My Cardboard Balcony

They attributed my anger to adolescent angst, not atypical of anyone in my age range. This sincerely scorched my psyche, and I swore to seize the moment to mindfully meddle with any messy madness that my parents improperly prescribed to me in my youthful ire. It began with a bottle of bourbon at fifteen, and I never went back.

by Belinda Roddie For Heritage Day, Dad dressed me as a frost giant. It was not so bad as when he dressed me as Sigurd the Volsung for Hero Day - at least with the frost giant, people normally guessed Marvel or Thor. As it were, I was forced to carry around a club and wear a caveman-like tunic as everyone else marched around in clogs or tucked baguettes under their arms. "And where is your family from, Olivia?" my teacher asked candidly. I could hear the students giggle as I stood in front of them. I smirked. "While it looks like we were Neanderthals," I explained, "we're from the Scandinavian area. Norway, Sweden, the like." "I see." My teacher cocked an eyebrow at me. "And the outfit...?" I sighed. "Let's just say my dad's really into Norse mythology." "And the Thor movies, right, Olivia?" blurted out one student, causing more laughter. "Yes," I said, then sneered evil...

By the time security was called, Lily was gone, bounding over the fence and leaving skids of risen mud behind her heels. The rain was coming down heavier than ever, her wool mask damp and even itchier than before against her face. Leaping across one slope, she came to a halt by a clearing to gasp for air, only to hear her sister's voice beside her. "While you were running, I got the goods."

Tonight, I feel as if my brain is leaking from my ears, crammed with all the worries and thoughts I've regurgitated onto this blog in introspections past (future plans, potential teaching credential anxieties, financial woes, writing blocks, etc.). Because I don't want to repeat myself in my mental exhaustion, I'm just going to sleep and leave this the way it is. Have a great night and a great weekend, everyone.

"Caramel Kisses" is an unfinished novel I began to write back in 2009 and stopped working on in 2010. The two main characters - Adriana Maguire Reynard and Emma Burking - would ultimately be revised for my later completed novella, "The Liffey Is Half-Asleep," in 2011. Several elements of "Liffey" can be found in their original forms in "Caramel Kisses," such as the characters' names, the haiku scene, and Adriana's penchant for writing. Because of its influence on my later writing, I figured that this story, though incomplete, was worth sharing. Caramel Kisses: Chapter Nineteen by Belinda Roddie I bought an engagement ring at the small jewelry shop near the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce. The owner had been patient with me, even helpful, guiding me around the various panels of glass and presenting the gleaming love symbols underneath. Each jewel meant something different, each gold or silver band presenting some form of style. I waited...

The support system is breaking down, and no back-up is in sight. Say goodbye to your social media profiles, your dating sites, your video indulgences and your countless Google documents. There is no safe mode. There is no alternative. No alternative, save for eight. They carry keys. Keys to reboot the Internet. This is a true story. They will unlock the safe. They will bring all your small, insignificant fixes back to life.

She Smashed A Glass by Belinda Roddie She smashed a glass over my head and dragged me to the living room, my throat gone dry from screaming so loudly. My pant leg snagged against the carpet as I tried to pry my foot away from her grip. This was not a temper tantrum by my niece - no, this was a full-out breakdown, a raging hot explosion of her mind. Not simply pissed off, the girl was a whirlwind of fury, but furious at what, I could not say. My husband saved my life just before she got a hold of the poker, dusted gray, from the mantel, and I sobbed in despair as she fled, pulling shards out of my hair.