fact or fiction
Is it fact or merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the myths and beliefs we hold about our family dynamics, traditions, and if there's such thing as a 'perfect family.'
Momma's Little Black Book
It took a few minutes before I realized the smell of dinner burning was coming from our kitchen. Oh no. Heart racing, I ran for the oven and yanked it open to see if there was anything left to be salvaged before Momma walked in the front door. It didn’t do any good because the smoke that filled my face and lungs left me blinded and gagging for air.
By Riley Luviek5 years ago in Families
Fifteen hundred pound Bull
Here's one you won't normally hear, from my personal vault of only known by a few, true stories. Of all the adventures to have in life, in our modern world we found some untouched by time's movement into the modern era moments. In this one, a true story as I have said, I hope you see my Huck Finn-ishness combined with my Tom Sawyer-nese. Right out of circa 1887, we here in our small town found a test of manhood that most 12 or 13 year olds are not faced with in this world today. it was either 1990 or 1991, but I and my two pals, all three of us the same age had decided to walk a long distance in search of a ride home because we were slightly stranded in the vast landscape of our hometown. I had begun a discussion about tests of manhood and adventure. I told them this would test us. It didn't seem very strenuous or much of a test, we merely had to walk like ten miles. We couldn't quite sit still and wait plus our town is always teeming with traffic, the streets, less busy than many streets, allowed us to get away with walking these country roads with less fear of being hit by a car then. I was rambling on and on and the guys were just looking at me and listening so I was the first to see it and it astonished me. I think at that time my cousin was telling me that I wasn't God, that I dpn't always have the right answer. I was a 69 pound pip squeak by the way. But I have noted in my life time I have saved our life something like hundreds of times. I didn't want to alarm the boys because I knew that would disadvantage us. So, I think, I just calmly transitioned in story to, "Remember when I was talking about adventure and testing our manhood? Well, I may have unwittingly called a little more down upon us than I had intended, too." My cousin said, "What do you mean?" and Ryan just kept smiling. I remember Ryan hadn't said much during most of the talk he just listened and smiled. So, I answered my cousin. I said, "I don't want to alarm you because we need to keep a calm head right now." And he said, "Jimmmmmyyy." a little frustration in his tone. So I continued, "It's just that there is a fifteen hundred pound Bull right there." and they turned and looked, and I continued even more with "and that fence looks small and flimsy. I'm not sure how a fifteen hundred pound bull is kept confined by such a shabby fence. If he learns that he can turn that fence to matchsticks we are in trouble." And then my cousin said, "What do we do?" and there was no smile on Ryan's face anymore. So I said, "Keep walking a normal pace, I'm going to show you something. See, they say red makes a bull charge but I'm sure it isn't the color of the cloth at all. I think it is movement and he's staring at us, so, do you see that big tree over there? I'm going to to get that bull moving and we need to run to that tree and get behind it out of sight. So when I say, run fast to the tree." I turned so that I was walking backwards when I took off my ball cap before the bull could gently walk up to and through the fence and gave my ball cap a wave as I watched him. Then I said run, and we ran and it started to chase us. We got to the tree and around it and out of sight. My cousin asked, "Is it still coming after us?" And I said,"No." He said, "How do you know?" I said, "I didn't hear the fence break." I said, "Chuck, can you please carefully look around the tree to confirm that?" We called Ryan Chuck for a nickname. My cousin said, "What would you have done if it broke through the fence? I said, "I would have thrown you in that tree and made you pull me up and I would pull him up because bulls don't climb trees." At that point I peaked cautiously around the tree and the bull had lost interest and was heading back up the hill away from the tiny fence that somehow contained him. I looked at Ryan, who hadn't spoken in a very long time and said, "I guess I should have told you 'and report back to me what you see' huh? Because I guess when I said look to see you decided you would keep that information to yourself but I did want you to report it back to me. That's ok though." Then we walked back out from behind the tree down the road away from the large beast and my cousin asked, "What do we do if he chases us again?" I said, "Just keep walking steady, we could run to that house if we needed but I think we are far enough away to be less concerned and then we will be far enough to be unconcerned." We saw my uncle in his own yard just ahead and I asked him is it a little unusual for a fifteen hundred pound bull to be kept in a yard behind a fence that seems to be made of material as flimsy as a bunch of McDonald's straws strung together, especially so close to town?" And he said, "There's a bull?" And I said yeah right over there. It was at his neighbors house on the backside of Main Street and he didn't even know it, hadn't even seen it. He walked out to his car and looked down the road and you could see the visible shock on his face. I said ok, you might want to tell the police because it is so close tot the center of town and if it got loose and rampaged that wouldn't be good. I might tell them, also" And he said Yeah. Then I said have a nice day. And the three of us wandered on down the road. That is my hometown. A little bit 1700 something, a little bit 1800 something, a little bit 1950 and a little bit 1970. A crazy mix of time capsule country and a part of what made me.
By James M. Piehl5 years ago in Families
The Black Book
The scent of lavender permeated the air, making Abby suck in a deep breath. She had always loved this garden, or she had before she was ever born. She was still trying to get used to the idea that she had lived a whole other life she barely remembered. Not that, she had really all that much of a good life now. Not compared to Caroline and her suspicious inheritance. She stood on the bridge looking down at the water that was a bright violet color, everything around was bright purple making Caroline's blonde hair stand out all the more.
By InkGalaxies~5 years ago in Families
Stormy Night
It was a dark and stormy night, the clouds covered the sky and the stars making it difficult to navigate and know which direction we are going in. As the clouds grew darker and ominous, the thunder started to boom across the dark skies and lightning followed behind it. After a short moment it started to rain, I started to have an uneasy feeling so I ran to my mother that was in our cabin that we were staying in and hugged her.
By Alina Williams5 years ago in Families
Is Crazy Contagious?
It was Friday. I had overslept after staying up late to cram for an exam. Late comers were held in the lunchroom during first period so rather than missing my English test, I decided to cut school. This way I could forge a note and take the make-up later. Normally, Joanie would have jumped on my case, but today she was preoccupied. Now I know why. She must have known today was eviction day; that makes one of us.
By Robin Jessie-Green5 years ago in Families
How it began
Jackson was born into a family that really didn't have anything but his father always taught him to help others over himself. So when Jackson’s sister got sick he did everything he could to make sure she got better he began working nonstop making an extra money he could get his hands on. Then the impossible happened and his sister started getting better and for a few weeks the world was bliss. But just like everything in Jackson’s life it was about to get really really bad. Jackson’s dad went to work one night and never returned. Their family called the police and they searched and searched but never found him. Six years later on the eve of Jackson's twentieth birthday his life was about to take a very interesting turn.
By Taegen C. Walton5 years ago in Families
Polly's Surprise
Polly’s Surprise By Melissa Saari Grace went out the door to check the mail. Her German Shepherd, Virgo, followed her outside, and when she pulled a package out of the mailbox, Virgo gave a surprised yelp when he saw that it wasn’t an envelope. Grace gave a sound of surprise too, the moment she saw the package was mailed from Aunt Polly.
By Melissa Saari5 years ago in Families
The Provider
The screeches, squeals and screams of a two year old child from the adjoining room permeated the tranquility of an extremely rare, individual shower. The warm water cascaded down shoulders and arms, thicker than a few years before with muscles strong from carrying, holding and cuddling her beautiful child. Claw marks from tiny nails and a clear outline of a toothy jaw, a bite from a game gone a bit too far, was bruising a lovely yellow with green around the edges on her chin. She was so shocked when it happened, the tiny creature giggling as he clenched his jaw shut tightly, tears of pain springing to her eyes. She let out a scream and tried to pull the little thing off her, causing more giggles and an even tighter grip. The fingers raked down her chin as she tickled under the boy's arms, finally causing the jaw to release.
By Laura Carter5 years ago in Families
