Tali Mullins
Stories (20/0)
The Swan Skin
Ned sat by the fire and admired the swan skin he’d found by the frozen pond that afternoon. It was unusual to find a swan skin. It was the stuff of myths and legends, after all. Perhaps there was a swan maiden to go with it, a delicate, beautiful woman, wandering around, helpless. Naked. He grinned at that thought as he puffed away on his pipe.
By Tali Mullins3 years ago in Fiction
Best Friends
I rolled over, grimacing as another wave of nausea washed over me. I clamped my lips shut as my mouth filled with saliva and my stomach roiled. My forehead broke out in a sweat and the room felt hot. I hated this so much. I listened to the steady beep of the monitors beside the bed and the quiet sound of the rain on the window. Once I was sure I wasn’t actually going to throw up again, I opened my eyes. I blinked to clear my vision when I saw my best friend sitting in the chair where I was sure I’d see no one.
By Tali Mullins3 years ago in Fiction
Glass Child
“There’s something wrong with her heart.” Those six words change our lives forever. I’ve written about it extensively on my blog, I’ve ranted passionately to my friends, I’ve been upbeat on my social media (because that’s where we live our best lives), but those six words were devastating in the moment. I stared at my husband when he said that and thought “My daughter? My sweet, tiny, six-day-old infant has something wrong with her? I messed up when I made her?”
By Tali Mullins3 years ago in Families
Bull on the Rampage
Rebecca sat on the small bench beside the front door, grateful it was shaded by the large tree, and watched as James played in the grass around the cottage. It was warmer than usual for September, she had heard people saying, and with her advanced state of pregnancy, she was decidedly uncomfortable. She rubbed the sides of her belly, trying to ease the ache a little, and yawned.
By Tali Mullins3 years ago in Fiction
Just One Week
Jenny wasn’t sure why she was at this club. She had been perfectly happy in her hotel room, curled up in bed with her laptop, watching Netflix while eating chips from the vending machine and drinking the mini bottle of wine she’d bought from the gas station on the corner, but her fellow class attendees had dragged her out to “see the sights,” and now, here she was. “Seeing the sights” of Sixth Street in downtown Austin, Texas. She hated clubs. She hated drinking in public, and loud music, and dark bars, and music so loud you could feel it throbbing in your very bones. Most especially, she hated crowds of people pressing in on every side of you. The smells of them, the sweat and body odor and clashing colognes and perfumes and hair products.
By Tali Mullins3 years ago in Fiction
A Day at the Beach
I shifted again on the lounge chair, trying to get comfortable, but it was nearly impossible. I was hot and sweating and there was sand everywhere. I kept an eye on Chris and Rebecca as they built a sandcastle, while pretending to read my book. I’d read the same paragraph at least a dozen times but I had no idea what it said. I finally set it down and looked out over the water, shading my eyes against the sun bouncing off the waves.
By Tali Mullins3 years ago in Fiction