Midnight tolled from a distant clock tower, its echoes drifting across the English countryside. In the shadowed hush of St. Carlisle’s churchyard, tombstones loomed like silent sentries. Nothing stirred here but a lone figure cloaked in burgundy, dragging a stolen shovel that glinted with the promise of mischief, pilfered earlier from sexton Charlie Jacobson’s shed. ...

The house sat tucked away in the depths of the woods. Its once white, pristine boards had turned a nasty shade of brown from years of wear. The windows were covered in dirt. The roof sagged, holding its breath so it wouldn’t cave in. These were the thoughts that crossed Maggie Harrington’s mind when she ...

Long ago, in a distant land called Dryer, there lived a king named Dio, who had no desire to assist his fellow humans, let alone animals. He only thirsted for power and domination. The subjects suffered under his rule; they were plagued by expensive taxes and inhospitable conditions. However, nobody raised concerns; those who stood ...

September 1964: The mid-morning sun shone on the uniform lawns on Juniper Street. The area, in an affluent Sacramento suburb, was lined with brick houses and bordered by two large bushes, marking its separation from the outside world.  To Martha Baxter, this was the place those with materialistic desires loved to call home. At eleven ...