A world where the inhabitants each have certain powers contained in their soul. This power can only be harnessed if a person has been gifted with a special gateway, which grants their soul access to the outside world, and allows them to utilize it as a weapon, tool, etc. Whoever controls someone's gateway controls their soul's power, and by default, them as well. If someone dies while in possession of their own gateway, their soul passes as well, but if the gateway is in another’s ownership, the soul remains trapped in the gateway until it is returned to the deceased owner.

Mom had been missing. Six days.

It wasn’t exactly unusual. She would sometimes be gone, days at a time. Generally, she would call or something, but I had learned not to expect it.

I guess she had friends she would go out with. She would take a few days off work, and she would never stay home. She’d be in Houston, or close to the border, or whatever.

I’d honestly rather stay out of it.

According to common-descent evolution, all living things on the planet evolved from one original living organism - by all accounts a unicellular, asexual, autotrophic, prokaryotic creature. How, then, did we get from that to multicellular, sexual, heterotrophic, eukaryotic creatures?

It was the gloamy color of a newborn's eyes.

Through the tongue-tipped trees, I could still see the mountain. Soft and round.

The air smelled like a palace of water. The month of May was curtaining and the apple tree was dropping her slip to the ground, a lacy unspooling into the Irish grass. A robin sat on the garden gate, gripping the grain with its crescent claws. And I was sparking across my arms,

When I look at the sky, and see ten thousand stars
Cradled in Your loving hand,
I take a moment and ponder on the wonders
And the vastness of Your Land.
Your majesty and Your infinite Being
Of holiness and glory;
Your gentle eyes on me that are always seeing
My poor and finite story.
Poor and finite no more: for You have done a work;
You have made me immortal;
As Holy King You lift me gently when I shirk,
You've opened Heaven's portal.

“Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.” ~John Newton

John Newton was a giant of the faith; but he was far from perfect.

The wraiths took to the walls, melting with the shadows of the obsidian. They moved with the grain of the stone, with no one’s noticing them. They were clothed in what seemed to be shadow, as well. The soft black fabric of their suits had no seam, and their contrast with the walls was non-existent as they expertly and silently scaled the thick barricade that stood between them and their targets.
After all, the Yīnyǐng were known to be silent and invisible.

A hero, a soldier, a friend, a warrior.
Valiant is he, who fends for another.
The grand caballero, the one to free.
The Valiant Hero, the Valiant Hero is he.

The freer, the seer, the power of the stars.
It is he who wields it, returns what is ours.
The majesty of Earth is what we will see
The Valiant Hero, the Valiant Hero is he.

(This was also from an old story [different old story] that I wrote when I was twelve. It's sorta like a prophecy deal, and it was a King Arthur fairy tale story. I love King Arthur stories.)
***

Tic tac
Jaw slack
Got that cherry red lip smack
Back packin' out back

Old hick
With this chick
I'll park for you to see the view
And no, girl, I ain't eyein' you

Sun's low
Home slow
Keep a fellow on his toes
Hit the trail to keep it close

Corvette
You bet
It's time to detour; take a ride
I'm proud to have you by my side

Sweet tea
You and me
Your smile is a sight to see
Pink cheeks no cheat

This year
We signed our gifts
“from the homeless Dunns”
But really
That’s not accurate
When I think of

Mary giving birth
In a stable
- I had a hospital

Or the Magi
Following the star
- our wandering is only a month

And refugees
Fleeing ISIS
- we have more than we can carry,
And more over the ocean.

And civilians
Escaping Mosul
- we’ve always had a roof.