1. Barbara had been waiting at the table for twenty minutes.

it had been twenty long and excruciating minutes. David

had promised that he would be on time today. He never
was, but he had promised this one time. She had made
him repeat the promise multiple times over the last week
until she'd believed his promise. Now she was paying the
price.

2. Eating raw fish didn't sound like a good idea. "It's a

delicacy in Japan," didn't seem to make it any more
appetizing. Raw fish is raw fish, delicacy or not.

3.There was something special about this little creature.

Donna couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, but she knew
with all her heart that it was true. It wasn't a matter of if
she was going to try and save it, but a matter of how she
was going to save it. She went back to the car to get a
blanket and when she returned the creature was gone.

4. She asked the question even though she didn't really want
to hear the answer. It was a no-win situation since she
already knew. If he told the truth, she'd get confirmation of
her worst fears. If he lied, she'd know that he wasn't who
she thought he was which would be almost as bad. Yet
she asked the question anyway and waited for his answer.

5. She counted. One. She could hear the steps coming

closer. Two. Puffs of breath could be seen coming from
his mouth. Three. He stopped beside her. Four. She
pulled the trigger of the gun.
6. She had been an angel for coming up on 10 years and in
all that time nobody had told her this was possible. The
fact that it could ever happen never even entered her
mind. Yet there she stood, with the undeniable evidence
sitting on the ground before her. Angels could lose their
wings.

7. Don't be scared. The things out there that are unknown

aren't scary in themselves. They are just unknown at the
moment. Take the time to know them before you list them
as scary. Then the world will be a much less scary place
for you.

8. Don't forget that gifts often come with costs that go

beyond their purchase price. When you purchase a child
the latest smartphone, you're also committing to a monthly
phone bill. When you purchase the latest gaming system,
you're likely not going to be satisfied with the games that
come with it for long and want to purchase new titles to
play. When you buy gifts it's important to remember that
some come with additional costs down the road that can
be much more expensive than the initial gift itself.

9. What was beyond the bend in the stream was unknown.

Both were curious, but only one was brave enough to
want to explore. That was the problem. There was always
one that let fear rule her life.