Wylder, Nala, and Cinder had developed a routine. Each month, when the moon was full, the girls would meet at the stone benches and Nala would lead Wylder through The Silence to see Cinder. This went on for a decade. Every so often, when they were out riding, Wylder would…

Wylder and Nala didn’t speak until the next full moon. Without a good way to measure the passage of time, the full moon was like a clock they could both see. They met at the stone benches and without a word, made their way through The Silence toward the soft…

“That looks like a lollypop!” Jack said, pointing to a stop sign. “One point for you, Jack,” his brother David said. They continued to walk the mile to school, going past Prairie Rock Park. David looked around and saw a man throwing a Frisbee to his dog who jumped high…

As the two returned from the field, Wylder asked, “Nala, how do we get back into St. David’s?” “We just do,” replied Nala. “I shoulda told you about The Silence,” began Nala. “When we go through, we will be in the quiet place. You won’t hear me, and I won’t…

Because it’s not fair. I get asked a lot why all my books (so far) involve death. It started when my friend and the “other grandma” to my grandkids died of COVID. We had a snowstorm in Austin TX that was unlike anything I had experienced in my 20 years…

After months of watching the new girl from behind the bushes near the stone benches in the main part of St. David’s, Nala got a little closer. Behind Wylder, Nala sat on her bare heels and watched a grasshopper bounce by her toes and into the grass. “I hear you…

One day a white girl had come to see Mama. Her face was a mix of green and yellow, her head was sweaty, and she was shaking. She leaned against the door, head resting in her hands. “Please help me,” she said between short breaths. Mama rushed her in, checking…

Patty brought Wylder to meet Brenda. Brenda took Wylder for a walk through St. David’s Cemetery. “I will introduce you to some of my favorite people here. You already know Patty. That’s her husband Guy.” Grumpy, Wylder thought. “Yep, he’s grumpy,” Brenda said. Wylder looked at her, a little stunned…

St. David’s Cemetery History 101 Summer Writing Assignment by Wylder Shans St. David’s Cemetery was established in 1775, and nearby stood St. David’s Church and the school for the deaf. Mrs. Diane Caldwell deeded the land for the church in 1893. The church building and school are no longer there…