He picked up the burnt end of the branch and made a mark on the stone.

Day 52 if the marks

on the stone were accurate. He couldn't be sure. Day and nights had begun to blend together
creating confusion, but he knew it was a long time. Much too long.
They had made it to Las Vegas, wide-eyed and with so much hope and energy. They had
planned the trip for more than a year and both were so excited they could barely control
themselves. They still hadn't realized that Las Vegas promised a place where dreams come
true, it was actually the place where dreams came to die.
Time is all relative based on age and experience. When you are a child an hour is a long time
to wait but a very short time when that’s all the time you are allowed on your iPad. As a
teenager time goes faster the more deadlines you have and the more you procrastinate. As a
young adult, you think you have forever to live and don’t appreciate the time you spend with
others. As a middle-aged adult, time flies by as you watch your children grow up. And finally,
as you get old and you have fewer responsibilities and fewer demands on you, time slows.
You appreciate each day and are thankful you are alive. An hour is the same amount of time
for everyone yet it can feel so different in how it goes by.
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.
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.
It really doesn't matter what she thinks as it isn't her problem to solve. That's what he kept
trying to convince himself. She was trying to insert her opinion where it wasn't wanted or
welcome. He already had a plan and even though that plan didn't correspond with what she
wanted him to do or what should be done, it wasn't her decision to make. The question now
became whether he would stick to his convictions and go through with his plan knowing she
wouldn't approve.
Here's the thing. She doesn't have anything to prove, but she is going to anyway. That's just
her character. She knows she doesn't have to, but she still will just to show you that she can.
Doubt her more and she'll prove she can again. We all already know this and you will too.
It was a scrape that he hardly noticed. Sure, there was a bit of blood but it was minor
compared to most of the other cuts and bruises he acquired on his adventures. There was no
way he could know that the rock that produced the cut had alien genetic material on it that
was now racing through his bloodstream. He felt perfectly normal and continued his
adventure with no knowledge of what was about to happen to him.
I inadvertently went to See's Candy last week (I was in the mall looking for phone repair),
and as it turns out, See's Candy now charges a dollar -- a full dollar -- for even the simplest of
their wee confection offerings. I bought two chocolate lollipops and two chocolate-caramel-
almond things. The total cost was four-something. I mean, the candies were tasty and all, but
let's be real: A Snickers bar is fifty cents. After this dollar-per-candy revelation, I may not
find myself wandering dreamily back into a See's Candy any time soon.
"It doesn't take much to touch someone's heart," Daisy said with a smile on her face. "It's
often just the little things you do that can change a person's day for the better." Daisy truly
believed this to be the way the world worked, but she didn't understand that she was merely a
robot that had been programmed to believe this.