Read the previous parts here. My heart thudded as I tried to comprehend what my eyes were seeing. The mirror showed a live image of Calvin and me taking an evening stroll on the beach. The sun was setting slowly. I gasped at the sight of my physique. My stomach was as big as a pumpkin. ...

This is not my city—it isn’t my world. I can’t remember how long it’s been since my first assignment. Fugitives are my business, and I’m very good at hunting them. I never fail a mission. Unfortunately, my latest conquest took me here to a world of excess and instant gratification. This world is the perfect ...

Sammie stared out the window—he sat as still as a statue. Thoughts of the dark wall creatures oozing out of the cracks were unbearable. The rocking horse glared at him, and the teddy bear waited to crawl toward him. Toys that once gave him joy and happiness threatened to destroy him if he didn’t allow ...

When I write for someone else, it definitely adds pressure on me to deliver my best work. I often doubt the final submission. Will it be good enough? Is it going to be rejected? Will I have to make a lot of changes for the publisher to accept it?

“Sometimes I reach out into the sky wishing that maybe just this once the laws of reality suspend and I finally touch a star,” the woman with thick glasses lazily sighed to herself in the back alley. Her arms displayed stories sketched with scar tissue; her features blurred her age to be somewhere between twenty-five ...

There are approximately 500,000 service dogs in the United States that help disabled individuals mitigate their disability-related limitations. How exceptional is that? The first week of August is all about celebrating all the devoted, hardworking service dogs who dedicate their lives to help disabled individuals navigate through life’s challenges. Service dogs are more than a companion. They ...

Take a break from the electronics and dust off your sports gear. It is time to play catch! It does not matter if it is an old pigskin, softball, or baseball. Just grab a ball and go outside. There’s always someone yearning to learn and another yearning to share some skills. Playing catch is an excellent way ...

National Missing Children’s Day is the inspiration for this short story. National Missing Children’s Day was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan on May 25th, 1983. There was a series of high-profile missing children cases that made national headlines in the several years following the establishment of National Missing Children’s Day. For instance, the Etan ...

“I’m going stir crazy. I might come to the beach too,” Aunt Monica said over Facetime. “I just don’t wanna catch germs and die.” “Why does it even matter?” Jasper stated in the background. “If the virus won’t kill ya, the smoking will.” “Yeah. That machine is useless,” Penelope added. “You do a breathing treatment ...

Flash. He saw an old Model T car. Flash. That looked to be a 1960s Mustang. Probably the Mach 1. Flash. Flash. Flash. A Supernova 200XL swept by using the latest in antigravity technology. Byron flipped a switch, and time stood still for a moment then jerked into slow motion. Yet it wasn’t slow motion. ...