BuzzinGnat

The rain patters quietly on the roof, a lulling song of nourishment and life. I lift my glass of wine and smile, my eyes crinkling at the young woman across from me. Her fingers, graceful in their nervousness, pick at her tight fitting green skirt. "Cheers," she murmurs. "To us," I reply, hoping she laughs. Praying that she will laugh. Being the charming cynic the world has made her, Amanda grins broadly. "Here's looking at you, kid," she says. "And here's hoping Paris won't get invaded while we're visiting." "Here's hoping," she agrees. Our glasses clink, the clear sound tangling in the drapes of the four poster bed we sit upon. A flicke

Jody slipped from the saddle, her boots sliding on the rain-slick grass. After catching her balance, she raised her arms and screamed, letting all the anger and frustration out. No more smiling or laughing, no more whining and sighing, just simple mindless screaming. The gelding whinnied softly in protest, shifting his bulk from one hoof to another with a soft squish of muddy earth. The girl took a deep breath and screamed again, losing herself in the wild cry. Rain fell on her face, forcing her eyes to flicker and squint from the harsh splat of water. The gelding whuffled, its eyes rolling nervously. Jody let her scream fade across the brown

- Chapter 9 - As soon as the fight began, the man Rika and Cal were interviewing got up and went over to join the shouting crowd. Rika massaged her temples wearily. "I can't stand these quarriers," she murmured to Cal. "They're so unbearably crude." Cal nodded absently, his attention directed toward the fight, even though he couldn't see past the spectators. "We'll find someone, Rika." He began to slide out of his seat. "It sounds like that fight's getting out of hand. I better go break it up." "We should just leave," Rika urged, putting a hand on his arm. "We're wasting our time here. Let them kill each other if they want to." Cal