It was slow at first. An old farm cat here and there; a small dog trotting along a sidewalk in a small town. But the phenomenon was moving, expanding. By the time Rangers Lily Reynolds and Charlie Harrelson left Old Dime Box, new reports were trickling in from La Grange, Temple, Round Rock. It wasn't enough for a panic, at least not yet.

At least ( Read more... )

Such a simple flower, so striking. A bright face that speaks fluently of late springtime warmth, but has the wherewithal to stand up to many climes. She’s cheerful, a splash of color on a lady’s handbag or a little child’s dress, the onomatopoeia of her English name effervescent on the tongue. The sort of bloom that paramours gather in bunches, the ( Read more... )

It was dank, wet where she sat, huddled into a stony corner. She awoke in the dark to the sound of water dripping not far away. Or maybe she wasn't awake. All her dreams looked so much like this that she didn't know which side of the veil she was on ( Read more... )

"On this day, we honor the mothers! Every woman who carried a child in her body, nursed it at her bosom, cleaned its bottom. Taught them manners, taught them to read and count. Kissed hurt knees and hugged away bad dreams. Took too many pictures, cooked too many meals. Your work is powerful and priceless! Thanks to all the moms ( Read more... )

Fiction, slightly NSFW (f-bombs and sexual content). Curious how Shannon and Macrae ended up here? Check out Pleated if you have some extra time.Early February light filtered through sheer purple curtains, falling over a quilt three generations old, shimmering off a long, shining waterfall of waves spread out across a pillow. Angus Macrae reached ( Read more... )

How was I to know ( Read more... )

Oh, beautiful girl. So precious. So foolish. Had no one ever told you to be careful what you wish for?

Allow me to answer that for you: Of course they did. I know, because I was listening. Listening to everything, while you hear only your own voice, twisting everything out of shape. You ask for much, and when you receive it, you decide it isn't ( Read more... )

Mit keresek, en itt? Azt monjak hogy a hires lakem lefogta a ferjement en meg lecsaptam a fejet. De nem igaz, en artatlan vagyok. Nem tudom miert mondja Uncle Sam hogy en tettem. Probaltam a rendorsegen megmagyarazni de nem ertettek meg.

January 1926

I hear the heavy steps of the matron's thick shoes long before I see her. My breath catches, and ( Read more... )

An entry for LJ Idol, Season 8, week 2: "Three little words."

Brown paper envelopes with no return address were never good news. He'd learned that much from the TV shows. Too bad they hadn't been quite so clear on what you'd find inside them.

(Or so he thought. He wasn't always so good with details.)
( Get the picture )