Flowing water rouses Sullivan from a deep slumber. Expecting to wake to an opened bedroom window, he gasps at the realization before him. With hands and feet bound by tape, the seventeen-year-old sits alongside a creek, roped to a tree. Autumn temperatures in the forest chill him to the bone, so he draws his legs ...

Zana sprints around Planet Kaddasm’s rough terrain in perpetual darkness with great ease. Her large, light-sensing eyes give her night vision, and her cold-blooded body allows her to thrive on the frigid planet. She veers left and right, maneuvering through the tree groves without effort. Zana searches for volboar, creatures that run amok on Planet ...

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. The characters presented were created and are owned by Joss Whedon**   Field trip days were the worst. Not only were they subjected to the most boring of subjects but it also meant that she couldn’t sneak away from the group. Headcounts and constant parental checks deterred ...

Fifteen-year-old Rowan creeps into his house and eases the kitchen door closed, hoping not to alert Gary, his abusive step-father, of his arrival. He sets his backpack on the table, then tiptoes to the fridge for a serving of chilled apple juice to combat the effects of the extreme heat. The refrigerator’s cold air soothes ...

It was a beautiful fall day–cool temperature with a slight breeze that played with your hair. Lots and lots of sun. A perfect day. A day Amber King normally would be singing some sappy song while doing her errands. Not today. Any other day she would be standing in line at Starbucks for her favorite ...

Nightfall brings unease and gloom, forcing chills down Gabby’s spine as she lays in bed. She hesitates to drift off to sleep on 13 Wistful Way, the house she inherited from her Aunt Kacie’s passing. Since moving into the lone home in the wooded area, Gabby experiences inexplicable sleep disturbances. Night terrors and episodes of ...

I stand here at the edge of the mountain. Two choices lay ahead of me. Go back down the way I came, take the easy path and turn away from the chosen task, or jump and hope that those who convinced me to trust them are correct. There is a very good chance that jumping ...

A blanket of fog fills the forest, reducing visibility for Grant and Tessalyn as they hike deep within. The dense haze piques the curiosity of the newly-dating couple, so they trudge on. But their enthusiasm soon turns to trepidation as they realize they’re lost.  Grant treks alongside Tessalyn while observing the invasive murk; it conceals ...

CASE FILE FW.DP.001-1 Locals report that several prominent members of their town have vanished into thin air. No notes, no clues and no suspects. That was the only information printed across the page tucked inside the crisp manila folder with its neatly printed label. Soft blue eyes darted from the stark white page to the ...