Chapter one: A Day in the Generic Life A dark figure crashed through the window of the saloon into the dusty street, releasing a grunt of pain. Jeers called out after him as he scrambled away. “Teach that slimeball a lesson, Sloan!” “He’ll think twice about cheating!” “Wow, he had to have flown ...

I was sitting in a bar, brooding and thinking about superheroes. There was a special on the news all about them. The large flat-screen televisions mounted on the wall should have been showing the Mets game. Instead we got a fawning comedian whose film career had tanked years ago talking across a des ...

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 brought up as a master of disguise, and there would be ...

CHAPTER 1 It all started with one lone tear. It escaped unguarded, quickly falling from her high cheek bone, wetting the concrete below. It was closely followed by another. Soon there was a rain of tears splashing against the once warm, dry stone underneath her patent leather pumps. As the picture ...

Chapter One January 10th, 1812 Nathaniel Hastings bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing while his patient, Lady Huntington, continued to spout nonsense about the reasons behind her various ailments. He knew very well nothing troubled her that a good conversation could not cure. “You are ...

Heal me slowly, O death, heal me slowlyLeave me the day's dying lightCome for me gently in the nightHeal me slowly, O death, heal me slowlyLeave me a little while my painLet me watch a sun set againHeal me slowly, O death, heal me slowlyThe scent of new-born summer lingersMingles with winter's cold ...

1. Daddy Was a Bank Robber “See that guy there in the purple mask robbing the bank? That’s my dad.” Brendan stopped the video on his phone and waited for a reaction. Mr. Childes, his school counselor, nodded as if this was something he had heard before. The older man took his reading glasses off h ...

Chapter 1 My best friends’ scream jolts me out of my daydream. I whip my head in her direction, trying to figure out what’s going on. Jacinta dashes across our small room, fumbling and cringing as she tramples every piece of our belongings on the way. I try my hardest to hide my smile at her c ...

CHAPTER ONE Churn the Weasel Incognolio. Ever since the concussion, I can’t get the damn word out of my head. I haven’t a clue what it means. But I love the sound of it. So, I’ll make it the title of my novel and allow the entire story to spring forth from this mysterious word. My ne ...

Jay had never been much of a talker. He had won Carrie’s heart with gentle touches on the hand and shoulder, neck and waist. He had made her dizzy with rare utterances of her beauty and his love, precious because they were so rare. When they married three years ago his vow had been short and sweet – ...

Chapter 1 “2040. That is a year that will live in infamy in our history. That year, Dr. Zack Temba and Biolance unleashed a scourge, a lethal virus, on all of us that eliminated millions of the Journeymen around the world, reducing the rest of us to mere subjects under his reign. Most of those kil ...

Is still in the middle of the night as I wake up. I frown as I look around. It is still dark and there is no one in my room. What woke me up, then? I was already falling back asleep when I heard a sound from outside the room. It sounded like clattering, as if someone was doing the dishes in the mi ...

CHAPTER 1 A thrown stone misses my head by inches. I shudder but continue walking, eyes focused on the muddy ground under my feet. “Filthy pig!” I hear voices behind me. “Don’t you ever wash your ugly face?” Tears well up in my eyes. I guess I do resemble a pig at the moment. I’ve just ...

Only twenty minutes into the scrounge, and Karin Makos was already cursing whichever crazy, inbred subset of people had been responsible for building a settlement in the dark, twisting, and forever narrowing depths of the Amosi cave complex. Despite the reinforced support system in her suit, made mo ...

Please shatter my heart and create a new room to hold limitless love.…broken we define ourselves.…shattered anything is possible.Rumi KintsugiMended in the broken placesWith golden glue,So you embraceThe pain and missing facesAnd make a work of artOut of your shattered heart.Thelma Giomi C H A P T E ...

The ancients used to say that a spirit resides in everything. That all matter, living and inanimate, are gravitational channels of energy. They believed that some individuals were selected to encompass magnificent fragments of older souls. But unless all the components of the new soul were complete ...

This desert land was exceptionally dear to me. Its warm sands resound in the drumming beats of my eye-lashes. The sultry wasteland engulfed fresh oases with water that was pure — it pulsed and it pulsated. It throbbed like the beating of a living heart — Pharaoh’s beating heart. It was the heart tha ...

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 doing the right thing?” asked the Vice President. He ...

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 build their new homes, and much, much more. They wou ...

I need to pee!’ ‘Great!’ I definitely can’t let Karl back in the house by himself. He has a quite serious predilection for destruction. I can’t leave my spot here either, not right now. ‘Well, do it, then.’ I bend down and unzip his trousers. ‘Nobody will see you.’ We stand together on the derelic ...

Time to walk home,’ Ilse brushed down her apron. ‘My water jug is empty, child, and bread all handed out. We can do no more here today.’ Millie nodded and sighed. Offering water and food to the passing refugees was exciting enough, and an honourable war effort, but now her best white school blouse w ...

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 many. And you will be hearing more about us soon, ve ...

Chapter 1 – Takedown 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 men standing in front of the k ...

Chapter 01 – Note Left Behind 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 be a soldier an ...

The Mists of Valinor Valinor 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 last few years, the ...

THOSE OF THE ARROWS The Journey Begun “As each moment of life is experienced, the level of conscious involvement will determine the lasting effect of the particular moment.” Krelongh Joabh moved effortlessly through the intricate dance of the Tonla. Her long black hair braided and tied dow ...

Chapter 1 - Judge and Jury The Hideout 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, and as usual ...

Chapter I—The Calling 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 children are my supper if ...

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. He stood in the back, not venturing into the c ...

Chapter 3 - Cry for Justice 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 possible. And those cryst ...

Chapter 1 - Crime Scene Vacation Interrupted 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 received ...

Chapter 3 - Mission Parameters 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 everyone we knew was up ...