’t recognize a single person. Five men dressed heavily in cargo pants and military jackets, knives strapped to their belts, and guns at their sides flagged her down. When they lifted their guns she bolted in the opposite direction weaving between uprooted trees and heavy branches. They shot at her and bullets whizzed past her head. Cassie screamed but pushed on. They were fast, but she was small and could fit in places that they couldn’t easily go. She heard them yelling, but she couldn’t understand what they were saying. Cassie backed away until there was nowhere else to go. They closed in on her with guns aimed for her head. Cassie backed into a thicket; it splintered against her weight until it gave way, and she crashed down a river canyon.

Cassie cried out when she hit the water; the current swept her under and she struggled to come up for air. She grasped at vines but they slipped from her fingers. She was quickly losing her fight against the current, and she let it take her.

Finally, she caught a break as the rapids pushed her against tree roots jutting from the river bank. Cassie dragged herself onto it. Her body ached but she limped away from the river. Then she heard a familiar voice.

“I think she’s coming,” it was Alan’s voice. She hobbled toward it and trudged up a small hill. Once the trees cleared, Cassie saw the white sands of Andalucia’s beach; she saw their wedding guests, and Alan was standing before them all. Her bridesmaids were perfect, wide-eyed, and grinning through shiny teeth. Cassie’s teeth felt gritty. Everyone applauded as she approached.

“What’s going on?!” Cassie asked.

“I wanted our marriage to start off with an adventure. Something you’d never forget. So I put you on the Portuguese border.”

“Adventure? You had me chased across the border so I would end up here like this? In my bathrobe, in front of all these people?! I’ve been shot at. I slid down a river canyon, and I almost drowned!” Cassie looked down at herself, “And am I bleeding? I think they shot my leg!” She looked around at the guests. Their big smiles had turned to awkward glances.

“Honey, you’re overreacting a little,” he whispered.

“You are an asshole!” she barked. “Now please excuse me, I have to get myself to a hospital.” Cassie limped past each row of guests, and they watched her head for the hotel. She never looked back.

***

NYC Midnight Flash Fiction

I entered myself into the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge. This is a pretty neat way to flex your writing muscles. They put you into groups and give each group a genre, subject, and location, and the story must be no more than 1,000 words. I was put into group 34: Suspense, dentist’s office, and a blank check.

My story is posted below. Unfortunately, after I submitted this, I noticed one minor discrepancy. I won’t say what it is. I want to see if you pick up on it. 😉 Hope you enjoy!

He Wasn’t Going to Leave

           Dr. Thomason sat alone in the employee lounge. He peered briefly inside his shirt pocked at a neatly folded blank check. Satisfied it was still there, he closed his eyes and propped his feet on the table hoping to catch a quick nap before the last patient arrived. His head nodded softly as he listened to the ridiculous clock on the wall; each dying second seemed longer and louder than the last.

“Hey, Patrick!” his hygienist, Amy called from the doorway. His legs flailed at the sound of her voice causing powdered creamer and a cup of stale coffee to spill onto the table. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” she rushed in pulling paper towels from a nearby shelf. Dr. Thomason reached out for a few to help with the mess.

“I’ve got it, Amy, thanks,” Dr. Thomason brushed the mess into a sticky pile with the paper towels. He looked for a trashcan and Amy followed his gaze next to a vending machine. “Grab that for me would you?”

The young woman pushed it across the floor and rested it against the table. “Gives coffee table a whole new meaning,” she joked. Dr. Thomason smiled as he wiped up the last bit of coffee and creamer sludge into the trash, but Amy could see right through it. “Everything okay?”

Dr. Thomason looked up. He never noticed how gentle her eyes were. She had a subtle way about her; it was a kindness he hadn’t felt in some time. “Yeah, I’m good. Just not looking forward to this last patient.” He glanced back at the clock; the damn thing finally stopped. “Do you happen to know what time it is? I left my phone in the car.” Amy reached into her coat pocket and looked at her phone.

“Quarter to five. Who’s the patient?” she asked as she slid the phone back into her purse.

“David Harmon. Always the last patient and always the most difficult.” Dr. Thomason shook his head.

“I remember him. Comes in a lot doesn’t he? He gives the girls at the front desk the creeps. They say he just stares at them until he gets called back. I think he’s harmless though, just awkward. What’s he coming in for today?”

“I’m not sure. Some sort of emergency visit. Surprisingly whenever he comes in here everything checks out fine. No signs of gum disease or tooth decay. I can’t quite figure out why he comes back so often,” but he did know why David Harmon always came back to see him. Patrick owed him something that he wasn’t ready to give, and he was going to keep coming back until his debt was paid.

Amy patted his shoulder, “Well let me know if you need any help. I always keep my cell on.”

“Drive safe, Amy. It gets dark so early now, and those roads have been pretty bad this winter.” He watched her leave and as she did, his secretary stepped in to see him. “Hi, Carol.”

“Hi, Dr. Thomason,” the tremble in her voice said it all.

“David here?”

“Yes, sir. He brought something,” she answered.

“What is it?”

“A large suitcase.” Patrick shook his head and walked out of the lounge. Carol followed close behind as they made their way down the quiet hall and into the lobby. David sat patiently with a black suitcase in front of him.

“Carol you can go home. I’ll lock up when I’m done.” She hesitated and looked back at David, but she didn’t ask questions. It didn’t take her long to grab her things and leave. Now Patrick was alone with David Harmon and his suitcase.

“Dr. Thomason,” David greeted.

“Mr. Harmon, come on back.” He held the door open for David and watched the suitcase squeal past him.” David picked the exam room. It was always the last one at the end of the hall.

David took his seat in the exam chair and it creaked beneath his weight. He kept the suitcase close. “We were getting tired of waiting,” he said resting a heavy hand on it. A lump formed in Patrick’s throat. He swallowed hard.

“You had to bring her back here, Mr. Harmon? I would have given you the check today.” David laughed hoarsely.

“You say that, Doctor, but I always leave here without it. So I brought my pretty girl. I knew she’d change your mind.”

“What happened to her was an accident, and you said you’d take care of her.” Patrick looked at the tray sitting next to David. There was a syringe filled with lidocaine. He thought to reach for it but David noticed and pulled it from the tray. He uncapped the needle and held it delicately between his fingers.

“You killed my daughter, Dr. Thomason. She died because you gave her more anesthesia than her poor little heart could take. The deal was you’d bring me a blank check. We negotiate. We agree. Then I take care of her, and you never see me again. You took her from me. I could have killed you or exposed you, but this deal is so much better, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I guess you’re right.” Patrick pulled the check from his shirt pocket and reached for a pen lying on the counter.

David stood next to him; he set the needle down, “Make that for five hundred thousand.” Dr. Thomason wrote it out just as he requested and handed it to him. “Once this clears, we’re good.”

Dr. Thomason knew better. When the money was gone, he’d come back. He snuck the needle from the counter when David started for the door with his suitcase in tow, and as they turned onto the hall Patrick stabbed him in his neck repeatedly until David fell hard.

***

“Morning, Dr. Thomason,” Carol called from behind. She stood in the doorway of his exam room. “Mr. Harmon’s back for more work, huh?”

Patrick looked down at David’s lifeless face, “Cancel my afternoon, Carol.”