Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Stories of Love, Life and Beyond
    Stories of Love, Life and Beyond
    Stories of Love, Life and Beyond
    Ebook125 pages1 hour

    Stories of Love, Life and Beyond

    By R. A. Burkett

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    There's no available information at this time. Author will provide once information is available.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherXlibris US
    Release dateApr 7, 2021
    ISBN9781664167377
    Stories of Love, Life and Beyond

    Related to Stories of Love, Life and Beyond

    Related ebooks

    Short Stories For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Xoxo

      May 5, 2022

      Xoxo
      4 min read

    • Article

      Chosen

      Aug 2, 2018

      Chosen
      10 min read

    • Article

      About Ed

      Jun 14, 2022

      I walk into the orchid show with Ed. As soon as I see the tumultuous hall I know he won’t last long. Ed walks like an old man though he is forty. After ten minutes on his feet, he vomits on some purple phalaenopsis. I get him outside through a fire e

      18 min read

    • Article

      It Happened to Me…

      Jan 27, 2022

      As I’ve grown older (I’m now 55) I have trouble sleeping and staying asleep. I can only sleep through sensory deprivation: I have to block out the street lights as much as possible with blinds and curtains, I wear an eye mask/blindfold and use ear pl

      7 min read

    • Article

      The Perfect Daughter

      Jul 10, 2021

      Standing in a handstand, Jane arched her back and lowered her feet towards the head. Scorpion pose. She saw herself in the mirror, balancing in this challenging position. It was close to perfection… And she felt sick at the sight of it. From the loud

      8 min read

    • Article

      Sylvie Baumgartel

      Jun 15, 2018

      I walked in the door, took off my coat, took off my sunglasses, set them down with my keys, took off my shoes and socks, my jeans, my shirt, my bra and underwear, set them all on the chair by the door, walked into the house naked, went to the fridge,

      10 min read

    • Article

      TOO SCARED To Sleep

      Jun 11, 2019

      TOO SCARED To Sleep
      4 min read

    • Article

      Wild Days

      Jul 27, 2020

      Wild Days
      7 min read

    • Article

      Time to RELAX

      Apr 4, 2023

      ‘Australia is the land of alternative therapies, and the town that I was in [while filming I’m a Celebrity in 2018] truly had all kinds of things for all kinds of people. Through this wonderful kinesiologist called Josie, I really started to unlock p

      2 min read

    • Article

      This Strange Ballet

      Mar 21, 2022

      This Strange Ballet
      5 min read

    • Article

      Now That I’ve Arrived

      Dec 30, 2020

      Now That I’ve Arrived
      5 min read

    • Article

      Pleasure Palace

      Sep 1, 2022

      Pleasure Palace
      15 min read

    • Article

      The Hardest Lesson

      Sep 29, 2020

      The Hardest Lesson
      4 min read

    • Article

      Good Bones

      Mar 19, 2020

      Good Bones
      18 min read

    • Article

      The longest Night

      Mar 28, 2022

      The longest Night
      13 min read

    • Article

      Birthday Bombshell

      Oct 29, 2020

      Birthday Bombshell
      5 min read

    • Article

      Sleeping Beauty

      May 7, 2020

      Sleeping Beauty
      4 min read

    • Article

      Everywhere Around Us

      Sep 23, 2023

      Everywhere Around Us
      5 min read

    • Article

      I Developed Agoraphobia in Prison

      May 31, 2019

      I spent 22 years and 36 days in solitary confinement. They sent me there on the Feb. 3, 1992, to separate me from some new, young gang members arriving at the prison. Then they kept me in segregation after I attempted to strangle a guard. For the la

      6 min read

    • Article

      An Unspeakable Life

      Jan 10, 2022

      It was a perfect fall afternoon when Muriel found out she was pregnant. Tourists snatched up apple cider by the gallon at farm stands. Leaf peepers stood on the side of the road with their cameras aimed in all directions; wherever you looked, a quint

      12 min read

    • Article

      Morbidity & the Miniature

      May 11, 2018

      Morbidity & the Miniature
      14 min read

    • Article

      I’m A Barbie Girl!

      Dec 29, 2022

      I’m A Barbie Girl!
      5 min read

    • Article

      Chasing my DREAMS

      Feb 4, 2021

      Chasing my DREAMS
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Friend I’ll Never forget

      Apr 25, 2019

      The Friend I’ll Never forget
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Stories of Love, Life and Beyond

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Stories of Love, Life and Beyond - R. A. Burkett

      Copyright © 2021 by R. A. Burkett.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

      Rev. date: 04/05/2021

      Xlibris

      844-714-8691

      www.Xlibris.com

      826495

      Contents

      Through My Eyes

      The Nightmare

      Everlasting Love

      The Unexpected Guest

      The Love Letters

      The Maze of Death

      The Confession

      The Drawing

      The Haunted Woods

      The Homecoming

      The Storyteller

      The Reunion

      The Bridge

      The White Picket Fence

      The Wedding Gift

      Through

      My Eyes

      THROUGH MY EYES

      I wait quietly in the hospital room for the doctor’s return. After my accident, I heard that my eyes may never see again. I couldn’t imagine life without sight. Everything I am, everything I have experienced that makes me who I am, has been with the aid of my sight. My most treasured memories I have because of my eyes. Watching as my children were born; sitting on Myrtle Beach one cold November morning with my friends watching the sunrise over the ocean; the wonderment of taking my first airplane ride as we lifted off the ground; the sight out the window as we flew miles above the ground; the quiet walks through the woods where I was able to see wildlife all around me; the time I stood alone watching a deer walking through the woods, or amazed at the site of a bald eagle flying just off the water in front of me as I canoed. I also watched as my world turned bad, as people near to my heart left my life. I saw evil things that no one should see. Yet, those situations helped to mold me into who I am. I just pray that the operation was a success. I don’t want the last thing seen through my eyes to be the truck as it slammed into my car.

      I heard the doctor enter the room. Good morning, the doctor said. Are you ready to find out if the operation was a success? Not wanting to speak, I shook my head yes. The doctor placed his hand on the bandages that covered my eyes. Good, it looks like they stayed in place pretty good. This is what I am going to do. Listen very carefully as I explain the steps. First, I am going to unwrap the elastic bandage from around your head. Next, I will slowly remove the gauze wrap from around your head, then will remove the cotton from off your eyes. Listen very closely. Do not try to open your eyes until I tell you to. You have to give me time to close the blinds and turn out the lights. Your eyes will be very sensitive to light—that is, if the operation was successful. Wait for me to tell you to open your eyes. Remember, the odds of this procedure being successful is not very high. Let’s start.

      The doctor then slowly began to take off the bandages. What seemed to be hours, in reality, was only minutes, and the bandages were off. Once again I heard the doctor’s voice, Keep your eyes closed. It’s almost time. I am closing the blinds, and the lights are now off. Now if you are ready, slowly open your eyes. As my eyes first opened, they saw shadows; everything was blurry. Slowly things started to come into focus. The operation was a success. A cheer went up throughout the room even as some tears were shed.

      During the celebration, a light appeared in the corner of the room. From within the light, a voice called to me. It’s time for you to come to me. I got up from the chair and walked toward the light. I was thrilled that I had signed the organ donor card on the back of my driver’s license. I looked at the ten-year-old girl who was born blind who now has the gift of sight. I can leave this world now knowing that life will go on . . . through my eyes.

      The

      Nightmare

      THE NIGHTMARE

      Scott Matthews woke up and looked at the clock by his bed; 3:25 in the morning. He hears a noise in his house. Instantly his heart races and he starts to sweat. What should he do, what do they want in his house. He sits up in his bed and listens to the footsteps coming toward his room. He hears the knob on his door slowly start to turn. The door creaks as it opens. The figure walks through the door, stumbles toward the bed, and starts to fall toward the bed. Scott screams and finds himself sitting up in the middle of his bed, his heart racing, a tightness in his chest, and his T-shirt soaked with sweat. Listening he hears nothing. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, he realizes he has just woken from a nightmare. He walks into his kitchen and pours himself a cup of water. Walking back to his room, he laughs at himself for being so scared. Nightmares are just for kids, he thinks as he lies back down. After he finishes his water, he falls back asleep.

      A week passed since Scott’s nightmare. He went through his daily routine as if nothing happened. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t get the nightmare out of his mind. Desperately wanting to tell someone about his nightmare but feeling too self-conscious, he waited until his girlfriend, Jenny Cook, who was a flight attendant, returned from her latest trip.

      The night Jenny returned, they were spending a quiet night eating a meal they had prepared together. Scott decides to discuss his nightmare with Jenny. She tells him that everyone has nightmares and he shouldn’t worry. Nightmares was just the brain’s way of releasing stress. Scott figured that she was right. They spent the rest of the night enjoying each other’s company.

      Two days later, Jenny had to leave on another flight. This one was a three-day trip. She quickly packed, kissed Scott goodbye, and left for the airport. Scott usually has a hard time sleeping when Jenny is away, so that night he pops some popcorn, turns out the lights, and settles down for a quiet night in front of the television watching a favorite movie.

      Scott wakes up to the static of the television. As his eyes adjust to the light from the television, he notices a figure kneeling in front of it. The figure puts his hand on the television screen as it starts to get up. Scott’s arms are resting on the arm of the recliner, his fingers digging into the fabric of the chair. The figure starts to move toward Scott. Stumbling, the figure falls. Scott feels the clammy hands touch his arms when the figure stopped itself from falling. Scott screams and finds himself alone, sitting in front of the television, his T-shirt again soaked with sweat, his chest tight, and his heart racing. Another nightmare, Scott thinks as he fixes the recliner upright and turns off the television and stumbles into bed. As he covers up, he looks at his clock—it reads 3:25.

      The next night after finishing his pizza, feeling very tired, Scott turns in early and falls fast asleep. Awakened in the middle of the night by the call of nature, Scott makes his way to the bathroom. Opening the door to leave the bathroom, Scott hears a glass break from the kitchen. Standing still, he hears footsteps coming toward him. Coming out of the kitchen, Scott sees the figure stumbling down the hall, leaning against the wall as if he was trying to catch his balance. Scott watched as the figure ends up falling in front of a turned-on television. Scott opens his eyes to find himself lying in bed with a tightness in his chest, his heart racing, and his T-shirt soaked with sweat. Another nightmare, he thought. As he rolls over, he looks at the clock. It read 3:25.

      Scott finished his work and left work early. He spent the rest of the day mowing the yard. After showering and eating his dinner, he spent the night with the television on sitting in his favorite recliner, working on a project from work. Scott falls asleep in the recliner as the paperwork falls to the floor. Scott wakes up with a small pain in his arm. He gets up and walks into the kitchen to get a drink and take a pain pill. As he drinks the water, Scott feels a sharp pain running up his arm. The glass slips out of his hand and breaks as it hits the sink. Holding his chest, he heads for the bedroom. Walking down the hall, he stumbles and has to lean against the wall for support. Walking

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1