searching-stars

dear R, hello.  you don't know me, but i heard that we used to have a class together back in eighth grade when the world was just beginning and all that mattered was if we were going to make it upstairs in time to get the good food and if that person liked you enough to talk to you, let alone say hi in the hallway.  don't you wish we could to back?  to when the world was simple and we didn't have all these choices? i know i do.  if i could, i would take you with me. dear R, i don't know you.  i couldn't picture a face when they said your name today.  i couldn't hear a voice in my head, to even think of a sibling that you might look like.

the water fell, steady and soothing.  i tried to match my breathing to its drip, drip, drip, "wow. what a waste." i turned, my friend-lover-husband-brother pulling me out of my tangled waking dreams. "how could somebody just let this rot?"  he thumped two keys on the piano before him.  "how could you mistreat this amazing maker of music? what a waste." he repeated. my eyebrows scrunched.  "no."  i walked over to inspect the instrument.  the wooden keys were curved, as if a root was growing underneath them.  black lay against white.  fallen, sun-yellow leaves rested upon the old wood.  a thin layer of coughing-sneezing-dust had coated ever

Preview "...i'll save you from the pirates." his voice was a purr, a threat, a promise, a compromise, a yank on my heartstrings.  smirking, he released one wrist and suddenly we were running, fleeing, flying, floating, falling, tumbling, tripping, twisting down the iron stairs. as we ran, his grip slackened, and without pausing to think, without knowing who this boy, this man, this complete stranger was, my fingers wove between his, locking together like two parts of  a whole piece, and we ran side-by-side, both escaping the demons that existing behind us, that haunted our thoughts, that were locked in our hearts. 

What do I live for? I live for the clank of iron, the squeak and groan of leather, the swish of a brush flowing over a silky coat. I live for the snorts, the impatient pawing, the toss of a head. The cluck of a tongue, the flick of a tail, the steady rhythm. One-two Three-four, One-two Three-four, One-two Three-four A nudge. One-two, One-two, One-two. A kiss. Onetwothree, onetwothree, onetwothree. I live for the flow, the grace of the strides, the teamwork with the Angel under me. I live for the speed, the power, the control I hold through the thin straps. I live for the line, the count, One, Two, Three, Four, One, Two- We leap.

Chapter 7 - SURPRISE Zuko was tired. Dead tired. Tired and bored. It was a deadly combination. He let his mind float away from the droning voice of the young general before him.  It was the monthly report on the activity in the Fire Nation waters, and Zuko had heard the same thing for the past year. "...while a large storm did halt the progress of most of the trading vessels, all cargo was safe and..." All that really changed was the weather report.  It was only normal storms this time, but last year there had been a typoon... "...everyone was returned safely."  The man grinned, seemingly pleased to have

Chapter 6 - CHOICE "The dress looks amazing, Gran-Gran."  The old woman's wrinkled face formed a smile as she took in the tall, lithe figure of her granddaughter, soon to become the wife of the Avatar. "It helps to have such a beauty in it," she replied.  Katara smiled back, then turned her gaze back to the mounds of blue-and-violet silk that covered her body.  The dress was simple in design, with a base of deep midnight-blue and a long, flowing sash of deep violet.  Silver flecks represented the stars, and glimmered as she moved.  The bodice was cut fairly low, and edged with the same viole