The cookie jar with white porcelain and blue borders was a common background in my childhood. It was on a high shelf the color a deep chestnut, where it stood proudly amongst the others. My grandmother enjoyed collecting cookie jars from around the world. A red one for luck from her adventures in China. A jar with an Eiffel Tower, little people waving flags from the top. I’m not sure why this part...

My mother always used to say that good things can come from tragedy. I don’t know what sunshine bullshit she was trying to feed me but I can confidently say she was dead wrong. My day had begun like any other. I had fought my sheets in our never ending battle of wits. Will I get up out of bed on time or will I succumb to the comfort of my bed until the last minute? That morning, the bed had won an...

I take a deep breath as the elevator doors open with a ping welcoming me into the 9th circle of hell. Today will be the day I am unaffected by Brandy- and this thought is immediately squelched when I hear the familiar witches cackle that makes the hairs on my arm stand up. I whip my head back and forth, certain the hellhounds have been released and set upon me by her vicious call. I almost wish th...

The first time I lied was really for a mundane reason. I was too young to realize then the truth behind only three lies. I had told my mom I hadn’t taken my younger brother’s toy and I watched a ripple of fear cross her face as she clapped her hand over my mouth. I watched with equal horror as a number three appeared above my head and ticked down to two. That day truly taught me the gravity behind...

I awaken with a gasp, heart galloping from my chest and sweat running down face. Again, the world tilts like the old fun house I used to visit when I was young and for a split second I hear my dad say, don’t drift too far Matthew… if only he could see me- a wave rises within, my back curves in bracing for impact. I scramble for the trash can and heave into the can. As I pant, I wonder what my life...

“Good morning Leila, it is 7:53 am, the weather will reach a high of 72 degrees. I noticed that your magnesium levels are low so I have prepared a breakfast rich in it.” I rise and stretch feeling the familiar crack down my spine.

“Thank you Rylee, what do I have on the agenda today?” She went on to list the various meetings I will have as I prepared for my day. I checked my mirror log for the pe...

It was late one night. Raining. The kind that comes down in harsh sheets asking for your repentance. I was five and inside my parents old station wagon, watching the rain obscure the outside world. They had left the heat on but my body remained ice as I took uneven gasps of air. My parents said everything was going to be fine. But parents lie, even at the age of five I knew something was amiss. Th...