Dragonsphere By Richard Fierce 4 3 min. 70 It was dark and cold. The distant sound of dripping water echoed throughout the narrow tunnel, part of a large system of interconnected passageways and caves deep in the Viss Mountains.A hooded figure navigated his way through them hesitantly, pausin ... #fantasy
Earthcore: Initiation By Grace Bridges 0 22 min. 23 Ko ahau te taniwha. I am the taniwha, that legendary beast called dragon by the ignorant. Some call me kaitiaki—the guardian—others call me mythical. Ha! As if their beliefs on the matter make any difference to the fact. I am here. My siblings are ma ... #fantasy #young adult
A Mercy Strained By Bill Joyce 0 5 min. 19 I checked my surroundings carefully. It is second nature and gives me a calm sense of control. With the full 360-degree surveillance completed, I tensed my calf muscles beginning another round of exercises. I had been in hiding for eighteen hours, an ... #thriller
Excerpt from Enough By Bill Joyce 0 4 min. 22 Chapter 1 - Tears The slow procession from the hearses to the small painted church under the pecan trees held all in silence. The shuffle of feet on the worn tile floors and the creaking of pews beat out the rhythm of last march of the Benning family ... #thriller
A Child's Cry By Bill Joyce 0 6 min. 21 Somehow the Good Lord had found a way to blend tomboy playfulness, crusader dedication to mission, and fairytale princess beauty into one human being. Her somewhat husky voice always echoed with laughter, hinting that something more intimate was poss ... #thriller
Tarnished Guardians By Bill Joyce 0 5 min. 18 Megs, Naval Lieutenant Commander Katharine Marie Callaghan of JSOC, carefully marked off the basement of the upscale residential home in the suburbs of Toms River, New Jersey. This was not her type of case but there was no questioning the orders rece ... #thriller
Excerpt from Payday Blues By Bill Joyce 0 8 min. 21 Stuffed chairs, full bellies, and deep rich coffee made for easy conversation. Alan was a close friend and I allowed his southern charm to guide the evening’s agenda. I knew that I would get a head full of NOLA history, providing details of what ever ... #thriller
Passion's Pathway By Bill Joyce 0 2 min. 19 My daily routine has become a natural progression of peaceful days. It is an enjoyment I never expected but I daily rejoice in its happenstance.What the world sees each morning is a man shutting the main door to a three story mansion and, with walkin ... #thriller
Excerpt from Domestic Guard By Bill Joyce 0 10 min. 23 Angel stood at parade rest at the foot of the new grave with a tin marker for its headstone. It would be replaced with a small flat stone that would have a gravesite number and the words Jane Doe.No one but the cemetery staff attended the funeral. Sh ... #thriller
Traveler By Bill Joyce 0 5 min. 24 The situation had come to a horrible climax and I was too far from the women to be able to help. I called for Emily and Megs, via ear buds but they were still five minutes from the warehouse. I was about to leave my lookout position when two of the m ... #thriller
Lost Soul By Bill Joyce 0 4 min. 21 To whoever finds this…This is my final testament to a life lived as I chose. I leave it to others to judge the value of my purpose and actions. I make no excuse or have any misgivings for the path I took in this lifetime. I believe that I was born to ... #thriller
The Finding By Bill Joyce 0 18 min. 22 The valley spread for many miles, protected by three mountain ranges and the Great Sea to the west. The mountains to the north, known as The Blackened Heights, stood like dark, cold shadows seemingly without life. They had always been so, yet in the ... #fantasy
Seven Stars of Midnight By Bill Joyce 0 15 min. 24 Joabh moved effortlessly through the intricate dance of the Tonla. Her long black hair braided and tied down with a black silk strap. Her blouse, jacket, and leggings made of soft deerskin died black, absorbed the moonlight and helped her blend into ... #fantasy
Shadows Within Dark Places By Bill Joyce 0 17 min. 26 The two chastised children held the covers tight to their chins as their father continued the story. “Then the dark evil, Jadarr, ate the child in front of the townspeople, leering at them as they watched in terror. ‘The night belongs to me and your ... #fantasy
Ultimas Drake By MIchael Young 2 9 min. 31 Meckule fidgeted in his ceremonial attire, wondering whose name he needed to curse for coming up with such fickle clothing. Not for the first time, he wished he had been born in the Dorian Clan instead of the Scarlatti. Then, he would have been broug ... #fantasy
The System By Jess Peters 1 21 min. 36 I woke up in a cold sweat with panic surging through my body. It felt like the walls were closing in around me and endangering me making me feel as if I was afraid of my own shadow, but I knew I was better than that. It wouldn’t happen. I will not fa ... #dystopian #young adult
Phoenix By Daccari Buchelli 0 5 min. 32 Darius, can you feel that?' A tingling sensation seeped into her bones. It pulsed through her, prickling the hairs on the back of her neck. 'Darius, something feels wrong.' Violetta turned and was surprised to find Darius facing away. His tall fram ... #fantasy #mythology
The Purse By Dan Hahn 5 13 min. 90 The smell of coffee lingered lightly from lunch as warm afternoon light streamed through the windows onto the linoleum topped table. Lorine sat with her purse open, engaged in the light conversation of old lovers. Yet Stanley hadn’t been in her life ... #fantasy
Fateful Italian Passion By Olga GOA 2 16 min. 39 Veronica didn’t expect that she would agree to a trip to Italy so quickly. She was tired of being under the constant scrutiny of her step-aunt, Henrietta, who was always taking care of her. But what could Veronica expect from the people who had aband ... #realistic fiction #romance #clean romance
Weather's Store By Thelma Giomi 0 19 min. 22 It is that hour before darkness when everything on earth is a black paper-cut silhouette against a near colorless backdrop. It is the hollow hour when I feel like I’m the only sentient being left. In this absolute void I want to reach in and hold ont ... #literary
Pharaoh's servant By Rebecca Lee Varady 1 6 min. 25 The old cook’s day started several hours before the sun rose and ended several hours after it set. His position at the Palace was of great importance, and he was responsible for the Palace’s entire food preparation - from the Pharaoh’s banquets to th ... #mystery
Guardians By Sandra Golden 0 6 min. 28 Ten ships had been built for this journey to their new home. The journey would be a long one, and even if they could, they would never return. So the ships were loaded with everything they would need to survive the journey, all that they needed to bu ... #adventure #science fiction
Don't Believe Them By Steve Stroble 0 34 min. 64 Hearing bad news from your boss is uncomfortable enough. But when the unexpected changes involve what will raise your stress levels maybe a hundredfold, the situation quickly escalates from critical mass to nuclear. “Are…are you certain you are doi ... #realistic fiction
The Follower By M. K. Martin 3 5 min. 304 I watch her sleep, her short bristle of hair twisted into sweaty knots. I can’t help her and it’s killing me. I lay down next to her, the heat baking off her in waves. I sigh and the dust puffs out, a few small dry leaves flap at me as if annoyed by ... #science fiction