Jim wriggled through the air vents, tugging Ronnie along with him. The vents groaned under their weight, and Jim could hear his heart pounding in his ears even over Ronnie’s ragged breathing. Sweat trickled down his nose. He’d never been more terrified. He was pretty sure that Ronnie’s arm was […]
young adult fiction
Ronnie heard Jim’s voice, and it made her feel safe. Of course he’d come for her. He’d make everything better. He always did. Her whole life was better than it’d ever been before he came. She’d read about friends before, watched people in vids, daydreamed about what having someone her […]
Martian Adventures: Ronnie’s Birthday Part 5
Jim’s communicator went silent again, and he spat one of Mr. Barrie’s curses. "Where’s the observation post?" Ronnie’s dad raked his hands through his thinning hair. "It’s in an old part of the station. It’s sealed off. There shouldn’t be any way in." "Well, she’s in a ventilation shaft. One […]
Martian Adventures: Ronnie’s Birthday Part 4
Ronnie groaned. Was that Jim? He sounded far away. "Ronnie! Where are you?" Thoughts slipped through Ronnie’s mind, slippery and hard to catch, like fish. Something was wrong, she was sure of that. She tried to rub her forehead. Pain exploded through her body. Her arm was wedged beneath her […]
Martian Adventures: Ronnie’s Birthday Part 3
Ronnie’s scream echoed in Jim’s room. He grabbed his communicator. "Ronnie? Ronnie, are you okay? Where are you?" Static crackled at him. Jim shook the communicator, then tried again. Worry clawed at his belly. Where was she? What had she done? Maybe this was all a prank. Maybe she was […]
Martian Adventures: Ronnie’s Birthday Part 2
Ronnie wormed her way through the air vent. It was a lot tighter than she remembered–but then she hadn’t been through here since before Jim came. She’d grown in the past year. She slithered forward. It would be her birthday soon, and she always greeted her birthday from the same […]
Martian Adventures: Ronnie’s Birthday Part 1
Jim whistled as he walked to work. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and it was his birthday. He’d been on the station for almost a year. He was going to work a short shift, and then Ronnie, her parents, and his mom were going to throw him a surprise […]
Martian Adventures: Jim’s Birthday
Ronnie curled up in the hideout and pulled out one of the chocolate bars that Jim’s grandma had sent with him. They didn’t get much chocolate on Mars, and Ronnie usually savored it. She devoured the bar in four bites. Her mom was driving her crazy. She thought that she […]
Martian Adventures: Moms
Jim zoned out a little during the speeches. He listened while Ronnie’s dad got up and talked for a while about the purpose of the colony–about exploration and the indomitable human spirit. It was the same sort of thing that Ronnie’s dad always went on about. Jim’s lips twitched. He […]
Martian Adventures: The Naming Ceremony Part 3
Mrs. Morgan looked taller without Jim’s dad towering over her. And she looked pretty in her pink-flower dress and pearls. And Jim looked very solemn in his suit. Ronnie grinned and waved. Jim waved back. Ronnie’s mom had redecorated the cafeteria for the ceremony. The tables had been stashed somewhere, […]