For Children
“Reef the topsails!” The captain barked. Young Eli watched as the ship’s crew raced up the ratlines. High overhead the men spread out over the wooden yards to bring in some of the canvas sails. After nearly two weeks at sea, Eli was beginning to understand the ways of the sailing ship even though he…
This is a continuation of the story An Angel of Light When Tori’s eyes adjusted to the dim light inside the temple, she noted two flickering oil lamps. There were no windows, only the door they just entered, and another arched doorway on the opposite side of the room. The arched doorway was draped with…
High above the jungle trail a python coiled itself around a tree limb. Its tongue tasted the air as two children passed below. “I told you it would be a perfect morning for a hike to Hidden Falls,” Tori called to her companion. “You were right,” As Aran followed along, he made a game of…
“It was all for nothing,” the devil’s evil laugh echo in the dark chamber. He spoke to the body that had been laid to rest three days prior. “Where are your disciples now?” The evil one continued. “Didn’t they say they would follow you even to death? No, they all abandoned you, disowned you, and…
The Heart of a Defender is a continuation of the post Under Attack. The two knights squared off about three paces apart. The knight bearing a scarlet breastplate was the first to attack. He rushed his opponent with his sword raised high, bring it down on the other knight with enormous power. The black knight…
This is a continuation of the post from on 10/20/2020 Neither Hot nor Cold A column of black smoke billowed up into the blue sky. “What is that?” Sid paused in the road puzzling over the distant smoke cloud. “I don’t know,” Emily stood at her friend’s side watching the unusual sight. “It doesn’t look…
The ground rumbled under Sid’s feet, and then settled down. Two seconds later it shook again, and again it settled down. The pattern repeated with each step of the approaching giant. “Hugo is returning! He’s coming down the road!” Sid warned his fellow servants. “Quickly!” Edwina barked. “Get a meal started.” Sid and four other…
Bartholomew the jeweler stormed into the workshop and slammed a cloth bag down on the workbench. The heavy metal objects inside rattled from the impact. “What are you trying to sell me?” he demanded as he tore at the drawstrings and dumped the contents onto the bench. The commotion caught Jason’s attention. From the corner…
Homeward This is a continuation of Breaking Out posted May 24th. Miles and the others raced through the woods, but the uneven ground was difficult to navigate at night. When his foot caught a solid rock, he ended up flat on the ground. Knowing the guards were coming, he leaped to his feet and ran…
Breaking Out This is a continuation of The Pit posted May 2nd. Miles laid out his escape plan, “during the night I’m going to climb out of the mine, but I will avoid the road. It’s likely the road will be watched. I’m going to cut a hole in the perimeter fence.” “How are you…
The Pit This is a continuation of The Delivery, posted April 7th. Miles gazed down into the pit, a massive strip mine dug into the earth like a giant bowl. A chain linked fence topped with barbed wire circled the entire mine. “I’m here to see Franky,” said Mr. Sunglasses. “He’s in his office,” a…
The Delivery This is a continuation of the Captives of Doubt posted on February 16th. Miles’ attention turned to the warehouse. The door flew open, and out stepped old Black-eye and his goons. Black-eye unlocked and opened the gate. “Come on,” he coaxed Miles and Tanya out of the cage. As soon as he and…
Captives of Doubt This is a continuation of The Train Wreck posted on January 19th Two figures dressed in black appeared on train tracks. “Bandits!” Miles grabbed Tanya by the arm and took off down the tracks, dragging her along until her feet caught up with his. A quick glance backward confirmed his fear. They…
The Train Wreck The dirt and pebbles broke loose under Miles feet as he skidded down the steep slope of the canyon. Somehow the many stitches and repairs to his warn shoes held together. With his arms flailing, he fought to keep his balance. He steered for a huge bolder about half way down. There…
The vicious pit bull growled as he chased the two stray cats down the alleyway. Freda and Tommy ran for their lives. “It’s a dead end!” cried Tommy. “We’re trapped.” A tall stockade fence blocked the end of the alley. “Just keep moving,” said Freda. The pit bull was only a dozen yards behind when…
Something rustled in the tall grass near the path, something big. Tau, who had been hurrying home, stopped dead in his tracks. He was racing to get to his village before nightfall. He was on a stretch of the trail with high grass on both sides. The type that grows taller than a man. He…
The night was eerie and still. A thick layer of clouds had blocked all moon and starlight. Jesse could tell something was not right. His horse sensed something in the darkness. The horse’s long ears flicked back and forth, a sign that danger was lurking in the night. “What is it Buck?” Jesse asked his…
This story is a continuation of the one posted 4/26/2019 Brock knelt down and cautiously reached out to touch the baby dragon. “Be careful,” Mace warned. Brock ran his hand along the rough scales of the baby dragon’s back. The little creature remained still, simply gazing at the boys. Once he felt it was safe,…
The woolly mammoth followed the winding mountain trail one slow step after another. In spite of her enormous bulk, each step was soft and quiet, cushioned by the fresh blanket of snow. She let out a deep grunt when the trail became steeper, and the work harder. “Easy girl,” Brock called from his warm, furry…
Hundreds of fireballs streaked through the sky over the battlefield. The dark army had launched an intense barrage of flaming arrows. On the other side of the field, the king’s army, line in neat rows, braced itself against the deadly attack. Among the expanse of king’s soldiers, Victor shook with fear. In one sweaty hand…