The knife comes loose with a tug as I inspect the wall. There isn’t much damage, but it will need to be refinished. I’ll need to have dad cleanse the house when he gets back. Another chore. Another day. Downstairs in the kitchen, the poorly wrapped cake mix sits on the counter. I shove it ...

“Yes, Master.” I choke out the words to relieve the pressure on my throat. Finally, Kaelthar releases me. I stumble back, gasping for air.   He stands from the desk and stalks toward me. I slink away as he draws close.   “The others won’t believe you if you tell them.” Is he reading my thoughts? “They took my word about the planet, and they’ll do the same now.”   He’s right. They’re trained to trust him, have been their ...

As the second song ended, the village exploded in cheers. The younglings were too busy catching their breaths, and there I stood, trapped under the Rainbow Mage’s gaze. Those eyes, dark as the night sky, had powers beyond my comprehension — my whole body yearned for her, and the surrounding world no longer mattered. She ...

Elizabeth didn’t sleep well. She woke every few hours, either to some noise or because she was uncomfortable. She dreamt of the old man and the ring, a different dream every time she fell asleep. They were in the diner, but it was only the two of them in there. She sat on the ground ...

Be there for Persephone…   After everything she had done to Hades, he was firmly on the side that she deserved the isolation. Maybe she would finally understand what Hades went through. Each of the gods that resided in the Underworld had been shunned by the Golden Gods or had simply gotten tired of their elitist bullshit. None endured the ...

The great cacophonous roar of the 7:30 rush buzzed through Sam’s body as he and his coworkers became thin stretched across espresso machines, breakfast sandwiches, and caffeine-deficient customers. He smacked the mocha bottle, but only a lone, lethargic drop fell into the frothy milk. With a groan, he tossed it into the empty trash but ...

“Shut up, you loud bunch of hungry monkeys!”  Elder Shu yelled at the top of his lungs, waving his cane in the air. Those who had experienced the Solstice covered their mouths with their index fingers. My parents, like the other adults, whispered for me to be quiet and leaned against the walls to clear ...

I open my eyes to the stars. Thousands of them light up the colorful painting of space dust that circles the sky. My hands are tingly and numb, my head pounds, and my mouth is dry. Something soft brushes my hand, making me jolt upright. I spot a tiny rabbit near my fingers and let ...

Across from her, stuck to the bar, was a fragment of bone, glued to the surface by a glob of viscera. It made Elizabeth queasy, but somehow her intense focus on it prevented her from throwing up. The white shard eventually fell. No one noticed but her. The old man snatched the discarded weapons and ...

The entrance to Beverly’s chamber stood partially open near the corridor’s end, emitting a faint metallic scent. I pushed the door ajar and stepped in. Aiden followed.  “Wait here.” I said putting my hands on his chest. “We don’t need our DNA throughout the crime scene. Yell if the captain shows up.” Shadows clung in ...