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 ...

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 ...

A frustrated scream tore from Persephone as she threw the golden vase at the wall, the porcelain fragments shattering to the floor. In all the centuries she’d been trapped here, he always came to tell her good morning. He hadn’t appeared this morning. There had been no apology for his behavior yesterday. He was toying ...

Captain Anderson sure loves to talk. My mind drifts; I’m too tired to follow every word, exhaustion pressing in from restless nights. I should speak to Val about these nightmares, about this dragging fatigue-maybe she can help. Around me, Common B fills with crew and the hum of popcorn machines Helen set up. She always ...

In my first memory, I stand in a doorway. Mother yells, while Dad tries to calm her. My tiny legs wobble as I try to stay as quiet as possible. Even as a child, I knew I needed to listen. “You travel the world, any one of those towns could be her new home. She ...

I finished my bath and hung the damp towel on the fence outside, a signal I was ready for the evening’s preparations. A few houses away, Frederik copied me, draping his towel over a fence. He was about my age, with reddish-brown eyes, thick blond hair, and more scars from wild beasts than anyone could ...

Screaming pierces my eardrums. The door slams, and suddenly, we’re all capable of calling light to the tips of our fingers. In the crackling glow, panic flares in Tyrak’s eyes as he turns and nearly trips over me to run to the staircase. Ember grips my hand, and we bolt, Jelric to my side.   We stampede as if Ortha’s body could fly, hands twisted ...