I stumble to the Hydra, clinging to Sophie’s arm. My vision swims as crew members rush to ready as many available submersibles as possible. I blink away my tears as my seatbelt clicks into place. Xander and Nathan are talking, but I can’t discern them past the ringing in my ears. A loud pop pulls ...

In my teenage years, I became obsessed with vampires. Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” with his unique talent of devouring the lives of others, resonated in my thoughts and dreams. Later on, my mannerisms began to resemble his. When I killed my father, I realized the energizing powers of draining a human’s vital fluids. Dracula used his ...

Something is on fire. The alarm sings its wailing song through the Griffin. “We’ve got a breach in the bow.” A crewmember barges into the room, soaking wet. “I’ve sealed the affected compartments. It should hold for the time being.” “That’s good. Keep me posted if anything changes.” Xander exhales as the alert cuts off. ...

Luna paced the deck in her quarters until the hunter-green carpet turned a dusty shade of moss. The argument with Astor flickered in her mind like the light of a pulsar, its intensity re-surging as soon as it subsided. Her eyes stung with bitter tears that refused to fall. The memory of the pain plastered ...

Eddie drums his fingers on a nearby AUV. “Did you guys see it? Is it dead?” “We did.” Xander smacks his lips together. “Not hardly.” I struggle out of the Hydra, Xander catching me as I stumble. “You okay, Em?” “Yeah, missed a step.” I smile, my cheeks warm. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” Xander plants ...

Synesthesia is the ability of one feeling to activate another. For instance, a taste with a sound or a color brings up a smell. When I thought about killing, it made all my senses buzz louder than a fire alarm. It felt bright as the sun, tasty like Shanaya’s burger, and sounded like birds singing ...

Andre stands at the dock as we arrive and greets us. “Here are your groceries, Miss Galton. Did you and Tamara have a good time together?” Jessica grins, “Oh, we did! Tamara’s a sweetheart. Fizz likes her too!” Fizz honks in apparent agreement at her side. I smile and remain silent. “Nice meeting you, Tamara. ...

We hit the surface with a loud thwack, my heart leaping into my throat. I force down the granola bar still clutched in my shaking hands, washing it down with water when it gets stuck in the back of my throat. “You should have eaten breakfast, babe.” Xander glances at me with concern in his ...

Despite the look on Wesic’s face when Luna tossed his ship, building a case against him would be harder than making him jump at the accusation. She paced the lift on the return trip to the command center. Thus far, the evidence she’d collected was circumstantial, little better than the case some asshole could build ...

We were designed to feed for survival. What began as simple sustenance, a bulwark against decay, evolved with time into pleasure—and then, in sin, transgression. Killing others had been the same—just another necessity, now forbidden. But prohibitions meant nothing to someone like me, long severed from faith or its comforts. Holiness never tempted me—not even ...