The wild gallop of Marcus’s pulse propelled him along the corridor. Stucco-covered walls stretched ahead to his right, the other side flanked by waist-high plexiglass bordered by metal safety rails. His eyes razed every inch of the space as stagnant, humid air did little to cool his sweaty skin. Fitz peeked over the railing every ...

My head shook in disbelief at the sight of the flamingo; all the while, my brain created plausible scenarios that overtook any rational thought I had before. “No, no, this can’t be real.” While backing away from the pink bird, I whispered, “Miss Martha, Louis, this is a joke, right? This flamingo is an animatronic, ...

A crowd of hopeful Arizona State University students gathered around the bulletin board outside Dr. Isis Nassar’s lecture hall. She posted the semester’s final scores. There was a cluster of students who anxiously waited to scan for their grades. Hopefuls who wanted their scores to be high enough to get selected for the internship slots. ...

Marcus gaped at his son and the puddle on the rug at his feet. No. His vision clouded as liquid panic pumped through his veins. Fitz said Matty’s name, strode to the boy, and crouched before him. No, no, no. “Marcus!” Fitz snapped his fingers toward him twice. SNAP SNAP. He blinked, and the room came ...

Panic clawed under Sofia’s damp skin, and her sweat beaded and flew from her forehead every time she swiveled to listen for her pursuer. She lurched left as the wall against her fingertips vanished into nothingness. Sofia paused, unsure which way to go. Jax clicked on his flashlight, and the glow splashed her dim shadow ...

“Are these feathers from the flamingo you’re keeping?” I gave a stern look to Miss Martha and Louis while my fingers tightly gripped the pink feathers. My mind attempted to remain calm, but anger rose inside my body. “Please, tell me now.” My voice said through almost gritted teeth, which took myself aback. This anger ...

Sofia stumbled along, blind in the darkness, her left hand tracing the painted concrete wall to her left, the other clutched to her aching ribs. She stopped, planted her back flat against the stubbled surface, and listened. Staccato curses echoed and bounced through the black passage, Jax’s angry voice peppering her with rancid fear. Her ...

We all jumped the minute we heard the honk, and our coffee spilled over the floor and sofa. I noticed that Miss Martha and Louis didn’t budge an inch and looked annoyed towards the kitchen door. “What the he…eck, was that?” I exclaimed. In a wise journalist maneuver, I caught myself about to say the ...

Content Warning: violent assault “We’re getting reports the storm surge has begun,” crackled an old radio near the center of the arena. Groups of evacuees nearby quieted to listen. “All civilian areas have been vacated, and no more rescue crews are entering the area near the beach–.” The radio spit rough static and Molly’s forehead ...

“These were the most wonderful birds I had ever seen,” Miss Martha explained while she gave us coffee. “I had once thought of them as eccentric lawn ornaments of middle-aged women, ironic to say after you looked at my front lawn, but now they were in front of me. They waded in the pool and ...