Light My Fire

cool breeze blowing lightly tickled my nose as I swung in a white crochet hammock. I could hear the faint sound of the lapping of the lake on the rocky shore. Bugs chirped to say goodbye to summer and the sun cast across the water making it glimmer. I looked across the water to cherry island which I longed to visit but my mom and dad told me no because it was private. I saw the old boat "patches" resting on the grass near the shore drying. My blond hair was cut to my shoulders and it shone in…

He looked around but could see no one. “Fire starter,” the voice said again. Then, the whisper turned into a growl and shouted, “Fire Starter!” Elmer jumped. “Who’s there?” he yelled. Dogs barked in the distance. Birds flew out from the surrounding trees. But there was still no one in sight. The Speaker’s closest neighbor was…

on the patio. I felt as if my blood stood still for a moment, everything was quiet except for the sound of my racing heart beat as I turned the knob and let myself in. Cold. Dark. Haunted. The feelings the room gave off were uncanny and eerie. Old victorian styled wallpaper was shedding off the wall, the floors creaking softly and then loudly, rhythmically. Barely anything was visible, except for a flickering light in the distance. As I kept pacing towards the light, my view became more clear,…

sympathy in these things. Me? I hate the bastards. All they've done is cause trouble and killed everything I held dear. My farm, most of my family gone, Wulf and I were the only ones left. "How far back is it?" I yelled still running forward. "Ten, twenty meters?" Wulf called in response "Just keep running" "We cant keep running forever!" I can't remember how long we ran, I just knew that my legs hurt and I didn't want to continue. Dropping and letting the creature…

leaves that crunch beneath my feet and the air just cool enough for a light jacket. The holidays are finally here and saying that I am absolutely thrilled would be an understatement. It is my favorite time of year! My stomach begins to growl with hunger in anticipation of what tomorrow will bring. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I realize a feast is in store for me. The air mattress I have been sleeping on is very comfortable which makes it extra difficult to open my eyes. All the while,…

Century Twenty One represents how the term slaves existed and suffered. I was curious to see how my interpretation of the painting correlated with the actual meaning. First I wrote down an analysis of what I derived from the painting to understand what I could grasp from it. When I first glanced at the painting I just assumed it was a man running from a forest fire. As I thought deeper I saw was a man who was african american who escaped the plantation running through a nearby forest. All of a…

headstones around us. My Love will be here soon to collect her. I waited, wandering through the graveyard til it felt like something was watching me. The air turned black all around me. My heart beats wildly and a grin stretches across my lips as the flames of the fire lick my face. The flesh of my latest victim pops and crackles in the otherwise silent air. Icy fingers gripped my arm in the darkness. My hair stood on end, a shiver raced down my spine and a lump came to my throat. It was him...…

northern Minnesota, little red dots that are just agonizing enough to make you not want to go outside. July 4, 2012; I was at my cabin, near Grand Rapids, with all my cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, grandparents, and parents. All in all, there were 16 of us. Traditionally we would enjoy fireworks sitting by the fire pit where there is level ground, a relatively safe place to light fireworks off. But, this year we decided to hold our show 20 feet in front of our cabin so the parents could gape…

black skeletons of what had once been sturdy foundations to village houses, coating the parts of the street where there was still gasoline with burnt memories. It settled on the occasional corpse, mimicking skin where the muscle had been touched by fire, drawing halos of gray chalk around the shattered skulls of innocents that had died escaping before the flames could claim them. In the center of the road was the tiny body of a little girl, the hair burned cleanly from her scalp. Her body was…

I have always been fascinated with the night sky and have enjoyed looking up at it without the light pollution. While living in Las Vegas I would have to commute at least an hour past Red Rock or Valley of Fire to escape the bright lights of the city. Since moving to a small town I have been able to enjoy watching the moons and her phases, meteor showers, and seeing where the constellations are in the night sky. William Herschel was a German composer, teacher, and musician residing and…