Break From Reality. Daily.
This story is by Jacqueline Houchin and was part of our 2018 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. In olden days, the ancient Land Of Ararat became The birthplace of a first born son— So beautiful, but lame. The lameness was inside of him, A sleeping fiend, unseen, That…
This story is by Jacqueline Houchin and was part of our 2018 Summer Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. I’m standing on the edge of a lookout point on the rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s just before dawn. I can see the sky in the east becoming less black….
This story is by Jacqueline Houchin and was part of our 2018 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. I call her Dulcinea. She’s a sweet, low-riding, easy-handling dove-gray ’88 Seville; the sporty model. She’s in prime condition, despite what the salesman said, with a polished, blemish-free exterior, buttery-soft leather…
This story is by Jacqueline Houchin and was part of our 2017 Winter Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. Amelia fingered the delicate lace on the bodice of her wedding dress, which the photographer had artistically draped across her lap. As he snapped shots from several angles Amelia’s thumb and…
Since Labor Day, Audrey had wondered what to do about the painting. She’d kept it five years as instructed. She hadn’t pawned it even when jobless, her apartment rent due, her car repossessed.
Things were better now. She had a nice job in an upscale art gallery. Her miniature paintings had begun to sell. And the gallery had allowed her to keep Autumn Gold in their front display window. It was safe there and it brought in customers.
Five years ago, her beloved Peter painted the woodland scene, a stand of hardwood trees shimmering in yellows, golds, burnt oranges and mottled pale greens. Deep mahogany and umber shadows contrasted with the sun-lit trees giving the painting an almost 3-D look.
And then he did the impossible. He painted an image of her face in the trees, capturing her auburn hair, fair skin, and green eyes in a fine mist of paint that wasn’t apparent at first glance. Viewers had to look twice and at a certain angle in a certain light to see it. But when they did, they stared amazed.
