Top Dog

When you’re walking alone at night through a park and you hear a large noise in the bush, your first thought is usually:

I’m about to die.

Especially if you’re female. That’s definitely your first thought.

I was no exception to that. Especially when my pup started barking. Growling in that too-cute way that only puppies can.

Poor guy.

He was so small, and a cockapoo on top of that. There wasn’t an ounce of him that was scary. Not a single bit.

The thing in the bushes didn’t seem to disagree.

As I stood there, hoping it was a rabbit or a cat or a possum, it emerged.

And it wasn’t any of those things.

It was worse.

Much, much worse.

Really, it only reaffirmed my fears:

I was going to die.

Monstrous Instincts

He was not handling it well.

She knew that, and the doctor knew that. However:

With him on the loose, and the other subject on the loose, and the police closing in…

There was only so much they could do.

Lone Wolf

We are all afraid of something. It doesn’t matter how young you are, or how old, everyone is afraid of something.

And, sometimes, the fears we have are common. Or, at the very least, have common roots.

New things.

Change.

The unexpected.

A lot of people fear those. They fear them because they fear what’s out there. What they don’t know:

The unknown.

That’s the root.

It’s a common fear.

One that comes to light all the time. One that gets shoved into our faces all the time, whether we realize it or not. Because there are a lot of things that are unknowns.

That’s why they were afraid of him.

Why I was afraid of him.

I didn’t know how to respond. How to react. He was an unknown. A giant question mark sitting in my classroom.

It didn’t occur to me until later, but:

We were question marks to him, too.

Shattering Dragon

A great dragon is one that cannot be moved. One that cannot be tamed.

One that cannot be conquered.

Regardless of motive, or origin, or place, that is the markings of a true dragon as accepted by dragons. Dragons fear other dragons, as long as they have made themselves known. As long as a dragon has made an element its own. Has made its mark upon the earth.

That is how dragons come to be.

How they come to be known for what they’re known for.

Fire breathing dragons. Ice dragons. Dragons of storm and wind. All kinds of dragons, born from all sorts of elements. Proven to be conquerers of this earth. Proven their lordship over part of the natural world.

A dragon chooses which element to make its own. They work with it, mold it into their bones, into their scales. Into every fiber of their being. The element a dragon picks is essential to where their heart lies. How they come together.

Or break apart.

As some of us are prone to do.

For some of us, it’s all we know how to do.

Devil’s Smile

Everyone likes to think evil comes, unannounced, with a voice rising like the darkest pit of hell. That it shows up in black cars with flaming wheels and license plate numbers marked “666”.

But that’s not the case.

In fact.

Usually, it’s the opposite.

Evil doesn’t show up with horns and a tail.

Evil usually shows up with a smile.

And damn.

If you didn’t look like a devil to me.

A Thousand Drums

There is long corridor ahead. A vast hallway. A maze that twists and turns.

There are right paths.

And there are wrong paths.

And there are plenty of places where they intersect. Where the right and the wrong give opportunity for you to switch from one to the other. Which leaves you wondering:

Which is right?

And which is wrong?

It’s is a hefty question. One tied to consequence and reality.

And if I don’t find the correct route?

I lose.

But, what do I lose?

That’s a better question.

And it’s one that’s rather difficult to answer.

BOOK REMINDER

Just another friendly reminder that I wrote a book, and need some reviews. It would GREATLY help me out! 🙂

Link:

https://www.inkitt.com/HLSailer

Additionally, I apologize for getting my stories out so late. The past weekend has been hectic with some personal issues going on. So I truly, sincerely, apologize.

Thanks all 🙂

P.S. The book is free to read 😉

Safety First

The first complaint my dog made was not about food. Which was shocking. Considering how big he was on begging at the table, I thought that was for sure what he’d want to complain about.

But no.

Right off the bat, my dog was excited to be able to talk. Excited to not be a dog anymore. And then, once the excitement had died down, he’d made his first complaint.

Which was:

We don’t all sleep in the same room.

Angsty Anchor

Anchors are a very important invention. They keep you from going adrift. From wandering too far from shore. From endangering yourself, even while you sleep. Anchors are at work whenever they’re dropped. Wherever they’re dropped.

Even if you’re not a sailor, odds are, you actually have one.

You just might not know it.

It’s funny to me though. The whole idea of anchors. Because they really are very different. Both in make and model. Their purpose is the same, and they accomplish the same goals, but that doesn’t mean they’re all the same.

Because they definitely aren’t.

Not at all.

Primal Passion

I think passion is built in a person. Not inherent. Sure, we’ve all got some kindling inside us. A means to make the fire, but kindling is useless without flame.

Something has to ignite us.

And even then, your passion differs.

For some, it’s a drive to be the best. To become number one. For someone else, it might be an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. The desire to know. And yet, for some, they become passionate about something else. A sport, or a game. A show, or a movie.

And for others it’s a person.

They become passionate about someone.

And for various reasons.

You like their brains, how smart they are. When you’re clueless, they swoop in and use that mega-mind of theirs to save you. Or maybe you like how strong they are. Not in a muscular sense. You like that nothing can break them. They never back down. Always stick to their guns. You might even think it’s their best feature–and you might even be right. Or, you might like their smile. That, in and of itself, can be a reason for being passionate about someone.

You can like a lot of things about a person. And a lot of things can make you passionate about someone. But even then, the passion you can have for someone differs from person to person.

Sometimes the passion is fiery. An admiration that sets you on fire every time you’re in their general vicinity. An instinct to reach out and touch them, even just a little, to link yourself to them.

Sometimes the passion is like a river. It just keeps flowing out for them in a cooling sort of way. You do your best to replenish them, because they do the same for you. I think, more or less, that’s more like a passion for friendship–a particular one, not for friendship in general, of course.

Sometimes the passion is like a rock.

Yes, like a rock.

Doesn’t seem like it makes sense, does it?

Passion is supposed to be this burning thing. This thing that makes and moves everything. Pushes forward no matter what.

But, sometimes, the thing you’re passionate about doesn’t need movement. Doesn’t need burning. Doesn’t require desire or anger or flames in your veins.

Sometimes they just need something immovable.