Recentering
It was for the best, parting ways. I didn’t like how his father treated his mother. I didn’t like feeling like that was the model he decided to emulate in…
B. Booth
50 stories written on Ficly, 2009–2011, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0. Their page on ficly.com
Guilty
Shugo’s laugh echoed across the garden, and I sat brazenly on his chest, my robes rucked up to my knees. I was still waving my prize triumphantly as several…
Swift Feet
We burst into the gardens in a hasty tumble of giggles and brocade; I’d long since forgotten about behaving decorously, once more the young girl who beat all…
Stealth
I picked my way cautiously along the hallways behind Shugo, trying not to jump at every sound the palace made as we crept past. If someone saw us, it wouldn’t…
Fireflies
Shugo’s quiet contemplation of the night sky suddenly shifted to a wicked grin. “Let’s go catch fireflies,” he decided. I forgot to behave properly and sat…
Nostalgia
Shugo stepped past the curtains and settled himself comfortably on the floor before I could fetch a silk cushion for him. He waved off my flustered look as I…
It Takes Two
I stared down at the sparkling ring on my finger the entire plane ride home. It had been a long eighteen months of dating, and should have ended the second…
Movie Night
It was raining. At least, I hoped it was - between the old horror movie on the TV and the freezing temp of the room, I wasn’t about to leave my protective nest…
Holiday Funk
I hate the holidays. Sure, it’s great to be handed a bunch of stuff you might actually want (and I won’t turn my nose up at free socks), but all the stress and…
Saying Goodbye
He just looked asleep. I couldn’t get over that fact. He’d wake up any moment, now. “Do you want to hold his hand or anything?” Mom asked. I shook my head. “I…
Standard Procedure
“He died alone.” Mom’s stoic nurse-look faltered behind her tears. “I found him when I came home from work this afternoon. It’s standard procedure, if…
Grim Reality
“It’s not pretty,” Mom warned me, careful to stand between me and the family room. “He...” She paused, and I could see her training as a nurse kick in. “He…
Last Day
I stared at the tiny pixellated screen of my cell phone as I hung up, my mind racing. I had to get home, to see him one last time. It wasn’t right. I’d spoken…
Way of Life
I can’t ever remember a time when he wasn’t sick - it was a fact of life. Daddy needs to sit down for a bit, Daddy’s going to bed early, Daddy can’t pick you…
Zephyr
I skim along the crests of the waves, kicking up caps of white foam. Soaring higher, I push the seagulls up from below, and with a mischievous whoosh send…
Justifiable Homicide
“Time to get up!” Ohgodwhattimeisit? I wonder, cracking one bleary eye to stare at the baleful red glow of my bedside alarm clock. “It’s only ten,” I mumble…
Portrayal
He slaps me as I reach for him, his face a mask of fury. I don’t believe he means it. He never does. Every night, when he hits me, throws me to the floor…
Masquerade
Ever feel disconnected from the world? Sure, there are the basic needs that never go away, like needing food or rest. But even in the midst of feeling angry…
Light of the Moon
I sighed as I studied my reflection in the polished brass mirror. The ‘gibbous moon’ look wasn’t very flattering, but it was the latest rage in women’s…
Something in the Water
I edged closer to the coffee machine, puzzled and wary. The machine that had been broken - everyone on the third floor was wailing and gnashing their teeth…