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 ...

“You’re insane,” Esme said. “You have a better idea?” Marcus answered. Esme pursed her lips as her gaze lost focus, searching the corners of her mind for a more effective plan. Finally, she exhaled heavily. “Please, just leave me,” she whimpered. Marcus stared at his wife and watched her lively, beautiful features crumple under a ...

“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 ...

George Wickham didn’t come to Ramsgate with the intention of seducing Georgiana Darcy. Fate, however, had other plans, and when the Darcy carriage rolled past him on the street, he followed it all the way to their lodgings like a tom cat returning home to be fed. The following day, he went to scout the ...

The man in the white coat approached Andrew. “I’m Dr. Ben Matthews. Unfortunately, the prognosis isn’t favorable, but we are trying to figure it out.” Andrew shot out of his chair. Trevor followed suit, his heart raced. Oh God. First Allan, now Richard’s going to die. “What do you mean, the prognosis isn’t good? What’s ...

Marcus burst into the condo, Matty clutched in his arms. The faux leather of the pale blue sofa softly squealed as he set his son down. Matty blinked up at him, his expression confused. “Where are we?” he asked. “In another condo, buddy.” “What happened to ours?” Marcus smiled but decided not to answer. “I’ve ...

The sudden sight of the flamingo caused me to hyperventilate, and I lost consciousness. When I came to, I was lying on the living room sofa. As I tried to get my bearings, the flamingo appeared and inspected my shoes, which someone had removed. Louis sat in a nearby armchair, his face buried in his ...

Upon hearing the blood-curdling scream, we all jumped out of our seats and ran for the staircase. I reached it first and took the stairs two at a time. My brief knock on the closed door where Liz was staying wouldn’t have been sufficient in any other circumstance, but this unique situation called for immediate ...

Marcus surfaced, spitting out a mouthful of salt water. “Matty!” he screamed over the rippling seawater. He frantically swung his head back and forth, searching for any signs of his son, who had learned to swim the month prior. His mind jolted to that morning in the condo pool. Was it just this morning? Matty ...