She picked up the rock and on the other side the word believe

The toy box was too full, really. Over the last several decades many little hands had contributed toys, all of them tattered, all of them too well-loved. As small lost children had turned into big clever adults, the teddy bears and baby dolls and cars and trains had been left behind as a final offering to the god all children worship and all adults abandon. There comes a time in every life when we are too smart to believe in magic and fairies and Santa Claus, but she had held on longer than most. The toy she was leaving behind was a little plastic ballerina, paint fading in places and completely gone from the toes. There was a stone out by the front walk of the orphanage, emblazoned “Believe”, which she had touched with her toe everyday of her life. Today she did not.

By Abby Eskew

*****

A Message

It started a shitty day. The toilet ran over and spilled its nasty contents on the floor. The dog carried in a rat, close to death. The two year old was teething and protested with loud howl. At the breakfast table the six and eight year old off springs not only spilled the milk but also the orange juice all over the clean floor.

Finally the school-bus came to fetch the two older chi8ldren.l A neighbor came over to get the two year-old. A plumber was called who could only come in the afternoon.

She stood in the house and looked at the mess.

‘I’ll take a walk,’ she thought and headed out the door.

At the end of the driveway a rock caught her attention. Why, she did not know. She picked it up and on the other side she read the word ‘Believe.’

By Ellynore Smith