THE DAY TIME STOPPED: A CHRISTMAS STORY_Forbidden to the Tongue but not Forgotten in the Mind_Downst
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THE DAY TIME STOPPED: A CHRISTMAS STORY
Ashley Burnham awoke on December 24th with her heart aflutter in anticipation of her family’s Christmas Eve celebration planned for that night. She had no prewww.onedoor.ccmonition that the world as she knew it in the twenty-first century would be in chaos before any Christmas celebrations began.It was a tradition in her family’s church to have Christmas Eve service during the day of Christmas Eve, because most of the congregation’s families celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve in their homes. That morning her family gathered for breakfast and then dressed in their church clothes, piled into the family car...
Forbidden to the Tongue but not Forgotten in the Mind
I was eight years old when she forbade me to do it. My grandmother Martha was then a widow in her early fifties. I am not sure about her exact age then. When she saw me standing behind a tree in the backyard, she made her way quickly over to me, and said in no uncertain terms. “I absolutely forbid you to ever mention what you have seen today. As long as I live, I don’t want anyone in the family to say they heard you talk about this. Do you understand, Donald?” I hesitated for maybe a second and a half, and she said again, a little louder this time. “Do you understand, Donald?” I nodded repeat...
Downstate
“Would you rather know when you’re going to die or how you’re going to die?” Cole quizzes me.He’s white knuckle gripping the steering wheel of his car and staring ahead through the cloudy windshield. He glances sideways at me, green eyes darting in my direction before returning to the road.The radio’s been off for over an hour. The only thing I hear is the low hum of the engine. The sun is sinking lower in the sky as we make our way downstate. I stare out the window at the passing trees, blurring into one inky green mass, and consider the weight of his question.We’ve been dating for nearly thr...
The Sweater That Didn't Happen
The Sweater That Didn’t HappenAudrey, 18, at an all-girls school, had her mind on boys all the darn time, Audrey determined she’d have to find something to fill her nights besides fantasies about imaginary boys. Bev knew how to knit, said it was easy and she’d teach Audrey. Knitting wasn’t easy for Audrey. Her fingers froze on the needles. She couldn’t concentrate. Knitting wasn’t fun. It was a chore. The little potholder Bev started her with looked like someone with a bad cold had used it for a hanky.Audrey had fallen for Pete last month, December. He’d, along wi...