“Tell me,” said Anthony, spitting out the words through gritted teeth. He had just returned from a night of carousing to find his workroom immaculately clean, free of all the accumulated stains and spillage, with every book and scrap of… Continue Reading
The princess stands at the window, her palms pressed against the glass. She is watching a knight approach the tower door far below her and is admiring the way that he walks. Each step is silent and precise so as… Continue Reading
There was no way we’d reach the next town before nightfall. Hunter was shuffling through the leaves, eyes half-closed, muttering curses to himself. We’d have to spend the night among the trees. Our music would have kept us safe, but… Continue Reading
The sun is stuck. The golden coronal flares tickle the orange clouds that hover over the horizon, but it refuses to climb any higher. The colors stretching across the sky are a painting in soft pastels, and the perfect wave… Continue Reading
“Why am I even in here?” the shade whined. “It’s not like I hurt anyone.” I’m professional, I reminded myself. I was not going to reduce her to ghost dust. I was not going to cause an incident in my… Continue Reading
I was about to give up when the hold music — a few looping bars of infuriating non-jazz — abruptly cut out. “Hello, Lost Drafts,” a voice said. I fumbled with the receiver. “Hi, I uh… I was told to… Continue Reading
Oscar stood in the atrium of the central branch of the city library. It was midnight and the only illumination came from amber lights along the walls and the red Exit signs, creating a surreal glow. Oscar inhaled the slight… Continue Reading
Once upon a time there was a village storyteller and the village depended on her to tell a story a day. A day didn’t start right without the storyteller’s story, so when the storyteller was ill, the villagers would bring… Continue Reading
Down McLaren, right on First. Argh, I know this friggin’ bus route off by heart. Haunt a bus, they said; it’ll be fun, they said. Sure, it’s fun for late-night-thrills but the monotony is going to make me lose it.… Continue Reading
His mother wore oven mitts as she wrapped him in aluminum foil for his first day of school. She placed welding goggles over his eyes and smiled down at him. “Be yourself and try to make friends, okay, Billy?” Billy… Continue Reading