• The text "In Deep Water by Jessi Hoff" is set against a deep-water background.
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    “What the fuck is going on? Where’s Xander?” Sophie and I follow Nathan into a sea of crewmembers, who are moving debris and medical equipment through the halls of Deck Two. The air is thick with the remnants of smoke, making it difficult to breathe. “Over here, Emily!” Xander waves to them from the medical ...
  • Flamingo in the water
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    When I left the office, I spent the day driving and shopping around my Los Angeles neighborhood to forget everything Miss Billings told me. I couldn’t shake the mental picture of Louis with that other woman, no matter how hard I tried. When it hit seven o’clock it became unbearable. To satisfy my curiosity, I ...
  • Man standing on a beach with logs stacked all over haphazardly looking toward the sea in a red jacket. A gloomy sky and island is in the background.
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    Searing pain attacked Esme from all sides. She tried to stay silent, but with each movement and jostle, her agony broke free and pushed from her lungs into the dank air. Sweat drenched Marcus as he grunted and swore. He and Fitz held Esme’s stretcher between them. They had kept their gait smooth down the ...
  • Stars trails along the periphery blur against the dark background of deep space creating a cosmic tunnel to travel through.
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    They could always feel the difference at the heliopause where they stopped riding the system’s solar winds and Nor could stretch herself out and approach lightspeed. It was a limitless expanse of possibility. Neighboring stars elongated into streaks of plasma and Doppler shifted blue as they drew closer and red as they passed. But the ...
  • White flowers among a bed of grass
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     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 ...
  • The text "In Deep Water by Jessi Hoff" is set against a deep-water background.
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    “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 ...
  • Plantation home with long driveway
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    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 ...
  • Flamingo in the water
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    “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. ...
  • Sheer rocky cliff faces rise up and pierce the night sky. Overhead, a bright band of stars splits the sky.
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    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 ...
  • Flamingo in the water
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    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. ...