Ball Stories

Chelsea was not sure what to get her husband for Christmas. They had been married eleven years and she had come with him to London for six months to work on setting up a subsidiary of a successful US retailer. The apartment they were in was small, and anything they bought had to be shipped back, so she decided to get him an ‘experience’ rather than a physical gift. There was one other thing she needed. Her husband was wor...

The digital readout on the no-brand hotel TV advanced a minute, the room silent save for my erratic panting. My head thrashed left on the pillow and I caught sight of the wildfire in my chestnut eyes from the nearby mirror above the desk. They shone from the eyeholes of a snug Venetian lace mask that extended from inky hairline to the tip of my button nose. I wasn't sure who was staring back: me or Her. I shivered at the...

Ashes gritty grayThe kindest heart batteredAssailed by sneers  Adorned in tatters Dreaming improbablyDays end to endInvitation omittedWhen enchantment descends She enters the ballroomIn her splendor aglowHeads turn to see herA sight to behold Bewitched and bewitchingAs they take the floorYet the warning was givenTo midnight, no more Their dance not of stepsSo smoothly they glideShyness cast offNew love shines in their eye...

Over the next week, Hailey and Rick spent almost every waking hour together. They went swimming, parasailing, hiking, bike riding, and more together. They decided to take the sunset horseback ride in her last week, as it filled up so quickly and discovered it was one of the few times still available. Then they learned there would be a special ball at the beginning of her second week and Mr. Talbott wanted all the guests t...

I felt the limo slow and I glanced out the window; almost there. The driver curved around a garden bed and parked. I had arrived at the front steps of the community hall in a long, sleek limo. I stepped out, my polished shoes crunching on the gravel beneath. I stooped my head to avoid bumping it and making myself look like an idiot, then straightened my jacket and adjusted my tie. Picture perfect and flawless. I was eight...

This is a work of fiction... I turned the envelope over and over in my hand. Should I open it? I re-read the writing in the front of the envelope. "To Susie Mason. I'm Waiting." The letter I had been waiting for. I put my nerves aside and slowly peeled the envelop open. The smell of lavender wafted out of it, almost making my eyes water. Cautiously I opened out the letter. The writing was scrolled and difficult to read bu...