Ronyx

There’s an old adage that states, “It’s too late to close the barn door after the horses have gotten out.” Sixteen-year-old Neil Michaels learns this lesson on a summer afternoon when he joins his best friend on a biking adventure to the old barn on Engle Mill Road. A secret door opens, and his life will never be the same.

It was the first day of school, and the hallways were filled with the raucous laughter of students greeting each other for the first time since June. Growing up in Farmersville didn’t offer many social activities other than a local theater. Only then, it had one screen that featured the latest top box office hit. Most were for an older audience since science fiction and horror movies didn’t tend to draw much attendance beyond the opening night. When a feature did appeal to the younger generation

Done. I appreciate reviews to my stories. Thanks!

Stanley seemed to become more relaxed as we talked. When he first sat down, he crossed his arms and hugged himself tightly. Now, he had leaned back and put his arms around his head. He would laugh anytime Colin or I made a joke. Colin rose and headed inside for some sodas. I think the real reason was because he wanted to see if Jason had left for the day. When he walked into the building, I leaned toward Stanley and said, “It’s really going to be okay. I know things are tough right now, and

I woke up the next morning with one of those feelings where you just know it’s going to be a good day. I had a wonderful time last night. I feel that so much has been accomplished. My future looks brighter. The past year has been difficult. There were many times I felt like giving up. The stroke had taken away my will to live. For months I had trouble talking, and I could hardly move. I lay in my bed, and many times I wished that it would end. But something happened last night. It was as if

We had dinner at the Casablanca Steak House. It is the classiest restaurant in town. Now I know why Gary had me dress up. He had reserved a table for us. The hostess led us to a table close to the entrance. I was glad because the restaurant aisles were too narrow for my wheelchair. Our server was an attractive young lady. She appeared to be about college age. I asked her later, and she said she was attending a local university. When she said she was majoring in psychology, we talked about h

I had just eaten dinner and was watching Wheel of Fortune when my phone rang. I expected it to be Colin telling me what he had found out. Instead, my phone said unknown caller. When I answered, it was Gary. “Hello, Gary,” I spoke nonchalantly into the phone. I didn’t want to sound excited that he was calling. However, I was. I enjoyed talking to him earlier. He still seemed to be the same old Gary- fun-loving and interesting. Even though he was younger than me, the age difference wasn’t tha

Saturday was one of the most boring days I have spent since coming to St. Joseph’s. For almost a year I had remained as a recluse inside my room. Except for therapy sessions, I rarely interacted with other residents. There is a main dining hall where most residents eat their meals. However, I insisted that my meals be brought to my room. Since I had complications getting around until recently, I was permitted to eat alone. But my life has changed so much over the past couple of weeks. It be

I was awakened when Susan came into the room. “Are you awake, Phil?” she asked. I sat up and grumbled, “I guess I am now.” “I’m sorry,” she said as she reached behind me and fluffed my pillow. She looked at the clock. “It is almost seven-thirty. What would you like for breakfast?” “The usual,” I guess. She grinned and asked, “Mountain oysters?” I lay back and laughed uproariously. “Thanks,” I finally said. “Now, I’ll be afraid to eat what you bring me.” She laughed as sh

I was thinking her sister's husband. I should have been clearer.

President Reagan's response to AIDS was abysmal. The disease was first identified in 1981. However, like you said, his administration viewed it as a 'gay disease' and was slow to deal with it. He didn't acknowledge it publicly until 1985, and it wasn't until the end of his presidency in 1988 that he took some steps to stop the spread. By then, it was too late for many. I've lost five dear friends to AIDS. Side note: Dr. Fauci was one of the early pioneers in the AIDS battle. He has devoted over 40 years to AIDS research and the development of antiviral therapies. Play safe. There is still no cure for AIDS.

Susan did not come into the room the next morning. A young aide cleaned up my room and took my breakfast order. I was worried because we had set up a meeting with Colin at ten to discuss her son. I was afraid something had happened at home to prevent her from coming to work. Jason came into my room at nine to take me to the PT room. The room was filled with patients, and they kept calling out for him to help them. When he wheeled me back to my room, he apologized because he hadn’t spent muc

Please don't overthink the visions in the window. I'm simply using them as a means to foreshadow an upcoming 'story.' An unknown young boy signifies he will become an important character in another of Phil's Window Stories.

Weekends are boring here. All I do is sit up in my bed and watch television. I don’t attend physical therapy since Jason has the weekends off. Most of the regular nurses and aides are replaced by weekend staff. I never know who will come in to tend to me. Most of the time they are rude and impatient. It used to upset me, but I have become used to their bad attitudes. The laptop is a blessing. I was able to get the password to the Wi-Fi from a young aide who came into my room reading somethi

I was awakened in the morning by thunderstorms. I could see lightning coming through the curtains followed by loud thunder. A young aide came into the room to see if I was okay. I asked, “How bad is the storm?” She replied, “They have a tornado warning for our area.” We both jumped when a bolt of lightning hit just outside the window. The thunder was deafening. Suddenly, we heard tornado warning sirens. The aide pulled back my sheet and told me to sit on the side of the bed. “I have to