Hi everyone,

Sorry for the delay between posts recently. My workload has really increased in the past few weeks so it is difficult for me to find time to write. However, if anyone feels inspired please submit a story and I will post it! Thanks!

Submitted by lilywinterwood

“Everything’s going to be all right.”

 She looks up when he says that. He smiles, leaning against the doorframe.

“You’re unnaturally optimistic,” she remarks.

“I’m just saying. Between you and me, we’re going to be okay.”

She nods, blue eyes dimming slightly as she thinks on everything he’s waving away with those words. He is piecing her heart back together, but he is but an apprentice and all of the pieces are in the wrong places.

“It’s easy for you to say that; you did the breaking,” she says, looking away. He shrugs with resigned grace, blue-grey eyes appearing more aged than the rest of him.

“But had we been together, would we have learnt this much about each other?” he counters, running a hand through his dirty blond hair. She looks at him furtively through her long brown hair.

“That’s true,” she mumbles. He smirks.

“Rosie, you know I like you a lot. But I’m just not ready to go there. That’s why we split. I’m scared of hurting you.”

“You did hurt me,” Rosie retorts, but he holds up a hand. She raises an eyebrow.

“But I didn’t hurt you that badly, did I? You’re still talking to me, aren’t you?”

“Topher, get to the point.” She glares at him; for a moment Topher frowns as if he is trying to count the freckles on her nose. Just like old days.

“I’m just saying. We’re gonna be fine.” He crosses his arms and walks over to her. “Believe me. Time heals wounds, but time can also run out. Before you know it, I’ll be dead, you’ll be dead, and we won’t be able to build us back up again.”

Rosie bites her lower lip and continues to watch Topher out the corner of her eyes as he takes a seat next to her.

“So we’ll be friends, right?” he asks after a moment, smiling crookedly. And despite the fact that his teeth aren’t Hollywood brilliant and that his nose is a little too big and broken, she can’t help but think that he really is quite beautiful.

“Sure,” she says, one hand inching over to squeeze his.

—

originally posted at my tumblr

Submitted by words and weapons!

Their first date occurred completely in his beat up blue dodge. Indian summer was finally giving way to colder weather, and with it came the rain. He remembers her frantic run from her front porch to his truck, arms thrown over her head. She joked that her simple ponytail was ruined, after obviously spending so much time on it. Her light, nervous laugh belied the fact that she probably had. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

Which, in hindsight, was probably not the best idea. Considering that merely fifteen minutes later they were rendered immobile, the left front tire stuck in a pothole that was quickly filling with water. Of course, it was hard to care when Karen Daniels was in his truck. She was quick-witted, and gorgeous, and a whole two years older than him, and she was in his truck. She cast her eyes out the window, any view completely obscured by the rain trailing down the glass.

“Doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon.”  She sent him a disarming smile. He gulped.

 “Uh, nope.”  Her smile only grew.

“Might as well make the best of it then.” In one smooth movement she had undone her seatbelt and slid across the bench seat, her side completely flush with his from knee to shoulder. Amber eyes locked with his as she slowly slid her hand over his knee and to the old-fashioned radio tuner. Crackling country music filled the cab and she leaned back, giggling at his spooked expression.

“Hey Jason, relax. It’s just you and me here.” Her soft voice calmed his nerves and he returned her smile. It was the first time in three months he felt like himself. Not his mother’s rebel  son, little brother’s role model, another child thrust into combat boots and sent to do a man’s job. Not a veteran of two wars by the age of 22.

Just Jason. Just Karen. Just them.

He closed the distance between them so quickly her breath caught. He happily shared his own as their lips pressed together. She threaded her fingers through his hair and he suddenly didn’t care about his tire, or the rain, or that they were moving far too fast and oh god was he doing this right? All he knew was that Karen Daniels was in his truck, and he never wanted her to leave.

************************

She sits on the hood of her car; a small, hybrid, hippy of a rental. The last of the October sun is pushing through the trees as he crests the hill and pulls up across from her. The rays reflect orange and gold off her hair, shorter than it used to be.  He can’t keep his eyes off her.

“Camaro? And here I half expected you to show up in that silly old truck of yours.  It finally bite the dust?” She’s smirking, but he can hear the genuine note in her voice. He shrugs and leans casually next to her.

“Got a decent trade in, plus I figured it was time to let it go.” She snorts and nudges his arm.

“Someone actually gave you money for that thing?” They laugh, strained. He squints into the sun and pretends his eyes are watering because of the light.  

She asks, “How’s your mom?” and he almost trips over his words in a rush to answer and dispel this horrible awkwardness.

“Good, she’s good. Joey started college.” She shakes her head.

“It’s hard to believe.” He nods his agreement. Finally, she clears her throat and cuts to the point of this little reunion.

“I, uh, brought you this. Didn’t seem right to keep it.” She digs something out from her front pocket and gives it to him. He lets his hand cover hers for a moment and squeezes, the metal object cutting into their palms. Her lips quiver in the effort to keep up this false nonchalance.

“Jason…” He drops her hand and tightly clenches his fist.

“It was great to see you, Karen. You seem happy, away from here.”  He gestures to the rural landscape surrounding them and she nods, flipping short strands of hair out of her bright eyes. She takes a deep breath before answering.

“I am.”

He looks out onto the valley below them, traces the dirt roads that cut through cornfields. The roads he had traveled all his life, but never really knew until she was sitting next to him in the cab of a pick-up truck.

“Right, well I better get going if I want to beat the traffic.” Her voice guides him back to the present moment.  She shines that smile on him once more before sliding off the hood of the car.

“Course. Hey, Kar-“ She turns back to him, eyebrows raised. “Just uh, you know. Drive fast take chances.” Her laughter follows him to his own car, and he can’t help but think it will be the last time he hears it. He opens the door and begins to climb in.

“Jason?” she calls out tentatively. He stands back up.

“Yeah?”

She gestures to the camaro and shrugs. “I like the new car, it suits you.” He can only nod in response, watching her as she gets in the little rental and drives off down the dusty road. She doesn’t look back once. As she turns out of sight he slowly unclenches his fist, revealing white half-moon marks gauged into his skin. He doesn’t acknowledge them, only stares at the small metal dog tags strung onto a delicate silver chain, resting in his palm.

************************

It’s dark as the camaro comes to a stop in the gravel driveway. He steps out and makes his way to the farmhouse, but stops as he walks by a small pole barn. The door is cracked open, a small beam of artificial light pouring through the knots in the old wood. He sighs and pushes open the door. Inside, a bare bulb hanging from the rafters lights a workbench covered in tools. A musty couch sits along one wall, beer canes littered around it. And in the center is a blue dodge truck, its hood propped up and a pair of legs dangling from the engine compartment. He rolls his eyes.

“What are you doin’ Joe?” The legs hit the ground, dragging the rest of a long, burly body with them. Joey turns, oil smudged along his cheek.

“Hey! Didn’t think you’d get back so soon. I just wanted to get the belt put on but the damn thing is too tight.” Joey sets a screwdriver on the engine. “I can run into town tomorrow and pick up another one.” Jason shakes his head.

“Nah let me give it a try. Thanks, though.” Joey beams and pats a headlight affectionately.

“Never thought I’d see this beast back on the road. But you never give up on anything. I admire that.” He claps Jason on the shoulder as he walks past. “I’m turnin’ in. You got this?” He gestures to the strewn tools. Jason nods.

“Yeah, night.”  The door closes and he is left alone with the old pickup. He steps forward and picks up the discarded screwdriver hesitantly, spins it around in his hand. Then throws it at the wall. The bulb sways with the force of the hit as he slams the hood and stomps to the driver’s side, clambering in. He grips the wheel, eyes squeezed shut. Minutes pass before he eases his eyes and fingers open. The cab is dusty, but he takes a deep breath anyway and leans his head back. It smells the same, like leather and fall and farm. Like night drives and freesias and first times.

Reaching into his pocket, he draws out the silver dog tags. They shine dully as he holds them up. Slowly, he hooks them around the rear view mirror.

He eases out of the cab and gently closes the door. Picking up a plastic tarp, he pulls it over the truck’s body, tucking it in against the night. With one last glance around the barn, he clicks off the single light. The heavy door creaks as it slides shut, padlock snapping into place. Gravel crunches under his feet as he walks away. He doesn’t look back once.

    There was a good turnout. All of their friends and family had shown up with the exception of Emma’s estranged father and a few friends from college who’s flight had been canceled due to that morning’s storm. By now the snow had slowed to a soft dusting and there was very little wind. People were huddled together for warmth and in grief but Justin didn’t seem to feel the cold; he hadn’t felt much of anything recently. “We are gathered here today to mourn the passing of Emma Reed, taken before her time…” began the priest but Justin wasn’t listening, he wasn’t there at all.
    Instead he was back in senior year Chemistry class, sitting in the last row so he could doze off without being noticed. Struggling to stay awake while the professor prattled on about the first law of thermodynamics, Justin rubbed his eyes and typed furiously. Just then someone tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to see a girl he hadn’t noticed before. She had short cropped blonde hair, a nose piercing, and the most beautiful blue grey eyes Justin had ever seen. She smiled and whispered, “I missed last class, can I borrow your notes?”
    Now it was graduation day. The diplomas had been dispensed, the caps thrown into the air, and Emma was helping him finish packing up his stuff. “Maybe if my brother lets me borrow his car I can come visit you out there. Its a hell of a drive but I think it would be worth it…” she was saying as she carefully folded a shirt and added it to a neat pile. Justin was quiet and solemn, shoving his clothes unceremoniously into a duffle bag and thinking about the past four months the two had been seeing each other. He had never felt so lucky in his life but now… He had gotten an internship in Chicago and was flying out in a day or two, leaving Emma behind in Vermont. He was convinced that would spell the end for the couple, despite what Emma said. Distance had always destroyed his relationships in the past, why should this time be any different? There was a honk outside and Emma got up to look out the window. “Crap, thats my parents, I really have to go babe.” Here it comes, Justin thought, the last time I will ever see her. He got to his feet and embraced her, a tight hug that he wished would never end. After a few more tears and kisses she made for the door. Justin sat down heavily on the bed and stared as she walked away, wanting to remember every last detail of her. Then, just as she reached for the doorknob, she stopped and looked up. A smile crept over her tear stained face. “I love you.” and she was gone. In that moment, Justin allowed himself to hope.
    One year later and they were hurrying through the rain-slick streets of Chicago, making their way to his small apartment. His housemates were gone for the weekend so they wasted no time peeling off their soaking wet clothes in the living room. There was a sense of urgency that only heightened Justin’s senses as they made their way to the bedroom. This was the fourth time Emma had been able to visit him and he had been to Vermont for her on more than a few occasions but every time they saw each other it was like the first. When Emma rolled out of bed to use the bathroom Justin seized the opportunity. He reached into the drawer by the side of the bed and retrieved the little box. His heart was racing but he had never been so sure about anything before. Saying a quick, silent prayer he placed the box on Emma’s pillow and rolled over, pretending to be asleep. The only flaw in his plan was that he couldn’t see the way her face lit up when she realized what it was.
    Emma was crying again. It seemed to happen every other night now. Soon after the engagement she had moved to Chicago to be closer to Justin. She had found an office job and together they moved into a new place. That is when the trouble started. Perhaps it was the stress from her job or the fruitless attempts to contact her father that wore on her. Whatever the cause, Justin began to notice a change in his fiance; she was moodier, quieter, no longer had the same light in her eyes. Frequently he would come home to find her sobbing on the couch and he could not coax a reason out of her. Today was the worst yet. “I just need to get out,” she was saying between sobs, “I need to go, lets go. Lets get out of here and go somewhere we can just be us.” Holding her and stroking her head gently, Justin agreed. He told her to be patient; that his internship was ending soon and they would move away somewhere inviting and safe. Somewhere far away. “Promise?” she whispered as she was lulled to sleep by Justin’s touch. When she finally nodded off Emma’s head was in his lap, her makeup running and making a stain on his jeans. He stared at the ceiling feeling utterly powerless to help the girl he loved.
    Then he was there, in that horrible day in November. Justin pushed the door open with his shoulder; his hands were full carrying the Chinese food they had ordered. Emma had been especially despondent the last few days so he had picked up her favorite on the way home in an attempt to cheer her up. The apartment was deathly quiet as he put the food on the counter and called for Emma. Usually she was in the living room around this time, watching some sitcom or reading but today the tv was off and so were the lights. He peaked into the bedroom but she wasn’t there either. Thats when he saw the light coming from under the door of that bathroom. Knocking, Justin called her name again. Not getting any response he tried the door. The next thing Justin remembered was his fiance amid the mess of blood and crushed veneer from where her head had hit the tile. The empty bottle of pills had rolled from her hand after she fell and came to rest by the bathtub.
    Mrs Reed was sobbing uncontrollably, consoled Emma’s gaunt older brother. The ring in Justin’s pocket felt heavy, like it was trying to drag him into the ground with his fiance. He stood, unmoving, unfeeling as the priest said his blessing and the first handfuls of dirt were poured over the coffin. Then, with a quick glance at Emma’s portrait set up on an stand by the grave, he was gone. He was in the back row of a college Chemistry class sharing notes with a girl he had never noticed before.