Repeating History
I took the stairs, two at a time, stuffing my gun into its holster as I tried to ignore the heavy strap digging into my shoulder ...

Unexpected Love
My love affair started on our honeymoon, and I can assure you it’s not what you think. His idea. I preferred sleeping unti ...

Brave Enough
Touching the scar on my arm, I let my finger trace the line.The diner reeks of nostalgia, the linoleum is worn, but the coffee i ...

The Business of Flying
They drift, while I watch with envy. Most times I pilot, but today I lead the chase team, earthbound. Owning the business, I hav ...

A Matter of Survival
She hadn’t planned it, it just happened.Self-defense drove Dolce to cook. The youngest of ten children, her boarding house ...

Running on Empty
Daylight faded and the gas gauge’s needle dipped ever downward. I alone followed the black ribbon which wavered, shimmerin ...

Holding On
The sand flew right out the window. It left me frozen, asleep for a thousand years. The one thing I craved, I never found. ...

It Starts with One
Sandy hobbled past the people milling around the pickup counter. The barista slammed her Grande Iced Caramel Cloud Macchiato beh ...

Chalk Outline
The truth is lost in time. Erased by centuries of chest-pounding men. What power could a mere teenage girl lacking noble birth, ...

A Matter of Timing
Odette glanced at the building’s clock as she walked. Early as usual, and Derick would be late, calm, cool and bemused by ...

Follow Me
Sasha’s quest for world domination was a slow process. Her extensive research in neuroscience and cult psychology for ...

Cosmic Intervention
Darrius suspended his hand above the ancient vessel. His blood pulsed, forming a tiny pool, before he turned his palm and allowe ...

Going Home
“Be yourself,” Maeve said then paused. “Try to look normal.”Colton raised an eyebrow.“Maeve, I&rsq ...

Quelling the Tempest
Everyone loved Mima, although no one really knew her. Quiet and demure she floated through the village. She had the ability to q ...

Scholarly Discussion
What do you think of the fifth precept, “I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented and distilled intoxicants ...

Can’t Take It with You
His body lay dead and buried in the ground before Nydia met the man she had lived with for thirty-two years. He arranged his fun ...

Revealing History
Gertrude thirsted for world knowledge. She studied ancient history, immersing herself in worlds far removed from hers. It seemed ...

Green Monsters
I screamed when Mom showed me her newest houseplant. Barely bigger than my thumb, I begged her to destroy it. She laughed.Each t ...

Betrayed
“My God, Charlene… He’s barely alive.” Contempt tainted Haley's voice. I didn’t res ...

Honor Games
Theo’s palms were moist with dread, and they trembled as he rubbed them on his trousers. “I must be crazy,” he ...

Tree Museum
“They once grew like this?” Ro let his fingers touch the rough tree trunk.“Not exactly. Forests were much dens ...

Gritty Gray Hope
Walking the city streets, I choke on the summer heat as it boils the simmering stench. Gray skies descend, reflecting the h ...

Accidental Friends
It materialized, and I had missed her. Again. I said ‘her’ although it could be a man. My gut confirmed it was ...

Rarefied Society
James caressed and cradled the book against his chest. It had taken months to locate. Local libraries no longer hunted and deliv ...

Entering the Transcendental Curve
“It's not an easy story,” I shifted, uncomfortable under the weight of their eyes, I studied my shaking hands. &ldqu ...

Fountain of Youth
Christopher was an ordinary boy who lived in an otherwise ordinary neighborhood. Like most little boys he loved playing outdoors ...

Rejecting Lies
Lilith invited the serpent to coil around her legs, encouraged his undulating form to embrace her waist and hiss secrets into he ...

Ambush
I spied Springsteen’s ears peeking over the top of the cardboard box and I knew he was hunting trouble.His patient stalkin ...

The Warrior’s Path
Jeremy stopped looking for easy answers. There weren’t any. Not for him. Maybe the shaman had a point. His life would be l ...

The Greatest Gift
As the day approaches, my anticipation increases. Doubt wrings conviction from my heart while my head constructs lists designed ...

The End of Summer Camp
In the main hall’s kitchen, Kitty bled the water faucet. Other than the expected bumps and bruises and a case of poison iv ...

Delicate Balance
My soul cried, devoid of meaning, lacking joy. The city droned with an insistency I could no longer hear, while my failed dreams ...

No Respect
It’s true what they say. You can never go home again was a statement I had heard my entire life. I didn’t under ...

Defying the Prophecy
Angerona’s lifeless hand slipped from Sirona’s grasp. It rested peacefully over her heart as she conjured a smile.&l ...

Promising to Never Leave
We stared at each other, motionless, neither willing to break the spell.Time flew, the world spun, and the neglected building fa ...

Escape Plan
Filled with only the essentials, I tucked the bag under a pile of laundry in the closet’s corner. I closed the door a ...

Choosing to Decide
Annora teetered, swaying back and forth, she walked a thin line. She heeded the lessons, listened to the morality tales, and pro ...

The Emergence
Saying I was skeptical and creeped out, was an understatement. Jose promised me, I wouldn’t regret it. So, against my bett ...

A Rare Find
They labeled the reports fake news, a myth concocted to defraud the susceptible. Rumors persisted and experts swore to the claim ...

Broken Promises
Jorden felt a sweet breeze touch his body. It was a sharp contrast to the stale, putrid stench inside their cell. He pushed agai ...

Less Than Expected
Teresa lived in happiness, cultivated friends and fun until her father issued his ultimatum. Straighten up, fly right, life ...

Hitting Restart
Oppressed by smoke-filled lounges, pressured by incessant demands, and depressed by his dismal gray life, he sings of halcy ...

The Price of Survival
It wasn’t glamorous, but desperate humans took any job to help pay for survival. Trey learned early when the day boss paid ...

Remembering My Forgotten Man
The best pieces were auctioned first. The hammer fell, the winning bidders paid, and scurried home clutching their new, old trea ...

The Devil’s Playground
Friday night regulars, they met to drink, play cards and see how much of each other’s payday they could steal.“Does ...

An Event
Rachel checked the time. She was sure their text had said eleven, but the sidewalk café was deserted. Her compulsion ensured ...

Hollow Victory
Ginny balanced the Louisville Slugger against her leg and sighed, realizing she had earned her fifteen minutes of fame. Her frie ...

Choosing Action
Rosie heard the sayings, listened to the famous, sappy song, and she believed the pot of gold existed at the rainbow’ ...

Masking Reality
Concentrate on the happy things they said. But I don’t have happy things. Nothing major. Something small that makes y ...

The Stranger Within
Tilly stood at the pool’s edge, acutely aware that she didn’t belong there. The rippling water displayed a distorted ...

Copper Wood Estates
Where I walked wasn’t unexplored ground. There was a paved path, and it didn’t materialize from thin air. I kne ...

Groundswell
The plane’s shell curved, brushing the top of my head. I sank lower in my seat as the big man on the aisle shuffled, adjus ...

Reading the Signs
The message floated as Gawyne read then turned towards Loreena.“What does it mean?”Loreena stepped closer, standing ...

Scientific Discoveries
Davinia and Leela spent years researching, digging through forgotten archives, searching for clues. Their mission was to locate ...

Ode to Poe
It was midnight. He had left me here, in the basement, with instructions to finish the display before tomorrow’s opening. ...

Accepting Fate
The letter cut my hand as if it were a honed knife. The building was a riot of odd angles, incongruent lines, and an entrance do ...

An Unobstructed View
Holiday lights hung low over the familiar street. They made Phoebe happy and sad. She loved their historical significance, the c ...

A Day to Remember
Jake and I had a standing appointment. It was a college ritual, established to catch up and brag about our weekend escapades. Fa ...

Castle Urartian
Countless legends told fantastical tales of a great castle, the king who build it, and the jealous wizard who hid it from humani ...

Tricks for Treats
The black iron caldron exploded when Jared tossed saltpeter onto the roiling ingredients. The piercing light gouged my eye socke ...

Never Enough
We tread the fine line between having everything and coming up short. We prioritized Claire’s education, a private school, ...

Gales of November
November’s Northwind witch is harsh as she blows across the big lake they call Gitche Gumee.With sixteen-foot waves crashi ...

Running into the Sun
My train rushes the setting sun, intent on outrunning the impending twilight. Sorbet clouds swirl across the sky. Blood-orange a ...

Lunch Box
Plastic containers remind me of school. Mom insisted on packing healthy food, and ample quantities. She always included a s ...

All Hollow’s Eve
Lilith felt the blood moon calling her. She stretched, breaking the sixth seal and the chains binding her to the underworld.&nbs ...

The Boiler Room Cafe
Salinger’s heart thudded in anticipation as he entered the famous Boiler Room Cafe. Roman couldn’t have recommended ...

Homecomings
As the golden hour approached, Dillan rushed towards the shore. He breathed easier when he spied the familiar liminal creatures ...

Moving Day
Stacy leaned against the kitchen sink as memories washed over her. This place had been her sanctuary, her safe space, her h ...

The Last Laugh
They laughed and said I was off my rocker. I smiled, content to bide my time. I would win the bet, earn the last laugh and gain ...

The Beaver Moon
November calls and the Beaver Full Moon answers, lighting the frosty air for last-minute preparations, as we stockpile, and stor ...

Promises
It had been years. Almost forty to be exact. Daniel left on his eighteenth birthday and swore he would never return. He kept his ...

True North
Josiah’s heavy heart pounded, consuming his senses, as they lowered the ornate casket. Heated arguments regarding&nbs ...

A Skeptical View
I know it exists to protect me, that invisible, visible layer. Glass over glass, engineered to exacting standards, safeguards de ...

Enduring Hope
She arrived in a world consumed by strife, hardships, and conflict. They anointed her in struggles, endless toil, and heartache. ...

High Seas Adventure
“The ship’s bow rose as we climbed the Mount Everest size wave. We dangled atop the precipice while all around, roll ...

Pirate’s Revenge
The sloop bucked and rolled, as her new commander navigated the cumulonimbus clouds thundering along the squall line. They saile ...

Defying Omens
Captain Graclynn Silver took the helm, barking orders for the crew to set sail. Doubt’s icy tendrils wheedled into her bra ...

Total Disregard
I woke disoriented.Details flooded back. My body remembered searing agony.“Remember to breathe.”I peeked at my wrist ...

Building on the Rock
Mael confronted the Rock, hands on his hips, legs rooted to the ground, his decision made. Here he would forge his fated destiny ...

If She Only Knew
I am repeatedly drawn to this bleak monument that commemorates my deepest regret and replays a scene I can never fix.They say no ...

Observations from a Park Bench
The clock in Trellech announced his daily passage. At seven-thirty he traveled into town, his feet dragging him forward, his pac ...

Snow Slide Survival
Nails on a chalkboard. Awake, I scanned my cold, empty room. Green alarm clock lights displayed 3:03. Experience said there was ...

The Looking-Glass Self
I’m looking at you through the glass, terrified to try again. You won’t accept easy answers, repeating I’d be ...

Vestiges of Forgotten Purpose
Tristao shifted the heavy pack, gnarled fingers burrowed under the frayed strap as he eased the pressure on his stooped shoulder ...

Step Right Up
Desi wasn’t looking for a job.No one wanted a boy who hid behind sunglasses and an attitude to camouflage a pronounce ...

Teatime
Demir ordered four Caykur Rize teas from the gritty street vendor. Ender arrived as the man poured strong sludge the color of mu ...

The Paradox of Free Will
Tabbris allowed his gaze to follow the escalator’s path upward towards the light. In the eerie stillness, tinny speakers p ...

Feeding My Soul
I close my eyes, allowing my shoulders to drop and feel my stress spiral outward, evaporating like the water from my pasta pot. ...

Things We Do for Love
Abra was true to her name - mother of many. I had qualms about breeding her, but since she was the county’s best herder, e ...

A Storm Named Waterloo
I cracked an eyelid to face my accuser. One o’clock. I should have been up hours ago, and yet…The tapping at the win ...

Touching Divinity
Lenore dared to bend normalcy, pursuing a love the world condemned. She imagined perfection and drew truth from her memory ...

Homeward Bound
I ran, rejecting the past, I raced headlong into my future. Twisted years manipulated iron forged values that made me a success ...

Mums the Word
“Mums the word,” Calypso whispered.Lethe stepped backward, sinking into the shadows, and pulled Calypso with her. Ri ...

Staring in Defiance
It’s been forever, and I wonder if I still look like I should. You pause in the doorway. Your face reveals it was alw ...

Rediscovering Freedom
In our family cubicle, Grandfather told stories of his time before The Glitch.Hushed whispers painted an unbelievable alien worl ...

Creative Marketing
Mateo checked at his watch. Running his hand through his thinning hair, he surveyed his produce stall.Minutes crept by, but stil ...

Life Signs
He was an odd sort, friendly, mischievous, intriguing. I assumed he had forgotten me when my phone buzzed. His text served to pe ...

Ode to Clarice
Her obituary shocked me. The journalist revealed a woman I had never known. Who was this glamorous enchantress, this caster of s ...

The Summons
I am not a hero, just a nerdy book worm, who discovers a message hidden in a dusty tome. Once I decipher the phrase “Suspe ...

Love’s Enduring Bond
The garden was the perfect spot for their rendezvous. Quiet, secluded, and bathed in gardenia’s fragrant scent. It wa ...

Averting Annihilation
In the far future, Roya foresaw horrible suffering, chaos, and terror. Her lips moved, but she was unaware if she spoke the word ...

An Imperceptible Loss
You suspected a thunderbolt, exposing a grand drama. The truth wasn’t glamourous. Dull, daily life was peppered with ...

Mommy Time
Steam rose from Audrey’s 1950s “First Lady Pink” bathtub as she shut the door and locked out her hectic 21st C ...

The Time Machine
Time travel’s first rule was validating your arrival date. I stepped through the portal and groaned. A 1950s era diner? Wa ...

Time In A Bottle
“She calls them, what?” I picked up an empty red-tinted bottle. Raised letters spelled “Poison.”“S ...

Rabbit Moon
On full moon nights, Vivian lit candles, rained rice onto the altar cloth, and prayed to the moon goddess. She had never fo ...

Animal Instinct
Hunger burns the pit of my stomach. My focus narrows and all I see is you. Imagination fuels my senses. I smell the sweat of you ...

First Draft
The retreat center advertised a magical, bucolic setting guaranteed to unplug the writer from an over-connected world. For ...

Family Tradition
Past generations whisper reassurances. Embroiled in uncertainty, consumed by today, legacy bolsters my future. The continuity co ...

Mornings with Tweety
“Morning Tweety Bird.”“Good morning, Tweety Bird,” I lifted the cage’s covering and peeked at my t ...

Home Sweet Souvenir
Every penny went to pay the mortgage on my first house. Cash for furnishings was in short supply. The family dubbed me the Keeps ...

Feeding the Soul
Saffron sunk the measuring cup into the container. The flour poofed, and billowing white clouds dusted the counter. The scent of ...

The Glorious Aftermath
Deckhands danced in organized chaos. Our seasoned captain barked orders above the storm’s incessant din. My stomach l ...

The New Morning Ritual
I never thought I would be here, really living the dream. Released from Corporate America’s draining demands, I no longer ...

Spring’s Advent
Dismal clouds shrouded winter mountaintops. Cloaks of despair, they wept, their sorrow drenching the landscape. Parched souls, c ...

Operation: Recover Home
Heavy metal blared, drowning the crackling and buzzing, as sparks flew. The fiery shower bounced on the cement floor.“Jaso ...

Unbelievable
Billionaires, rock stars, and those famous for being famous, envy my view. Unfathomable, inaccessible to mere mortals.They never ...

A Matter of Perspective
Insanity is measured by degrees, strictly classified by definitions, interpretations, and clever disguises. A tight white c ...

Mining for Gold
“What are you doing?” Hannah surveyed the discarded canvas in the alley.“I’m taking the frame,&rdqu ...

Nature’s Alchemy
Crystal jars, tinted bottles, and woven baskets crowded the shelf-lined room. Identical labels with precise black handwriting ad ...

Optimal Velocity
Miners extracted millions from Gold Mountain, but Peggy didn’t want money. She sought powder and speed. The day dawned bri ...

The Smallest Detail
Lacey flipped through Mama’s checklist. She chewed her lower lip, then dropped the Blush Pink wedding binder into the ...

Pulling the Plug
Terri’s bare knee touched cold linoleum. The distinct aroma of disinfectant, liberally applied over thirty years, was stro ...

Memory Lane
The night’s darkness hid his destination until he arrived. He didn’t feel nostalgia, hope, or even curiosity. He&rsq ...

Grandfather’s Legacy
We discovered the tenacious evergreen sprig on our daily walk. Grandfather pitied the seedling clinging to bare stone. A full-gr ...

Adrift
He lived life at a safe distance, careful to keep his demons at arm’s length, far from emotional contact.Buried memories s ...

Why Not?
I climbed my mountain, reached the pinnacle, and discovered its peak was only a foothill.Disillusioned, stranded by my too small ...

24/7 Girl
My schedule promised a marathon. Starting strong, my trainer pushed my outer limits. The nutritionist questioned the candy bar b ...

Dark Encounter
I stayed too late. Perils line the path home and no guiding lights pierce the darkness to keep dangers at bay.A rustling bush. I ...

Rock ‘N Roll Band
“I’m not a fan.”My smitten boyfriend never heard a word.“You’re gonna love ’em,” Ken i ...

Channeling Prometheus
Threats sometimes backfire.You’d expect me to hide from a formidable opponent, but my soul is hard-wired for defiance and ...

Kaidan
Twilight fell as storytellers crowded into the room. Ryu finished lighting one hundred candles. They gathered to repea ...

La Dolce Vita
Reality’s wispy figments hung beyond her grasp. Days begun at four in the afternoon kept her translucent skin safe from th ...

Limited Foresight
“I’m not gonna lie. This isn’t for everyone. In fact, I try to keep it a secret. My darkest secret. Can you im ...

A Room with A View
Denise tried not to draw unwanted attention as she shifted her weight. The creak of the uncomfortable yellow leather couch betra ...

An Everyday Hero
Earl pushed the paper cap askew and wiped sweat from his forehead. The tiny kitchen was warmer than Hades.As a kid, he dreamed o ...

Silver Linings
A derelict Airstream sat on the family’s vacation property. Tyler’s grandmother peeled apart pages of a fragile phot ...

Take It All Back
It should have been a simple assignment. A modest portrait of his patron’s daughter. While he didn’t like children a ...

Attaining “High Flight”: and “Slipping the Surly Bonds”
“You’re full of hot air.”“Who do you think you are?”“You can’t.”“You&rsquo ...

Lofty Undertaking
Skyscrapers defined the canyon walls of Anders’ world. Imposing shadows modulated light and dark and framed his existence. ...

Undercover in Broad Daylight
I identified the target. No one noticed the woman with a stroller. The device in my pocket would disrupt any surveillance camera ...

A Losing Battle
Be wary, my dear creative friend, when you say you wish to explore the seductive call of the arts. If your conviction is not sol ...

Bosco Verticale
Stefano lifted the heavy portfolio in his hand and swiped his forearm across his sweaty brow. A city bus whooshing past, momenta ...