My Short Short Camp 19 Story for the Day

“It’s beautiful.”  I said softly.

“It is pretty amazing.”  Cinder agreed.

Jonas and Shane nodded silently.  None of us felt like leaving right away.  The relief of not finding bones washed through us and the breathtaking beauty of nature revived our happiness at being alive and carefree. 

“I’ll race you to the bottom.”  Jonas said punching Shane in the arm as he took off.

“You cheat!”  Shane said scrambling after him.

“Hey, wait up.”  Cinder yelled close on their heels.

I stood alone savoring the joy of the moment.  Then jumped into motion and chased them down.  I felt so full of energy racing down the trail, letting my legs run as fast as they wanted.  I passed Cinder first and raced headlong over branches and around rocks with reckless abandon.  I didn’t even think about it, I just ran like there was nothing else in the world.  Soon I caught Jonas who had slowed down significantly.  Then there was just Shane ahead of me.  I zeroed in on his back and ran as hard as I could.  He was fast but not a runner like me.  I’d been running since I was 7.  My heart, lungs and legs were pumping in unison like a well oiled machine.  I wasn’t even breathing that heavy when I finally caught him.  We were almost to the outskirts of camp.  He slowed a little to look back and I shot past him.  I don’t know why but I just kept running until I reached the beach.  The dock was empty and the beach was, too.  The sun was starting to set so everyone was probably at dinner.  I stood on the beach looking out at the water while my breathing quickly returned to normal.  I felt great.  I’d never run so fast in my life and the burn I felt was that of having pushed myself to the limit.  I closed my eyes and let the gentle wind dry the sweat from my face.  I listened to the animals rustling around in the nearby woods.

My Short Short Camp 18 Story for the Day

Jonas stepped forward.  “I’ll go since I’ve got the flashlight.”

 

 

Turning on the light, he stepped into the cave.  Shane followed and Cinder and I were just behind them.  We ducked a little at the entrance swiping at spider webs and pushing vines aside.  The beam of light was small.  Just enough to make us feel a little better about not being in total darkness but in a way it also made it more scary wondering what might be lurking just outside the ring of light.  We kept very close and quiet.  After a few moments we reached the back of the cave.  We all breathed a sigh of relief at having discovered nothing sinister. 

 

 

“Well, it was just a story.  Maybe they cleared the bones away a long time ago.”  Jonas said.

 

 

“Yeah, they certainly wouldn’t leave a dead body here, right.”  Cinder replied.

 

 

“No, thank goodness.”  I mumbled.

 

 

“We should probably start heading back.”  Shane said.

 

 

Shane took the lead on the way back shining the flashlight as we went.  It wasn’t as dark this time because we were heading towards the outside light.  I was behind Shane, then Cinder and Jonas was in the back.  Once we were back outside on the shelf we noticed the view.

My Short Short Camp 17 Story for the Day

The path narrowed causing them to hike single file.  The conversation died out as they focused on the trail ahead.  The sun was rising steadily and sweat began to trickle down my back.  I love the outdoors and working up a good sweat.  I would’ve preferred that it was only Cinder and me.  Shane was behind me so I couldn’t keep looking back without him beginning to wonder what was up.  I also had to force myself not to be self conscious.  We had been hiking for about an hour when we reached the ledge where the cave was situated.  There was a dirt slope that led up to it on one side but there wasn’t much to hold on to.  Jonas went first and Cinder followed mimicking his movements.  I climbed up next slipping a little bit near the top but catching myself quickly.  Shane came up last and had no trouble.  We stood at the mouth of the cave for several quiet moments.

“Hey, aren’t we supposed to throw some rocks in or something.  You know, in case of snakes.”  I said.

“Yeah, yeah, I heard that, too.”  Cinder said.

Jonas bent over to pick up a handful of rocks and tossed them into the cave.  After several minutes passed we looked to each other.  I picked up another big rock and chucked it as hard and far as I could.  It made a pretty loud thunk.  The others smiled and picked up some big rocks as well.  We threw the big rocks in for a bit seeing who could make the loudest thunk.  Finally, we stopped staring into the dark again.

“Well, who wants to go first?”  Cinder asked.

My Short Short Camp 16 Story for the Day

“See, I told you they were down here.”  The voice was loud breaking abruptly into the silence.

Cinder and I both jumped but quickly recovered when we saw it was Jonas and Shane.  Cinder stood up brushing her pants off and turning to face them.  I was a little slower in getting up, shy about meeting Shane’s eyes.  His smile brought a blush to my cheeks and I looked away quickly intent on dusting my pants off.

“So you want to go for a hike?”  Jonas asked.

“Sure.”  Cinder replied.  “Where to?”

“There’s supposed to be an old cave up there on that mountain.”  Jonas said as he started to walk.  Cinder fell in step beside him.

“Hi.”  Shane said once I finally dared to look at him again.

“Hi.”  I replied trying to smile casually.

“It’s supposed to be haunted, you know.”  Jonas said.

“Oh, yeah?”  Cinder gave him a sideways glance.

“Yeah.  The story is that some old prospector was panning for gold but even thought winter was approaching he refused to leave.  He was afraid someone else would come in and steal all his gold so he camped out the entire winter.  That cave is where he lived for months, in the snow and ice and freezing cold.”  Jonas talked as we hiked.  “It was summer before anyone ventured up there and all that was left were his bones.  And that’s not all.  There was a knife sticking out of his chest.”

“No way.”  Cinder said.  “Who killed him?”

“That’s the mystery.  No one knows.”  Jonas climbed over a fallen tree and helped Cinder while Shane offered me his hand.  “He was seen in town getting supplies towards the end of fall but then no one saw him again.  A deputy was out tracking a cougar when he came across the cave.  He thought the cougar may have holed up in there for the winter but when he went in, there was Old Jim or what was left of him.”

“Oh, that’s horrible.”  Cinder said.

“Did they find the gold?”  I asked.

“Nope.  Never found any gold in the cave or in the stream.”  Jonas said.

My Short Short Camp 15 Story for the Day

Sundays were the best because we had the whole day to do whatever we wanted.  That first week ended with Cinder and I both very happy.  So many things had happened in that first week it felt like a whole summer’s worth.  We were up early for a change and walked down to the beach, stretching out on the dock to look out across the lake.  It was so quiet and peaceful.  We sat in silence for a while.

“It’s been really fun here.”  I said.

“Yeah.  I thought I’d be sad, you know.”  Cinder said.

“Yeah, me too.”  I tried not to show my sadness.

“I can’t believe we won’t be in school together next year.”  Cinder finally said after a long silence.

“I wish you could live with us.”  I said.  “Maybe my mom and dad wouldn’t mind.”  I took hold of the idea and turned to Cinder with hope filling my heart.

She sat up and faced me with a smile.  “That’d be great but I’d miss my family too much.”  She lightly punched me in the arm.  “Besides, who’d want to share a room with a slob like you.”

I laughed in spite of myself.  “Yeah. I just thought….”

We both turned to look back out across the lake again.  The birds chirped and an occasional fish jumped out of the water leaving behind a ripple on the surface.

My Short Short Camp 14 Story for the Day

“Cool practice today, huh?”  Jonas said.

“Yeah.  It was so hot today I was gonna melt.”  Cinder took another bite of her sandwich.

“Oh, I know.  It was horrible.”  I added.

When I looked up Shane was looking at me and smiling.  I blushed bright red and quickly looked away.  The others continued to talk but I was feeling more and more self conscious as I noticed how clingy my clothes were and that I was starting to shiver a little.

“Can I take that for you?”  Shane asked.

I looked up and saw him holding his hand out for my plate.  I smiled and handed it to him.  “Thanks.”  I said.

We all stood up and waited while the guys took the dishes back inside.  Cinder nudged me and grinned.  “We have to go practice for the talent show.”  Cinder said nodding toward the music hall.

“Yeah, we’re scheduled to practice tomorrow.”  Jonas said stepping up next to Cinder.

Shane fell in step with me and we all walked to the music hall in no particular hurry.  “Have you guys decided what you’re doing yet?”  I asked Shane giving him a quick sideways glance.

“I don’t know.  We’ll probably just go with The Police or Van Halen or something.”  Shane said shrugging his shoulders.

At the music hall we stopped and Cinder grabbed my arm.  “We’d better get going.  See you guys later.”

We waved and went inside moving to the window near the door to watch them walk away.  We giggled as Jonas punched Shane in the arm, then Shane punched him back which lead to a punching match as they walked away down the path.

My Short Short Camp 13 Story for the Day

“Ok, work on form.  You want the ball over your head pull it back.  Then step forward into the throw and launch it.”  Jenny demonstrated throwing the ball to Jonas.

He caught it and threw it to Cinder who threw it to me and I turned and met Shane’s eyes.  With a shy smile I threw it to him.  The ball continued to be passed from one kid to the next until one boy threw it hard into the water causing a big splash in the other boy’s face.  The boy grabbed the ball and beamed it at another kid and practice dissolved into a water fight.

Jenny tried to get everyone back on track but gave up and swam to the dock to watch from a distance.  No one was safe.  The lines between girls and boys were dropped as everyone was equally vulnerable.  Everyone laughed and splashed each other until the dinner bell rang.  The boys were first to react and dashed out of the water with the girls close on their heels.  Everyone paused only long enough to tug on their shoes and then sloshed as fast as possible to the mess hall.  The lunch lady gave us the eye but with so many soaking wet kids there wasn’t much she could do about it.  The tables were full so Cinder and I headed outside to settle down on some rocks near a campfire pit.

“Mind if we join you?”  Jonas and Shane were holding heaping plates of food and dripping all over the place.

 “Sure.”  Cinder said gesturing to the rocks across from us.

My Short Short Camp 12 Story for the Day

That night after the lights were out I heard Cinder shift in her bunk above me.   “So, you really like Jonas, huh?”  I whispered.

       

“Yeah, he’s pretty cute.  And we have fun together.”  Cinder said.  “What about Shane?  You seem to be getting along.”

   

“He’s really nice and easy to talk to, when I don’t think about it too much.”  I said.  “And he has a cute smile.”

“Shhhh!  Some of us are trying to sleep here.”  Alice grumbled.

I rolled over to muffle a giggle and closed my eyes.  Shane immediately popped into my head.  He was taller than me which was nice for a change.  I’d always been one of the tallest kids in my class which made me feel even more awkward around boys.  But that wasn’t the case with Shane.  He really seemed to like a lot of things I liked and we never ran out of things to talk about.  I touched my hand thinking about the tingly sensation from when Shane’s hand had brushed mine today at practice.  With a smile on my face I fell asleep.

The next morning was bright and warm.  Breakfast was quick then crafts and then soccer practice.  By that time it had heated up quite a bit.  After practicing for a half hour the kids were all dragging their feet and most of the water had been drunk. 

Jenny called everyone over.  “It’s too hot for soccer our here on the field.  What do you say we practice some throws over in the water?”

“Yay!!!”  It was unanimous as a couple kids grabbed the soccer balls while the rest made a mad dash toward the dock.

“Hey, take off your shoes first!”  Jenny yelled hurrying to catch up.

Most of the kids stopped long enough to get out of their shoes before continuing into the water but a couple boys had to slog back out and take their sopping wet sneakers off before racing back into the icy cold water.

My Short Short Camp 11 Story for the Day

At 7 pm we headed to the main hall for a meeting about the end of summer show.   My sugar rush had kicked in.  I was walking too fast for the others and had to keep backtracking.

 “Gee, Melina, you gotta cut back on that sugar.”  Chloe said. 

“Yeah, you’ll never be able to sit still through the whole meeting.”  Alice chimed in. 

“No, no I’ll be fine.  I just want to go, let’s go, c’mon.”  I said motioning to the door. 

 "Okay, okay, we’re coming.” Cinder said laughing as she took my arm and headed inside.  “You’re a sugar junkie, you know that?” 

I laughed and feeling bold said.  “Do you think the boys will be there?”

 “Of course.  Everyone is required to go.”  Cinder said.

“Do we really have to do a skit in front of the whole camp?”  Jeannie asked.

“Yes.  Each cabin has to come up with their own idea and practice it and then perform it in front of everyone else on our last night here.”  Cinder replied.

“Wow, really?”  Alice asked.  “I didn’t know about that.” 

“Yeah, I knew a girl who came here last year and she told me about it.”  Cinder said. 

“What are we going to do?”  Chloe asked. 

“I don’t know.  But we’ve got plenty of time.”  Cinder said reassuringly. 

I wished I had that much confidence but I didn’t.  The idea of standing up in front of a bunch of other kids my age and performing some kind of skit terrified me.  I was terrified just thinking about it.  I knew somehow I would end up doing something that would totally embarrassed myself and everyone would laugh at me and I would blush every shade of red imaginable and I would never be able to show my face in public again.  Ever! 

“Hey, Melina, you gonna sit down or just stand there?”  Cinder asked tugging my arm. 

 

“Hm?  Oh, yeah.”  I mumbled sitting down.  I glanced around trying to be subtle.

“He’s over there with Jonas.”  Cinder smiled pointing two rows ahead and over to the right.  I craned my neck to see and blushed as Cinder chuckled.  “I knew you liked him.” 

Just then the camp coordinator stood up and quieted everyone down.

My Short Short Camp 10 Story for the Day

“Great job everyone.” Jenny said after we came back from shaking hands with the other team.  “Okay, our next game is in a few days so let’s have a practice tomorrow at 10.  See ya then.” 

Cinder gave me a hug as we headed back towards camp.  We had won 3 to 2 and everyone was in high spirits.  It was almost time for dinner and we definitely didn’t want to be late so we rushed to the dining hall without changing out of our sweaty clothes. 

At the table was Cinder, Chloe, Alice, Jeannie and me.  We talked and giggled the whole time which was a good distraction from the less than appetizing food.  When we got back to our cabin we cheered at the sight of mail.  My mom wrote me a letter every other day telling me about what was happening at home.  There was never anything too exciting but I loved reading them anyway.  Chloe’s mom had sent her another care package and lucky for us, she always included plenty to share.  I grabbed a chocolate fudge brownie and two chocolate chip cookies before climbing up onto my bed to read my letter.

My Short Short Camp 9 Story for the Day

The ball was on the ground, people were moving and I quickly forgot everything else as the soccer ball became my sole focus.  Cinder always told me I went into the zone when I played soccer, like some alien took over my body or something.  I had been playing soccer since I was 7 so it was second nature to me.  I knew what to do and where to go.  I never thought of myself as confident but when I played soccer I didn’t think of anything else. I just played.  If I had thought about how close Shane was I never would have been able to put one foot in front of the other without tripping.

Shane had the ball as we passed centerfield.  The opposing team members moved towards him to try to steal the ball.  I sprinted past them and cut over towards the goal making sure to leave at least one full back between me and the goalie so that I wouldn’t be off sides.  As I darted in towards the goal I looked at Shane and he shot the ball my way.  As soon as I made contact I sidestepped the last defender and aimed at the goalie who looked really nervous and for a moment I wondered if he had ever played goalie before but with a fake left I had the goalie leaning that way and I shifted and kicked aiming the ball at the opposite corner of the net.  The goalie saw his mistake but was off balance and unable to dive far enough to stop the ball. 

“Goal!”  Jenny shouted. 

Shane came over and gave me a high five.  “Great shot!” 

“Thanks.  Great pass.”  I said grinning like a fool. 

My Short Short Camp 8 Story for the Day

 

“Cinder, I don’t know about this.  I think I’m going to throw up.”  I muttered darting a quick glance at the boys. 

“Oh Melina, relax.  You’re the best soccer player on the school team, you’ll be just fine.  Trust me.”  Cinder smiled and put her arm around my shoulders.

“Melina I want you playing center halfback and Cinder you play right full back.  Okay, you all have your positions now let’s go get ‘em!”  Jenny said.

We cheered and rushed off to take our spots on the field.  Jonas was the goalie and Shane was the center forward.  My heart was racing a mile a minute as I rushed to take up my position behind him.  I loved to play halfback because that meant I was playing offense and defense so that I never would be out of the action.  I was surprised that Jenny had picked me to play that position instead of a boy.  ‘Girl power!’  I thought with a smile.  When I looked up to see Shane smiling at me I instantly blushed and looked away.  Had I been staring at him all this time?  Oh, great, now he probably thinks I’m a freak or something. 

Charlie blew the whistle said.  “Okay, let’s remember the rules and have fun.” 

My Short Short Camp 7 Story for the Day

Charlie spoke first.  "There will be ten kids on each team.  When your name is called stand behind me or Jenny." 

The girls were divided up first.  When Cinder and I were called for the same team, I breathed a sigh of relief.  Jeannie was on our team and so was Chloe and Alice, all from our cabin. Next the boys we called off.  My smile froze as Shane and Jonas both headed towards our team.  I turned and looked at Cinder in sheer terror. 

Cinder giggled.   "Oh, loosen up.  You're a good soccer player so don't worry about those silly boys."

But boys terrified me.  I liked talking about them to Cinder but in general I had no idea what to do or say around them.  I always felt so uncertain and awkward around boys.  They were so strange and I couldn’t even begin to understand them. 

“Okay team, everyone come with me so I can assign you positions.”  Jenny said heading to the opposite end of the field. 

We obediently followed with a lot of muttering and whispering since this was the first time most of us had ever been on a co-ed team.  No one was really sure what to make of it.  The boys pretended not to look at the girls and the girls stole quick glances at the boys and giggled. 

My Short Short Camp 6 Story for the Day

By the time we got to the field most of the other girls and boys were already there.  After a few minutes of trying to show off our juggling skills, the girls coach, Jenny, called us in. 

"Okay, take a seat.  Charlie and I have talked about it and we thought it might be fun to have co-ed soccer this summer.  What do you think?"  Jenny asked. 

Almost immediately the girls cheered and giggled.  Jenny smiled then walked over to chat with Charlie for several minutes.  She returned a short time later with Charlie and the boys in tow.  It would have looked funny to an outside observer.  The girls on one side giggling and smiling, pretending to be shy and bashful.  The boys on the other side trying to act cool and tough, like they couldn’t care less about the girls.  Just then I felt a tug on my sleeve. 

"Hey, Melina look who's there."  Cinder whispered pointing towards the boys. 

I followed her finger to see Jonas and Shane amongst the boys.  I turned beet red and looked at Cinder horrified.  She laughed so hard that I finally had to laugh too. 

"Relax.  I'm sure they probably won't even be on our team."  Cinder reassured me with a pat on the shoulder. 

I tried to act calm but there were a million butterflies in my stomach.  Charlie and Jenny talked for a little while then called everyone together. 

My Short Short Camp 5 Story for the Day

The next morning came with bright warm sunshine.  Shelly yelled at us to hurry up and wash up or we'd be late for breakfast and have to clean the hall again.  The mere mention of cleaning made us spring out of bed and hurry to the bathroom.  We ran from the bathroom all the way to the hall and made it just in time. 

Cinder and I looked at each other and said, "Phew!" in unison.  Then we promptly burst into giggles as we took our place in line for food. 

"Geesh, I thought you two were gonna be late for sure!" Jeannie said. 

Cinder smiled.  "Naw, we just like to make an entrance". 

I nodded in agreement.  Breakfast was filled with laughter, chatter and semi-edible food.  We had to make some craft type thing afterwards.  It had macaroni, glitter, colored paper and sand all attached to a paper plate in some fashion.

"I like to refer to it as art from my abstract period."  Cinder stated when the counselor asked to see our project.

We got an hour break after craft time.  Cinder and I took our prized projects back to our room and leaned them on the windowsill.  Then we decided to walk the beach and talk about our latest favorite subject…boys. 

"I think Jonas likes you."  I teased Cinder. 

"Of course he does!" Cinder replied.  "He's pretty cute though, huh?" 

"I think Shane seems kind of nice." I said.  Cinder laughed and gave me a shove.

“I’m going to beat you to soccer.”  I said sprinting ahead of her.

“Oh, I don’t think so.”  Cinder quickly caught up to me and we raced together to the field.

My Short Short Camp 4 Story for the Day

Because we arrived late we had to stay after dinner and clean the hall.  I was so mad and embarrassed but not Cinder.  She knew how to make anything seem fun.  Soon we were having a water fight and throwing bubbles at each other.  Then the door opened and a voice said, "Girls, just look at the mess you've made!" 

We all dropped our sponges and buckets and turned around with horrified looks on our faces.  The boys doubled over in laughter.  Cinder immediately picked up her bucket and threw the water.  It hit most of them and the fight was on again except this time it was the girls against the boys.  After a while we were all tired and decided to clean up before any of the counselors caught us.  When that was done we all left the dining hall together.  At the fork in the path the boys headed off to the right and the girls went left. 

"Later!"  Jonas said.  He was leader for his cabin. 

"See ya!" Cinder replied with a smirk. 

We talked and giggled all the way back to our cabin but one look from the cabin counselor and we immediately quieted down and climbed into our beds.  Camp is going to be great this summer, I mumbled to Cinder as we drifted off to sleep.

My Short Short Camp 3 Story for the Day

At the meeting, the camp director recited about a thousand more rules as most of the campers rolled their eyes or nodded off.  Cinder and I were searching the crowd for boys. 

 

"He's kind of cute, what do you think?"  Cinder said. 

"No he's too skinny.  I’d look like an Amazon."  I said shaking my head.  "Hey what about him?"

 "No, he's got braces.  Can you imagine kissing someone with braces?  I heard that this girl was kissing her boyfriend one time and he got his lip caught in her braces and they had to go to the hospital to get it out.  I think he ended up getting stitches and everything."  Cinder always had good stories and what made them more interesting is that I could never tell if they were true or not. 

"What do you want to sign up for?"  Jeannie asked.  She was one of the girls in our cabin.

 "Hey, let's sign up for soccer."  Alice suggested. 

"Yeah, I bet a lot of guys will be signing up for that."  Cinder said.  We looked at each other and smiled.  Soccer it was.

"Let’s go for a swim."  Alice said and we rushed off to get our swimsuits. 

We were only thirteen and our interest in boys was just starting to grow.  We still didn't quite know what to do with them.  I mean, none of us had ever been on a real date before.  And Cinder was the only one who had been kissed but it was only done on a dare.  So we put on our swimsuits, grabbed our towels and raced down to the lake.  In no time we were splashing away with the other kids.  It was just starting to get a little dark when we heard the dinner bell.  We dashed back to our cabin, partially dried off and put our clothes on over our swimsuits. 

My Short Short Camp 2 Story for the Day

"So do you want the top bunk or the bottom?"  Cinder said with a mischievous smile. 

"Aw come on!  You know I'm afraid of heights!"  I shot back immediately followed by a whomp in the head with my pillow. 

"Oh, I see.  So that’s how it's gonna be!"  Cinder said taking aim. 

That was all it took for an all out pillow fight in cabin 10.  Unfortunately our fun was cut short when the cabin counselor came in.  "Okay girls, that's enough.  I have some rules we need to discuss before the camp meeting.  First, my name is Shelly and I am going to be your cabin counselor for the summer.  If you follow my rules then we'll all get along just fine.  I'll be brief.  No fighting, swearing or gum chewing in the cabin.  Lights out at nine pm and that means no talking.  Everyone is out of bed by seven am and at the breakfast table by eight.  And finally, there will be no boys in this cabin…ever.  Understood?  Good.  The camp meeting will start in about 10 minutes so let's get down there.  C'mon, c'mon, move it.”

"Boy, she’s no fun at all." I grumbled. 

"Hey stop moaning.  This is going to be our best summer yet, don't you worry Melina.  No camp counselor is going to ruin it."  Cinder said tucking her arm through mine. 

My Short Short Camp 1 Story for the Day

"Hey Melina, come on, you're in our cabin over here."  That's Cinder.  We've been best friends forever.  We’re always together.  Our parents say we are practically twins because we were born only minutes apart.  We've lived next door to each other our whole lives.  About a week before school let out for the summer, Cinder told me she was moving away.  Her dad got a great job hundreds of miles away.  It didn't matter too much at the time, because we knew we’d be together at camp the whole summer.  Endless days of fun and sun. 

 "Okay, okay I'm coming."  Cinder has one of those cool names that everyone wishes they had but are kind of glad they don't.  Unless you are cool then people would tease you about it.  But not Cinder. She is one of those lucky kids who is popular and has a cool name.  As for me, I'm not really popular but I'm not unpopular.  I hang out with the cool crowd but they aren't really my friends.  I'm basically cool by association.  Since Cinder is cool, then I’m accepted as cool.  Which is good enough for me. 

My Short Short Story for the Day

Have you ever heard of Nice Mice? No? Well, don't worry, you're in the majority. I always get the same reaction from people I mention it to, the "you're a little bit crazy" look. I insist this candy used to exist but the doubt in their eyes is clear even as they laugh it off. This used to be my favorite candy as a kid and could only be found at the YMCA. Although I enjoyed playing sports at the Y, I'd have to say the highlight of my visits were definitely afterwards when I got to enjoy this tasty treat. In 5th grade I started playing basketball for a local elementary school so my visits to the YMCA ended. If only I had known back then, that  Nice Mice wouldn't be around forever, maybe I would have stocked up. Filled a suitcase with them and rationed them out over the years. This was before people were more conscientious about what went into foods so those mice probably would still be good today. 

There are many things I've forgotten over the years but not my all time favorite candy.  They came in a rectangular shaped box similar to those candy hearts with messages on them you can get around Valentine's Day. The candy themselves were similar in texture to Circus Peanuts except they were, of course, in the shape of mice. They were different colors, not just orange, and they squeaked when you bit them (no, just kidding about that part). I don't know when or why they disappeared but just once I'd love to go down memory lane and have one more box of those sweet, little, Nice Mice.

My Short Short Story for the Day

 “Today’s lesson is very important.”  The teacher stood at the front of the room.  “It will change your life.”

Elby sat as still as a lizard frozen in wintertime but her mind drifted off.  The teacher always said the same thing about each lesson and so far, nothing had ever come close to being useful in her life, let alone changing it.  She spent most of the day dreaming about adventures and what must be happening outside while she sat at her desk.

“Elby?  Are you coming?”  The teacher was standing next to her while all the other kids crowded by the door staring at her.

“Huh?”  Elby quickly stood as her face flushed.  “Yes.  Sorry.”

The children rushed outside but stopped abruptly.  Several villagers were gathered there waiting.  The teacher walked to them and spoke for a few minutes while the children whispered amongst themselves.

“Today will be the last day of school for most of you.  A few of the younger children will remain but the rest of you will be assigned a mentor who will teach you a trade.  The lessons I have taught you over the past few years will have provided you with a strong foundation.  Now it is time for you mentors to take over and teach you all the details of your specific trade.  I have spoken with each of the mentors and matched you with the person as well as the trade I think best suits you.  As I call your name, please step forward.  I wish you each the best in your future endeavors.”

Elby regretted letting her mind wander during class and even now let her mind wander for several minutes before shaking herself out of it.  How embarrassing it would be to not here her named called.  Who would her mentor be?  Would it be a trade you would enjoy or be good at?  What did she want to do?  She hadn’t even thought that far ahead.

“Elby.”  The teacher was looking at her patiently.  Once Elby met her eyes the teacher continued.  “You will be with Sandor.”

Elby stared at the teacher in surprise as excitement bubbled up within her.  She couldn’t believe it but Sandor stepped forward and she walked to him before anyone could change their mind.  What luck!  Now life was finally going to get interesting.

My Short Short Story for the Day

When I was sad you let me dry my tears on your fur.  When I was angry you let me throw you onto the floor and never blamed me.  When I was scared you let me squeeze you tight.  When I was hungry you sat patiently at the table taking whatever scraps I offered.  When I was lonely you let me carry you everywhere in my hand, pocket or whatever was handy.  When I was happy you let me toss you high into the air over and over again without complaint.  When I was in a hurry you accepted whatever quick kiss, hug or goodbye I gave.  When I was young you were my best friend. 

My Short Short Story for the Day

What is love?  What does it mean to be “in love”?  How do you know if you are?  How do you know if it’s real?  A parent loves a child and a child loves a parent, without question, without thought.  It’s just a natural feeling that grows each day.  But loving someone not related to you, how do people do it?  How do people set aside all that negativity it seems to bring out?  How do people just love another without examining it, turning it, twisting it, stomping on it, then trying desperately to smooth off the rough edges only to get frustrated and start the process all over again.  It would appear that some people have figured out how to give love freely but many others are still wading through the muck, searching for the magic fix-all cure.  Is it possible that we, as humans, are not meant to love just one partner for life?  Is it beyond our capabilities?  No, that can’t be true because I’ve witnessed enduring love.  So what is the secret?  What is the answer?  How do we find it?  What is love? 

My Short Short Story for the Day

Kurt tried to listen but his mind kept wandering.  He would be with a small group of children his age, out exploring for the very first time.  He had waited so long for this day and now it was finally here.  A sharp poke from his father refocused his attention on the teacher.

“You have all worked hard toward this honor.”  The woman smiled down at each solemn face with pride.  “Each one of you has earned this right.  Use your knowledge and skills to document all you discover.  But remember…”  She looked sternly at the eager, young faces.  “You are out there to observe and record.  Nothing more.”

She let the silence linger for several minutes before ringing the bell.  After the fifth chime the children said goodbye to their parents, then formed a line to receive their travel packs.  Everyone watched as the children marched single file down the path and into the woods.  Slowly the group broke up, each moving to their own homes to wonder what adventures their children may have, hoping they would be brave and praying they would return safely.

The children marched well into the night before stopping.  After eating a cold meal they climbed into the trees and fell asleep.  Two more days of marching and they were outside the boundaries of the village so the next morning meant the start of charting the new territory. 

Kurt was the first to come upon the strange wall.  To the left it was a shimmery white as far as the eye could see.  To the right it was an inky black stretching out of sight.   The children stood staring from one side to the other and back to the middle.

Kurt stepped forward.  “We will split into two groups.  One goes into the light, the other into the dark.”

Max stepped forward.  “I will lead one group.”

Kurt nodded and divided the children.  “We will meet back here in 10 days.”

“Agreed.”  Said Max.  “Be safe.”

“And you.”  Kurt said then led his group into the shimmery white wearing a brave face and wishing his father was there.

My Short Short Story for the Day

All that stands between me and whatever flesh eating, limb tearing, disemboweling, freaky monster outside are these fake wooden blinds and a thin pane of glass.  What should I do?  The curiosity is killing me but the monster would finish me off for real.  That hideous snarling, the clicking of those razor sharp claws, the snuffling snort of that snot encrusted snout.  Maybe just a quick peek, open and shut before it notices.  No.  No!  I can’t do it.  But that creature, it could be one of those mythical beings and I could sell a picture of it to the tabloids and make millions of dollars and…well, you never know.  Ok, I’ll just slide my phone between the slates and take a quick picture.  That way it won’t see me and maybe the flash will blind it and scare it away.  Good idea.  Alright.  Careful.  Ok, good.  There we go.  Oh, wow.  That didn’t scare it away at all.  It sounds even worse than before.  Well, here goes.  I might as well see what I’m dealing with.  What?  That can’t be right.  A Chihuahua?   Seriously?  I gotta lay off those horror films.