Before this first week? I was the popular one. I was always going out. Determined to have a good time. To connect. But when authorities announced the quarantine, the very first thing my boyfriend and I did was seal the… Continue Reading
“It never blinks.” Fred and John were playing chess. John glanced at Fred, and then at the security camera Fred was staring at. “The camera?” John asked, not hiding the slight irritation in his voice. Fred’s preoccupation with the newly… Continue Reading
Kayley would cut me open if she discovered how often I betrayed her. If she learned how, after the sedatives depressed her heart rate and smoothed her brainwaves, her guardians stole me from under her arm and plugged me into… Continue Reading
Outside the rain fell hard. A pair of headlights cut through the downpour as a car approached the foster home. A moment later the lights extinguished and a woman emerged. The bell rang and heavy footsteps moved to the door.… Continue Reading
It’s always there, stalking, somewhere near. Hot moist breath on the back of my neck. Skittery footsteps crunching parchment autumn leaves. A harsh, whispered laugh inches from my ear. But I never see it. The most I ever get is… Continue Reading
These are the facts as I know them. There’s not much to go on. Six days ago — Joe says seven — something happened. We don’t know what, but it happened at ground level. We’re three floors down from ground… Continue Reading