Gail Wylie
Bio
Family therapist - always wanted to be a writer. Have published books on autism. Currently enjoying trying my hand at fiction. Loving the challenges of Vocal. Excited to have my first novel CONSEQUENCES available through Amazon.
Achievements (1)
Stories (40/0)
Living on Empty
Ashley stood looking out the window at the snow falling, unconsciously tapping the sill with her fingernail. The urge was building again. The urge to flee this white world of winter and immerse herself into the magic of a tropical island. She knew she would be giving in to that urge. After all, she hadn’t been able to resist it each year since she became an adult. Her problem was that the previous trips had not satisfied the urge. Yes, there was so much to love: the lush green forests, the turquoise water, the brilliant sunsets. She felt completely at home with the easy going life-style of the islands, but there was always something missing. Something she couldn’t put her finger on. Something she knew that she needed to find.
By Gail Wylieabout a year ago in Fiction
Our Planet
Energy of life Earth, air, water and fire Maintaining Balance
By Gail Wylieabout a year ago in Poets
Consequences
The year was 2030. A slew of laboratory raised viruses had spread throughout the world, decimating the population. Billions had succumbed to the various illnesses, leaving the world in shambles. The world economy fell like dominos as fewer and fewer people were available to work. Businesses went bankrupt, airlines collapsed, the stock market crashed, banks shut their doors, hospitals closed down and the infrastructure of utilities and services crumbled. One by one world governments threw up their hands in surrender, leaving humanity to anarchy. Mass food production ground to a halt, leading to the starvation of millions. Gangs of youth, trained from early childhood on video games based on a ‘shoot first, think later’ reaction, roamed the streets of the cities in search of food, adding to the death count by killing anyone who stood in their way, including each other. Those who were able to survive, barricaded themselves in their homes or fled to the country, in an attempt to protect themselves. In time, the cities stood empty, a silent testament to how far humanity had once advanced, while small groups of citizens began to join together in the rural areas, supporting each other, as they dealt with the consequences of the death of the world they had known.
By Gail Wylieabout a year ago in Fiction
Learning to Listen
In 1998 I had the opportunity to visit The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia with a friend and his mother. This friend had two special qualities. First of all, he was on the autism spectrum and second, he was fascinated with history. As we walked through the streets from the train station, he rewarded me with a continuous monologue of everything we were seeing from a historical perspective, including who all of the streets were named after and the roles these people played in Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. I was happy to listen in silence. It was a gift I will never forget.
By Gail Wylie2 years ago in Humans
Releasing the Warrior Within
In the early days, it seemed that I had rushed through life, without taking any time to grow up. Leaving university to get married. Having children and setting up our household. When I looked at my children or attended a meeting with their teachers at school I often thought, “what on earth am I doing here? I’m still a child.”
By Gail Wylie3 years ago in Confessions
How I Spent my Summer Holiday
Grandma sat silently, holding her coffee cup in one hand, and drumming her fingers on the table with the other. Isabelle and I stared at her, not daring to move, wondering what was going to happen next. I was just about to say I was sorry I opened the parcel when she stood up.
By Gail Wylie3 years ago in Fiction
How I Spent My Summer Holiday
I woke up with scenes of that night so long ago running through my head. The young boy, shaking with cold as he built a teepee of boards around him in the abandoned barn, trying to keep warm. The half-crazed woman, fiercely gripping the steering wheel in bare hands, as she drove wildly down the boat launch, out onto the frozen lake. The ice on the lake, holding steady until it could no longer carry the weight of the car, finally cracking and welcoming her into its icy depths. The young couple, sharing the agonizing pain of childbirth in a nearby hospital and the joy as they welcomed their firstborn son into the world. The connections between them all, brought to light this summer because I grabbed onto a rope that couldn’t bear my weight. I snuggled into the covers, holding on to the wonder of it all for as long as possible.
By Gail Wylie3 years ago in Fiction
How I Spent my Summer Holiday
Grandpa was on the phone when I arrived in the kitchen for breakfast the next morning. It was one of those conversations that is a waste of time to eavesdrop on. ‘Yes…okay….uh huh….certainly’ and so on but I couldn’t help listening. The presence of the skeleton in the barn continued to be a mystery and I hoped it would be solved before we had to go back home again.
By Gail Wylie3 years ago in Fiction
How I Spent my Summer Holiday
The next morning the diary was lying beside my plate at breakfast. Outside, the rain continued to fall. Grandpa was already out in the barn with the police. I wondered how wet they were getting, considering all the holes in the roof. Hopefully, Grandpa could find a corner to stay dry in, since he was only there to watch.
By Gail Wylie3 years ago in Fiction