Young And Stuck, Blogger Pride, and Crazy As Poison Ivy

Young And Stuck
He was too young to be running from the law.
Mistakes. They shouldn't affect him yet... he was just a kid. A kid holding a bank bag, running from raging sirens.

“It was a mistake,” tears squeezed from his eyes as he clutched the bank bag, wishing he could throw it far away.

He was stuck.
He didn’t know what to do, what he needed.

A place to hide. That’s all he needed before his legs turned him in.

A hospital. He ran inside. The halls were empty, full of doors. Which one would hide him? Would any? He didn’t know, so he chose one.

A whimper startled him; the boy screamed a single curse word.

“A baby,” he tried to laugh, but his nerves were too tight. He neared to the crib. “All alone?” he whispered. “I wish for your peaceful solitude. I had a baby brother. Are you a baby boy? Or a girl? I feel like I’m talking to the air.”

Footsteps exploded in the hall. The boy fell to the floor, hiding behind the crib. The door opened, a painful jolt erupted inside, against his chest.

“Babies. He’s not in here.”

The words stunned the boy, he held the bank bag before his eyes.

The door closed. He was free?

The boy stood up, leaned over the crib, and kissed the baby’s cheek. “Maybe if I still had my brother I wouldn’t be here.”

Then the boy left the room, praying this mistake wouldn’t rule him




Blogger Pride
*Did you follow it?* My friend texts me literally ten minutes after sending me the link for her new blog and asking me to follow.

*Yeah, it looks really good! Thanks for sending me the link* Everything I text is true. I’m glad she can’t see my irritation though. Truth be told I’d like to tell her that you don’t ask someone to follow your blog. That’s just not right.

*Thanks!* my phone bings, her name reappearing. *Your blog inspires me. It’s why I started mine*

I admit pride flutters inside, pushing a little of my irritation away. *That’s Sweet of you. It’s a lot of work though*

*I don’t mind work* she replies immediately. I have to smile at her enthusiasm. I remember feeling that way, back when I started blogging. Excitement. Dreams of what I might become, of all the people that would love my blog. I can forgive my friend for her joyful innocence. She’d learn... I laugh as I think how she may feel a little embarrassed at her early naivety. *Do you have any tips?*

*Yeah, make sure to interact. Reply to all comments. Comment on other blogs. Successful blogs are social*

*OK* she sends a whole string of wide smiled emojis. *Again, Thanks!*

I smile, glad I didn’t let her know my irritation. I’ll give her some more tips, but I’ll also try to remember that she isn't the only one that needs to learn.




Crazy As Poison Ivy This is a memory of mine I fictionalized
Spring was here and La’el told me that meant it was time to plant. Already she dreamed of her harvest: cabbages, zucchini, tomatoes.

I followed her, her young toddler resting on my hip.

“I’m so excited to eat everything... have you seen the hand shovel or rakes?”

“Maybe they got lost,” I smiled.

La’el glared at me, but her eyes sparkled. “Yes. Can you help me find them?”

I walked out of the garden toward the trees and leaves. I didn’t see a shovel, but something else caught my attention. I squatted near the ground, keeping the child balanced at my side. “Hey, I found something! Poison ivy!”

La’el ran out of the garden. “Keep my child away from it!!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let her touch it.”

But La’el grabbed her child from me.

I lowered my face closer to the plants. “I never noticed this before... they look very oily.”

La’el walked away, continuing looking for a shovel.

“I wonder if you could make essential oil from them?”

La’el laughed. “And do what with it?”

“The pitch line could be, Guaranteed to give you the rash you’re itching for!”

La’el held up a small hand shovel. “Found it!”

I laughed so hard.

La’el stood over me, holding her child. “You’re crazy, and I’m keeping my child. You can dig.”
She dropped the shovel beside me.

I kept laughing, holding my stomach as I lay on the ground, much too close to the poison ivy.


Enjoy the fiction ~ or not ;) Have a great Saturday :)