“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 ...

Exhausted after my harrowing experience, Ralph, though reluctant at first, cooperated with me. As I drove home to get some much-needed rest, my thoughts turned to Liz. My next step had to involve her. I wondered if she had ever been in the abyss. If she had, she said nothing. Her ordeal with the plate-eye ...

“W-What is this?” I stuttered. “Louis is not the man he appears to be, I’m afraid.” Miss Billings sighed. “He’s done this before with other coworkers.” She tucked the photo in her pocket and stood beside me. I sat dumbfounded by what Miss Billings said, but my mind urged me to keep believing in Louis. ...

Peris stood on the brink of the cliff and reached out with her mind while she held her lightstick over the chasm. Stray orange pebbles skittered into the murky schism below while she pitched her body in defiance of gravity. Night had already fallen, but she pictured the twin suns, fierce and blazing in the bright green of midday. Then she imagined the sky ...

The weekend flew by, and before I knew it, Monday had arrived. In spite of the break, I was not well rested. Despite the strong emotions I had for Louis and my sympathy for the flamingoes, Miss Billings still had a significant presence in my life. Our upcoming meeting couldn’t be put off much longer. ...

“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 ...

Content warning: This story contains Restricted (R) content, including intense violence, physical abuse, and trauma. This story is written for an adult audience. Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, as none of the content is my original work. The characters are created by Stephen King and J.R.R Tolkien. The content belongs to MGM and ...

Gravity tugged at every fiber of my being. The black hole stretched me thin as I hurtled through the abyss. Colors swirled around me in a mesmerizing dance that blended and morphed into shapes beyond comprehension. I shielded my sight and tried to steady myself against the onslaught of sensations that threatened to overwhelm my ...

After Miss Martha finished her story, I stared at her in disbelief, unable to think of anything to say. Louis put his hand on mine and rubbed it. He looked at me and said, “I realize this may be overwhelming for you, Jessica, but please trust us when we say that it’s all true.” After ...

“Several weeks ago,” Miss Martha began, “The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s Ornithology Department contacted me to investigate a suspicious black-market bidding in Baja that sold illegal wild birds from South America and abroad. Wealthy people attended the auctions and bought the birds to keep as pets or accessories without considering the animals ...