Words Set Free
“Your thoughts are like fireflies, Opie. And this notebook is your jar. Capture them before they fly away…”
All the tables near the stage were taken, so I slipped toward the back, where I found a rogue stool that, much like my nightlife, had seen better days. Awkwardly, I clutched a bottle of craft beer with both hands, cradling it in my lap like liquid life-support. This artisanal brew cost more than the […]
They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, but when you’re staring at snapshots of grandchildren, honestly, the cliché buckles. I don’t personally know the current exchange rate on a word, but 1,000 seems like an insulting offer. If there’s a pawnshop for photos, and the proprietor offered me 1,000 words for these pictures, I […]
I am 12 years old. I sit near the back row of Edgewater Cinema in Biloxi, MS. I am with my mom and dad, which is a big deal to me. I often go to movies with one parent, but seldom with both. I don’t know it, but this will only occur once more in […]
In haunted houses, I find solace. But I am not a ghost. I think. Cobwebs like the forgotten threads of memories, ghosts like whispers of my past. No one understands. They call it strange, a fixation they can’t wrap their minds around. “Do you like the scare?” they ask. It’s not about the scares (but […]
In a village brimming with whispers of witches and wandering spirits, a carved pumpkin sat on a creaky porch, its face ever-grinning but its interior flame yearning for more. But one night a spirit floated by. No… It danced by. The pumpkin’s inner flame flickered and surged, elated by the spirit’s carefree twirls. For a […]
Tucked away in the familiar fog of forgotten fondness, where tossed-away dreams pile up like autumn leaves, Dejection took up residence. Garbed in rejection, it wore a shroud woven from teardrops and threads of broken hearts. Although it recognized its existence as somewhat shapeless, it seldom saw itself as so. Shapeless was without points, and […]
Author’s Note: Though the title of this piece borrows from Sleeping with the Enemy (a personal favorite Julia Roberts thriller), narratively, I’ve decided to channel my second—possibly third—favorite Julia Roberts movie: Pretty Woman. Apologies to any Sleeping with the Enemy purists who may have expected a more suspenseful homage. However, I will not apologize for […]
Is It Addiction If I Keep Misplacing the Fix? I once found myself in a spirited debate with a colleague—a person who had wrestled with narcotics and emerged victorious, riding high on the wagon of sobriety. Their journey was nothing short of inspiring, a testament to resilience and sheer willpower. But as our conversation unfolded, […]
CIADHD I grasp, to some degree, the mysterious world of sleeper agents. Let me break it down for you. Living life diagnosed with authentic ADHD, I’ve wandered through days, even weeks, without medication. And let’s be clear—this was way before the modern shortage of Adderall took center stage. Why? Well, blame it on ADHD. So […]