StorytellerChris

Rosey had never been afraid of falling. As a kid, she would climb trees higher than anyone else. She’d scrape her knees. She’d even laugh while getting back up. Because to her, failure wasn’t something to fear. It was proof she had tried. Evan stood at the base of the canyon, arms crossed, his face…

I close my eyes and taste the ocean air — salty, sharp, more wild than even me. It fills my lungs in a way that feels like I’m inhaling freedom itself. The breeze brushes against my skin, cool and soft. Much better than the stale, recycled air of life in prison. And though I can…

I can’t even look at my mom anymore. Because the eyes she once loved, she now hates. And I don’t blame her either. Because I’m no longer her little angel — I’m the reaper. It happened two years ago. Trey and I were on the front porch, talking about our dreams. Laughing. Waiting for her…

As I put these flowers at her headstone, I can’t help but let the weight of sorrow dampen my eyes. Not because my Grandma passed, but because I don’t think I can keep my promise to her. “I can’t do this alone.” Tonight, the rain feels heavier than usual. Almost too heavy to bear. The…

I wasn’t rich. I wasn’t poor. I wasn’t cute. I wasn’t ugly. I wasn’t tall, nor short. I was average. I’ve always been average. From my appearance to the clothes I’d wear to the life I lived. The only thing that wasn’t average was my dreams. And it was those dreams that made my aunt…

The window rolls down as a cloud of smoke reaches out to choke me. “Have you been drinking?” My brother smiles as he reaches out of the car and ruffles my hair. His eyes red from weed. His breath strong with the spirit of death. “I asked you a question!” I scream as I pull…

I close my eyes. The sound of people clinking glasses is beautiful, almost like wind chimes. Why, then, do I feel so unbearably sad? When I open my eyes and look around the table I see… Everyone I’m closest to. But how close is a thousand miles? Two shots. The first one feels like pain,…

Only another mile, I thought, keeping my head down. I watched each foot rise and fall, rise and fall, losing myself in the rhythm of it. I thought of what was on the other side of the mountain, and I remembered… …all the stories I grew up hearing. With each step, containing my excitement became…

Everyone has the ability to fly, but not everyone is capable of flying. That’s what my grandma always told me growing up. And I always thought I knew what she meant. But it wasn’t until my 18th birthday that I truly understood. “Wake up my blessing.” Those are the words I’d wake up to every…

The unfortunate thing about second chances is first you have to be lucky enough to get them. And those aren’t promised to everyone. I grew up in a place where people didn’t usually grow up at all. In a tiny house on the edge of two cities that smelled like garbage, blunts, and violence. My…