Free Ride
by ShutterPug

Comment:
Croaker revved the engine.

All his life he'd been told that he could never ride. That he could never live his dream. He was a frog, they'd say. His brain was the size of a pea, they'd say. He belonged in the swamp, they'd say.

Then came that day. That fateful day. He'd wandered from his lily pad in search of a crazy fly that had pestered him, into territory he'd never been in before. He'd gotten lost, and was close to panicking when he'd come across it. It. His Dream.

With a whoop and a cry, he lifted the abandoned cycle out of the dirt. Would it run? Did it work? Before he knew he was holding his breath, he pressed the starter, and it roared to life. His breath returned to him in an echoing croak of joy.

A few hours later, when he roared back home, his legend was born.

Baltic Morning
by kolasi

Comment:
It was a morning like any other. The streets were busy with the activity of the start of the day. The sounds of shops opening, cars starting, neighbors greeting and parting, a slight wind rustling leaves whispered all around.

It was startling then, for Trevor, as he crossed the road, that these sounds, sounds that were so ingrained that they almost became part of the subconcious, suddenly began to disappear. Startled, he turned his head down the street, and became suddenly aware of the approaching fog. It was coming quick, and with it, an unnatural silence, like a wave.

When the fog hit, Trevor tried to scream.

There was no sound.

Revenge of the Clones
by tate

Comment:
Little Barry gave his mom that look. Why was it, every time a certain smell started wafting through the room, she always suddenly assumed it was HIM! It just wasn't fair! It was humiliating. The lifting, the sniffing, the finger check. Sure, he had to admit it was his doing most of the time, but Johnny's laying there too, and Johnny wasn't an angel!

A fluff of air and a tell-tale tone came from Johnny, but mom immediately looked right back at him, "does bay-bay have a poopie? Does he? Is he stinkies?"

Barry glared at Johnny again. He'd get him one day.

The little girl with her hand to her mouth
by danielv

Comment:
What if the teacher doesn't like me?

What if I count wrong?

What if the other kids don't like me?

Did I brush my teeth?

What if my mommy doesn't come get me when it's over?

What if we drive to the wrong place?

What if I don't make it to the potty?

Did I remember show and tell?

Do they spank you?

Do they make you read out loud?

Will the boys tease me?

I hope I don't cry.

I miss my daddy.

As the thoughts raced through her mind, she absent-mindedly reached up and began nibbling on her fingernails.

It was never easy to begin something new.

Whatta Save!
by acoppola

Comment:
In a feat of science and technology, Robbie the Robo-Goalie began play in the year 2018, and became an instant star.

sweep
by stevieian

Comment:
She had had to start work at a very young age, when her mother had fallen ill and was unable to continue to feed the family. With 5 younger brothers and an infant sister, it fell upon her to make sure that they didn't starve to death.

It was with a stroke of luck that she was able to find work with the old man that ran the mill. Though he was stern and unbending when it came to her work, he was kindly enough and always made sure she was paid and didn't have to go without. So it was, that while her work was hard and the care of her family wearing, she was always known for the smile she wore as she worked away, and in time became the most well-loved girl in the village for her charm and caring.

Years later, a rich and striking young man came calling from far away, after hearing of a beautiful young woman of the strongest character, and like in all the stories, she had her Ever After.

Observant Stranger
by IreneM

Comment:
The ship made a textbook landing. Boosters fired on time, the stabilizers did their job, and the Corporal barely felt the landing gears touch the alien soil. He grinned over at the pilot, and nodded his head with respect and admiration. The descent down had been hellish. Winds and storms that were highly unexpected had rocked the ship and had threatened to tear it apart. Still, with a steady hand, the pilot had got them through alive, and in one piece, and then put them down like an infant in a silk-laden cradle. The corporal made a mental note for a major recommendation.

After confirmation of the landing was made, the Corporal detatched himself from his seat and walked over to check out the data board. With a sigh of relief, he noticed that it confirmed HQ's expectations. The planet had a breathable atmosphere, and seemed highly livable for humanity. Most importantly, it seemed to be devoid of any kind of higher life forms. Vegetation in abundance, and fauna that would hopefully prove to be no more than a source of sustenance, but no readings on a sentient level.

The Corporal turned at a sharp tone and a sudden hiss of hydraulics. The boarding ramp had begun its descent, and his team was ready to step foot on this new world, and begin its claiming for their own. With a shout and a small speech of welcoming to his men, the Corporal turned and set off down the ramp. At the bottom, he stopped for a moment. It was sunset on this world, and the sun was not like the sun of home. It shone with a light golden hue, which seemed to wash color from the air, but was beautiful in its simplicity and strength. With a gaze of uncertainty, mixed with a stubborn intent and desire, The Corporal cast a look out into the new world, and took his first step onto the soil.

Soaring
by Lonz

Comment:
The day had started innocently enough. Tom had risen from bed, ate breakfast, puttered around the house for a bit. Nothing out of the ordinary. A day like any other. He had then decided to head down to the beach with his daughter for a little stroll. Fresh air was always good, and keeping the toddler occupied was a challenge on some days.

For some time, they had a wonderful afternoon. He walked along as the little girl toddled around looking at rocks and shells and sand. They stopped for a bite to eat at a little vendor near the pier. The wind was fresh and cool and invigorating.

It was when he walked out to the point, carrying his sleepy but contented child, that suddenly he sensed a change. The air grew thick and musty. The waves began to pound on the rocks a little harder, and the birds. The birds became strange. At first he grinned a little, thinking it just a weird air-pressure anomaly, but the birds began to thicken, and circle. Closer and closer they came, thicker and thicker they grew.

Tom's amusement quickly turned to fear, and then outright panic. As he started to run, they rained down on him, pecking. Clawing. He shielded the child as best he could, and madly ran towards the restaurant at the edge of the beach, screaming as he went. Somehow, beyond all expectation, he reached the door of the building and tore it open, and looked inside.


It was full of birds.

Business as Usual
by ryand

Comment:
Karl smiled to himself as he made his way to work. Throughout society, there was a fascination and obsession with superheroes like never before. Movies, comics, games. They seemed to be saturated with these super beings with powers untold. Everywhere you looked, people wanted to be superheroes. They played with superhero toys, they drank from superhero themed cups. They ate at superhero themed restaurants.

Yet for all of their love for these beings, these symbols of humanity's desire to strive for more, better, stronger, easier, for all of that people still knew that super-beings were a fiction.

Karl smiled again, and passed among the buildings unnoticed, speeding along so quickly that none could even tell he'd been there. Yes, let them think it was all a fiction. He didn't mind. Sometimes a super power didn't mean you had to be super at all.

La Jolla Break
by Pelle

Comment:
Roger sat sunning himself on the rocks. It had been an enjoyable vacation. Relaxation, tennis, drinks on the beach, good times. Now, with only a day left to go, he tried to make the best of it by getting away from the noise and crowds. He found a nice secluded spot, and turned to inner reflection and peace.

Then, without warning, the gods of the sea came and took him away in a giant rage of foam and spray.

Roger found peace, and the searches found the pieces.