My Short Short for the Day

The elves looked at each other then back at Santa as their cheeks turned a bright pink. Puggy rushed over to Santa wagging his tail happily. Santa picked him up and untied the garland as he walked to the tree. Sheepishly Eddie held up the red ribbon to Santa who quickly tied it back onto Puggy making a neat little bow. Then he scratched Puggy behind the ear one more time before setting him back in his little bed.

“Now you stay Puggy and be a good boy.” Santa said.

Puggy woofed then circled in his bed three times before curling into a ball and promptly going to sleep. Eddie and Lou walked over to Santa with their heads down and shoulders sagging.

“Well, boys, let’s get this tree fixed up.” With a wink of his eye Santa set the tree back to the way it was and the elves watched in wonder. “I think that’s enough excitement for one Christmas Eve. Don’t you?”

“Yes, Santa.” The elves said in unison as they hopped into Santa’s red sack.

Once they were back on the sleigh Santa picked up the reins and called over his shoulder. “Hold on boys. Here we go!”

With all the gifts delivered to all the good little boys and girls of the world it was time for Santa to head back to the North Pole for a good long nap. When the sleigh touched down at the North Pole, Mrs. Claus and the other elves were there cheering. Santa waved as he deftly climbed out of the sleigh.

Without turning around Santa spoke just loud enough for only Eddie and Lou to hear him. “Next time you need help, all you have to do is ask.”

Eddie and Lou relaxed. “We will Santa. Thanks!”

Santa stood up looking at all the elves then turned to look at Randy who had stepped forward to take the reins. “I believe Eddie and Lou could use some help with the cookies.”

Randy’s jaw dropped in disbelief as Eddie and Lou stood up with their arms full of brightly decorated Christmas cookies. They smiled as they handed out the cookies saving the best one for last. Turning to Santa, Lou handed it to him speaking softly. “Merry Christmas Santa.”

“Ho, ho, ho!” Santa’s belly jiggled merrily. “Merry Christmas indeed!”

My Short Short for the Day

Just then the top of the sack opened and Puggy peeked into the bag. Lou giggled as Puggy licked his face and snorted.

“Shoo! Go on! Go lay down!” Lou whispered trying to be stern but Puggy ignored him.

“We have to take him back to his bed before Santa comes out.” Eddie stated climbing out of the sack.

Lou followed him giggling as Puggy jumped around him trying to reach his face. They got to the dog bed and put Puggy back in but something wasn’t quite right.

“Where’s the red ribbon Santa tied around his neck?” Eddie asked looking around.

“Here it is.” Lou said holding up a ribbon. Quickly he tied it around Puggy’s neck and petted him. “Look Eddie, I put the ribbon back on Puggy.”

Eddie looked up smiling and holding a red ribbon in his hands. “I don’t know what you have but this is the ribbon…” Eddie’s jaw dropped as he looked at Puggy’s neck. “Lou, that’s the…” Suddenly Puggy jumped up and ran away from Lou. “…garland.” Eddie finished as Lou watched in surprise while Puggy raced around to the back side of the tree.

“Quick! After him!” Eddie rushed after the little dog. Lou followed after Eddie.

Puggy looked back at the two elves with mischief in his eyes. He raced around the tree circle after circle as the garland unwound from the tree, shaking the tree and knocking ornaments on to the presents below. After circling the tree a few times Puggy stopped to face the two exhausted elves. Eddie halted abruptly and Lou rammed into him.

They held their breath for a moment then Eddie stuck out his hand towards Puggy. “Here boy, come here. Good doggy.”

Puggy wagged his tail as he slowly walked toward Eddie. Just as Eddie leaned forward to grab the little dog, Puggy stepped to the side and raced past the elves. Again the three raced around the tree as ornaments dropped off and the tree threatened to topple over. A noise came from the kitchen and all three froze.

“Ho, ho, ho! What have we here?” Santa said standing in the doorway. “Not another mess boys. I thought you might have learned after the last one.”

My Short Short for the Day

“Shh! You're making too much noise Lou.” Eddie scolded turning around to face his friend.

“I’m sorry Eddie, I’ll be quiet.” Lou said sheepishly.

Eddie turned back peering into the living room again. “Okay, Santa isn’t looking so let’s go.” Eddie crawled under the table cloth with Lou right behind him and Puggy close on his heels. At the kitchen doorway, they hesitated then rushed into the living room and behind the big couch. Puggy was right behind them panting and snorting.

“Keep that dog quiet.” Eddie said.

“Shh! Puggy. Shh!” Lou whispered. Puggy tilted his head at the sound of his name then began to lick Lou’s face again. Lou giggled in delight until Eddie gave him a stern look. Both Lou and Puggy stopped what they were doing immediately.

Eddie peered around the couch and motioned Lou to move up next to him. “See, Santa is almost done arranging the presents. As soon as he goes into the kitchen we’ll sneak into the sack.” Eddie explained.

“Okay Eddie.” Lou said nodding in agreement. Just then Puggy rushed past them towards the tree.

“Oh, no.” Eddie said grabbing at Puggy as he shot past. They both held their breath as Puggy ran up to Santa.

“Ho, ho, ho. There you are. I was wondering where you had wandered off to.” Santa said merrily as he tied a bright red bow around Puggy’s neck and set him down on a soft dog bed under the tree. Puggy snuggled into his new bed and Santa petted him on the head before walking to the kitchen. Once he had disappeared through the doors, Eddie and Lou rushed over to the red sack and climbed in.

“What about Puggy?” Lou asked.

“He has to stay here.” Eddie said.

“Oh.” Lou said sadly. “I wish I could keep him”

“But then you would be taking away a child's present and that child would be very sad on Christmas morning.” Eddie explained patting his friend on the shoulder.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right Eddie.” Lou said. “I wouldn’t want to make any children sad.”

My Short Short for the Day

Carefully Lou climbed to the edge of the chimney and jumped in. He landed on the floor and scrambled out of the way just as Eddie came down. They stood up, dusted themselves off and looked around. Santa was by the tree deftly placing presents around it and humming Christmas carols. The two elves snuck over to a nearby chair and gave one last look toward Santa before rushing into the kitchen. They grabbed a couple cookies and stuffed them into their pockets turning to head back to the living room when they heard a noise. Quickly they ducked under the table.

There was a thick, floor length table cloth that hid them but also made it impossible to see who had entered the kitchen. After a few tense moments they heard a funny noise, like loud sniffing. They looked at each other curiously wondering what that odd noise was. It seemed somewhat familiar but they couldn’t quite place it. It grew louder and the table cloth moved. They started to get nervous as the noise went around the table and stopped at a slit in the cloth. The cloth swayed as something pushed against it and suddenly a small, squishy faced Pug puppy pushed through the cloth. The elves sighed in relief as the little dog looked at them with a happy smile and friendly eyes. He pushed through the rest of the way, hurrying over to meet the two elves. He sniffed Eddie and licked his face then turned to Lou. Lou loved animals and was as happy to meet the puppy as it was to meet Lou. He laughed as the Pug jumped on him and licked his face. He pet his wrinkly head and the dog wagged his curly tail in delight. Eddie looked at the tag around its neck and read the name.

“Puggy.” Eddie said. The little dog turned to Eddie in response to its name. He tried to lick Eddie again but Eddie stopped him by scratching behind his ear. The puppy immediately started tapping his hind foot in happy response.

“Aw, he likes you Eddie.” Lou said with a big grin. Puggy turned back to Lou and nudged him for another pat on the head. Lou was happy to oblige. He laughed as Puggy’s tail wagged so hard it nearly knocked him over. He was snuffling and snorting the whole time and Lou was very happy. “Isn’t he the cutest little dog you’ve ever seen?” Lou gushed.

“Yeah, yeah, cute.” Eddie said nervously peeking under the tablecloth. “Now we need to think about getting back to the living room before Santa leaves.”

Lou giggled as the dog continued to lick his face and jump all over him. Eddie looked around trying to locate Santa.

My Short Short for the Day

“Phew! That was close, huh Eddie?” Lou asked.

“Shhh, keep your voice down.” Eddie reminded him.

“Do we have enough cookies, yet?” Lou's eyes lit up with hope.

“Let’s see. Bring out your cookies and I’ll count them.” Eddie said. “Yes, it looks like we have enough for all the elves. Now put them back in your pockets and hurry. Santa should be landing soon.”

They hurriedly put the cookies back in the bags and stuffed the bags in their pockets. They finished just as the sleigh landed on top of another roof. They quietly snuck out of the bag and around to the back of the sleigh before Santa noticed. As soon as Santa disappeared down the chimney they relaxed.

“Eddie, I’m tired. Can we go home now?” Lou whined as he slumped to the ground.

“We’ll be heading home soon.” Eddie said sitting next to his friend and keeping an eye on the chimney. Then he heard a crunch and turned his head quickly to see Lou munching on a cookie. “Lou, no! Don’t eat that!” Eddie yelled.

“Huh, what?” Lou said as he continued to eat.

“The cookie! Stop eating the cookie!” Eddie said in panic. “Oh, no! Now we’ll have to go back down for another cookie.”

Lou brushed the crumbs away from his mouth with his sleeve. “Sorry Eddie, I didn't mean to.”

“Ok, ok, but whatever you do, don’t eat anymore cookies.” Eddie stated.

Lou nodded. “I won’t, I promise.”

Just then they heard a noise coming from the direction of the chimney. They rushed around to the other side of the sleigh and waited for Santa to put the sack on the seat. He climbed into the front seat and picked up the reins. Quickly the two elves slipped back into the sack and braced themselves for take off. Both kept silent as they flew to the next rooftop. After Santa slipped down the chimney, the two elves walked to the edge and peered in.

“Are you ready?” Eddie asked looking at his friend.

“Yes, I guess so.” Lou replied.

My Short Short for the Day

They slipped through the doorway and rushed over to the couch. Eddie peeked around the edge to watched as Santa settled down at the table. The kitchen door swung gently closed and Eddie turned to Lou but he wasn’t there. He looked around until he saw Lou near the tree walking towards a cat.

“Lou!” Eddie whispered loudly looking from Lou to the kitchen. “Lou! Stop!”

Lou looked at Eddie but didn’t stop moving and accidentally stepped on the cat’s tail. He quickly picked his foot up but it was too late. The cat howled and raced towards the tree.

“Oh, no!” Lou looked sheepishly at Eddie then raced toward the tree. The cat leapt into the tree knocking decorations to the floor but the presents cushioned their fall and none broke.

“Come on Lou, help me get these back on the tree before Santa comes out.” Eddie scrambled to pick up the decorations.

The cat hissed at the elves who nervously scurried around trying to re-decorate the tree, but with each move the cat made, more decorations fell off the tree. A noise came from the kitchen and Lou and Eddie perked their heads up and froze.

“I think that was Santa.” Eddie stated.

“Oh, no! What do we do?” Lou asked nervously.

Eddie tried to think for a moment but the kitchen door started to open. “Quick, into the bag!” Eddie yelped.

They both dropped the decorations they were holding and jumped into Santa’s bag. They held their breath as they heard footsteps approaching.

“Oh, dear.” Santa said in wonder. “Now, what happened here?”

The two elves nervously huddled together as they heard the tree rustle. There was a loud ‘Meow’ as the cat jumped down from the tree and landed in Santa’s arms.

“Ho, ho, ho. So that’s how the decorations got knocked off.” Santa said with a smile, petting the nervous cat until it calmed down. “Here you go, now run along and let me put these back on the tree.” With a twinkle of his eye, the decorations returned to their proper branches so that it looked as it had when he first arrived. Another soft ‘Ho, ho, ho’ and Santa picked up his bag and returned to the roof. He placed the bag on the back seat and gently slid off the roof and into the air. The elves let out a sigh of relief as they felt the cool air of the outdoors.

My Short Short for the Day

The elves continued with this plan for several more hours until their pockets overflowed with Christmas cookies. The sleigh landed gently on a rooftop and just before Santa turned around to grab his sack, the two elves quietly slipped out and rushed behind the sleigh. After Santa climbed down the chimney, the two elves paused for a few moments before looking down the chimney to see if it was clear.

“Are you ready?” Eddie asked.

“Do we have to go down again?” Lou whined.

“Yes, but I think this should be the last time.” Eddie replied patting his bulging pockets.

“Okay.” Lou said climbing to the edge of the chimney. With some help from Eddie, Lou jumped down the chimney. There was a rug in front of the fireplace and it cushioned Lou’s fall, but he was unable to get out of the way before Eddie landed on him again. They stood up and dusted themselves off while looking around for Santa.

“Okay, there he is, over by the tree.” Eddie pointed at Santa. Then he continued to look around. “I think the kitchen is through there.”

“Okay.” Lou replied.

They quietly slid along the wall towards the kitchen until they reached a big wooden desk. They paused for a moment before dashing across the room to the kitchen door. Quietly they slipped through the door and immediately spotted the cookies on the table.

“We’ll have to grab the cookies and get out of here before Santa finishes putting the presents under the tree.” Eddie stated. “With no tablecloth for cover, we can’t hang around.”

Lou nodded his head. The two elves climbed up onto the table and stuffed the cookies into their pockets, and as usual, leaving one cookie behind for Santa. Then they climbed back down and peeked out the door.

“Santa's finishing with the stockings now.” Eddie said looking at Lou. “Let's go.”

Lou nodded and kept close to Eddie.

My Short Short for the Day

“When I say go, we rush into the kitchen and get under the table as fast as possible.” Eddie explained. “The table cloth looks long enough to hide us.”

Lou's smile dropped away. “But what if Santa catches us?”

“Don’t worry. Just do what I say and you’ll be fine.” Eddie stated.

When Santa bent over to pull more toys from his bag, the two elves rushed to the kitchen and slid under the table cloth.

“Phew! We made it!” Eddie whispered.

“I don’t think I can take much of this racing around.” Lou panted.

Eddie patted Lou on the back and smiled. “You stay here, I’ll grab the cookies.”

Eddie peeked through the table cloth then quietly slipped out. Lou could hear a few noises above him then Eddie slipped back in with a handful of cookies.

“Here, give me the bag.” Eddie said. “Santa is almost done.”

“I get the red one, right Eddie?” Lou asked licking his lips.

“Yes, here you go.” Eddie handed his friend the cookie slathered in red frosting and green and red sprinkles. Eddie quickly packed the rest of the cookies into the bag and zipped it closed.

“Mmmm! That was good! Can I have another one?” Lou begged.

“We’ve got to go.” Eddie said sneaking another peek under the table cloth “Santa's going to leave without us if we don’t hurry.”

“Aw. Just one more.” Lou whined. “Please?”

“Okay, here, you little piggy.” Eddie said tucking the cookies into his pocket.

Lou nodded his head as he quickly munched the cookie leaving only a small smudge of frosting on his chin. His wiped it with his sleeve before looking up at Eddie.

“Santa is coming so be very quiet.” Eddie explained.

“But I thought you took all the cookies?” Lou asked.

“I had to leave him one. He needs some energy for the long night ahead.” Eddie replied. “As soon as he sits down, we’ll rush back to the living room and jump back in the bag.”

“Okay Eddie, I’m ready.” Lou said. “But won’t he notice his bag is a little heavy?”

“If you wouldn’t have eaten so many cookies we wouldn’t have to worry.” Eddie replied peeking under the table cloth.

“But….but…” Lou stuttered.

“Let’s go. Follow me!” Eddie whispered tugging Lou’s sleeve. They slipped under the table cloth and darted to the living room. As soon as they spotted the red sack by the fireplace, they climbed in and closed the opening.

“Ooooh, I don’t feel so good.” Lou moaned.

“Quiet, you don’t want to get caught do you?” Eddie scolded.

“No but those cookies had too much frosting on them. I feel sick.” Lou moaned holding his belly. They braced themselves as the bag started to move.

“Brr! We must be outside again.” Eddie whispered rubbing his hands together for warmth. The bag rustled and settled down on the back seat as the sleigh swiftly glided off the rooftop and into the night air.

My Short Short for the Day

After a short time the sleigh landed gently on a snow-capped roof. Just before Santa turned around, Eddie nudged Lou and they quietly slipped out of the bag and rushed behind the sleigh. They held their breath as Santa picked up his bag and climbed out of the sleigh. With a twinkle in his eye he slipped down the chimney and out of sight.

“I can’t believe Santa didn’t catch us.” Lou said peering around the edge of the sleigh. “It was really smart of you to think of wearing outfits that look like presents.”

“Well one of us has to have some brains or our lives would be pretty dull.” Eddie replied motioning Lou.

“Gee, you’re the smartest elf in the whole north pole!” Lou said grinning from ear to ear. “What are you doing, Eddie?”

“We’re going down there.” Eddie smiled as he leaned over the edge of the chimney opening.

“How?” Lou asked looking over the edge.

“Jump, of course.” Eddie replied.

“But won’t that hurt?” Lou asked.

“Santa has been doing it for years and he’s still laughing.” Eddie replied climbing up onto the edge.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Lou shrugged.

“Okay, you go first and I’ll be right behind you.” Eddie patted Lou's shoulder.

“Okay.” Lou said as he jumped feet first into the chimney. Lou landed on the floor with a bump but before he could stand up something landed on top of him.“Ouch!”

Eddie stood up with a grin and brushed himself off. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”

“It would have been better if you hadn’t landed on me.” Lou said rubbing his back.

“Shhh! There’s the kitchen through that doorway.” Eddie said pointing. “See?”

Lou’s eyes lit up at the sight of the plate heaped high with Christmas cookies. “I get the red one.” He said in a loud whisper.

“Okay but be still. Hm? Now where did Santa go?” Eddie asked scanning the room.

“Maybe he’s in the bathroom.” Lou said eyes wide with innocence.

“No, Santa doesn’t go to the bathroom.” Eddie replied. “Oh, there he is on the other side of the tree. Be very quiet and follow me.”

“Okay Eddie.” Lou said.

“Shhh!” Eddie said putting his finger to his lips.

My Short Short for the Day

“Okay Lou, when I say go, we rush….Lou, hey Lou? Pay attention!” Eddie whispered loudly.

“Huh? What?” Lou sputtered turning to his friend.

“Lou, you have to pay attention or Santa will catch us for sure.” Eddie said.

“Right, sorry Eddie. I’ll pay attention. I promise.” Lou replied.

“Okay. When I say go, you run to the sleigh and climb into the back.” Eddie said. “And remember, be quiet.”

“What about you?” Lou asked.

“I’ll be right behind you. Just be ready to move when I say go.” Eddie patted Lou on the back.

Santa walked across the room buttoning up his bright red coat with fuzzy white trim. His cheeks were a little pale but as soon as he opened the door and the chilly wind hit his face they turned a wonderful rosy red color. He laughed warmly and stepped outside. The elves and Mrs. Claus hurried to the window to watch the sleigh take off.

“Now, Lou! Go!” Eddie said pushing Lou toward the door.

Lou hesitated with his eyes wide with excitement.

“Go you silly elf!” Eddie said grabbing his arm and pulling him through the door a second before it shut. They skidded to a halt and hid behind a small shrub as Santa climbed up onto his sleigh.

“What do we do now?” Lou asked.

“Shhh!” Eddie gestured. “This way.”

When Santa turned toward the window to blow Mrs. Claus a kiss, the two elves climbed into the sleigh and snuggled down into the sack of presents. Santa let out a jolly laugh as he picked up the reins.

“Hey, move over, your foot is in my face!” Eddie whispered shoving at Lou.

“Sorry Eddie.” Lou moved aside. “Do you think Santa saw us?”

“No, he didn’t see a thing.” Eddie stated puffing up his chest with pride.

With a jerk, the sleigh took off into the night sky. The elves were forced against the back of the seat. They grabbed onto each other in an attempt to steady themselves. After a few minutes the sleigh leveled off.

“Wow, this is fun.” Lou whispered peeking out at the sparkling stars.

“Yeah, sure is Lou.” Eddie whispered back. “But we have to be quiet so Santa won’t hear us.”

My Short Short for the Day

The chilly wind swirled the snow across the ground as the stars twinkled in the night sky. There was a flurry of activity inside the warm glowing house as happy, little elves packed toys into Santa’s bright red sack. Outside the reindeer danced around Santa’s sleigh eager to be on their way. Upstairs Santa finished his dinner while Mrs. Claus bustled around the kitchen. She quickly prepared a snack for Santa's long journey. Mrs. Claus laughed cheerfully as Santa pushed away from the table and patted his full belly.

“Ho, ho, ho! Time for me to go.” He said giving Mrs. Claus a hug before heading downstairs to the workshop.

With all the activity, two elves go unnoticed as they leaned against the back wall. Eddie is thin and tall for an elf. His eyes sparkled with mischief as they darted around the room. He always enjoyed a good challenge, so when Randy proposed a dare, he couldn't turn it down. He had to sneak onto Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve and bring back enough Christmas cookies for the rest of the elves. He prided himself on being the most clever and daring elf in all of the North Pole so he quietly watched as Santa made his way down the stairs.

Next to Eddie stood a short, chubby elf named Lou. He always had a good natured smile on his face. Eddie had been his best friend forever and he admired him for being so smart and brave. He could remember all of their past adventures. Like the time they spent the night in a polar bear cave. One day a little polar bear cub had wandered into the village. He looked so scared and all the elves agreed that someone had to help him find his way home. So Randy had dared Eddie to take him home without any help from Santa. Of course, Eddie immediately took the challenge and before Lou knew it, he and Eddie were putting on their warm winter coats and heading off towards the polar caves. No elf had ever ventured that far before. They found the bear’s family and the mother was so grateful, she gave them cookies and cocoa. It was very dark and a storm was brewing outside so she insisted they spend the night. Early the next morning, after a hearty breakfast of pancakes and more hot cocoa, they started back home. She even let them ride on her back all the way to Santa’s village. The other elves watched in awe as the two slid off the polar bear’s back and calmly strode into the house. There was never a dull moment with Eddie.

My Short Short for the Day

Willa lifted the book from the shelf, hugging it to her chest as she slowly made her way back to the couch. Once she had settled down, she placed the book on her lap and lifted the heavy cover. A smile creased her face as she lovingly touched the photo.

“Oh, Matt. Such a handsome young man.” Willa moved her finger across the page to rest on another photo. “We were so young, so in love.”

Willa continued to flip through the pages, pausing to stare at each photograph and remember. Her heart filled with love and warmth as she revisited all the memories. “I have lived a good and full life.” She said closing the book. Sighing to herself she closed her eyes and leaned back to rest.

A knock on the door jolted her awake. There was another knock.

“Coming.” She called in her gentle voice. She rose to her feet grasping the arm of the chair for support. She straightened as much as her body allowed, then shuffled her way to the door. She unlocked the door and opened it slightly to peek out.

“Grandma! Hi!” Sara and Julian grinned up at her.

“Hello! Come in! Come in!” Willa backed up, letting her grandkids in before closing the door. “Sit. I'll get some cookies.”

“Hey Grandma, what's this book?” Sara called from the living room.

Willa shuffled in from the kitchen carrying a tray of cookies and milk. “Come, sit. Let me show you.”

They settled on the couch, Sara on one side of Willa and Julian on the other. Willa carefully opened the book and rested her hand on the photo. “This is Grandpa Matt.”

“Is that you?” Sara asked pointing to the next photo. “You look so young.”

“Yes, we were. We'd just been married.” Willa said patting Sara's hand.

My Short Short for the Day

Sue yawned and stretched until her joints popped. She breathed in the scent of frying fish and fruit tea. Her stomach growled in response. She deftly rolled up her sleeping mat and packed her bag. Then she carefully made her way down to the lake. She splashed the ice cold water in her face and lost her breath for a moment. As she opened her eyes the blur in front of her knocked her onto her butt.

“Gerry. Gerry!” Her voice was pitched higher than normal.

“Sue? Are you ok?” Gerry so the fear in her stiff pose. “What's wrong?”

“Gerry.” Sue turned to Gerry. “I...I...can see.”

“What? How? What do you mean?” Gerry knelt by Sue taking her head in his hands and staring straight into her eyes. “Can you see me?”

Sue smiled and gently eased Gerry back. “Everything is blurry but I can make out shapes and colors. Nothing clear, though.”
“Oh, Sue. I...I can't believe it.” Gerry sat back hard on his butt. “How did this happen?”

“I don't know. I woke up like normal and walked down here to wash up before breakfast. I splashed my face and...” Sue stopped and stared toward the lake. “The water. It must be the water.”
“But it's not the right place. Edgar said it was farther along. Didn't he?” Gerry rose and briskly walked to the edge of the lake. He leaned over staring into the water before dipping his hand in. The water slid through his fingers. He tasted the water and sniffed it. “Seems like normal water.”

“Test it Gerry. That's the only way to know. Test it.” Sue crawled to the edge and leaned over. Staring into the clear blue until she could almost see the pebbles at the bottom. Time passed unnoticed as she marveled at the blueness of the water and the shine of the sun glinted off it.

“It's it! The water! This is it! I don't know how but we found it!” Gerry all but danced back to the lake. “I can't believe it!”

Sue turned to get her very first look at Gerry, the man she had loved her whole life. Her best friend, her companion, her husband. The man she would spend eternity with. Her heart pounded as she looked up at his face. That beautiful, strong, kind face she had imagined didn't compare to the reality. Her smile warmed his heart.

My Short Short for the Day

What's the point? Ella wondered. No matter what I do, it's just never good enough. She sulked at her desk twirling her pencil in one hand and resting her chin on the other. She had a good day at school but as soon as she walked in the door her dad was all over her. She didn't make her bed well enough, she didn't play hard enough in the soccer game yesterday, she didn't do well enough on her test, she didn't eat all her dinner...it just went on and on until he finally said, “Why can't you be more like your sister?”

Tears pooled in her eyes as she dropped her head to her desk. Just once she wished he would tell Mara that. Mara, so perfect. Her room was always perfectly neat, she was the best athlete in her grade, her test scores were always perfect, she never got in trouble, blah blah blah. Why couldn't Mara mess up just once? Like get an F on her test or score a goal for the other team or disappear...forever!

There was a knock on the door. “Who is it?' Ella grumbled quickly swiping at the tears.

“It's me. I brought you a snack.” Mara said. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah, sure.” Ella pretended to be hard at work studying.

“I heard Dad.” Mara set the plate on the edge of Ella's desk. “Sorry he's so hard on you.”

Ella glanced over as Mara sat on the bed. She actually looked sad.

“I wish he wouldn't compare us.” Ella finally said.

“Me, too.” Mara agreed. “It's not fair. You're so creative and musical. I wish he would realize that.”

Ella grumbled hiding her surprise.

“He puts so much pressure on you.” Mara looked at Ella. “You're pretty cool just as you are.”

Ella looked at Mara not bothering to hide her surprise anymore. “You really think so?”

“Yes, of course.” Mara laughed. “I've always been jealous of talented you are with paints and I would love to be able to play drums like you do. Dad would freak if I even thought of asking for lessons.”

Ella turned to Mara. “Thanks. I wish I could play soccer like you. And wish good grades were as easy.”

Mara smiled at Ella as she stood. “Hey, we both have our strengths, right?”

Ella smiled back. “Yeah.”

As Mara closed the door behind her, Ella whispered, “I'm glad you didn't disappear.”