Short Story of the Day

2010-04-22T01:55:00.002-06:00

In the dark depths of his despondency, he pondered his misfortune. While he was but a hapless researcher, he felt that a single misstep would lead astray his entire journey of discovery. This betrayal would not serve his noble purpose and the lost hours would turn their mission's glorious anthem into a funeral march. Not one to lose hope, he took possession of his senses, and continued his journey to nowhere.

2010-04-19T17:40:00.002-06:00

"Can I fit an entire story into just one hundred and forty characters? It seems a little short," he pondered. He found, in brief, he could.

2008-08-05T14:01:00.002-06:00

People like to talk about life handing you lemons, but you know, sometimes life can give you a real treat - even if you're not a citrus fruit aficionado. For instance, take the other day. I was just walking along, minding my own business, when I found five dollars.

2008-07-25T23:51:00.002-06:00

Of course, it had to come to this. I thought I could get along with everyone, do my part, be a team player, just another cog, etc, etc. But no. Some people just won't let things alone, will they? Some people think that it's funny to push people. People can be pushed too far, you know?!

Oh well.

What's done is done - the only thing I can do now is deal with the consequences. As much as I hate to do it, the time has come. The dice are in my hand. It may be unpleasant, but it's better this way. For everyone's sake.

"Indonesia to Siam."

Insect Lamps are educational

2008-07-25T21:32:00.002-06:00

"So what do you think is the reason behind life?"

"Perhaps we're no better than moths, flitting aimlessly on on currents of wind, drifting through life until we find our fire; a fire that entrances us and enraptures us so completely that we have no choice but to hurtle into certain oblivion rather than draw ourselves away with the tiniest regard."

"No, that's not it at all."

2008-01-30T15:53:00.000-06:00

Now, there once was a lad named Billy, and he didn't have much to his name. His pockets were nearly empty, his clothes threadbare, and his shoes worn. He didn't even have much of a story to tell, this was just where his life had led him. But one day, our lad met Sue, and oh, did he think the world of her. Just the thought of her was enough to bring him joy. Billy knew he must marry this girl. So he worked hard, filled his pockets a little, and made his proposal. She sadly refused him, much as she'd like to spend the rest of her days with him, her time was short. She must soon return home. She never explained beyond that, for at that moment an older man in a shabby coat and hat took her arm and led her away. Billy never forgot her.

2007-11-19T10:17:00.000-06:00

Sixty-four was today's number. They all knew this. They all knew the doors would open soon. The real question was what that meant. Would it be at 6:40? Would it be the sixty-fourth person? Would it be sixty-four people? Each of these possibilities had its own unique, terrible, and possibly terrifying set of consequences, and they weren't sure how to prepare themselves. No option seemed to be a good one. In the end, they knew all they could do was be ready to take of any opportunity that came to them, even if it seemed there would be no recovering from their unthinkable compromise. The doors opened.

Let the sales begin.

2007-11-18T18:50:00.000-06:00

As he sat down to write, he considered the type of story he'd like to tell. A humorous one? One filled with sorrow and pain? Perhaps a deep, thought-provoking self exploration. He pondered and considered. After some time, he realized the best story would be the one that plumbed the very depths of his heart, that summed up his experiences, his existence, his very soul. He thought for a moment, then began to write.

Wun day i went to the store with mom and bot sum nise apples.

I ate wun and mom said i cud have mor later and then we went hom.

I playd with my dog and i playd with my frend Bob. we playd a looooong time. It was fun

then i was tird and went to bed.

THE END

2007-10-30T23:27:00.000-06:00

When the young lad saw the wagon, he knew must someday be his. Its shiny exterior, its soft wooden interior! This was truly a tool of the gods themselves! The boy yearned for this wagon, he didn't just want it, he needed it. Unfortunately, it was truly a tool of the gods themselves, and they didn't like sharing.

2007-10-07T18:21:00.000-06:00

It came and then it went. It went and then it came. To and fro, back and forth, never ending. What is this thing that simply goes and comes, comes and goes? This is the question asked. Is it a pendulum? The tides? The orbits of the moon? The planets? The galaxy? The universe itself? Is it a tiny atom, vibrating in its place? An electron? What is this thing that comes and goes, goes and comes? This is the question asked. The answer is simple.

2007-04-22T19:22:00.000-06:00

When the mood strikes you and the will and determination are there, anything is possible. For instance, just yesterday I decided I wanted a sandwich. But I had no bread! However, I was very determined to enjoy a delicious sandwich, so I pushed forward and persevered. I decided I wanted a hot ham and cheese sandwich, and set out to obtain one. The first step was simple, I went to a family-run farm and got a job as a farmhand. I worked there for several years, all the while arranging for the demise of the owner's family, while bringing myself into his good graces. This accomplished, I waited several more years for the farmer to die and leave the farm to me. Now, with a working farm, I was easily able to slaughter a pig and butcher it for the ham of my sandwich, which I salted and allowed to become delicious. While that process progressed, I started a small cheese making operation on the side. I used some of the wheat from harvest to make wholesome and delicious wheat bread. Now, supplied with all the ingredients, I was able to make a hot ham and cheese sandwich.

If I can make a sandwich, just imagine what you can do it you set your mind to it! Just
don't make the mistake I did - I wasn't really in the mood for a hot ham and cheese sandwich the day I finished it.

2007-03-09T10:45:00.000-06:00

I wanted it to be true. I wished it were true. I needed it to be true. But it couldn't be. I knew it couldn't be. There was no way. She wouldn't do that, I know it. And even if she somehow got it in her head that she would, they wouldn't let her. So... it's not true. All signs point that way, I can feel it in my gut. I mean, why would it be? Wasn't it really just a dream a month ago? How could it gain more weight now? It couldn't - that's how. Right? I mean, it was just a dream, wasn't it? None o it really happened or even came close to happening, right? Right. It was, and that's all there is to it, there's no reason to keep mulling over it - it was impossible from the start. Damn.

I wish it were true.

2007-03-01T22:59:00.000-06:00

There once wa a man who loved his food. He didn't overeat necessarily, he just enjoyed the food very much when he ate it. One day, he ate a truly delicious meal. So delicious, in fact, that he wanted to get another helping, because he knew it would be just as good, if not better for his continued appreciation of the meal. It had already been one of the top meals of his life, why not a little more? He considered this question, he pondered, and wondered, and thought. He eventually came to the conclusion that he should get some more. Unfortunately, by that time, the meal had long progressed and there was no food left.

2007-02-22T15:59:00.000-06:00

There once was a lad who was quite taken with a lady friend of his. He was often tempted to tell her how she felt, but could never work up the nerve. One day, he went into a jewelry shop and bought a lovely golden. He couldn't give the chain away after not giving it to her, and he couldn't just throw it away, so he kept it. He kept the chain for the rest of his life, in case he saw her and could then give it to her, but he never did.

2007-02-14T10:08:00.000-06:00

Everyone knew it was a harmless tradition. It was a little creepy, but the students of the high school had been doing it since as far back as anyone could remember. It was rarely spoken of, but was easily tolerated and was rrely even mentioned any longer. Until this year, a student did some research into the roots of the tradition and was horrified to discover its dark past and its implications in the present. This student tried to speak out against the majority opinion, tried to bring the terrible truth the light, but he was dismissed as a fool. One lone voice stood ot against everyone else, those who might have listened were afraid of becoming outcasts by association with him.

Boy, did he look silly when he found out he was wrong.

2007-02-11T00:34:00.000-06:00

"Hmm, licorice."

"Licorice?"

"Yeah, licorice."

"What about it?"

"Well, I find it delicious."

"Good for you!"

"Yeah, I thought so."

2007-02-09T18:47:00.000-06:00

When I grow up, I wanna be an astronaut. I wanna fly up into space and see the Earth really tiny beneath me. In my mind it's like a shooter marble out the window. I wanna go on spacewalks outside the ship and fix it. I wanna look around and see how big the universe is and count the stars. I wanna walk on the moon where there's no gravity and JUMP! I wanna float around in the ship and eat my dinner out of a tube and drink Tang. I drink Tang anyway, but I wanna drink it in space It can float around like bubble of Tang in space. I want to throw em and ems at other astronauts! I wanna do experiments and help the scientists back on Earth. I wanna talk to Houston and tell him that everything's A-OK up here.

When I grow up, I wanna be an astronaut. Or maybe a fireman.

2007-02-05T10:58:00.000-06:00

"Why did the chicken cross the playground?"

"I don't know, why?"

"To get to the other slide! Ahahahahaha! I'm brilliant."

"You know, I've heard that one before, I was jsut humoring you."

"Oh."

2007-01-30T22:05:00.000-06:00

There once was a man who like to build card houses, towers, and various other structures - even furniture and statues! He built each one with exacting precision and absolute attention to detail, and each was beautiful when finished. Oftentimes, he would employ as many as five or ten decks of cards. He had a open, but unventilated room of his house dedicated to his hobby, as he lived in constant fear of a draught toppling his creations. Even so, he lived in an earthquake zone, so every now and again, a tremor would cause a tower to collapse in on itself.

The man contemplated this dilemma for some time, and realized that the best solution would be to carefully glue his constructions together once they were complete (doing it before would be cheating). And so he set about stabilizing his lastest work - a card throne. As he worked, the fumes from the extremely powerful but also extremely toxic glue began to cloud his mind - the lack of ventilation in his breeze-proof room was not working well for him. He shrugged off his discomfort and continued his work late into the night.

Finally, he was nearly finished, he leaned across the chair to glue the last card of ornamentation down and collapsed into the chair, twisting to sit in his throne, whose extremely powerful glue held him up. The last card fluttered down from its place and landed face-up on his lap. It was the three of diamonds.

2007-01-29T15:45:00.000-06:00

"Can we go?"

"I'm not really interested."

"Please?"

"Well, alright. But I'm doing it for you."

And she was, but he'd make it up to her later.

2007-01-23T23:36:00.000-06:00

There once was a young lad who aspired to no great things. He did well in school, but didn't put forth the effort to be outstanding. He then went to a good, local college wheree he earned a bachelor's degree before going to work for a company that facilitated sales of various products form manufacturers to retailers. Over the years, he advanced to a senior management position, mostly through his seniority. During that time, he married and had two children, whom he loved very much. All his life, he was fairly happy. At the end of his days, he looked back and thought, "Yep, I've had an alright life. It was pretty good, yes it was."

2007-01-22T18:24:00.000-06:00

When they discovered his crime, he was immediately arrested. The trial did not take long. He plead guilty - he'd been caught red-handed. His sentence was not a short one. But even after all this, he remained cheerful. The prison guards were haunted by his smile, as was the judge. 'Why is he so happy?' they wondered. The question wasn't hard to answer. He'd let himself get caught. In prison, you don't have to sleep exposed in the freezing cold or wonder where your next meal's coming from. Instead, you're kept fed and clothed, and are sometimes indulged with things like paper and pencils. You barely have to take care of yourself, instead, you have all the time in the world to dream, and think, and plan. He was happy indeed.

2007-01-21T21:27:00.000-06:00

"Ok, now!"

He did it.

"Wow, that's spectacular."

"It really is beautiful."

It really was beautiful.

2007-01-17T21:28:00.000-06:00

Once a man bought himself a house. He didn't have much money, but he believe in the power of appreciation and made the investment. This house was a real fixer-upper. The paint was peeling, the door hinges squeaked, the roof leaked, and the entire thing smelled of cat. He bought the house under the table, to keep inspectors from messing with his transaction - he would make it safe during the restoration.

However, he spent most of his money on the house and couldn't afford to keep renting his apartment, so he was forced to move in. One night, a strong gust of wind blew the house right over, killing him nearly instantly in the collapse and teaching him, too late, the value of a thorough safety inspection. On the bright side of things, the demolition nearly doubled the lot's value.

2007-01-16T18:24:00.000-06:00

There once was a girl who dreamed the whimsical dream of floating on the gentle winds of spring on butterfly wings. She saw herself fluttering from flower to flower, tasting the distinct tastes and smelling the unique smells of each. She would be precious, and delicate, and loved by all. One day, she wished for her dream to come true and tossed some change into a wishing well. Her dream magically came true, she was a butterfly!

She set out for the flowery fields and feasted on both the flowers' beauty and her own. She could hardly believe how wonderful her experience was until she began to feel hungry. She began to flit from flower to flower, trying to fill her tiny, hungry, butterfly belly. She soon discovered that not only do flowers taste bad, but that it takes a lot of effort to fly, and that she was very tired. She landed on a leaf to sleep, but unfortunately for her, the bat noticed.

ALTERNATE ENDING

There once was a girl who dreamed the whimsical dream of floating on the gentle winds of spring on butterfly wings. She saw herself fluttering from flower to flower, tasting the distinct tastes and smelling the unique smells of each. She would be precious, and delicate, and loved by all. One day, she wished for her dream to come true and tossed some change into a wishing well. Sadly, her wishing well was just a well, now polluted with dirty coins.

2007-01-12T12:41:00.000-06:00

A dapper youngster once declared, "Sorry for the lack of updates! Stories will continue after MLK Day. Until then, check out the archives or something."

What an odd thing to say.

2007-01-06T17:01:00.001-06:00

"I love you, I'll never let you go," he said, grasping her hand. This worked out well for quite a while. Their hands remained together through the rest of the movie, out of the theatre,
and back to her house. They remained lovingly clasped through the TV shows they didn't really watch from the couch, instead just enjoying each others presence. Much of the evening and night passed and eventually she had to use the restroom. Their hands didn't part, but things started to get awkward after that.

2007-01-05T18:01:00.000-06:00

The children were unhappy. Their parents were almost never around, and their sitter was no good. Things got better when they grew up and went to college, all the money their parents worked hard to earn sure paid off then.

The Man with the Magic Pants, by T-Rex

2007-01-04T15:08:00.000-06:00

"Star light, star bright - first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight. I wish I could pull a dollar out of every pair of pants I own every day."

There was a bright flash of light as the first star of the night sky burst into a massive supernova of wish fulfillment. The man looked on with wonder and slowly reached into his right pocket, where he found a dollar bill.

He rushed home as quickly as he could and checked the right pocket of every pair of pants he owned, where he found more dollars bills. Drunk with success, he drove to the nearest retailer of fine apparel and bought as many pairs of pants as he could carry. The next morning, he opened his closet and pulled forth a dollar from the right pocket of each pair of pants. Again, he rushed to the store and bought more pants. Needless to say, closet space was at a premium. His magical pants meant that he'd never have to work again, but he didn't have any room for shirts.

The dilemma of closet space irked him for quite some time. He was forced to live shirtless, and many establishments for the sale of fine goods and automobile fuel refused him service on the grounds of his inappropriate attire. This was a problem until he realized he could use his money to buy a house his a bigger closet, expand his current home, or just buy an outdoor closet.

After expanding his closet capacity, he was once again able to wear things that weren't pants, and lived relatively happily ever after. The happiness came not from the wealth of his magic pants, but from his good decisions in life. Remember: money can't buy happiness!

The previous story was inspired by this comic.

2007-01-03T17:00:00.000-06:00

There once was a man who dressed improperly for motorcycle riding, but still rode a motorcycle. In his defense, he wore a helmet (purportedly the most important item in crash protection). However, along with this helmet, he wore a sweatshirt and shorts. Even disregarding the illogical combination of his attire, this seemed somewhat unwise, as sliding along the road in shorts and a flimsy sweatshirt would cause severe scratches at the very least. Leather or fancy motorcycling clothes seemed a much better option. Once a young lad of ten noticed this man and asked him, "Ain't 'neone never told you you sho'n't wear shorts on a motorbike, mistah?"

This child was very difficult to understand.

2007-01-02T16:07:00.001-06:00

The time has come, I'm going to do it.

Details forthcoming.

2006-12-31T17:28:00.000-06:00

When it's time for a baby bird to venture out into the wide world, most know it and take off to explore the skies. Those that don't are eventually pushed out of the nest by the mother, forced to embrace life whether they like it or not. It turns out that the birds that fly on their own often end up much better off than the ones that wait until they're kicked out. This doesn't just apply to birds, but to people too. I mean, I'm a great example myself. I waited to leave home, and look where I am now.

2006-12-30T18:46:00.000-06:00

This family was not in good condition at all. The kids were constantly fighting, probably in an attempt to drown out their parents arguments. Money was tight - they lived from paycheck to paycheck, and that was barely enough to cover their needs. The rising price of gas drained the little money they had saved, and things were beginning to look desperate. The parents were thinking about giving up their children, the children were confused and growing increasingly hungry as money ran short. Don't worry, though - everything turned out alright in the end.

2006-12-28T19:33:00.000-06:00

New sights, new thoughts.
For today, the river runneth dry.

2006-12-27T22:18:00.000-06:00

The master pianist bowed to the audience, and sat at the piano. The concert hall was large and quietly expensive, the audience was nicely dressed - this was no student concert. The first piece began softly, the pianist lovingly caressed each key as he made his music. As the piece went on, the tempo didn't change, but the music began to swell, to fill out the simple melody that began. The tempo slowly shifted and the sound filled the hall, keeping everyone's attention tightly focused on the swaying musician. Just as the music reached its peak, he jumped out of the crowd and tackled the musician, cutting out his still-beating heart with an obsidian knife and eating it as quickly as he could, stealing away the power of music. He proceeded to sit and the piano and play, better than ever before, so well that the audience forgot to react to the grisly murder.

Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for your art.

2006-12-26T12:30:00.000-06:00

They emptied the toybox today. It had long been sitting there in the corner, gathering dust with the years. Emptying the large, wooden chest was a daunting task, but they knew it had to be done eventually, and today was the day. Quiet exclamations over long forgotten toys could be heard as they worked. Whispered reminisces filled their time together. The small talk became more strained as tmime passed, however. The pounding on the door got louder and the door began to shake. They emptied the toybox as fast as they could, but there was nothing there they could use. And then it was too late.

2006-12-25T12:09:00.000-06:00

"Merry Christmas!" he said.

2006-12-23T12:01:00.000-06:00

When it went, no one was quite sure what to do. It seemed like it was something no one could live without, it was just so versatile and ubiquitous. The members of the family wandered the house, lost, for quite some time - they couldn't even think of what to do without it, their activities felt hampered, even the ones that didn't strictly involve it. And the ones that were centered upon it left a gap in their thoughts. Eventually they got over the whole business and did something else.

2006-12-22T00:38:00.000-06:00

There was once a young man who was very busy travelling and forgot to write a little story for his blog. Fortunately, he remembered to write one the next day. He thought it was pretty spectacular, but others were unimpressed.

2006-12-19T11:35:00.000-06:00

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No I won't be afraid
No I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

When the air we breathe
is filled with disease
And I am the carrier of the pain
No I won't be afraid
No, I won't be afraid
Will you please come stand here, by me?

2006-12-18T16:24:00.000-06:00

The day the war began was a bloody one. There was no preliminary maneuvering, each side simple lined up and charged. This was Red against Black, the racial hatred had existed for millenia an was now bursting forth once again. As a whole, the Blacks were somewhat larger but there were far more Reds, and thus the battle was even. They fought back and forth, their need to inflict damage so strong that they rarely helped their wounded, instead leaving them to eventually help themselves or fall to the enemy. The battles pushed back and forth, sometimes even reaching into the cities themselves. The war raged for days, violence upon violence, atrocity upon atrocity, and then it was done, there were too few warriors to do battle.

Few noticed this epic struggle, as ants aren't the hot item they could be.

2006-12-15T15:20:00.000-06:00

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. That's what his mom always told him, and to a great extent he agreed. He was usually able to turn any situation into a bright one, sometime even in a literal sense. When his car was in a wreck, he cannibalized it for parts and turned it into art. When his best friend moved out of the country, well, he didn't take it quite so well, but he did make new friends. When his computer got a virus, he saw the reformatting as a time to clean out all the stuff he didn't need. But now, what was he supposed to do with this?

2006-12-14T18:56:00.000-06:00

There was a man who liked to dance. Sometimes he also liked to sing, even while dancing! His songs were songs of joy in life, of savoring every moment of every day - happy or sad. His songs didn't always sound joyous, but neither does life. Regardless of whether his songs and dance were hopping and jivey, or slow and melodic, he always found happiness in them, and the people around him always found some small amount of satisfaction in them. Truly, this man was a singing, dancing fiend.

2006-12-13T12:34:00.000-06:00

In days long past, there were many myths and fables. They told stories of heroes, the gods, spirits of the forest, and many other things. They often explained something or had a moral, a lesson to be passed on from generation to generation. One such story was the story of the fish and the fruit bat.

A long time ago, when the animals were as much people as people were, and the people were as much animals as animals, there was a fish. This fish, or Fish, I should say, was very proud of his gleaming scales, but sometimes the fact of his underwater existence irked him. He longed to see the trees and the flowers, the sky and the clouds. He wished he could taste the berries of the surface, and not just the bugs and things he usually ate.

Fruitbat, another creature of the area, did give a whit about his appearance, as he didn't have the best eyesight. However, he loved flying, he would swoop and soar, dive and climb all night long. He loved his freedom, but sometimes he was troubled that he could not swim, and that he couldn't experience freedom in the water.

One night, Fish called up to Fruitbat and asked him, "Fruitbat! Fruitbat! Please, tell me what it's like up there!"

Fruitbat replied, "Why not come and see yourself? The air is fine!"

"I can't, I'm limited to the water."

"I have something in common with you, friend - I'm limited to the land and air. But I have an idea! I know you can't live on the land, but I can bring you some berries so you can at least taste something from above."

"And I can teach you to swim! You can't breathe in the water, but I've seen Dog swimming in the river."

And so they carried out their plan. First, Fruitbat gave Fish some berries, which made Fish very sick. Then Fish tried to teach Fruitbat to swim, but Fruitbat just couldn't learn and nearly drowned several times. They both eventually gave up on the other worlds and separated paths.

And that's why fruitbats don't swim and fish don't venture onto the land.

Except the mudskipper.

2006-12-12T18:58:00.000-06:00

There once was a young man who liked to write stories. However, he had a big project due, and he liked passing his classes better.

2006-12-11T17:09:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, when you're read a good book or see a good movie, you just getting that feeling where you need to tell someone about it, do you know what I'm talking about? That feeling in your chest, like it's about to burst unless you share what you just experienced? It's almost unbearable, especially when there's no one to tell, or you'd feel stupid just telling some random friend who has no connection to what you're thinking of. I have that feeling right now, and I can barely stand it.

2006-12-10T02:14:00.000-06:00

"You know, I really like you - we should do something some time."

"I think I'd like that."

"No, wait! You don't know what you're getting into!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Actually, I don't know. There's no real reason for you to not get together."

"Alright then, and we haven't "gotten together" - this'll be a first date."

Regardless, they did settle into a permanent relationship and lived a relatively happy life.

2006-12-08T14:39:00.000-06:00

He knew that this time would one day come. He'd been looking forward to it and dreading it all his life. Some nights, he'd lie awake at night wondering when it would happen, wondering what it would be like. He even worried sometimes if his thinking about it would make it take longer to come, like Christmas, or that thinking about it drew him away from other things he could be doing. He worried that his obsession was destroying his life, even when he felt he was doing pretty well. All these hopes, fears, and worries vanished life snow in a furnace when the time finally came. It was finally going to happen.

2006-12-07T21:36:00.000-06:00

What would be in a story about paleontologists GONE WRONG? he thought. Would they animate dinosaur skeletons and send them on a rampage? Would they destroy precious irreplacable bones? Would they make fake casts and construct their own new species of dinosaur, fooling the people forever? Would they tell everyone dinosaurs were really a myth all along and that the Intelligent Design folks were right all along? They could do anything and get away with it - they're scientists! Wow, my life is boring.

2006-12-06T15:47:00.000-06:00

He promised them he'd do his part. He was there every time they met to plan it. He even contributed when he had ideas. He understood that their plan might not be entirely kosher, but he was willing to follow through regardless. The incentive was just too strong. This'll be the last thing, he thought, after tonight it'll be the straight and narrow for me.

Eventually the night came. They prepared and set about their task. They worked with careful deliberation, after preparing for so long, they didn't want to mess it up. Finally, it was time for him to do his part. Everything came down to him, the power was in his hands to bring everything together or to let it all come tumbling down around their ears.

He knew what he had to do.

2006-12-05T11:12:00.000-06:00

When he saw the cat, he knew it was time for it to end. He knew he'd been very patient - he'd put up with a lot of stuff other people wouldn't. Sometimes people told him, "Leave her, I wouldn't put up with that." But he persevered for love. His girlfriend travelled in different circles from most, but she only asked for him to not interfere. He happily obliged, looking past those things that might worry some. He thought love would bring him through it all. But today, he walked into their shared apartment and noticed the cat. When he saw the cat, he knew it was time for it to end.

2006-12-04T15:08:00.001-06:00

There once was a boy who was often very tired. Because of this, he often took naps.

2006-11-30T23:42:00.000-06:00

Ah, Mars. The red planet. A planet of extremes. During the day, it's scorchingly hot. At night, it's so cold that carbon dioxide freezes into blocks on the ground. In between, the sublimation of the carbon dioxide causes blasting winds, whipping sand everywhere, scouring the landscape. These are all conditions that explorers will have to account for should they venture to Mars. We already have the technology to compensate for many discomforts and dangers. There's really any number of options. But first, we need to get there.

2006-11-29T10:42:00.001-06:00

When the man gets you down, sometime you just have to pick yourself back up. This happened to me today, I was just minding my own business when my 'brother' came along and told me it was time to 'take a nap,' if you know what I mean. Obviously, I was not too happy about this, and decided my best route was to make a run for it. I took a slow count to three and sprung up, diving between his legs, hoping to confuse him. He didn't buy the ploy and grabbed me.

Now here I lay, waiting for my time to be up. I'm seven, shouldn't I be done with naptime by now?

2006-11-29T10:42:00.000-06:00

When the man gets you down, sometimes you just have to pick yourself back up. This happened to me today, I was just minding my own business when my 'brother' came along and told me it was time to 'take a nap,' if you know what I mean. Obviously, I was not too happy about this, and decided my best route was to make a run for it. I took a slow count to three and sprung up, diving between his legs, hoping to confuse him. He didn't buy the ploy and grabbed me.

Now here I lay, waiting for my time to be up. But I'm ready to pick myself back up, when I turn seven, I'll finally be free of the man.

2006-11-28T14:15:00.000-06:00

Many believe the Great Dragon was the source of all life and guardian of the universe. The see the milky way as his great, flowing body, floating above the world as a protector. They say he breathed forth the fireball that is the sun, that the oceans themselves are made of the salty tears that poured forth from his eyes when he created the world. Believers in the Great Dragon say that some day he'll return to Earth and swallow it, as he who creates also must destroy. Others say the Great Dragon's a myth.

2006-11-27T19:09:00.000-06:00

There once was a lonely little boy who had a habit of running into the village square yelling "WOLF! WOLF!" Initially, the villagers were very upset by this racket and would run quickly to the boy's aid, but when it turned out there was repeatedly nothing wrong, they soon lost interest. The boy's story might have a more interesting ending, if wolves existed.

2006-11-24T20:46:00.000-06:00

A story written, conflict never resolved.

2006-11-23T01:44:00.000-06:00

"Happy Thanksgiving everyone!"

"Happy Thanksgiving!"

The entire family was here today, and most of them were pleased to be gathered to share a day together. Aunt Susan wasn't too pleased, but she never was. This year, there was something terribly wrong with the seating arrangement for the upcoming meal. Fortunately, the rest of the family had learned to live with (and often ignore) her, and so the holiday was only slightly dampened by her complaints. Everyone did their part in preparation of the feast, and it was anticipated by all, even Aunt Susan. When the time came, they sat down, joined in prayer, and thoroughly enjoyed a delicious meal.

2006-11-22T10:51:00.000-06:00

He feared he was going insane. Day after day, his thoughts seemed to be more disjointed and panicked. Slowly, his body followed the same trend. He would shake uncontrollably and sometimes weep for no apparent reason. Even in his happiest moments, he felt like there was something inside him that was under constant tension, ready to snap. He thought about seeing a doctor, but he was afraid his fears would be confirmed. He saw himself getting worse and worse until finally something terrible happened. He resolved to get some help.

It turned out it was all in his mind.

2006-11-21T22:01:00.000-06:00

At last! They'd finally escaped from the cave of ancient evil, there was nothing to keep them from delivering the sacred chalice to the goddess of the Eranhimar. Finally justice would be done. Finally the wrongs of the past would be repaid. They raced across the land, their feet eating up the distance to their destination, to the end of the suffering.

When they delivered the chalice, they realized they'd had everything wrong.

2006-11-20T02:12:00.000-06:00

A man at a restaurant spilled the salt. The salt didn't just leak out, the entire top of the shaker came off, making a mound of salt in the middle of the table.

"Aww, that's no good. Here, I'll help you clean it up," said his fellow eater.

"No, that's all right, they'll take care of it once we're done."

With that, he took a pinch of salt from the mound and sprinkled it on his food.

2006-11-16T13:46:00.000-06:00

There was once a man that made a habit of walking on his hands. He was sort of a silly fellow, he wore a grey three-piece suit and top hat with a broad white stripe around the circumference. He liked to sing cheerful songs as he walked to work on his gloved hands. Whenever anyone asked about his odd hobby, he'd simply reply, "Why do you only walk on your feet, doesn't that get boring?" and walk on.

No one really understood this fellow.

2006-11-15T09:14:00.000-06:00

On the day the asteroid hit the Earth and killed everyone, an couple of many years watched the slowly growing fireball in the sky.

“How about one last time, for old time’s sake?”

“No, that’s alright.”

And that’s what we call shut down.

2006-11-14T12:39:00.000-06:00

“Alright class, who can tell me one of the five W’s or the one H?”

“Who?” “What?” “Where?” “When?” “Why?”

“Very good, now what’s the one H, Johnny?”

“When?”

“Not quite, give it another try – we’re looking for the one H.”

“Hwhen?”
“Can you tell us Suzie?”

“How?”

“Yes, good job. Now, who can tell me the one M?”

“You never taught us that one!”

“Oh, didn’t I? The M stands for manual labor. That’s what children like Johnny do when they grow up if they don’t pay attention in school.”

2006-11-13T11:39:00.000-06:00

They sloshed through the wide underground drainage pipe. As usual, the entire team was there: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, and Bobby M. Shredder was at it once again, but the turtles and Bobby M were ready to save the day. Armed with sword, nunchaku, stick, sai, and pure enthusiasm, they were a formidable posse. Shredder was hiding somewhere in these tunnels, but the thick concrete and dirt between the turns blocked the signal from their tracking device, so they were going to have to find him by wandering around and listening very hard with their keen turtle and Bobby M hearing.

“So, where do you think he is?” whispered an excited Bobby M.

“Hush,” breathed Donatello.

“Ok.”

They searched the tunnels all night, back and forth, up and down, but they didn’t find anything, not even a hint. Eventually they got tired and went back to their apartment and went to bed. All but Bobby M, he went to his own home.

2006-11-13T11:18:00.000-06:00

He walked through the forest, exploring the territory he appeared to be stuck in. He’s seen many a strange sight in this mystical wood, and expects to see many more. Some of his previous encounters had been extremely dangerous, so he moves with caution. The branches above him try to sweep around and grab him, but he quickly ducks and runs away a short distance. A boy nearby struggled to cut wood with a rusty ax bigger than he was.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“Thank you very much, yes. Take the ax for a few minutes and give me a chance to rest, that’s all I really need, is a little rest.”

He took the ax and began to chop wood.

“Ha! I tricked you!” shouted the boy, “You’ll never be able to stop chopping wood until someone else takes the ax from you.”

The man was shocked initially, but he settled into the task, chopping wood and making a neat pile. He vaguely wondered where the wood was coming from, but didn’t worry about it too much, as the manual labor was relaxing and he could be mostly free from thought. Eventually he got tired, set down the ax, and continued on his journey.

2006-11-12T18:33:00.000-06:00

“Can we rent a game this weekend?” asked a little boy.

“Not this weekend,” replied his mother – she had other things to take care of.