The air crackled with energy as the wind gusted around us. Ralph, Liz, Roxanne, and I held hands, reciting ancient spells. The candles we had lit had long since blown out, proving useless, but the sage bundle nestled in the amethyst bowl glowed in red and yellow hues. Smoke twisted and danced to the whims ...

Salty air nibbles my cheeks as I step onto the Lido Deck, the sky moving in turbulent waves above my head. Xander and I follow Eddie past the abandoned cabanas and pool to a set of stairs that lead to the Command Center. “They’ll be joining us anytime, too.” Eddie hasn’t stopped talking since we ...

I was six when my mother took me to London, England. Mom had to attend a summit, so she left me with her friend, Mr. Cash. Mr. Cash was tall and wore an orange ascot. He didn’t want me locked up in our hotel room and decided we would explore London. Mr. Cash always asked ...

One summer when Sophie and I were twelve, we were playing in the field outside her house when a bolt of lightning crashed across the sky right above our heads. The clouds were so dark and heavy that they suffocated the sun. I laughed as her hair stood on end until I saw the sheer ...

Memories of the previous night danced across Luna’s mind and settled in the pit of her stomach. She discovered from the station logs that there’d only been three new residents in the last month: the physician’s assistant who’d waited twelve weeks for transfer orders, an ensign assigned to the astronomy team, and Astor. The passing ...

The Livyatan, according to Sophie, is an extinct whale that lived nine million years ago. It is said to have been similar in size to the modern-day sperm whale, was considered one of the top predators of that time, and even shared the same waters as the megalodon shark. That was hard to imagine, however. ...

The hard blow fell across her back from behind. “Get fucked by a Beluvian tocar!” Luna swore at the offender. Her electric orange outposter splashed down her shirt and onto the data pad she was reading. She turned to locate the dead grinter who’d doused her in her favorite beverage, only to find a trembling waitress backing away from ...

Unease settled over me when I tried to piece together the puzzle between Aunt Thelma and Uncle Jeb’s true identity. Their ghostly presence commanded a source of comfort in our family, but now I found it impossible to rid myself of the notion there may be a deeper layer of their story. I needed to ...

“Is that what I think it is?” I lean forward in my chair, squinting at the computer screen. A sharp object protrudes from a piece of the Griffin’s jagged hull, forming a slim V as it tapers into steel. Its stony appearance is a stark contrast to the corroded metal beneath. The ROV zooms in ...

One morning, I looked out my apartment window and saw the wounded flamingo needed my help. The left wing looked injured, and regardless of why, caring for the bird felt like a necessary act of atonement for my past mistakes. For months I read books and articles on how to care for flamingoes and nursed ...