NICKEL

NICKEL

By: Terri Talley Venters

Mary volunteered diligently at the Foundation for Hodgkin’s Disease. Her skills with accounting and Quick books made her an invaluable resource to the charitable organization.

Mary prayed for the families of these cancer patients. Although the chemotherapy administered to her beloved husband proved ineffective, she prayed these cancer patients saw more successful results than her dearly departed, Daniel.

Nearly ten years had elapsed since her husband’s untimely death at the age of thirty four. She threw her grief into her prayers and received her calling. She started volunteering her services at the Foundation as a form of penance. Not penance for her, but penance for the foundation.

The doctors at the foundation assured her of Daniels’s admittance into the clinical trial for the break-though cancer drug. However, some bureaucratic bullshit kept him out of the trials and he passed away as a result of the foundation’s crucial mistake. Mary hated the foundation ever since, and started taking her revenge the first week she started volunteering.

Mary entered the dummy invoices she created into Quick Books. The foundation spent so much money on lab work, that another $9,000 every week went unnoticed. Using the software, she made the checks payable to the bogus lab company. But instead of printing the checks as written in Quick Books, she hand wrote the actual checks, made payable to herself.

She knew the names of the payee didn’t appear on the bank statements. Besides, she was the only one who looked at the statements anyway, Mary’s scheme worked as long as no one reviewed copies of the cancelled checks. The Foundation’s Board of Director’s only looked at the account balance online and reviewed the financial statements which she prepared monthly. As long as the cash balance per bank reconciled with the balance per books, no questions arose.

Her prior career as a CPA made her an invaluable, “free resource” to the foundation. She did everything on the financial side. It surprised her to learn no one ever reviewed her work at all. The frugality of the board to pay anyone, combined with Mary’s trusting appearance, raised no cause for concern or the hiring an Independent Auditor.

Going to the bank weekly to deposit the fraudulent checks proved easy. Given her occupation and work attire, no one questioned her large deposits each week. Mary applauded her brilliance for making each check just under $10,000. The bank only reported deposits in excess of $10,000 to the IRS. She never even paid taxes on her ill-gotten gains, just on the interest it earned.

It only took a few years to accumulate enough to run away with. She could’ve stopped years ago when her account balance fell just short of two million dollars, but she couldn’t stop. Just one more check and she’d make her escape. Now she prayed, not for stealing from a charitable foundation, but prayed her greed didn’t get her caught.

“Sister Mary, we need to talk,” the priest said, staring at the nun who’d embezzled millions.

“Yes, Father Dean?” Mary asked. She stood up, adorned in the traditional black habit. She saw two strange men standing authoritatively next to the priest. Mary grasped her crucifix necklace, silently praying for forgiveness.

“Sister Mary, would you like me to hear your confession before these gentlemen question you about the foundation’s finances?” the priest asked in his kind and gentle manner.

“Yes, Father Dean,” Mary said, looking down shamefully for what she’d done.

“Don’t worry, Mary,” Father Dean said, looking at his favorite Nun through disappointed, yet forgiving eyes. “You will serve a steep penance, but you will be forgiven. If I had a nickel for every time someone broke the eighth commandment, Thou Shall Not Steal.”

Phosphorus’s Glow and Life’s Oxygen

Phosphorus’s Glow and Life’s Oxygen

By Cherie Reich

Linia cocked her head to listen for Griffon or her friend Barinia, but she could no longer hear them. Good. She was far enough away from them. All their smooching had grated on her last nerve. Some camping trip they’d had.

She crept closer to the sleeping draken. Pegasiflies buzzed around it in lazy circles, and the draken’s feather-tipped tail swished to swat them away. Steam floated from its nostrils. A leafy frond blocked her entrance to the animal’s nest, but she easily shoved the leaf aside and entered. If she couldn’t get to the cave, then she wouldn’t be able to check out the supposed hieroglyphics inside. No draken or annoying Griffon was going to stop her.

Her toes sought out each step. One wrong move and the draken would awaken. Heat and the scent of rotten eggs greeted her at the cave’s entrance. Her nose wrinkled, and she pressed her hand under her nostrils. Disgusting! But it didn’t deter her as she scurried into the cavern.

Darkness collapsed around her. She gulped and held out a hand to feel her way. Why didn’t she bring something for light? Or at least her backlit Litras? She tugged her lower lip between her teeth. If she left now and returned, it might be too late. The draken wouldn’t stay asleep forever.

Indecision seized her in its icy grasp. But what was that glow farther back? Curiosity broke the spell, and she stumbled forward. The faint white luminescence of the phosphorus rocks lit the cave. And upon these stones were the hieroglyphs.

“Wow,” she whispered to herself. Her fingers hovered over the ancient markings. If only she had time to decipher them . . .

The ground rumbled, and she bumped against the rock. Was it a cave in? A tremor?

No, it was much worse. Reddish eyes flashed from the cave’s entrance as the draken snorted.

Oh, no!

The creature slipped into the cave, its nose sniffing the air. Did drakens eat Perseans? Linia didn’t know, but she didn’t really want to find out either. Her back pressed against rough stone. Should she run for it? The draken blocked the entrance, but could find another way out?

Roar!

Flames burst from the draken’s mouth, and Linia screamed as heat lapped around her. She would die here.

“Please, stop.” Her words couldn’t have any effect on the beast, but it did stop and look at her. She held up her hands. “I don’t mean you any harm.”

The draken lowered and leaned its feathered head closer to her hands. Did it understand her? Could she befriend it?

“It’s okay,” she whispered, fear draining from her and pooling at her feet.

Then, blue light filled the entrance. She gasped. “No!”

The draken tensed and trembled as electricity flowed through it. When it collapsed upon the ground and the light vanished, tears streamed down Linia’s face.

“Are you okay?” Griffon jogged into the cave and wrapped his arms around her.

“You k-killed it.” She breathed in snot.

“It was going to eat you. What were you thinking about running off like that? Barinia and I’ve been looking for you.” His words gave her no comfort, and she shoved away from him.

“The draken wasn’t hurting me, and I’m fine.” She slapped away her tears. “How could you do it, Griffon?”

He shook his head. “You sure know a great way to treat your shining savior. How about giving me a kiss for saving you?”

Her fingernails dug into her palms. She’d rather punch him in the mouth than kiss him. Instead, she pushed past him and scurried around the poor draken. The tears burned her eyes again. How could he do that?

“Where’re you going?”

“Leave me alone.” She picked up her pace and brushed away the pegasiflies swarming the entrance.

“Linia?”

At the sound of her name, she ran from the cave and Griffon. The hieroglyphics were forgotten, but Griffon’s actions were not. She didn’t even stop when she saw Barinia as she packed her belongings to leave.

The image of that electrocuted creature singed her mind and crushed her heart.

*

 

Alezandros grabbed Sophisa’s hand and helped her over building rubble. Her gloved fingers tightened around his. He breathed deeply as the mask rustled against his nostrils. The cold Medusan air would freeze their nose hairs, if they didn’t wear the masks, but he regretted it hid her pretty face. Her long locks writhed along her back and stroked his arm. In some ways, she was more beautiful now than any time before.

“Isn’t this wonderful?” he asked her.

Her green eyes pierced into him, but he didn’t detect her general warmth. “I don’t know why you like coming out here, Alezandros. It’s cold and scary.”

“Well, it is cold out here,” he said as they walked hand in hand along the old city paths. His foot knocked a rusted-out can out of the way. “But scary? No, not really. Everything’s dead out here. It’s just the leftovers of our civilization.”

“Leftovers . . .” She scoffed. “Why couldn’t we have a normal date? It’d be nice to return to Bellami’s.”

“Bellami’s is great, but what about adventure? It’s not every day we get to come to the surface.” He pressed her gloved hand to his mask. If only he could kiss it through the fabrics. “Come on, this isn’t really that bad, is it?”

“Well . . . I suppose not.” She lightened up a little bit. “I suppose it is kinda—”

Grr!

“What was that?” Her voice rose in pitch.

Alezandros pulled her closer. His heart pounded with excitement instead of fear. Could something exist at the end of their world? “I’m not sure.”

“Let’s go.” She tugged on his arm.

“Wait a minute.” He didn’t budge when the kanog emerged from an abandoned building.

Its purple tongue lolled from its mouth. Its fur was patchy, and Alezandros could count every bone in its body, if he wanted. Weren’t kanogs extinct? He’d never seen one except in old pictures. His grandparents had had some of the last ones as pets.

The creature growled again.

“Alezandros,” Sophisa whined.

 “Wait. This could be the last of its kind. We should help it.” He extracted himself from her grasp and crept toward the animal. “Shh, it’s okay, boy. We won’t hurt you.”

“Don’t go near it.” She didn’t follow him closer.

The kanog lowered and bared its sharp teeth. The growling increased until it barked.

“It’s okay,” he said again as he reached out a hand toward it. If they could take it back . . .

The creature leapt toward his hand and sunk its teeth into it.

He cried out, jerking his hand away from its fangs as the growling stopped with a quick yelp and nothing.

A stone kanog stood poised for action, as if it never existed.

Alezandros spun around, blood flying from his injured hand. “What did you do that for?”

Sophisa’s eyes widened as if he slapped her. “That monster bit you! You could have an infection now. We need to get you to a healer.”

“I’ll heal just fine on my own.” His hand stung, but the kanog was probably just hungry and scared. It didn’t mean to hurt him. Besides, Medusans were fast healers. It wasn’t like it tore off his merdre limb!

“Let’s go back underground.” He no longer wanted to be up here with her. Her reaction seemed to suck the oxygen from his lungs.

“Good,” she said with as much finality as he did.

Alezandros glanced back at the frozen creature. Poor thing. If only he had done something differently, the kanog might still be alive. He shook his head in dismay.

They left without holding hands.

Defying Gravity by Cherie Reich

Book Description: Homesick upon the SS Perseid, Linia, a young linguist, thinks she signed up for a mission of peace, but her crew members have another plan: attack the planet Medusa.

Bored with his dying planet, Alezandros, a space cruiser pilot, joins the Medusan Army in his quest for adventure.

When the SS Perseid clashes with the Medusans’ space cruisers, Alezandros and Linia’s lives intertwine. Sucked through a wormhole, they crash upon a post-apocalyptic Earth and are captured by cannibals. In adjacent cells, Alezandros and Linia cast their differences aside for a common bond: escape. But when romantic feelings emerge between them, they might do the unthinkable because for a Medusan and a Persean to fall in love, it would defy gravity.

Book Links: Surrounded by Books Publishing http://sbbpublishingandeditorialservices.wordpress.com/

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13446448-defying-gravity

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0077DBKS4

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0077DBKS4  

Amazon DE https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0077DBKS4

Amazon FR https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0077DBKS4

Amazon IT  https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0077DBKS4

Amazon ES  https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0077DBKS4

Author Bio: Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor and library assistant. She enjoys writing horror, fantasy, and mysteries, but she doesn’t let that stop her from trying other genres. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her e-books include Once Upon a December Nightmare, The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk, and Defying Gravity. She is a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Valley Writers and placed third in Roanoke Valley’s BIG READ writing contest.

Author Links:  Website http://cheriereich.webs.com

Blog http://cheriereich.blogspot.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorcheriereich

Twitter @bookworm0753 https://twitter.com/#!/bookworm0753

         
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/112299073711170994514/posts

SILICON

SILICON

By: Terri Talley Venters

　

You are cordially invited to a Valentines’ Day Party

February 14, 1913

8 o’clock in the evening

At the beach home of Jeb and Shelby McAlister

In St. Augustine, Florida

Priscilla squealed with excitement as she danced in circles, delighted to receive the coveted Valentines’ Day party invitation hosted by her friends, twins Jeb and Shelby. Priscilla, along with everyone else fortunate enough to attend, looked forward this annual party of the season. The tradition started several years ago when Jeb and Shelby’s parents wanted society to mingle with their teenage children on Valentines’ Day in hopes to find good matches for their twins amongst the children of their wealthy friends.

Everyone anticipated an engagement between Priscilla and Jeb. In fact Priscilla let Jeb kiss her on the beach at last year’s Valentines’ Day party. Although she’d hoped for a proposal last year, she understood the delay since he and his twin sister, along with their parents, departed for Europe a few days after last year’s party.

Priscilla worried why he never wrote to her during this last year. She feared Jeb’s parents would try to marry him off to a lady of nobility during their Grand Tour. She read the social pages everyday and felt thankful to hear no news of him. Her heart would break if she learned Jeb got engaged to another woman.

It didn’t surprise her to not see him since last year. The McAlister’s lived in Philadelphia, while Priscilla and her family lived in New York. But like most wealthy families, they spent their winters in Florida. They took the Florida East Coast railroad to St. Augustine, Florida and stayed in the luxurious Ponce De Leon Hotel. Since the beaches in Florida were so beautiful, many wealthy families built their winter homes here including the McAlister family.

Valentines’ Day finally arrived and Priscilla arrived at the McAlister’s enormous beach home located on the inlet leading into St. Augustine. Her full-length, red satin gown would normally appear inappropriate on an unmarried woman, but her mother acquiesced and allowed Priscilla to borrow hers for this special evening.

Priscilla walked up the steps of the party and felt breathless at the sight of everyone wearing their finery--the women in beautiful gowns and jewels and the men in coats with tails and top hats. She entered the beautiful home and fantasized about her future with Jeb. She pictured herself wearing the latest fashions from Paris, adorned with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires, depending on which gown she chose. But the best part about her fantasy life was the title of Mrs. Jeb McAlister.

She entered the enormous ballroom and immediately searched for Jeb. She took the glass of champagne handed to her by a servant, but ignored the scrumptious buffet meticulously laid out in the formal dinning room of the mansion. She knew eating like a field hand repulsed most gentlemen, along with her waistline. She saw many of her friends which delighted her, but she saw no sign of any of the McAlister’s.

“Priscilla, darling, how wonderful to see you. Have you met Matthew Oxford of Boston?” Madeline asked, kissing her cheeks to greet her friend since childhood.

“Of course, I remember Mr. Oxford. How do you do?” Priscilla asked. She raised her gloved-hand and allowed him to kiss the silken fabric protecting her delicate fingers.

“How do you do, Priscilla. How wonderful to see you again. I was just telling Madeline how sorry I was to hear about her husband who went down on the Titanic last April,” Matthew said.

“I’m so sorry for your loss, Madeline. And how unfortunate I must again compete with the beautiful Madeline Astor. How can I possibly land a fine husband when every eye is on you tonight,” Priscilla said.

“Thank you, Priscilla. But I’m afraid you outshine me in your beautiful red gown,” Madeline said.

“Madeline and I were just discussing how the tragedy of so many lost souls on the Titanic increased my business last year,” Matthew said.

“How interesting. It’s good to hear something positive derived from such a tragedy,” Priscilla said. She tried to hide her shock to hear a man discussing business in front of ladies. But his breach of etiquette reminded her of Matthew’s “nouveau riche” status.

“Mr. Oxford makes headstones for a living and his father owns a granite quarry,” Madeline said, catching Priscilla up on the conversation while sharing her misery of the dreadful tale.

“You see, tombstones are made from granite, although granite is composed 65% of silicon dioxide,” Matthew said.

Priscilla forced her eyes not to close with boredom from this dreadful conversation. She needed to find Jeb without appearing rude. “Sounds fascinating, Matthew. Although I don’t care to ever see another tombstone again, I’d love to hear more about the tombstone making business. But if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to search for our host, young Mr. McAlister,” Priscilla said.

Priscilla walked out to the beach and stood in the same spot where Jeb had kissed her one year ago tonight. She missed him terribly and felt disappointed she hadn’t seen him at his own party. She understood his duties as a host, but she thought it rather odd that no one saw either Jeb or Shelby at tonight’s party. In fact, no one saw or heard from the McAlister’s since last year’s party.

She looked out at the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean and thought of all the lost people who perished when the Titanic sank last spring. Priscilla prayed to see her beloved again. “Oh, Jeb, I miss you terribly. I love you and I want to be your wife more than anything in the world. Please come back to me.”

Priscilla couldn’t believe her eyes at the sight before her. As her vision watched the circling lights of the lighthouse across the bay, she saw a figure standing on the rocks. He looked like Jeb. She blinked her eyes and thought her prayers were finally answered. Her heart knew the image she craved to see again belonged to her beloved, Jeb McAlister.

She walked towards him and yelled, “Jeb.”

He looked at her without saying a word. He started walking towards the house and Priscilla followed him. Although it thrilled her to see him again, it concerned her when he didn’t come to her now. After an entire year apart, she felt disappointed at his lack of response. She’d expected Jeb to take her into his arms because he missed her as much as she missed him.

She watched Jeb head to the house and couldn’t keep up with his fast pace. She watched him walk through the open front door, almost knocking over a late arriving guest. He didn’t even stop to greet him. What happened to his manners?

Priscilla ran into the house and screamed “Jeb, Jeb, please wait, it’s me, Priscilla.”

“Did you see Jeb?” someone asked.

“Yes, he walked right through the front door a few seconds ago. Didn’t you see him too?” Priscilla asked as she looked through the crowded party to search for Jeb.

“No, in fact no one has seen Jeb, Shelby, or their parents tonight,” the other guest said.

“Look, there he is. Jeb is so tall; I can easily spot his top hat from here. But what’s the white thing around his neck? It looks like a life jacket,” Priscilla asked.

“Wouldn’t surprise me if Jeb decided to take a midnight sail by the Castillo de San Marco. But I don’t see him. Where is he?” Matthew asked.

“Look, he’s right there going out the back door. He’s probably headed towards his boat. It’s docked at the rear of the property,” Priscilla said, pointing towards Jeb.

“Hey, everyone, Jeb is taking us on a midnight sail in the harbor. Follow the man in a top hat and life preserver and grab bottle of champagne,” Matthew said.

“Hurrah!” the party guests cheered in unison as they headed out the back of the house.

“Where is he? I don’t see him,” everyone asked.

“He’s right there. How can you not see him? Everyone, follow me,” Priscilla said.

She led the party outside, and everyone screamed in horror at the sight before them. Four new granite gravestones now occupied the backyard. Priscilla immediately read the engraving on the third marker. She now knew why she never heard from Jeb again.

Here lies Jeb McAlister

Beloved Son and Brother

Born Jan 18, 1888

Lost at sea on the H.M.S, Titanic

April 15, 1912

Body Of Gold

BODY OF GOLD

By: Terri Talley Venters

 

Even in this post-Bernie Madoff era, it’s surprising how easily investors unknowingly hand over their money to con artists, also known as money managers. Chelsea Lynn Cobb earned the title of the youngest hedge-fund manager at Trans World Investments in Chicago. This charming southern beauty proved a financial genius, but her workaholic tendencies hinder her free time to meet men who match her impossibly high standards. When she’s not kicking ass at the office, she’s kicking ass at her Taekwondo class where she falls for her new instructor, Troy Camden. With the exciting distraction of a new and passionate relationship, she spends less time at the office until she discovers financial scams operating at Trans World. Someone is stealing millions from investors, but the evidence points towards her.

Body of Gold

Coming soon from

Frey's Bower

http://www.freyasbower.com/



THORIUM

THORIUM

By: Terri Talley Venters

 

 

“Hi, Honey, I’m home,” Dave said, walking through his front door after work. He kissed his wife and toddler son, tossing little Dave’s blonde, curly locks.

“Need anything from the fridge while I get my beer?” Dave asked.

“Yes, I’ll have a Guinness with you, it’s been a long, exhausting day,” Carly said.

Dave opened the refrigerator door, retrieved two pint-sized cans, and closed the door in record time to keep the cold air inside. He performed this ritual automatically. The days of opening the refrigerator door for several seconds while debating what to eat or drink felt like a lifetime ago.

“What happened today? And why are so many lights on?” Dave asked, trying to hold back his anger at the blatant waste of their precious electricity ration.

“It’s Little, Dave. He can reach the light switch standing on his tippy toes. He thinks it’s fun to turn them on, but he’s not tall enough to turn them back off,” Carly said.

“Do you have any idea how much electricity is used when you leave a light on? That’s why we have the battery powered lanterns and flashlights,” Dave said.

“I’m sorry, I’ll tape them down or something so he won’t do it again. It’s impossible to explain to a two-year old why we can’t waste electricity by leaving the lights on,” Carly said.

“We need most of our monthly kilowatt allotment to charge my electric car every night so I can drive to work. We’re all making sacrifices during this energy crisis,” Dave said.

“I had to use the last of our gas in my car to take little Dave to the doctor today,” Carly said, fighting back the tears as she waited for her husband’s inevitable wrath.

“What? You drove your car today and used up our gas. We can’t fill up the tank until next week. What were you thinking? Now you can’t be with your mother during her chemotherapy tomorrow, ” Dave said.

Little Dave began to cry at the sound of his daddy’s loud voice. He ran to his mommy and clung to her legs for protection.

“It’s okay, Little Dave,” Carly cooed into her son’s ear as she scooped him up into her loving, protective arms. She used every ounce of willpower to restrain herself from screaming at her husband for yelling in front of their son.

“For your information, Dave’s asthma flared up today from his cold. I took him to the emergency room because he could barely breathe. They gave him Prednisone and several breathing treatments to save his life. Don’t you ever scream at me in front of our son ever again. And stop treating me like a child every time I use the car. It’s not like I go shopping or get my nails done with it. I only drive when absolutely necessary,” Carly said. Her maternal instincts took over, evident in the seriousness of her tone and evil look in her eye.

“Woah, chill woman, I’ve never seen you look so angry before. I’m sorry I yelled at you and I’m sorry for second guessing your judgment. It’s been such a hard year for all of us,” Dave said. He walked to his wife and took her into his arms, embracing her with a strong hug.

“Daddy, you’re squishing me,” Little Dave said, looking up at his parents in tears.

“Oh, time for the news,” Carly said.

She turned on the battery-powered radio, praying for good news today. She couldn’t remember the last time she watched television or cooked on the stove. She felt like they permanently camped in their house using only battery powered lights and cooking their meals outside on the charcoal grill.

“This breaking news just in. Scientists at the Thorium-based nuclear reactor in New York always believed the energy stored in the earth’s thorium reserves is greater than what is available from all other fossil and nuclear fuels combined. The major strides in their exhaustive research efforts finally succeeded today. The bottom line is, we now have an abundant, inexpensive, clean source of energy. We will never need to rely on another country for our energy needs ever again. Effective immediately, the gas rations are now lifted, along with the electricity kilowatt allotment,” the newscaster said.

“Oh, my God, the energy crisis is over,” Carly screamed with excitement.

She jumped up and down and hugged her husband and son tightly. Tears of happiness poured down her cheeks because their prayers, along with millions of other Americans, were finally answered. Thorium, named after the Norse God of Thunder, saved them all.

Just then, the sound of thunder crackled the sky, a sign from the heavens above.

MAGNESIUM

MAGNESIUM

By: Terri Talley Venters

“We must be getting close, I see the magnesium veins in the rock walls,” Victoria said. She led her boyfriend/colleague down a labyrinth cave system outside of Paris, France.

“Let’s be careful, we don’t want to ignite this mine,” Tommy said. His sandy-blonde hair glowed in the beam of light from Victoria’s headlight. His untamed curls framed his handsome, green-eyed face.

“We’re fine, we’re using battery powered lights, not gasoline lanterns,” Victoria said. She pointed to the light on her headband covering her long dark hair.

They came to a mining tunnel and stared incredulously at the low height.

“Why would they make such short tunnels? We’re going to have to crawl through on our hands and knees,” Tommy said.

“I thought you liked me on my knees,” Victoria smiled, teasing her man.

“You owe me a back rub later for making me hunch over like Quasimodo to get down here,” Tommy said. He smiled suggestively at Victoria, winking at the recollection of prior rub downs and where they often led.

Tommy stared into Victoria’s ice-blue eyes and couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be, than cave exploring with his beautiful girlfriend and fellow archaeologist.

They crawled through the shaft for a hundred yards. Just as Victoria felt claustrophobic, the tunnel opened up to a large cavern. Victoria stood upright again and brushed the debris off of her toned limbs.

The cavern appeared as is if someone currently mined it. The scaffolding and ladders went from the floor to the fifty-foot ceiling.

Tommy shined his flashlight along the cavern walls, its beams bounced off of its treasure like tiny prisms.

“Are those?” Victoria asked.

“Diamonds,” Tommy said, finishing her sentence. He retrieved a small chisel from his excavation kit and tapped at the rock surrounding the precious gem. A diamond as big as his fist dropped into his eager hands.

“Incredible, look at all of them. The diamonds I can see in the room alone must be worth a billion Euros,” Victoria said.

“I never knew such an abundant supply existed, and in France,” Tommy said.

“I wonder who owns all of this? They must be withholding to avoid flooding the market and deflating the price of diamonds,” Victoria said.

“You know, I think I know who owns this, assuming the land owners above also own the mineral rights. Look at what is located directly above us,” Tommy said. He handed Victoria his hand-held, techie-nerd GPS device.

“We’re right below Euro Disney,” Victoria said.

“I feel bad for stealing from a mouse. But this will fund our digs for the rest of our lives,” Tommy said as he pocketed the diamond.

“Shhh, I hear something,” Victoria said. She ducked behind a mining cart and hid from the intruder. She grabbed Tommy’s strong bicep and yanked him down beside her.

“Oh, crap! Who are these men? They look like, no, it can’t be,” Tommy said. His chiseled-jaw dropped to the floor, along side Victoria’s.

They stared incredulously as a group of miners entered the gem mine. Their short stature and bearded faces made them look comical, yet familiar. They sang a catchy tune as they started their work shift.

“They’re dwarves,” Tommy said, without taking his eyes off of the unique, yet unmistakable workers before him.

“This explains the short height of the mining tunnels and scaffolding. They look just like…” Victoria said, cut off by Tommy’s words.

“I know, only there’s more than seven working here today,” Tommy said.

Victoria and Tommy watched the dutiful dwarves arrive to start their shift. They grabbed their pickaxes and prepared for their day digging diamonds and precious gems out of the rocks beneath Euro Disney outside of Paris, France.

They continued singing the familiar song in unison “Hi Ho….”

WATER

WATER

By: Terri Talley Venters

　

Minerva awoke to the soothing sounds of the sea, just as she did each morning. As an early riser, she thrived on the solitude of her early morning swim. She meandered through the palace as her family slumbered. Arriving at the terrace, she jettisoned herself into the peaceful serenity of the open water.

She began her routine at mach speed, waking her body and mind up as her lithe form cut through the water like a spear. Feeling invigorated from the aqua sprint, she dove towards the depths of the sea.

She swam at the ocean bottom, admiring the tiny seahorses with their tails wrapped around the plant branches. The sand, undisturbed, sparkled as the rays of the morning sun breached the water's surface, illuminating the ocean floor.

Minerva froze, spotting a great white shark a hundred yards away. She prayed the carnivorous creature wouldn’t sense her presence. He appeared occupied with a bloody carcass at the surface. Her eyes scanned the surface above her as more sharks joined the great white and his feeding frenzy.

A dark shadow loomed over her, blocking sun’s rays. Scared, Minerva looked up, knowing the shadow’s source before she verified the terrifying object above her--a boat.

She swam away and headed home, wishing she’d never left the safety of Atlantis. But a wall of rope came towards her, it extended from the surface to the floor with its sides angled towards her.

She knew the dangers of the net; she’d witnessed it capture her fellow Atlantians. She retreated backwards, away from the dangers of mankind’s fishing net. She sensed a presence behind her. Fearful, she turned to face yet another enemy, the great white shark.

The enormous creature swam towards Minerva, trapping her between the net and his carnivorous intentions. He lunged towards her, but missed her in his closed-eye frenzy. She darted around the great beast, never taking her eyes off of the predator. She realized her mistake as the ropes of the net caught her fin.

The shark floated away in retreat, thus avoiding the net. But Minerva saw the net close around her struggling form. She stopped wiggling as the hopelessness sank in. Tears flowed as the net lifted her up towards the surface.

Crunched together with a mixture of fish, she saw the morning sun as the net rose Minerva out of the water and onto the wooden deck of the fishing boat.

“Captain, we’ve caught a mermaid!”