1. Abigail had been dancing nearly all of her life and her body showed it. At the age of 34 her muscles were well honed. She walked with such grace that she appeared to float or glide rather than bounce up and down like most people. She wasn’t one to shy away from hard work either. Instead, she would tackle any task at hand with full gusto and determination to see it to the end. She was a go getter and she didn’t let her petite 5’2” height get in her way. She was a woman on a new mission and no one would stand in her way.

2. Jane and Alec ran through the house. They checked the attic and the basement. Outside they checked the barn, the fields even down by the lake but it was no use. They could not find their parents anywhere. “At least they didn’t kill them,” Alec finally spoke up as he clutched their only clue, an arrow that was pinned to the back of the front door. “They haven’t killed them yet, you mean,” Jane whispered, holding back the building up of tears. “And they won’t,” Alec quickly replied as he patted his sister’s shoulder. “As long as they don’t reveal where the gold mine is, they’ll be safe. Let’s just hope they don’t reveal it until we can get help to find them.”

3. Holding political office has turned many people who once had ideals into scoundrels. It’s all a part of playing the political game. It’s all about doing favors to get favors in return. Politicians lose sight of the very reasons they entered into office. Perhaps now is the time that we work towards changing those offices by setting time limits, curtailing the amount of power they have, making it easier to quickly remove them if they don’t accomplish the tasks the people elected them for and stopping all lobbying for agendas that go against the majorities’ views.

4. Patrick quietly looked over at Stan. He knew he would never fully understand the challenges he had faced over the past few weeks but he did know that he and the entire town would forever be in his debt. How do you repay someone for saving your life? Heck, how do you repay someone for saving 23,000 lives? He didn’t have any answer right now but he would find one. As for tonight, he was going to be able to have his first peaceful night of sleep knowing that tomorrow would dawn a new and much safer day!

5. Stan ducked into the shallow, darkened doorway and stood completely still for what seemed like an eternity. When no one appeared on either end of the street after five minutes, he felt certain that he had not been followed. Reaching inside his jacket he felt the large envelope that contained the evidence of what the company was planning. If he could not find someone at the bureau to trust, and find that person soon, then he knew that the entire town would be wiped out by the end of the month.

6. It was a time between times. The past was dead and buried and a new world had come forth. A world that chose to close itself off from its history and forbade any changes to its future. Everything that was to be taught and learned was closely monitored. No longer were mundane monthly calendars kept nor were any individual days recorded. The only measurements used to mark the passing of time was the time of the day itself and the passing of seasons. There was the season of rebirth, the season of long sun, the season of plenty, and the season of darkness. At least that is how it had been measured since the Big Occurrence. That was some 68 seasons of darkness ago.

7. Abigail had been dancing nearly all of her life and her body showed it. At the age of 34 her muscles were well honed. She walked with such grace that she appeared to float or glide rather than bounce up and down like most people. She wasn’t one to shy away from hard work either. Instead, she would tackle any task at hand with full gusto and determination to see it to the end. She was a go getter and she didn’t let her petite 5’2” height get in her way. She was a woman on a new mission and no one would stand in her way.

8. They had faced a long hard journey together. Even though their pathways were about to take different turns, nothing would ever change the bond that now existed between them. They had been strangers at the beginning, even enemies for a time, but now they were eternal friends. They each knew that life’s road wasn’t about whom you were at the beginning – it’s about who you are at the end, despite all the odds that are or were stacked against you.

9. Wrapping her sweater more tightly around her, Melanie stood on the front porch of the old plantation home and peered into the darkness. The approaching storm clouds had obliterated the moon making it near to impossible to see anything in the dark. In the distance she could her old Yelper barking so she was pretty certain that Caleb could not be too far away. After two long years battling in the war with the Union Army, his return would be bittersweet.

10. Derrick stopped his horse. He couldn’t leave things the way they had last ended. He didn’t want that for her. She deserved so much better. Resolved, he called out to Walker, “I’m heading back.” Walker stopped and turned around. “Leave it alone, Derrick. Nothing good will come of it.” Derrick shook his head. “Just because we got rid of those bandits doesn’t mean my job is done. I know she needs to move on but she needs to know the whole story. Only then can I move on.” “Okay,” Walker finally responded after several moments. “No loose ends then.” “Right,” Derrick replied. “No loose ends.” With that he pushed his horse into a gallop, already feeling better – already feeling as though the last four years were finally about to be behind him.