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Lightning Bug

The thunder echoed through the hill country of North Carolina, triggering a cascade of colorful leaves on Halloween night. Bobby Mercer sat at the head of the family table. The Tarheels jersey fit so loosely on his thin frame, it may as well have been draped over a coat hanger. A close flash of lightning lit up the night, revealing sky-blue eyes that matched his jersey.

Beauty and the Beach

White sand beaches and turquoise water served as the perfect backdrop to Cindy’s secret vacation paradise. She floated on her back with a tropical drink tucked neatly into the cupholder of her air mattress. The sun and the alcohol warmed her body in the gently rolling waters of a nameless blue lagoon. She wouldn’t have had the nerve to go topless, much less wear a thong, anywhere near civilization, but an old promise and alcohol were giving her the courage to carry out this bold act. She didn’t peel off the long shapeless sweatshirt until the motorboat was well out of sight. Exposing this much skin made her feel sexy, like a fashion model. She was living life on the edge. When she returned to the States, bronzed and rested, her vacation would make her the envy of all the girls back at work. Cindy smiled to herself. They wouldn’t think I was a wallflower if they could see me now.

Four Strands of the Web

When I was just a young man, my Chinese-born grandfather told me, “Yee Tan, our lives are much like the web of a spider. We either build upon the silken threads this world spins for us, or we allow them to unravel. Grandfather is dead now. He was a victim of gravity and improper bus maintenance on the part of the City of San Francisco. Although he was in wonderful condition for a man of sixty-nine, he was not in good enough shape to outrun the runaway transit vehicle that lost its brakes on that cold October day. It was ironic that a hardworking man, who had failed to capture the sympathy of the public in life, was unable to escape it the day before he was supposed to retire.

The Rooster

Padre Romero knew Juan Franco was a scoundrel from the moment he’d laid eyes on him. Juan dressed in colorful pressed shirts, and his polished shoes clicked on the red tile floor of the church. He wore an oversized silver crucifix on the outside of his shirt that matched the silver earring in his left ear. He strutted like a rooster as he entered the holy place. Rumor had it that Juan left a trail of broken hearts and unwed mothers in
neighboring St. Josephine. The priest stammered when he’d noticed The Rooster flirting with his fifteen-year-old sister Rosita and several other
giggling girls while he was leading the congregation during Mass. Rosita was the baby in the family, and the only one still living with their parents.

Past Lives (currently available!)

It was ironic that Sonshu the Elder could recall the lineage of every member of our clan, save one, Tonsha, his adopted child. Father passed his memories on to me before he joined the stars. Now I have taken his place, and the people have accepted me as Sonshu did earlier.