Sun Tanning

The sun shone brightly as two orange cats laid on the ground in front of the house, just soaking in the sun.  The little girl laughed, she couldn't help it.  The two of them just looked so silly laying there one on its side the other belly up.  Both with a look on their face as if nothing could be better.  That was true for the cat until the little girl opened the screen door.  Then the "best thing" was forgotten as they came rushing over to the girl.  The way they meowed and rubbed against her legs one would think they hadn't seen a human for more then a year, when in truth it had been a couple of hours.

She bent down and gave both cats a quick scratch behind the ear and a pat on the head.  She didn't stay long to pet them because she knew it could be endless.  She made her way over to the rose bush she had planted a little over a week ago.  It was starting to spread out the leaves it was growing.  Some how watching the bush grow slowly but surely was exciting.  She sat in front of the bush for a time just looking at the new growth.

There was a gentle breeze blowing that carried the rich perfume of the wild flowers that grew under the trees in the orchard.  Standing up again she walked over to the edge of the orchard and looked at the trees.  Every single one of them was bare but the fig tree.  The fig tree was covered in blossoms.  They were small white flowers that reminded her of cherry blossoms.  It was a beautiful clear day.  To beautiful in fact to stay inside so she walked over to the fig tree and laid down under it.  She laid their watching the bees go from one flower to the next as the sun soaked into to her and warmed her.  The two orange cats came and laid down next to her.  One on each side of her.  There she stayed for some time enjoying the way the sun seemed to slowly soaked into her warming every part of her.  Making the chill of winter nothing more than a distance dream.

No School

The house seemed so lifeless and cold as the little girl walked through it.  She had no school to go to that day but everyone else had had a job to go to which left the girl at home alone that cold January morning.  She had slept through breakfast so she had o eat alone which just made her feel the emptiness of the house even more.  She turned on some music to make the house seem a little more friendly as she prepared her breakfast of scrambled eggs with bacon bits cooked into it and cheese sprinkled on top.  It was not long before she start to dance to the music.  The sun started to shine through the window as the cloud that had covered it moved. The girls heart lifted for the loneliness was forgotten and she was enjoying the lively music that brought to mind a much friendlier world where she was never left alone unless she wanted to be.  In that other world she saw herself dance in the fields full of wild flowers and every so often she would fall to the ground out of breath.  With great heaving breaths she would smell the lovely perfume of the flowers and then she would be right back up on her feet again to swirl and do funny little dance steps that didn't really fit the song.  She was not horrible at dancing it is just she had never been taught and so she tended to just move about randomly which to someone else looks extremely odd but to herself who can't see what she looks like it was fun and anything else didn't matter.

This heavenly time spent in another world was healing to the little girls heart but like anytime spent away from home it must come to an end sometime.  The music, although still very lively, it no longer hid the fact that she was alone.  The clouds covered the sun again and it was time for her to come back to reality.  She moved slowly to turn off the music and the stood looking around the room as if it was a room she didn't know.  Sighing she sat down on the sofa and grabbed a book.  Opening it up she started reading, and off she went into the world of the author's creation.

New Year Possiblities

The house was silent for everything but the quiet steady sound of rain hitting the roof, the relaxing crackle of the fire in the fireplace, and the scratch of pen on paper.  All lights were off but the fire cast enough light for the little girl that laid in front of the fire scribbling in a notebook.  Her mind was alive with stories of adventure and magic.  She laid on her stomach, propped up on her elbows, feet swinging back and forth in the air, and her head bent over her notebook.  A bed of pillows were underneath her and a sleeping cat curled up next to her.  The look on her face was filled with excitement and laughter, although she dared not laugh out loud unless she wanted to be discovered out of bed pass her bed time.  The fire snapped, crackled, and popped as swords crashed against each other, dragons roared, and magicians cast spells in her mind.

Then the clock struck twelve and the chimes started and the girl stopped writing.  She glanced up at the grandfather clock and placed her pan down.  Turning to the cat next to her she gave her a soft pat on the head as she whispered "happy new year".  The cat moved a little and sleepily purred.  A smile stretched across the girl's face as she rolled away from the cat to lay on her back.  Staring up at the ceiling she started thinking of all the new possibilities of the new year.  New people to meet, new places to visit, and new adventures to be experienced.  She fell asleep there in front of the fire, with the cat moving closer to her again, her notebook laying open waiting for the story to be finished, and her thoughts filled with the possibilities of the new year.

The Value of Life

The girl held the rabbit as it worked for every breath of air.  It was hard to watch a small creature be in so much pain and be unable to anything about it.  So the girl did the only things she could.  She held her gently in her arms and spoke softly  to the furry friend who often kept her company in the garden.  Suddenly the rabbit kick and jumped right out of the girls arms.  The girl instantly picked her back up and tried to calm the frantic and scared rabbit.  A few moments later the struggling stopped and the harsh breathing with it.  The girl held the body of her friend and wondered how life could leave so quickly like that.  It was so strange to hold that lifeless body and compare it to what it use to be. 
Slowly standing up still holding the rabbit's small body, she made her way to the room where her parents sat talking.  When her mother she reached out for the body she like it go unwillingly and stepped back to watch what would happen next.  After a minute she quietly slipped out of the room, grabbing her winter coat she made her way to the back door and slipped into the darkness of the night.
The darkness had a odd sort of comfort to it.  She let her tears fall knowing no one would see them here.  Walking to a place where she could see the city clearly, she sat down and stared at the prof that life still does go on.  To think of all the people that lived in that city who did not value there lives or the lives or the people around them.  It was sad and her silent tear continued to fall until a breeze of fresh winter air dried them up.  She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and slowly let the air out slowly.  By the time she opened her eyes she already said farewell to her little friend and was ready to do her best to face whatever life was to throw at her next.  As she made her way quietly back inside she said a little pray for herself and who ever else who had lost a loved one that night.

Wake Up Call

"Mommy! Mommy! Wake Up!" she yelled and she ran this way and that around the room.  She would jump up on the bed where her mom slept, then across the room to the window.  Then she would do it all over again, all the time her collar jiggling the identification tags that were there.

"Amber leave me alone.  I want to sleep," said the girl that was on the bed who had raised Amber from a kitten.

"But it is something really important," was Amber's quick reply as she emphasized the "really important" part by lengthing the words.  She was currently sitting on top of her mother and looking into the sleepy eyes. 

"Yes, yes I know.  It is always really important when you wake me up in the morning.  It also always has something to do with your food dish.  Now let me sleep," was her mother's exasperated reply as she turned over on her side causing Amber to tumble off the bed. 

"Well then you leave me no choice," with that she started her second wake up plan.  She started with chewing on a piece of plastic that was on the floor then ran over to some papers that were on the floor and rolled on them, making them crumple.  Then She jumped up on to the table that sat in the middle of the room.  Her mother used it for all kinda of different things and Amber knew she was not aloud up there.

"Amber! Get down from there!"  the shout rang loud and clear through the house.  Amber did as she was told knowing if she didn't she would be getting more than she had wanted.  To many times before had she knocked something important off that table.  Once it had been her grandmother's music box that her mom treasured so much.  The music box had broken, and Amber had hided for half a day before her mom's anger was no longer directed at her.

"Alright show me," was her mother's reply to this last drastic act.  But it had worked and Amber happily showed her mother to her food dish.  "You still have food."

"But there are ants on it!" Amber's eyes grew big at the thought of her food being left like that. 

"And why are there ants in your food?"

"Because they found it last night."

"How could they have found the food if there was a water moat around it?"

"Because I drank the moat."

"So it is your own fault."

"But I was thirsty."

"You have a bowl of water sitting right there and there is plenty still in it."

"But the moat water tastes better."

"Well then you can eat the food with the ants in it and get some each protein," said her mom as she walked out of the room and back to her own bed, which welcomed her like an old friend into a warm embrace.  Knowing she would not get any sympathy from her as long as she was sleepy she headed out to find someone else who would sympathize with her.  Finding Uncle Ron in the living room she jumped up on his lap and said with her most innocent eyes.

"Mommy's being mean to me."  And just like she predicted he patted her on the head and gave her the pity she wanted.

Rainy Days

The girl carefully climbed on top of the cupboards that sat beneath the window in her bedroom.  She had already placed blankets and pillows there to make it more comfortable.  She must have looked rather odd trying to get on top of the cupboards.  What she wore did not help make it look any less odd either.  She wore a pair of gray jeans, a long sleeve shirt, a scarf, on black sock, one white sock, and an old trench coat that was to big for her.  Once on top of the cupboards she reached down again and pulled up her mug of hot cocoa and her book.  Once settled in among her blankets and pillows she reminded people of her own cat, who happened to happened to be on the cupboard next to hers.  The cat was just like her in the way they were both wrapped up in blankets.

Many people, if they knew of this habit of hers, would laugh and call it strange but to her it was no different than sitting on a window seat.  The only difference was that this "seat" was higher up and could store a lot more in them.  That make shift window seat was her favorite place to watch the rain or just curl up and read a book on cool days.  That day particular day had been the first rainy day of the season.  To sit there and watch the rain drops pitter patter on the ground made her heart want to sing.  She loved rainy days.  They were always so rare in that area, so she never got tired of them.  She soaked in the sight of the rain like friendly cats soaks in attention.  She saw the pots she had planted the day before get watered with the rain.  Water droplets collected on the leaves of the trees before they ran off the leaf, like a child running off a diving board.  An orange tabby was curled up under the picnic table giving the girl a look of annoyance at the fact that the girl was not coming out to pet him.  Having filled herself with the sight she picked up her book and settled herself in for a good long read.

The City's Goodnight

The air outside was cool and heavenly compared to the stuffy warm house as she stepped outside onto the pavement, still warm from the sun that had set hours ago.  The city lights stood out like they often do when you are somewhere with a view over looking the city.  It looked like some one had decorated the ground like they would a Christmas tree.  Some lights moved on roads giving the impression of being busy with something important.  Others flashes as if they were constantly coming up with ideas they never did anything with.  While still others stood still as if they had decided not to move and face whatever comes their way, even the end of the world  Each having something to admire, even though they be extremely different.

Lights in the sky tell of airplanes getting ready to land for the night and get some shut eye.  There was no moon to govern the stars that night and very few stars shined bright enough to be seen.  That night the stars seemed to be standing tall as they all were very proud of something which we humans can only wonder as to what it may be. 

The crickets chirped there good nights that never seem to end.  Dogs barked their dismay that the sun had gone to bed and so must they.  The gentle swish of traffic played a lullaby , as a train whistle blows annocing its long journey through the dark.  Two cats swarm her at her feet asking for a bed time story.  She sees no reason reason to say no, so she sits down and starts with the words a lot of bedtime stories start with, "Once upon a time".  As overhead a satellite slowly drifts by as if he was the night watchman of the city and he was just passing by to make sure all was okay.