By Day She Dreams of Heroes

This Thanksgiving weekend we've got a story by David Martin. Our hope is that the contrasting of ancient Geatish heroes and petty school bullies will go along well with your turkey.

She must have laid on the ground for a good five minutes. Finally the snickering and laughs woke her up. “Wotta tosser”, chirped the teenage English accents. This was the third time this week. A teacher got her to stand up. While walking home more voices were heard. These were American tourists gawking at a local sign. “Double letters on names are for good luck!” It was a pleasant custom for a small town in the south of England. There was nothing in her life to explain these episodes. Up until then she had been a lively curious girl looking forward to traveling the world. She had Facebook friends on every continent. The actor in Bollywood. The couple high hiking across Ontario. The Nigerian with the sushi pub.

“Are you feeling better Amy?” asked her mother. Her response was a forced smile. The conversation continued with mention of an appointment with a local child therapist. Amy could do nothing but accept her fate. Later she was tucked into bed.

The dream returned. The massive door slowly caving in to the horrible pounding. A great cold wind blowing through the hall as monstrous feet landed on the wooden floor. Brave warriors meeting cruel fates. Cowering in the darkest corner was all she could do as the mayhem ensued. Finally the cries for help grew distant as the victims were carried off into the frigid night.
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