On Turning Ten By Billy Collins Novels & Stories

We really were very similar. The last time I wore a dress was ten years ago. In these ten years, I seemed to have slowly turned into his shadow. I looked around the room and suddenly felt tired of the suffocating darkness. With a sharp whoosh, I yanked the curtains open. The glow of the sunset poured in. I raised my hand. My skin, so pale it was almost translucent under the sun, looked as if it belonged to a vampire. Leaning against the window, I lit another cigarette. Through the wisps of smoke, I seemed to see myself from ten years ago.

On the third day of our captivity in the abandoned cannery, Adrian finally found me with his private security team. I clutched five-year-old Leah in my arms and stumbled toward the light. My coat had long since been torn to shreds, the soles of my feet were mangled by broken glass, and Leah curled against my chest, burning up with fever. Vera looked relieved to see me alive, but then suddenly turned and walked toward the kidnappers. "Vera, come back!" My voice was already hoarse from screaming. "They won't keep their word even after they get the money. Leah still has a fever. We need to call the police and get her to a hospital!" Adrian wrapped his arms around me from behind, his voice almos

On New Year’s Eve, the girlfriend who had promised to go home with me was nowhere to be found. Instead, my close friend, Logan, sent two voice notes. “Bro, your girl is mine now! “You have no idea. Ever since we were kids, my dad only ever listens to her. One word from her is worth more than a hundred from me! It works great, I love it, and I’ll definitely use it again!” At exactly midnight, as fireworks exploded outside the window, Chloe called me, laughing. “You have no idea. Thank God I came over! Mr. Creston looked like he was ready to beat Logan up–” “Chloe,” I interrupted her. “Do you remember that my parents have been waiting to have dinner with you?” Silence fell on the other

"We need a coagulant from the central infirmary immediately. But they won't release it without 100 dollars upfront." Elsie emptied her pockets. The crumpled bills didn't even add up to five dollars. "Please," she begged, tears catching her words. "Can't you put it on account? Alpha Cassian will approve it when he gets here!" Christopher hesitated. The infirmary never ran tabs. It was always cash and carry. But he looked at the blood spreading under me and the way my eyes kept drifting shut, and his jaw set with a hard resolve. "I'll ask Alpha Cassian for approval," he said, pulling out his phone.

she provided, her voice going significantly calmer and his grin blurred as he inclined forward eagerly, his eyes fixed on her sad face. "Let me know more," he welcomed discreetly. "Not a lot to tell," she shrugged, making a sound as if to speak. "My mom took me to the SPCA for my 11th birthday celebration and advised me to pick any canine I needed. I'd been continuing endlessly about getting a canine for quite a long time before that, promising that I would take great consideration of it. It was reaching the place where, I surmise, she would have effectively quieted me down. So I picked Sheba, with her heartfelt earthy colored eyes, her messy highly contrasting coat and her cheerful, swaying

When my assistant, Celeste Trevelyan, messaged me, I was crouched by the construction site, studying the blueprints. 'Ms. Cladwell, the tender results are out. Jenna got the Cirrus Project. Mr. Cladwell personally went on stage to back her, and Mr. Grant was there too. She stole the spotlight completely. Mr. Cladwell even said Jenna is the backbone of Cladwell Co.'s future.' I gave a quiet hum, not even lifting my head. It was exactly what I expected. 'Also…' Celeste hesitated for a moment. 'The company group chat has exploded.'

She’d thrown everything she had into this last round for this exact moment. She lifted her hand and revealed the final die—five. Twenty-nine points in total. “I won! I knew it! There’s no way you can roll five sixes again!” Before she even finished the sentence, I lifted my own cup. Five dice were perfectly lined up, all of them sixes. “Sorry, cousin. Looks like I’m still just a little better than you.” Taylor’s smile cracked. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed into her chair like her bones had been removed.

She turned to leave and was ready to bring the baby into my room. "Enough. I don't want to know. "Take him away. I won't see him." I turned my head as I bit my lip hard, my nails digging into my palms. I couldn't afford to waver. David Jones never loved me. Since I had already decided to leave, there was no turning back. Celine stiffened. Seeing the determination in my eyes, she finally abandoned hope. She picked up the child and seemed to remember something before storming out of the room angrily.

I get a head start, and that’s what saves me from being tackled. Running for twenty minutes straight is a lot, I'm panting and out of breath by the time we get back to the clearing behind the pack house. Axton tackles me, taking me down to the ground with a yelp. He nips at my neck, slobbering all over me. Another whine pushes through, and Axton growls in response. “Alright, shift!” Beta yells, making us pull away. I go back to the little hiding spot where all my clothes are, and Axton shifts first, getting dressed quickly. He blocks me again, and I quickly shift and change.

I suddenly laughed out loud. "You're so happy?" I nodded, for the first time acknowledging my emotions. "Yeah, it's kind of fun to see him annoyed." "William, can I ask you for a favor?" "Sure, what is it?" Since we were in class, we communicated through notes the whole time. After hesitating for a long time, I finally told him my plan. I needed his help, or I would find it difficult to get into Laura’s birthday party, and it would also be difficult to tamper with the projector backstage.