It is good to return to work, despite Asher and Val’s opinions. I couldn’t take another day of doing nothing. The social with Asher went as expected: games, plenty of food, and high spirits. No one dwelled on the upcoming Barrier Island landing or what might await us there. The activities were just what I ...

“Lizzie?” She realized she’d zoned out of the conversation while her parents were play-fighting. Jules was looking at her, concerned. “Sorry, my head hurts, but I’m okay.” She gave a loose synopsis of the situation, about the old man and the two gunmen. She minimized how close she came to dying from the gun pointed ...

Even though I continued talking with my parents as if nothing had happened, my mind was churning with thoughts, and my throat was aching to speak. The conversation with Ji-Ah left a powerful impression on me. She made clear that the Great Mother had been listening to my prayers. Was that why the Late Sovereign ...

Riley gagged when she looked into the room. “Mind if I stay by the door?” she questioned, clutching her stomach. “If you’re that sensitive, I’ll be quick.” I slipped into the suite and returned with the photo of the smiling woman and what appeared to be a large, uncut black opal that fit in the ...

“You’re a witch!” Hawthorne holds her hands up. If it were anyone else, it would be a symbol of surrender. But from a witch, it’s a threat. Her eyes darted around desperately. “But I–” “But what? Did you poison the tea?” The knife shook in my hands. “No, I swear! I’ll leave; you’ll never see ...

Calm smoothed over the landscape as quickly as the turbulent weather erupted. I perched on my grandmother’s bedroom window and watched the sun’s rays battle the clouds for dominance. As it strained to break through, I struggled against the feeling of my lungs closing up. The fresh, earthy smell of Gran’s backyard after the recent ...

Hypnos heaved a sigh of relief when he blinked into existence in the open-air atrium of Slumber. A massive fountain sprayed scented water behind him, the sound soothing an ache that had formed in his chest. This was the only place he felt alive. He could function here, able to keep his eyes open for ...

Sam choked as his heart sprang into his throat. On the next block, her hair thrown together like an abstract painting, a familiar figure waited at a bus stop. He shuddered, his legs weakened, and for a moment, he understood the plight of deer when a car barrels towards them. His sensibility devolved as he ...

The best thing about living on a boat during the apocalypse? Is how easy it is to forget the world has gone to shit. When I am not fighting off zombies, I’m just a regular twenty-year-old trying to make and maintain friendships and maybe even find love. “Hey.” Asher’s already at one of the cafeteria ...

The summer sun gave way to the falling leaves, marking the onset of fall. For once, Lacey found herself blanketed in the comfort of a routine. Her guard fell with each passing month. Syler’s intentions remained steadfast, and he proved himself daily. His kind personality helped her heal her heart after the traumatic first months ...