Spider-Man

I think I broke a land-speed record answering the doorbell. My friend Will was getting dropped off, and it was an important day for us: we were going to finally see the new Spider-Man movie.

“Hey Will, hey Mrs. M,” I said.

Leukemia

I’m dying and I’m okay with it. It hurts to live. Everyone’s huddled around me, crying, telling me they’re going to miss me, asking me with their eyes to hang on for as long as I can, but I don’t want to live anymore. They said I’ll be with Grandma. They said I won’t hurt when I die. But they still want me to…

Carnival

Dad dropped me off at Grandmother’s house then drove away. He left me with my bag of toys, which was cool, but Mom was out of town and he said he needed the house to himself, so he drove me out to Grandma’s house over in the next state. He said he’d be back in a couple weeks.

Haircut

Momma’s taking me to get my hair cut today. I don’t wanna go. It’s warm and dark underneath my bed and I’m playing hide-and-go-seek from Momma in my blankie with my dinosaurs.
“Honey, it’s time for your haircut.”

Christmas

It was night and I couldn’t sleep. Everyone else was passed out asleep while I huddled in my blanket next to the fireplace, watching the sparks float out every time the fire crackled. They’d flicker for a moment, then disappear.

Pickup Truck

I was really looking forward to going to the circus that morning. Grandpa was even taking me, since Mom and Dad had to work. I gave him a big hug when he came to pick me up. He smelled weird but I didn’t say anything. Mom said that was rude.

Pictures

Many times I’d walk into a room where my parents were talking about something. While I was trying to figure out what they were saying, my mother would notice me and whisper “Pictures” to my father and they would stop talking. They didn’t do it every time, but every time they did it bothered me. What were they…

Dripping Ice Cream

My parents were smiling at me and holding my hand and taking me to get ice cream and everything. We stood in line at a metal ice cream stand with an umbrella and wheels. The person running it looked nice. He had a carnival suit on. I wondered if he was hot like me. I was sweating a little.

Crashing Waves

When I was seven my parents took me to the ocean. We swam together on the low embankment, about four feet deep, chest-high to me. I grabbed Dad’s hand and he swung me around in the water and smiled. I smiled too. The waves were small and rocked me slightly. It was kind of fun at first.

Playground

Mom wouldn’t take me to the park, so I was all alone. I’d seen all the kids playing at the park from the window in my room, but by the time…