Marcia H.

“The Frozen Good-Bye” by Marcia H.

Athens always knew that she was different. She knew that she was one of the chosen few. Her mom told her that from birth. Although, she really did not understand what that entailed. She knew that the tiny tattoo on her neck was only given to the special ones in the city where she lived. She also knew that people treated her differently and that she could sense things others couldn’t.  It was not until her sixteenth birthday when she discovered her unique power, the ability to pause time.  It happened by accident. She was running la...

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“July” by Marcia H.

“I’m married.” He said.“I know.” She said, She flicked off the lights with one hand and she plunged a knife deep into his back with the other hand and left the room. She thought that was the end of it but it was not. It was only a terrifying beginning for everyone.  Six months ago Ari would have never thought that she would be stabbing anyone but as they say “stuff happens.” and the stuff that happened was all bad. She will never forget the day that their paths crossed in that quaint, small, almost hole in the wall coffee shop on Bellev...

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“The Darkness of the Light Journey to Find the Sun” by Marcia H.

Dear Unborn Baby Daughter, this is day one. I am writing this letter to you today hoping that you will not have to read it until you are an old woman. I don’t know if our world will still be here by the time you get old. The sun is dying, Baby Girl, and I  am scared. Death is always all around us and I am not scared of death. But, I never thought that the sun would die. But, it seems to be happening, Baby Daughter. The days are slowly getting darker and it seems that we don’t even have seasons anymore. It is just one long day, day after...

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“Renewal Resolutions Journey” by Marcia H.

As the clock struck midnight and the ball dropped on the TV show Henderson was watching, signaling the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year, Henderson stood on her balcony, gazing at the city lights and her neighbors Christmas lights which were a permanent fixture on her house. She took a deep breath and inhaled the cold night air. She closed her eyes and made her first resolution of the new year. She was determined to embrace this unpredictable new year with new intentions.  In a world that showed her life was unpred...

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“The Endless Echoes of Christmas” by Marcia H.

It was a bitter cold winter’s night when Michael found himself trapped in the haunting loop of his very worst nightmare of Christmas. The air was heavy with regret as he stepped into a familiar scene which replayed endlessly and relentlessly, like a broken record stuck on a painful melody he would rather forget.  The small living room was dimly lit and the room flickered with the glow of a plain not decorated Christmas tree in the corner of the room. The scent of cinnamon and pine filled the air, but it didn’t offer any comfort to Mi...

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“Winter's Warmth” by Marcia H.

As Izzy stepped outside of her small cozy house, the first thing that enveloped her was the crisp biting air. It clung to her skin like a hundred needles sending shivers down her whole body. The scent of the cold clean air and the invigorating aroma of the frost kissed pine needles on the trees outside looked as if they were frozen in time.  The snow beneath her boots was soft and echoed a soft satisfying crunch with every step. It was the sound of winter’s symphony, a reminder that nature had orchestrated its own frosty masterpiece. ...

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“Who's Cooking the Catfish?” by Marcia H.

Sparrow had just landed in a new city after an exhausting long flight which left her disoriented and very jet lagged. Despite her exhaustion which weighed heavily on her eyelids, sleep remained elusive. The unfamiliar time zone had her internal clock upside down, leaving her wide awake in the dead of the night.  Fueled by a mix of restlessness and her desire to make the most of her time in the city foreign to her, Sparrow decided to embrace the city’s nocturnal charm. The city breathed differently after midnight. Sparrow’s appetite fo...

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“Kitchen Memories” by Marcia H.

The first thing that hits my senses is the rich, earthly base note of freshly brewed coffee beans. It’s a deep and robust scent that lingers in the air, promising a bold and invigorating start to the day. It’s like a warm familiar embrace which wraps around you as soon as you enter the small kitchen.  As I approach the kitchen the source of the aroma hits my nostrils I begin to detect subtle hints of toasted caramel and chocolate. The sweet compliments of the coffee’s natural bitterness. The harmonious balance dances in the air around m...

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“Blackthron Mansion” by Marcia H.

The old mansion stood  in Century City like a shadowy sentinel amidst the desolate landscape. It had an eerie presence. The decaying mansion was known as the Blackthorn Manor. It was a testament to an era gone by. Its architect was once grand and opulent but now had succumbed to neglect. All of the residents had long passed away and the mansion just sat there with its crumbling walls which were choked with ivy and moss. Gargoyles sat on top of the roof with their grotesque faces frozen in scary expressions. They looked as if they had wi...

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“Confessions ” by Marcia H.

Claire sat by the window, the soft glow of the afternoon sun casting a warm embrace across her cozy family room. A steaming cup of herbal tea rested in her hands, it's comforting aroma intertwining with the delicate scent of all of her books that lined the shelves. Beside her on the table lay an envelope, the penmanship on it unmistakably belonging to her pen pal, Edna. Their correspondence had spanned over two decades, their letters revealing the nuances of their lives, dreams, and fears. But today, Claire sensed something different in the ...

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“Two Old Broads and One Parade” by Marcia H.

Submitted to Contest #186

“Have you ever been to the snow?” “No, but I think that snow is overrated anyway.”  “That’s sad that you have never been to the snow.”  “That’s not as sad as us sharing a seat on top of a fire hydrant.”  “Now that is true but that is not the only sad thing.”. “You’re right. The saddest thing is the thing that we are ignoring.”  “Yeah, that’s true and my butt is getting numb from this fire hydrant. I don’t see how I used to sit on them as a kid. When my dad took me and my sister trick or treating and we would...

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“Sweet Ant Alive” by Marcia H.

Ants and I have always had a complicated relationship. On one hand they are on the earth to serve a purpose and on the other hand they are annoying as hell. There is nothing like waking up, putting your cold feet in some of your warmest bunny slippers and wrapping yourself in the plush pink robe that one of your kids re-gifted you for Christmas only to come into the kitchen and see what looks like thousands of ants crawling on your perfectly white kitchen counters. As if that weren’t bad enough, they were on the one possession that you treas...

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“Circle of Coincidence” by Marcia H.

Janna could not believe her eyes. She sprinted across two lanes of traffic and flagged down the nearest taxi. She swung the door open a little too hard and screamed at the taxi driver, “Follow that car!” The taxi driver didn’t miss a beat. He didn’t even turn around to see who she was. He did like he was told as if he had seen these exact words a million times. Janna could not take her eyes off of the red sports car just ahead of them. She hoped that her taxi driver had some skills and that he could catch that car. After all, what was in tha...

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“The Mountain Within” by Marcia H.

The mountain of grief is very high and sometimes it is hard to get over it or under it. It is just there all the time and staring you in the face even when your back is tuned. It is always there. I hadn’t had to deal with grief since the death of my brother almost six years ago. He died suddenly. He was a big Prince fan and a big sports fan and ironically he died the same day as the musician’s Prince’s birthday and the big Golden State Warriors play off game that year. I remember it vividly as if I was still in the moment. That day it was ar...

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“Mistle-Toe” by Marcia H.

When the office dog, Lucy, comes inside the front door with a human toe in her mouth you know that it is not going to be the ordinary holiday party that you planned. Shakira was horrified when she turned around to find Lucy with a human toe hanging out of her mouth. Lucy put the toe in front of Shakira’s feet. She didn’t know where the toe came from and who’s foot it came from but she knew that she had to find out. Lisa, Shakira’s best friend, came into the office a few minutes after Lucy. She screamed when she saw the toe still sitting on t...

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