Story Starters
Life is celebrated in the mundane rhythm of the ordinary. Most people —blinded by the highlight reel—are unaware of the occasion. The party is unattended—a missed date on an endless list of to-do’s. Until the calendar runs out.
The trail called to her like a long lost friend. Sunrise, at its peak, set the tone for a perfect hike. Stretching, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. When she opened them, a haggard, lined face stared from three feet away. “Don’t scream,” he warned.
Deft fingers intertwined with mine, locking my position into place. "What are you doing?" I hissed, desperately attempting to wrench my hand away from his grip. "Choosing for you." My eyes shot to the stare of betrayal, waiting for me at the end of the aisle.
"What are you doing?" I demanded. "Hold on, Princess. Engine died. We're going for one hell of a ride!" Aiming the small aircraft's nose toward the ever-growing landscape, the cocky pilot shot her a one-sided grin. Katherine white-knuckled the leather seat.
“Hey! Wait up!” Mara rolled her eyes but paused jogging long enough for Seth to match her stride. Continuing her trek, she did not speak but admitted to herself, begrudgingly, she felt safer with him near.
Humidity sank its teeth into my skin and bear crawled into my lungs the moment I stepped through the revolving airport door. Closing my eyes, I prepared myself for the onslaught of family. Welcome home. The urge to run—overwhelming.
”It’s today, isn't it?” Saying nothing, he moved his gaze from her broken expression to the opened suitcase on his bed. ”Yes.” A single tear escaped, a sniper hit to the gut. On tip toes she kissed him on the cheek and walked away.
“What do you want from me?” she screamed. Freedom. To feel something. Anything. Happily ever after. A way out. Silence. Instead, I hung my head and whispered, ”Nothing.” One word in exchange for empty peace. A hefty price.
Expectations of tears inflict a drought on my emotional landscape. I’ve always been broken. Until him. With a tender look, a lone tear drawn from the depths of a dry well tumbled down my cheek. At the sensation, I gasped.
A treacherous hike—that’s what the sign had called the 2.4 mile trek up Grandfather’s Mountain. Yet here they were, novices navigating icy landscape without proper gear. Why had she listened to him? Howling winds mocked as she rubbed her arms against the chill.
The Blue Ridge Mountains kept secrets. As Ancients, they bore witness to the unfolding of history. People roamed, living their lives, committing their sins, hiding their faces—and unblinking, the mountains kept their vow of silence. Until now.
Drops of dew fell from the leaf-laden branches in sheets. Dense humidity weighted the atmosphere making it difficult to breathe, but she persisted. Needing to run, she craved the adrenaline rush that would propel her through another day without him.
Overwhelming peace wrapped Eve in comfort as she absorbed the stunning simplicity of the sunrise over the Appalachians. Rising steam from the black tea tickled her nose. To consider the complexities of the day seemed sinful amid such majesty.
The trail called to her like a long lost friend. Sunrise, at its peak, set the tone for a perfect hike. Stretching, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. When she opened them, a haggard, lined face stared from three feet away. “Don’t scream,” he warned.
Deft fingers intertwined with mine, locking my position into place. "What are you doing?" I hissed, desperately attempting to wrench my hand away from his grip. "Choosing for you." My eyes shot to the stare of betrayal, waiting for me at the end of the aisle.
"What are you doing?" I demanded. "Hold on, Princess. Engine died. We're going for one hell of a ride!" Aiming the small aircraft's nose toward the ever-growing landscape, the cocky pilot shot her a one-sided grin. Katherine white-knuckled the leather seat.
“Hey! Wait up!” Mara rolled her eyes but paused jogging long enough for Seth to match her stride. Continuing her trek, she did not speak but admitted to herself, begrudgingly, she felt safer with him near.
Humidity sank its teeth into my skin and bear crawled into my lungs the moment I stepped through the revolving airport door. Closing my eyes, I prepared myself for the onslaught of family. Welcome home. The urge to run—overwhelming.
”It’s today, isn't it?” Saying nothing, he moved his gaze from her broken expression to the opened suitcase on his bed. ”Yes.” A single tear escaped, a sniper hit to the gut. On tip toes she kissed him on the cheek and walked away.
“What do you want from me?” she screamed. Freedom. To feel something. Anything. Happily ever after. A way out. Silence. Instead, I hung my head and whispered, ”Nothing.” One word in exchange for empty peace. A hefty price.
Expectations of tears inflict a drought on my emotional landscape. I’ve always been broken. Until him. With a tender look, a lone tear drawn from the depths of a dry well tumbled down my cheek. At the sensation, I gasped.
A treacherous hike—that’s what the sign had called the 2.4 mile trek up Grandfather’s Mountain. Yet here they were, novices navigating icy landscape without proper gear. Why had she listened to him? Howling winds mocked as she rubbed her arms against the chill.
The Blue Ridge Mountains kept secrets. As Ancients, they bore witness to the unfolding of history. People roamed, living their lives, committing their sins, hiding their faces—and unblinking, the mountains kept their vow of silence. Until now.
Drops of dew fell from the leaf-laden branches in sheets. Dense humidity weighted the atmosphere making it difficult to breathe, but she persisted. Needing to run, she craved the adrenaline rush that would propel her through another day without him.
Overwhelming peace wrapped Eve in comfort as she absorbed the stunning simplicity of the sunrise over the Appalachians. Rising steam from the black tea tickled her nose. To consider the complexities of the day seemed sinful amid such majesty.
RSS Feed
