There wasn't a bird in the sky, but that was not what caught her attention.

It
was the clouds. The deep green that isn't the color of clouds, but came with
these. She knew what was coming and she hoped she was prepared.

1.There was something in the tree. It was difficult to tell from the ground, but
Rachael could see movement. She squinted her eyes and peered in the direction
of the movement, trying to decipher exactly what she had spied. The more she
peered, however, the more she thought it might be a figment of her
imagination. Nothing seemed to move until the moment she began to take her
eyes off the tree. Then in the corner of her eye, she would see the movement
again and begin the process of staring again.

2.The spot was perfect for camouflage. At least that's what she thought when
she picked the spot. She couldn't imagine that anyone would ever be able to see
her in these surroundings. So there she sat, confident that she was hidden from
the world and safe from danger. Unfortunately, she had not anticipated that
others may be looking upon her from other angles, and now they were stealthily
descending toward her hiding spot.

3.It was their first date and she had been looking forward to it the entire week.
She had her eyes on him for months, and it had taken a convoluted scheme with
several friends to make it happen, but he'd finally taken the hint and asked her
out. After all the time and effort she'd invested into it, she never thought that it
would be anything but wonderful. It goes without saying that things didn't work
out quite as she expected.

4.Sometimes it's simply better to ignore the haters. That's the lesson that Tom's
dad had been trying to teach him, but Tom still couldn't let it go. He latched
onto them and their hate and couldn't let it go, but he also realized that this
wasn't healthy. That's when he came up with his devious plan.

5.Matt told her to reach for the stars, but Veronica thought it was the most
ridiculous advice she'd ever received. Sure, it had been well-meaning when he
said it, but she didn't understand why anyone would want to suggest something
that would literally kill you if you actually managed to achieve it.

6.She put the pen to paper but she couldn't bring herself to actually write
anything. She just stared at the blank card and wondered what words she could
write that would help in even a small way. She thought of a dozen ways to begin
but none seemed to do justice to the situation. There were no words that could
help and she knew it.

7.She sat deep in thought. The next word that came out o her mouth would
likely be the most important word of her life. It had to be exact with no
possibility of being misinterpreted. She was ready. She looked deeply into his
eyes and said, "Octopus."
8."What is the best way to get what you want?" she asked. He looked down at
the ground knowing that she wouldn't like his answer. He hesitated, knowing
that the truth would only hurt. How was he going to tell her that the best way
for him to get what he wanted was to leave her?

9."I'll talk to you tomorrow in more detail at our meeting, but I think I've found a
solution to our problem. It's not exactly legal, but it won't land us in jail for the
rest of our lives either. Are you willing to take the chance?" Monroe asked his
partner over the phone.

10.She sat in the darkened room waiting. It was now a standoff. He had the
power to put her in the room, but not the power to make her repent. It wasn't
fair and no matter how long she had to endure the darkness, she wouldn't
change her attitude. At three years old, Sandy's stubborn personality had
already bloomed into full view.

11.A long black shadow slid across the pavement near their feet and the five
Venusians, very much startled, looked overhead. They were barely in time to
see the huge gray form of the carnivore before it vanished behind a sign atop a
nearby building which bore the mystifying information "Pepsi-Cola."

12.There was little doubt that the bridge was unsafe. All one had to do was look
at it to know that with certainty. Yet Bob didn't see another option. He may
have been able to work one out if he had a bit of time to think things through,
but time was something he didn't have. A choice needed to be made, and it
needed to be made quickly.

13."Explain to me again why I shouldn't cheat?" he asked. "All the others do and
nobody ever gets punished for doing so. I should go about being happy losing to
cheaters because I know that I don't? That's what you're telling me?"

14.It had been her dream for years but Dana had failed to take any action
toward making it come true. There had always been a good excuse to delay or
prioritize another project. As she woke, she realized she was once again at a
crossroads. Would it be another excuse or would she finally find the courage to
pursue her dream? Dana rose and took her first step.

15.It's always good to bring a slower friend with you on a hike. If you happen to
come across bears, the whole group doesn't have to worry. Only the slowest in
the group do. That was the lesson they were about to learn that day.

16.It all started with the computer. Had he known what was to follow, he would
have never logged on that day. But the truth was there was no way to know
what was about to happen. So Dave pressed the start button, the computer
booted up, the screen came alive, and everything Dave knew to be true no
longer was.
17.He read about a hike called the incline in the guidebook. It said it was a
strenuous hike and to bring plenty of water. “A beautiful hike to the clouds”
described one review. “Not for the faint-hearted,” said another. “Not too bad of
a workout”, bragged a third review. I thought I’d hike it when I fly in from
Maryland on my day off from the senior citizen's wellness conference. I hiked 2
miles a day around the neighborhood so I could handle a 1.1-mile hike. What a
foolish mistake that was for a 70-year-old low-lander.

18.She glanced up into the sky to watch the clouds taking shape. First, she saw
a dog. Next, it was an elephant. Finally, she saw a giant umbrella and at that
moment the rain began to pour.

19.Sleep deprivation causes all sorts of challenges and problems. When one
doesn’t get enough sleep one’s mind doesn’t work clearly. Studies have shown
that after staying awake for 24 hours one’s ability to do simple math is greatly
impaired. Driving tired has been shown to be as bad as driving drunk. Moods
change, depression, anxiety, and mania can be induced by lack of sleep. As
much as people try to do without enough sleep it is a wonder more crazy things
don’t happen in this world.

20.Dragons don't exist they said. They are the stuff of legend and people's
imagination. Greg would have agreed with this assessment without a second
thought 24 hours ago. But now that there was a dragon staring directly into his
eyes, he questioned everything that he had been told.

21.There was no time. He ran out of the door without half the stuff he needed
for work, but it didn't matter. He was late and if he didn't make this meeting on
time, someone's life may be in danger.

22.The day had begun on a bright note. The sun finally peeked through the rain
for the first time in a week, and the birds were singing in its warmth. There was
no way to anticipate what was about to happen. It was a worst-case scenario
and there was no way out of it.

23.Balloons are pretty and come in different colors, different shapes, different
sizes, and they can even adjust sizes as needed. But don't make them too big or
they might just pop, and then bye-bye balloon. It'll be gone and lost for the rest
of mankind. They can serve a variety of purposes, from decorating to water
balloon wars. You just have to use your head to think a little bit about what to
do with them.

24.There was nothing else to do. The deed had already been done and there was
no going back. It now had been become a question of how they were going to be
able to get out of this situation and escape.

25.The tree missed the days the kids used to come by and play. It still wore the
tire swing the kids had put up in its branches years ago although both the tire
and the rope had seen better days. The tree had watched all the kids in the
neighborhood grow up and leave, and it wondered if there would ever be a time
when another child played and laughed again under its branches. That was the
hope that the tree wished every day as the swing gently swung empty in the
wind.

26.The young man wanted a role model. He looked long and hard in his youth,
but that role model never materialized. His only choice was to embrace all the
people in his life he didn't want to be like.

27.It had become a far too common an event in her life. She has specifically
placed the key to the box in a special place so that she wouldn't lose it and
know exactly where it was when the key was needed. Now that she needed to
open the box, she had absolutely no idea where that special spot she placed the
key might be.

28.The rain was coming. Everyone thought this would be a good thing. It hadn't
rained in months and the earth was dry as a bone. It wasn't a surprise that
everyone thought a good rain was what was needed, but they never expected
how much rain would actually arrive.

29.What have you noticed today? I noticed that if you outline the eyes, nose,
and mouth on your face with your finger, you make an "I" which makes perfect
sense, but is something I never noticed before. What have you noticed today?

30.Peter always saw the world in black and white. There were two choices for
every situation and you had to choose one of them. It was therefore terribly
uncomfortable for him to spend time with Ashley. She saw the world in shades
of gray with hundreds of choices to choose from in every situation.

31.Have you ever wondered about toes? Why 10 toes and not 12. Why are some
bigger than others? Some people can use their toes to pick up things while
others can barely move them on command. Some toes are nice to look at while
others are definitely not something you want to look at. Toes can be stubbed
and make us scream. Toes help us balance and walk. 10 toes are just something
to ponder.

32.They decided to find the end of the rainbow. While they hoped they would
find a pot of gold, neither of them truly believed that the mythical pot would
actually be there. Nor did they believe they could actually find the end of the
rainbow. Still, it seemed like a fun activity for the day, and pictures of them
chasing rainbows would look great on their Instagram accounts. They would
have never believed they would actually find the end of a rainbow, and when
they did, what they actually found there.

33.Another option you have is choosing the number of syllables in the words you
speak. You probably have never considered this option before, but you have it
every time you open your mouth and speak. You make so many choices like this
that you never even think about, but you have the choice with each one. What
are you going to do with this knowledge?

34.I'm heading back to Colorado tomorrow after being down in Santa Barbara
over the weekend for the festival there. I will be making October plans once
there and will try to arrange so I'm back here for the birthday if possible. I'll let
you know as soon as I know the doctor's appointment schedule and my flight
plans.

35.The bridge spanning a 100-foot gully stood in front of him as the last
obstacle blocking him from reaching his destination. While people may have
called it a "bridge", the reality was it was nothing more than splintered wooden
planks held together by rotting ropes. It was questionable whether it would hold
the weight of a child, let alone the weight of a grown man. The problem was
there was no other way across the gully, and this played into his calculations of
whether or not it was worth the risk of trying to cross it.

36.There was only half a worm in the apple. At first, Judy didn't quite
comprehend what this meant. "Why would only half a worm be living in an
apple?" she wondered. And then it dawned on her. Judy quickly spit out the bite
she had just taken expecting to see the other half of the worm. It ended up
being much worse than that.

37.The song came from the bathroom belting over the sound of the shower's
running water. It was the same way each day began since he could remember. It
listened intently and concluded that the singing today was as terrible as it had
ever been.

38.The piano sat silently in the corner of the room. Nobody could remember the
last time it had been played. The little girl walked up to it and hit a few of the
keys. The sound of the piano rang throughout the house for the first time in
years. In the upstairs room, confined to her bed, the owner of the house had
tears in her eyes.

39.The lone lamp post of the one-street town flickered, not quite dead but
definitely on its way out. Suitcase by her side, she paid no heed to the light, the
street or the town. A car was coming down the street and with her arm
outstretched and thumb in the air, she had a plan.

40.There was a leak in the boat. Nobody had yet noticed it, and nobody would
for the next couple of hours. This was a problem since the boat was heading out
to sea and while the leak was quite small at the moment, it would be much
larger when it was ultimately discovered. John had planned it exactly this way.

41.The shades were closed keeping the room dark. Peter knew that he should
open them and let in the sunlight so he could begin the day, but he didn't have
the energy or willpower. Nothing had gone as expected the day before and he
no longer wanted to spend the energy to begin a new day. He stared at the
shades wondering if there was a way to disappear from the reality of the world
for the rest of the day.

42.I'm going to hire professional help tomorrow. I can't handle this anymore.
She fell over the coffee table and now there is blood in her catheter. This is
much more than I ever signed up to do.

43.Debbie put her hand into the hole, sliding her hand down as far as her arm
could reach. She wiggled her fingers hoping to touch something, but all she felt
was air. She shifted the weight of her body to try and reach an inch or two more
down the hole. Her fingers still touched nothing but air.

44."Can I get you anything else?" David asked. It was a question he asked a
hundred times a day and he always received the same answer. It had become
such an ingrained part of his daily routine that he had to step back and actively
think when he heard the little girl's reply. Nobody had before answered the
question the way that she did, and David didn't know how he should respond.

45.Waiting and watching. It was all she had done for the past weeks. When
you’re locked in a room with nothing but food and drink, that’s about all you can
do anyway. She watched as birds flew past the window bolted shut. She couldn’t
reach it if she wanted too, with that hole in the floor. She thought she could
escape through it but three stories is a bit far down.

46.There was a time and a place for Stephanie to use her magic. The problem
was that she had a difficult time determining this. She wished she could simply
use it when the desire hit and there wouldn't be any unforeseen consequences.
Unfortunately, that's not how it worked and the consequences could be
devastating if she accidentally used her magic at the wrong time.

47.They rushed out the door, grabbing anything and everything they could think
of they might need. There was no time to double-check to make sure they
weren't leaving something important behind. Everything was thrown into the car
and they sped off. Thirty minutes later they were safe and that was when it
dawned on them that they had forgotten the most important thing of all.

48.There was something beautiful in his hate. It wasn't the hate itself as it was
a disgusting display of racism and intolerance. It was what propelled the hate
and the fact that although he had this hate, he didn't understand where it came
from. It was at that moment that she realized that there was hope in changing
him.

49.MaryLou wore the tiara with pride. There was something that made doing
anything she didn't really want to do a bit easier when she wore it. She really
didn't care what those staring through the window were thinking as she
vacuumed her apartment.