“You wanna talk about what had you screaming in the middle of the night?” Sophie shoves a forkful of French toast into her mouth and stares at me expectantly. I sigh and stare at my waffle. Syrup oozing around a mountain of chocolate chips. “Not really.” Sophie purses her lips. “It wouldn’t have anything to ...

“What’s the name of the ship, Em?” Sophie asks me for the billionth time, her dark eyes darting from one end of the marina to the other as we make our way among the deckhands. “The Griffin. Honestly Soph, you need to relax a little. I’ve got all the information right here. We shouldn’t be ...

A shiver of nerves zips up my spine as I wait in the empty parlor. Most days, this place is hopping with customers or random beings coming off the street to catch a glimpse of the inside. I certainly feel that after peering at all the colorful designs etched on the walls outside. The bold ...

Read Parts 1-6 Chaos and cacophony. “Dee? Are you okay?” Eddie’s voice penetrates the solipsism. “Dee!” My eyes flicker open to Eddie holding the detached call bell in his left hand, his mouth gaping and face pale. His chest rises and falls through his scrubs. “I’m alive,” I fumble. “Who did this? The night nurse ...

Read Parts 1-5 Content Warning: Recommended 18+ due to mature content, adult situations, and sensitive topics.   “Michael.”   Gasping awake against the dim light and my heart gallops. My muscles clench through a medication-blurred reality as I roll my eyes through the haze toward my mother’s voice. “M-mom?” I stutter. Salt and pepper curls ...

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3| Part 4 Content Warning: Recommended 18+ due to mature content, adult situations, and sensitive topics.     I lull in and out of consciousness in the wheelchair as I stare out the window. My mother’s voice awakens me each time I fall asleep – jolts of you ...