Prose

CUSTODY BATTLES: 

The Adopted Quartet, op. 1

The Academy for Enlightenment was a serene haven before an intergalactic disagreement ignited the campus and destroyed its communal facade. Eight teenage narratives intertwine to discover why mythological faculty and technologically advanced aliens have been locked in a deadly stalemate for their custody. Choosing sides in an ancient war can be difficult, however, when determining who to trust is half the battle.

DAWN IN THE CITY

Dawn greets each sunrise from her bedroom window, overlooking the big city she and her parents call home. On her way to pre-school, Dawn and her father encounter a group of commercial painters at work. The outgoing youngster learns how their job is different from the kind of painting she does in art class. They even let her use the pressure washer! Enlightened to the various needs for commercial painters, Dawn notices all the signs of their work as she continues her walk. She looks forward to learning more about all the different jobs that make the city she calls home such a great place to grow up.

WHEN YOU'RE READY

There are some things for which we will never be ready. Even when existence is reduced to a slow, steady wandering through stillness, sometimes allowing ennui to continue remains more attractive than the alternative. This short story explores the silence of anticipation while wrestling with the inconvenient reality of waiting for a friend who hasn't yet arrived.