Flash 500 by Nicole Pyles, Carrie K Sorensen (children's books read aloud .txt) 📕

http://chessnysilth.blogspot.no/

Payback's a Bitch by Nicole Pyles

Seven hours on the road, four arguments, and three bathroom breaks later, we arrived at the cabin. By the time we dragged in all of our bags, argument number eight began. Myself, my best friend Tori, her boyfriend Lance, and my roommate Brittney all chipped in for a week in a mountain cabin and I was beginning to think this was a mistake.

I busied myself with claiming one of the beds while argument eight finished. Meanwhile, Brittney cried out over a broken nail and I sat down on the lumpy mattress and took a long breath. Soon the arguments would die down and all of us would be laughing over a glass of wine. Or two.

Behind my closed eyes, I heard the sounds of footsteps. The steps paused. And then I heard a scream.

"Becky, the window!"

My eyes flew open and at the window was a man. The clouds and snow building up outside gave his face a ghoulish look. In the distance, I saw another. He wore a heavy cloak and white mask as he stood facing the cabin.

"Lance!" I yelled out. Brittney and I watched as the strange man headed in the direction of the front door.

"Tori shut the front door!" Brittney yelled. Lance stepped into the bedroom and lurched backwards as Brittney and I raced for the door's exit.

"What the--?"

I raced passed Tori who stood frozen in place. I made it to the front door just as the door knob turned. I barreled my body against the door and pushed against it.

"What is your problem?" Lance heavy footsteps thudded as he headed for the front door. He used his weight to push against it.

"Someone was outside looking in the window!" Brittney said, her hands covering her face.

The door creaked open an inch and Brittney screeched as a hand reached around the opening. I heard someone grunt.

"The stars at night ..." The voice whispered.

"Are big and bright ..." Lance grunted. It was then I knew something was off. I stood back and watched as Lance pulled the front door open. The man who stood at the window, his cloaked friend and Lance stuck out their chests and sang in unison.

"Deep in the heart of Texas!" They shouted.

"You assholes!" Brittney shouted.

The guy at the window doubled over with laughter. "God you are so easy. I wanted to wave but I figured that would have killed it."

The cloaked guy pulled off the white mask and gave me a huge foolish looking grin. "We found out about your vacation through an envelope Lance left behind and Lawrence and I thought ..." He motioned to the guy who had stood at the window. "This is better than Texas. It's hot as a desert there anyway. We'll just join you in here."

While the three buffoons continued laughing about their ultimate prank. Brittney and I exchanged glances that said one thing - it was payback time.

About Nicole Pyles

Nicole Pyles is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Communication in 2011 and works in marketing. When she's not daydreaming about the California sunshine she grew up on, she's writing about fantasy, horror, and science fiction (and sometimes all three at once). She's currently editing a fantasy novel she started when she was 15 (and finished at 25). Most of her editing work is done on her smartphone during her bus ride home. You can visit her blog World of My Imagination or find her on Google Plus.

In a Room by Sydney Aaliyah

Sarah woke feeling disoriented and her body ached all over. Where ever she was, it was hot and dry. Like desert heat. But, her clothes were wet and she smelled like she had been wearing them for several days.

"How long I have I been here?" She thought to herself.

She couldn't really move, either. She tried to lift her arms, but it felt like they were nailed down.

The last thing she remembered; the stairs and her boyfriend David. He was dragging her up the stairs. And, she vaguely remember the pain and the computer.

Sarah also remember making a choice. Obviously it was the wrong choice.

"I need to open my eyes." But, still they wouldn't budge. She tried to stretch out. Both Sarah's arms and legs hit the walls on each side of her. The room was smaller than she expected. And there was warmth coming from somewhere.

Feeling a bit stronger Sarah sat up, but a wave of nausea overtook her. She had to lay back down.

"Where am I? Why did I push #2?" These thoughts ran through her head. What she didn't think about was how was she going to get out of here?

Sarah tried to sit up again. This time the nausea wasn't as bad. She rubbed her eyes and the light was starting to seep in.

Her eyes began to adjust to the light, but she was still seeing stars. Sarah looked up to see a strange man staring at her through a window.

"I think she's awake." Sarah could hear his voice, but couldn't see who he was talking to. "She is moving and stuff."

"Sh, I don't want her to know I am here," said another man's voice. Even though he was farther away, his voice sounded familiar to Sarah.

"Oh shoot, she can't see us," the strange man said. It was his sunken eyes and stringy wet hair that really creeped Sarah out. He looked like he had been standing out in the rain for awhile.

"Really, come look. I'm telling you, she is about to get up," the strange man said. "I think she is going to try and get out."

"Shut up," the man said, "Just watch her. Let's see if she will do it."

What is this, some kind of joke? Sarah thought to herself. Sarah looked at the man in the window and yelled, "Get me out of here!"

He started laughing. Sarah couldn't believe it. He just keep laughing. She had heard that laugh before.

Sarah couldn't take it anymore. She was going mad. She curled up in a ball and started crying.

"See, I knew she wouldn't do anything." Sarah looked up. It took her a minute to register what she was seeing, but there was David, staring at her through the window.

The creepy man handed David an envelope.

"It is a pleasure doing business with you." And, with that, David turned and walked away.

About Sydney Aaliyah

Sydney Aaliyah Michelle is a writer of fiction and a blogger of movie quotes, tattoo stories and stories about her life as a reformed ex pat trying to gain her traveling mojo back. She has lived and traveled to over 20 countries outside of the United States including a 5 1/2 year stint living in China. She has penned three novels, which range from New Adult to Women's Fiction.

Although, she has not been published, yet, as long as she is still pursuing her Happiness, Passion, Love and Faith, she will continue to enjoy the process.

Connect with Sydney on Twitter, Facebook and on her blog at sydneyaaliyah.com.

Twitter - https://twitter.com/sydliyah

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/sydney.aaliyah

Blog - http://sydneyaaliyah.com

Week of 5/30/2012

Photo courtesy of Kristoffer Sorensen

Words Required

File

Chair

Nest

Pirate

Winner

Right of Passage by Anne Organista

Today was an important day. He had looked forward to this day ever since his son was born and years later, his grandson.

"Grandpa, Mom said to come in to the house," his grandson called.

The breeze was cool as he brushed his cardigan closer together across his chest. He followed the two figures walking across the field in the dark. He pulled up a chair and continued to watch. The taller figure was showing something to the shorter one. Earlier that day, his son had asked for a shovel, explaining what he had to do. Now, he was doing it, like a pirate in search of his gold. The shorter man was his eldest grandson. He had not been too keen in joining the family this weekend. The countryside, he said, was too boring for him. But it was time; and like it or not, he had to be here.

"Dad, it's freezing out there! Please, come inside!" his daughter-in-law pleaded.

"Just a couple of minutes more, Laurie. I want to see what Michael will do," he remarked, eyes still glued to the two figures in the dark.

"Michael will do as your son did back then. None of this impresses him. You know that!" Laurie scolded.

Still, she wondered if Michael will do exactly what she thought he would. Or might he surprise her as the old man believed?

It was an hour later when father and son got back. He looked at them expectantly, waiting as a child waits for Santa on Christmas Eve. The two walked in quietly. He wondered if he had somehow lost his sense of hearing.

"So Michael, what do you think?" he asked, finally breaking the silence.

"It's cool, Grandpa. But do you really believe all that?" Michael asked.

"Did you tell him what it means?" he asked turning to his son.

"It's a rite of passage, Dad. Of course I told him," he answered impatiently.

"Now can we sit down and have our dinner?" Laurie's voice called out from the kitchen.

After dinner, he went out to the patio and sat on his favorite chair. He had just closed his eyes when he heard footsteps.

"Dad, are you asleep?" his son whispered softly.

"I'm awake, just resting my eyes," he said.

"I'm sorry about Michael. I tried to explain but ..."

"That's all right, son. Nobody's fault," he cut him short. He had grown accustomed to all his excuses, had filed them all in his memory.

"It's an empty nest out there, Dad."

"You think? For a minute though I thought Michael would be the winner."

He smiled ... a weary smile. The hole in the ground carried his treasure. For years it laid there, waiting for his son, his grandson to claim. But neither saw his treasure. All they saw was an empty nest.

And that is perhaps what it was ... for the birds of the air to find.

About Anne Organista

Ever since she was a child, Anne remembers getting lost in her reading and writing. She graduated from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland with a Masters in Education. Despite being an English and History teacher for most of her professional life, Anne never got rid of the itch to write.

It continues to be her biggest passion. Her short stories, poems and personal reflections are showcased in her blog www.anne-writersspace.blogspot.com for the sole reason that she wanted "to test the waters and see if people will even read it."

Anne's biggest dream is to write a book and get it published someday. After 5 drafts and the first 21 pages completed, she continues to dream and hopes to see her work to its final stage.

Today, Anne freelances between ESL teaching, writing educational scripts and editing academic textbooks. On occasion, she facilitates seminar workshops for teachers with a team from the Mentoring the Mentors Program (MMP).

She lives with her husband in Manila, Philippines.

Window View by Randy Lindsay

The view hasn't changed. It hasn't changed at all in the last thirty minutes I've spent