Sleep... eludes me.

I am not the master of my own time.

Events occur around me, unbidden, unwilled. Control is an illusion.

Do not believe, children. Do not believe what your elders taught you. You exist only as an instrument of entropy, your will is not…

Well, I know the site has been having some issues. I may be able to try poking the person who manages it directly (Ethel, to the best of my knowledge), and see if they know what's going on. People have been having all sorts of issues. Namely, with sequels…

It's a site issue - Ethel hasn't been able to figure it out. We were trying to upgrade the code to a more modern system which wouldn't have the same issues, but... life happened.

Sorry :(

(Posted as a story because I can't comment on your story or send …

I hope someone that can help, reads this. I stop by now and then to read all of your works. Normally I'll flick through the most recent stuff, other times I'll browse deeper. Today I saw a piece by PrincessLapis, titled The Morning Before. I noticed that…

Rita dragged herself out of bed, and staggered into the bathroom. She splashed some water on her face, and winced slightly. She washed it a little more gently, before tossing off her clothes, and examining herself in the full-length mirror. Gashes, bruise…

When we unwrapped the bundle, we found an old relic with a bright orange gem set in it.

Alone... it whispered. Not aloud. In our minds. We both jumped.

"What?"

"You heard it, too?"

"Yes."

They could come again. Something could happen. You could lo…

It was peaceful, when we were together. Just the two of us. No one to harm us. No one to separate us.

No more alone.

We cleaned together. We walked together. We laughed together.

This place was ours.

We couldn't have been happier, is what we thought. …

When they threatened us, we ran. I was good at running. You tend to pick it up, when you've often had to steal just to get enough food. She wasn't as good, but I helped her along.

Her parents were furious when they realized. When they went to her room, a…

She came to me when I was alone.

I'm not even sure what I did wrong. My father was always reprimanding me for all sorts of things. Normal things. Things I'd done before without punishment. I tried so hard to understand. The rules didn't make much sense.

…

Alone.

It was such a terrible feeling. It threatened to eat you from the inside out, to consume everything you ever were or could be.

But it was what brought us together.

Sometimes I didn't mind being alone too much. Sometimes it was unbearable. Usuall…

"We can create, but not collaborate!" shouted the ficlatte patron from atop the saucer. It only served to make her a few inches taller.

"We can't hear you!" called the techie trying to connect a mic to a giant speaker but clearly not having brought the ri…

Alone.

She didn't bother turning the key. Rain pounded on the roof and hood and lashed at the windows. Her body slouched in the leather seat, hair dripping down her nose, her shoulders, completely ignored. She had nowhere to go from here. Yesterday she…

She sat on the bench in the park. It was raining and the clouds were dark. Faint rumbles echoed in the distance from a direction that she couldn't discern. The storm clouds were heavy enough that the sun was but a memory to her and she'd honestly lost tra…

The decks below were no less chaotic than above. Osterley helped Silvertown get the stretcher down a steep flight of stairs, treading carefully while water sloshed to and fro on one side of the corridor - a list was developing to port. Mornington glanced …

There's dust gathering on the bed frame

Interspaced with gaps left by careless and infrequent touches

A chair piled high with jackets worn but once

or crumpled on a cold floor

Sheets collect long hair on the left side

unwashed dishes pile on the right

T…

Let me be clear

I understand very little

Least of all the people closest to me

But as I babble about my day

Their fleeting feelings interrupt my stories

The curl of a lip when my joke fall flat

The glazing of their eyes when my tale runs on

Are crashing c…

my melody started with bright and brassy horns

on a triumphant and unexpectedly quick note

But the timbre was muted by deep and violent percussion

cymbals crashing and drums beating the tune into the background

until these discordant notes edged towards u…

There was dead silence in the cockpit except for the click of controls and my own laboured breathing. I pushed the control stick as far right as it would let me, holding down the countermeasures release as if my life depended on it - which it probably did…

He came in without any idea of what he wanted. The light of a dead afternoon slunk in behind him, lazy and guilty. Yeah, it had been a hell of a day. He slumped against the wall a moment, taking in the rest of the place. The shelves were mostly empty, tho…

Scout woke up and rubbed her eyes. It was Saturday which, as any kid knows, is the best day. She kicked her blanket off, sat up, legs dangling just barely above the floor and stretched her limbs. A yawn escaped.

Then she remembered. This wasn't just any …

Are you happy? You look happy. I'm glad.

I mean, it hurts a little deep inside because it used to be me that made you happy but still, I'm glad.

You deserve to be happy. You're wonderful.

I remember that I was happy during our short time together but…

Annette whirled on Mike. "Get out of my shop!" she yelled.

Mike took a step back, raising his hands. "Woah, woah! I'm here to apologize."

"Apologize?" She almost laughed. "Apologize for which time, exactly?

"Well..." he started.

"For sleeping with my …

The medic blinked upon re-entry into normality and had to repeat himself, louder, in order to be heard over the groaning of metal, the rushing of waves and the screams of men. Still dazed by the impact of being reduced to one reality, as if waking from dr…

I just want to run away now

Not even truly angry anymore

Just exhausted and hurt

There's been wounds on both sides, yes

But not once was I malicious

Or intentionally hurtful to you

I tried so hard to be

The person you needed.

Well.

The one you said you ne…

The ceiling of Stormcrow's base shattered. She glared up at her nemesis.

"So-Lar!" she yelled. "What..."

"Where is she?" the hero bellowed. "Where is Jane?"

"You dare..." She stopped, confused. "Jane's missing?"

In a flash, So-Lar was face-to-face wit…