On a dark, lonely road between Tehachapi and Mojave,
In the back seat, he hovered, speaking gently, soothing.
She focused on the dome light, first-time nervous.
When finished, she named the wee babe after the man who delivered him: Trooper Smith.
On a dark, lonely road between Tehachapi and Mojave.
Daniel Quillen retired and lives in Castle Rock, Colorado with his wife. They enjoy visiting their seventeen grandchildren, most of which are spread coast-to-coast.
The wasp finds itself trapped inside a water glass held up against a window. It repeatedly slams itself against the window, rebounding off the water glass. Spent, it finally surrenders.
I slide paper between window and water glass, and free the wasp outside.
Surrender is not always what it seems.
Ellen Hansen is a writer and fiddle player living in Helvetia, Oregon. She recently retired from leading international tours. Her story “Surrender” just received first place in the 2019 Oregon Writers Colony 50 word story contest.