Stories from My Brain Tumors

By Judy Lunsford

This book is filled with stories that I wrote just before and just after having brain surgery for metastatic breast cancer that spread to my brain. I've had people ask me what it was like not having full control of my body and brain during that time.

I don't remember much, but I do remember that it was scary, so I wrote during those months. The words that came out in my writing can best express what I was going through because, honestly, I don't remember much from that time.

I tried to leave the stories untouched, aside from fixing spelling mistakes, I did not edit them any further. I let the weird run wild through these stories. I have no idea what order these were written in, so they are just alphabetical by title.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Judy Lunsford
• Release date: Feb 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215119440

Judy Lunsford

Born and raised in California, Judy now lives in Arizona with her husband and Giant Schnoodle. Judy writes with dyslexia and a chronic illness & is a breast cancer survivor. She writes mostly fantasy, but delves into suspense, horror, romance, and poetry. She has written books and short stories for all ages. You can find her books and short stories at your favorite online retailers.

Book preview

Air & Sage

The air elemental lived out in the middle of the desert. It was the sage bushes that compelled her to dance.

But out in the darkness of night there was nowhere for her to run to and nowhere for her to hide.

When the sun vanished for the night, she was trapped in the darkness. She would spin in lonely circles as the sage urged her on into the night.

The highway led her to the lonely places in the darkness.

She followed the path fixed in place by the crumbling asphalt. But it led her nowhere in the darkness that fell before her every night.

She followed the enchanting scent of the sage into the darkness. The smell of sage made the bleak darkness feel like home. 

She was a warrior at heart even though she lived to dance. Out in the darkness she fought the monsters that wandered in the night. She protected the sage from the flaming beasts that tore through the night leaving shredded and burned wreckage in their wake. 

She used her power of wind to extinguish the flames. Throwing the soft dirt from the desert floor onto the flickering flames. She battled the flame beasts to protect her beloved sage.

When the fires were extinguished, she burrowed into a sage bush for the night. She fell asleep in the loving comfort of the smell of the sage and pressed her fingers onto the embers that tried to survive the darkness with one last shining effort. She extinguished them with little effort and watched them vanish into the ground.

Bad Moon

She hid in the darkness even though there was nowhere to run to. It was the middle of the desert, and the sun faded into night. There was nowhere to hide when darkness finally fell.

The vampire had no solace as the sun set.

The air elemental helped to hide her friend from the last bits of light from the sun for the evening. 

She created a whirlwind of dirt to hide the vampire from the final rays of the day.

A vampire and an air elemental were unlikely friends. But they were friends, nonetheless. They protected one another.

From sunlight, and from the beast.

The blood trails from the beast were what attracted the vampire. The beast protected both friends as well. The three were inseparable. Three creatures hiding in the night waiting for the bad moon that was predicted to rise. The moon that would free them all from their weaknesses.

They waited together for the bad moon. When it finally rose, the three creatures were free to live their lives as they wished. Without their weaknesses and without fear. They were truly free for the first time in their lives.

Coming Home

She was my everything. She was my world. And then she grew up.

When Rory was young, we were the best of friends. Nothing could separate us. She and I spent every day together. She has always been my favorite.

But then, as all children do, she grew up. Once a kid hit 11 or 12, they pretty much grow out of their imaginary friends.

And this is what happened with Rory. It’s what happens with every kid.

What neither one of us expected was that years later, my new assignment would be her daughter.

It’s not supposed to happen. There must have been a glitch in the system. And I didn’t even realize it at first.

I was given my orders, and I showed up at the new house, just like I always had. 

The kid’s name was Hattie. I just had to find her. It wasn’t going to be too hard; she was an only child. I like only children best. No pesky siblings trying to cause problems if they can’t see me. And no older brothers trying to set traps for me. Boys were the worst.

So, I was pretty happy when I read about Hattie. On paper, she was the perfect assignment.

Only child, girl, and very young, so the assignment would most likely be for the long haul. I liked to settle in.

I got to the house and was able to take a look around before anyone got home. Both parents worked, and the kid was at school. First grade. Best time to start with a new kid. First grade is scary, so they love having a friend waiting at home. And it’s a longer day at school than kindergarten. Lots of time for me to hang out and read.

There were books everywhere. Bookshelves lined every wall of the living room. There were more bookshelves in other rooms as well. There wasn’t a room without books in the entire place.

I had a feeling that I was going to love this assignment.

I hung around the house planning on having lots of tea parties and reading a lot of books. I would have all the time in the world while everyone was gone for the day. 

They had a little dog. His name was Ruffy. Not very original, but he was cute all the same. He took to me right away. He and I were chums from the get-go, which was always a very good sign.

But then she came home. 

I heard the garage door open and then the hum of the car’s engine as it pulled into the garage. 

I set my book down. Ruffy ran to the garage door in a barking frenzy, anxious to welcome home what I was assuming would be the mother.

She came in the garage door and greeted little Ruffy. She looked up and our eyes met from across the room.

She could see me.

She had the same soft brown eyes that I remembered from her childhood. They hadn’t changed at all.

Most adults get sort of a different look