The clouds were dark and crowded together, indistinguishable from one another. Rain beat against the sky light with the pitter patter of point shoes in a bourree. Annabelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to imagine herself standing out alone against the storm dancing her solo from Swan Lake. She went through each movement in exactly how she had danced it over and over before. Finally, when the last movement stilled, she came out of her reverie. Looking around Annabelle observe...

The clouds were dark and crowded together, undifferentiable from one another. Rain beat against the sky light with the pitter patter of point shoes in a bourree. Annabelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to imagine herself standing out alone against the storm dancing her solo from Swan Lake. She went through each movement in exactly how she had danced it over and over before. Finally, when the last movement stilled, she came out of her reverie. Looking around Annabelle observed...

Some sights are better left unseen. Is it the horror of a body abandoned, In a mutilated state inflicted? The vision of an African orphan Waiting for an unmerciful release? Mayhap even the picture of one left In a state without love to grasp? People say, Some sights are better left unseen. I ask myself, Do I wish never to have glimpsed The fear and shame on my sister’s face, Nor the unnatural splashes of the white water From the dishes she’d been washing As my father struck he...

Some sights are better left unseen. Is it the horror of a body abandoned, In a mutilated state inflicted? The vision of an African orphan Waiting for an unmerciful release? Mayhap even the picture of one left In a state without love to grasp? People say, Some sights are better left unseen. I ask myself, Do I wish never to have glimpsed The fear and shame on my sister’s face, Nor the unnatural splashes of the white water From the dishes she’d been washing As my father struck h...

“So, tomorrow Jims, you in or not?” Lee’s words broke into Jimmy’s slightly glazed thoughts. He and a couple other guys were relaxing in Lee’s basement, listening to Timberland and passing around a joint. Giving a lazy smile, Jimmy watched as Lee sucked in a large whiff of smoke. The way he stuck out his lower jaw and scrunched up his freckle coated nose made him look like a monkey. It didn’t help that Lee had a slight unibrow and a mop of black hair. He let out a loud yawn as he passed the j...

Determination, self denial. Struggle, hope and trial. Sacrifice, resolution. -Choke, Mind's polution. Momorable, rehearsed. Striving for the first. Dissapointment, regret. Mistakes never to forget. Sweat, blood and tears. Release of all fears.

Chapter Three The woman was wearing the most forlorn expression Emmeline had ever seen. She was jumpy as well. Greasy raven hair haloing her face revealed she hadn’t bathed in a long time. Emmeline wondered how the woman had come to this extreme. The whole drug cycle probably began innocently enough at some friend’s slumber party and escalated from there. Now, here she was quivering on a corner. She was prostituting herself; enduring shame, danger, and pain for that high, that euphoric get aw...

Chapter Two Jimmy almost raised his hands in thanksgiving when the bell finally went. Within seconds he and every other student in the school were streaming through the hallways. The weekend was finally here. So far he was having a terrible day. He woke up with a hangover, missed the bus, had no money for lunch and found out that he was only one F away from failing science. Disgusting, yellow locker doors slammed shut, forcing teens to yell louder as they spoke with their friends. Shoes squea...

Chapter One Emmeline flicked her pencil against the pages of her advanced math textbook. Watching the uneven strokes of yellow chalk lay out another equation she moved her hand to support her head lazily. All her energy was reserved for problem solving, not sitting up straight. Finally, Mr. Steinberg stepped aside, revealing a nearly solved rational expression. “Can anyone tell me what X is?” His eyes swept across the classroom before settling on James Watson sitting with one hand raised nonc...

The woman was wearing the most forlorn expression Emmeline had ever seen. She was jumpy as well and greasy raven hair haloing her face revealed she hadn’t bathed in a long time. Emmeline wondered how the woman had gotten to this extreme. The whole drug cycle had probably begun innocently enough at some friend’s slumber party and escalated from there. Now, here she was quivering on a corner. She was prostituting herself; enduring shame, danger, and pain for that high, that euphoric get away. “...