Does it have to be this dark in here? Pinpricks of topaz, amethyst, and chrysoprase dot the ceiling like fine-cut stars, but with the house lights out, shadow consumes the masked and painted faces surrounding me. Carefully crafted homages and stiff, die-punched facades blur together in a sea of indistinct bodies, writhing to the amateur ...

A flower pushed its way through the soil toward the sun. It coils upwards, then, just before blooming, tilts down and sheds its petals. “Damn,” I say. Hawthorn smiles with a flash of disappointment in her eyes. “You got close.” “Not close enough.” “You’re being too hard on yourself. It took me months to get ...

I love my family. My brothers and I always get along, despite their loud, obnoxious nature. Having a dad to take care of me is a breath of fresh air when I’m normally so alone. But two weeks is the longest break I can remember them taking between hunts. Since Quince turned eighteen, at least ...

“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 ...

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 ...

Crunching leaves, The smell of burning firewood, Spooky decorations painting the streets everywhere I go. The crisp-cool heart of autumn. Beach days turn into cozy evenings inside, Wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, hot coffee in hand. They become movie nights with friends watching Halloween-themed classics while snacking on popcorn. Every introvert’s dream come true when ...

Pastor Morgan Williams placed his hat and umbrella on the bench that lined the wall of the police observation room. “Why call me, of all people? I’ve read the papers. The girl is guilty.” Police Chief Ezra Smoles tugged on the woolen collar of his uniform as the fabric scratched against his skin. “There might ...

Red brick and weathered stoneCreate the halls of my prison.The shadows speak in riddlesAnd sunlight is a dim memoryWithin these hallowed halls. Inmates pass like ghosts,Their discordant cries echoingIn the oppressive silenceThat settles onto my bonesLike steel chainsAnd keep me rootedIn my misery. I watch them go,Knowing that my destinyIs to follow themInto the unknown ...

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 ...

Midnight tolled from a distant clock tower, its echoes drifting across the English countryside. In the shadowed hush of St. Carlisle’s churchyard, tombstones loomed like silent sentries. Nothing stirred here but a lone figure cloaked in burgundy, dragging a stolen shovel that glinted with the promise of mischief, pilfered earlier from sexton Charlie Jacobson’s shed. ...