Ella awakened with her head resting on a hummock of moss. Though beads of dew decorated her skin, she was warm, comfortable, and reluctant to rise. Birdsong and the soft gurgle of the spring that fed her great-grandmother’s pool further conspired to lull her back to sleep. In time, she roused to find Xantina watching over her. “Good morning, Xanella.” “Morning,” Ella responded. She sat up and stretched out of habit, thoug...

A sparrow perched on the windowsill, bathed in sunlight, singing of its joy in a new day – both of which were stabbing into Ella’s brain, even though her eyes were still closed. She whimpered and pulled the pillow over her face, but it didn’t help. The housewarming party for the home she shared with her twin sister had been one for the ages, but she was paying the price. A click and a creak accompanied the door opening, f...

Glen felt severely underdressed when he climbed out of the car and saw Melinda emerging from the house. She was wearing a knee-length skirt of basic black with a coat to match, and a white, masculine shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, giving the unmistakable impression that she meant business. Only her vibrant smile contrasted with the look. “You look great,” Glen said as she approached. “Thank you,” she responde...

Twigs and dry leaves crunched underfoot as Glen wandered the trail, his thoughts turned inward. The warmth that permeated the sun-dappled wood prompted him to absently remove his jacket, and the action brought him out of his internal dialogue just long enough to notice something on the breeze. Taking a deep breath, he filled his lungs with the scent of moist earth and honeysuckle. The flowers wouldn’t bloom for months any...

Brooke sat in the anchor’s chair, reading the last of the news item on the paper that the cameraman had handed her. Other than the clothes she was wearing, she looked every bit the part. “I’m Brooke Kline, for Channel Seven News.” Dan and the crew who were there preparing for a real broadcast applauded, and Brooke’s smiling face blushed bright red before she covered it with her hands and looked down for second. “You’re a...

Dan’s eyes popped open when he heard the hiss of something running through the dry leaves and grass, the sound drawing closer by the second. “Hey,” he protested when the two young squirrels used him as a convenient ramp to reach the tree behind him. They ran straight up his leg, jumped to his shoulder, and then scampered upward into the branches. Dan looked up while rubbing his nose to stave off a sneeze brought on by bus...

Kia gasped when one of Steve’s hands slipped beneath her skirt. Her hand crept between his legs again, and she shivered from the combination of his touch and the feeling of his hard cock beneath her fingers. She needed more, and tried to remove his belt. He released her nipple with a final kiss and rose up to his knees. She panted in anticipation as he peeled off his shirt, revealing his muscular chest. While he finished...

Daniel rose from his chair with a groan, wondering how many more times he might be able to accomplish it without help. As he picked up his cane from the table in his wrinkled left hand, he could almost hear old man Johanson’s words echoing back to him from across the many long years. My time is almost up, Daniel. I can feel it in my bones. Don’t you bother telling me it ain’t, ‘cause I know better. He understood now – sta...

Daniel peeked out the window and watched his daughter standing next to a car, chatting with the young man who owned it. Though the day’s outing was a civil protest against a factory releasing contaminated wastewater, he could see in the manner of the couple that there was far more than a sense of civic duty motivating their time together. Though she was dressed in a conservative manner, it could do little to hide her natu...

The spring bubbled as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves above and the undergrowth around the pool. The clean smell of damp earth and fresh spring growth filled the air. Daniel laughed as yet another splash of water struck him from a completely different corner of the pool this time. Looking in the direction from which the splash had arisen, he caught a glimpse of movement. “Come out and play,” Daniel whispered. A giggle...

Sam Green finished setting up his new auction account, wondering if he had the balls to go all the way. The idea had come to him when he’d received yet another new toy that he’d ordered on the internet. The flashlight was hardly a technical marvel, but the novelty of only having to shake it for light, never having to worry about batteries, was enough to make Sam click the buy button. As soon as he shook the flashlight and...

Sandra shook her head and sighed as she listened to her daughter talking to her boyfriend in the next room. “You have got to be kidding me, right?” “C’mon Jen, it’ll be fun. Ron and Angela and Wendy and Greg will be there.” “A stupid protest? Please.” “We could end up on T.V.” She cut him off. “You know what? I’m done. I am so sick of your stupid causes and... Just forget it. We’re through.” “Wait, Jen.” Sandra winced at...