Red Canary Stories

  My paternal grandmother was always a superstitious woman, to the point where it was overbearing at moments. One thing she was very anal to us about was staying outside after the sun went down. "It's because wicked things always happen during those ungodly hours." That's what she told us often.   The night before my thirteenth birthday, my grandma suffered a terrible stroke. She was hospitalized for several weeks.  My younger sister, our cousin, and I were left to our own devices while dad and our Aunt Linda were at the hospital with grandma. Our mother was away on an important business trip during that time and was unable to return home. "Lauren, Maureen, Joshua, all three of you are old enough to stay home by yourselves now." Dad and Aunt Linda gave us a run down of their expectations. "You all need to be in before night fall. Are we clear?" They were very clear. "Call us before you three head to bed for the night." Dad and Aunt Linda...

  Beyond the birch tree woods, near the shores of a quiet lake, there is a cottage where a hermit lives. He loves the solitude and spends each day in his garden, by the window with watercolors or with a book. There is a cat, a canary, a donkey, and a turtle which keep him company during his self-exile.  "Oohhh!" The old Hermit stretches while he sits on the side of his cot. "It's that time of year again I see." He sighs heavily. It is that time of year for one day where the Hermit departs his humble abode and ventures into town. He has done it many times over the years since becoming a hermit. Even so, the anxiety he is experiencing only grows more crippling as the years go by. Toralei the calico-colored cat rubs against her owner's legs. She senses his stirring anxiety and tries her best to calm his nerves. It helps, but just a little. "It will be all right, my darling." He cradled Toralei in his arms and showers her with affection. The cat meows...

  They told Thalia she was too young, immature, and irresponsible to own a house. Despite their barrage of criticism, the determined young woman aspired to prove them wrong. And she did. Thalia bought her first house all on her own, silencing her naysayers. It was an older home, built in the Clapboard-style. The house sat at the end of a dead end street away from all the other homes in the neighborhood. Thalia’s house was not like the rest. Her was much older and its architectural style was simple. The other homes down the street were newer and more intricate in design. The original owner of Thalia’s house had it painted black while the other homes were colorfully vibrant. Its lack of charm made sense as to why it had stayed on the market for so long. Thalia's family and friends were turned off by her house. They didn't understand why she had taken a bizarre interest in it when there were better houses on the market. Thalia paid their opinions no mind. She didn’...

      Death & the Moon, Forever they push & pull. In their endless dance, They chase one another, But never able to catch the other.  Photo credit: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/bKr9Aa

  If you had met me back in my college days, I guarantee you wouldn’t have found me to be the most likable person. I rarely went to class and cared little about going. I was an undeclared student and made no attempts at trying to figure out what I wanted my major to be. I just didn’t want to go at all. It was my mother who forced me into going. She wanted me to get an education and do something, anything, with my life. Halfway through the semester, my first roommate dropped out. The second one was a little too unstable for my tastes and I immediately requested someone else. That’s how I came to know Paul. Paul was a chill dude. He was well known around the campus and popular. And while we got along well, I wouldn’t exactly refer to him as my friend . We were simply acquainted with one another. Sigma Tau Sigma was one of the many fraternities that operated on our campus. I couldn’t stand them. They were arrogant and they were elitist bastards. No one was ever good enough to ...