MJ Cummings

“Who Needs a Dog, Anyway?” by MJ Cummings

Finally, I got to have some peace and quiet. I took a sip of some iced tea while I sat back in my brand-new lounge chair in my brand-new backyard. The grass is neatly kept. The birds are chirping, and the sun is shining in my face. A gentle breeze tickled my nose. Now all that was missing was Mary. We had been married for forty-five years before she passed away from cancer last year. With the kids all gro...

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“Her Last Day” by MJ Cummings

Submitted to Contest #104

Claire got off the roller coaster with a smirk and a huge pair of mouse ears on top of her head. This was her 14th time on this one ride alone. She took a yellow pill bottle out of her purse and swallowed a few pills. “Are we going again, Grandma?” Steve asked. “Okay, one more just for you,” replied Claire. She took his hand and back to the line they went. The wind blew gently over her fac...

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“The Book of Sacrifice” by MJ Cummings

Submitted to Contest #65

I woke up with a pounding headache. Shadows danced around my hazy vision. My hands were tied behind my back. I couldn’t focus long enough to do anything about it. I wanted to scream, but my body wouldn’t let me. Two women were having a conversation. Their words began to sound clearer as I came to.              “I just don’t understand why we can’t just drain some of his blood and let him go. He won’t remember a thing,” a woman said.   &nb...

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“The Last Maid” by MJ Cummings

Submitted to Contest #64

I parked my car in the employee section in the back of the hotel. Once the car stopped, I pulled a picture of my son Jack out from underneath the visor. I gave it a kiss and got out of the car. I walked away from it and locked the doors with my remote. I liked to look back and make sure the lights flash. That’s when I noticed that my car sat there all by itself. There wasn’t a single car in the entire employee section ...

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“Wild Fire” by MJ Cummings

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. They were a burnt mix of brown and bright yellow. The life was slowly fading away from them. Smoke billowed throughout the trees around my home. Honestly, I was a bit surprised it spread so quickly. The tv blared in the living room. Some reporter going on about a local wildfire. I’d like to see that reporter get this close to it. I want them to taste the burning t...

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