This is an intersection with fodschwazzle. His piece is here. The pieces may be read in either order.The gate opens when the ice melts. We can feel the shift, a day or two before it happens, down in the village -- a warming of the air, and the quiet creaking of the ice in the mountains, under its load ( Read more... )

We performed our act at night -- always at night ( Read more... )

I knew, on our first date, that I was going to marry you someday ( Read more... )

We met when we were children, being taught how to read by one of the village wisewomen ( Read more... )

for my grandfatherWhen Maddie is born, her granddad is the one to name her ( Read more... )

They come out just after sunset, before twilight, when the last light of the day has gone, but the stars have not come out yet, when the entire world has gone from being rose and gold to softer shades of blue. Them ( Read more... )

Sealskin

for fidgety

We first met when I saved him from drowning. He was on one of the boats, the ones that floated above us and left us largely undisturbed, concerned, as they were, with fishing, and not with fishing for usIt was a calm day, and we were playing close to the surface, when I saw him topple into the water. His boots filled and nearly ( Read more... )

When you're four, your mother sits you down to explain to you what your life will be like.

"Some people will try to tell you to feel bad about yourself," she says. "Because of..."

She hesitates, then skips over the because"The important thing to know is, you're not like the others, the ones they're trying to make feel bad about themselves. You ( Read more... )

I can't remember a time before I loved music. To be honest, I'm not sure it existed. My mom isn't big on music, but my dad is. He played all his favorite recordings for me in the womb, introduced me to all of his great loves. Mom taught me about poetry, later, and art, but Dad was the one to give me music ( Read more... )

Dar told me, on our first date, that I was the sort of person her parents would hate ( Read more... )