Break From Reality. Daily.
Anna’s sitting on the couch, resting a Sudoku puzzle on her pregnant belly, when Lily runs in and settles next to her, tablet in hand. She blocks the puzzle with her hand, forcing Anna’s attention. “When do we get to eat cake and sing Happy Birthday to you, Mommy?” Lily asks. Anna replies, “Any minute….
This story is by Nicole Rebentisch and was part of our 2024 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. When Starr first meets Matthew, he’s inspecting a fairy house Starr placed in a hollow log in the woods. A snapped twig alerts him to her presence; she watches his gaze roam…
“The forest is haunted,” Tilly says. She holds me back but I pull from her grasp.
“Aunt Bess says you’ve never been in the woods,” I retort.
“That’s true,” she murmurs, twisting her long yellow braid in her fingers. “Because of the bone children.”
“The bone children?”
Tilly nods, her cheeks pink from the autumn air.
