Fiction

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Homonym Mini-Challenge:

Choose at least five sets of homonyms (most have two words, but some have a few).

Once you have your minimum of five sets of homonyms, write something using every word from each of those groups, making sure that it does all make sense.

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Goodbye, I Missed You

The river of light trailing the moon across the sea transfixes the tow-headed boy. He dangles his legs over the end of the pier, and the tips of his toes skim the murky surface of the water, sending ever-expanding rings sailing down the river. Their journey to the horizon is broken by a bobbing buoy suspended mid stream.

He pretends not to hear the flap flap of my bare soles the boards as I come up behind him.

"Joey?" I squat down and rest a hand on his shoulder. "You're mom's here."

His shoulders fall, but his eyes don't leave the waterscape in front of him. I peer into the moonlight, and give him a minute.

"I don't see why I can't stay. I can help out. You can train me to be a counselor."

"Sorry, buddy, that'd be cool, and in a couple years you'll be old enough, and can train to be a camp counselor. But, right now, your mom misses you. Come on, you ready?"

"Wait - one more second....there, see?"

He points into the moonlight at a sole gull lighting atop the bobbing buoy.

"They like to sit out there all alone. I feel like that sometimes. Just want to go sit alone somewhere and think."

"Jesus did that a lot, ya know. So it must be a good thing." I ruffle his sun-bleached hair. "But He always came back to the people He loved. Let's go, Joey, your mom's waiting."

Joey swings his toes through the water one more time before scrambling to his feet. His narrow shoulders lift and his chest fills as he breathes deep of the sea air. Finally, he turns around to look at me. I wink and stand to the side to let him pass. At the other end of the pier, his mother dances in anticipation of reunion with her son. And Joey smiles.

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