The tears flowed out of her. Years of pain, years of isolation, years of heartache, years of fear poured down her cheeks, soaking the bodice of her dress.

Nothing special had happened that day. Indeed, nothing special had happened that week. She had j…

The moat had not yet been filled the day I crossed the drawbridge. The main structure was standing tall, but not all the wings and towers and battlements had been completed.

Hammers, saws, welders, and all sorts of construction beeps and hums rang for we…

I don’t know when I stopped

the daily painting of my face

On a Monday?

Maybe a Sunday

or some other day between

-

It could have been deliberate

an attempt to feel more proud

But it's most likely I was exhausted

and my teenage fears just weren’t as loud

-…

No, I wasn't concerned about faceless, independent threats. I was waiting for a far more dangerous foe to show his face.

"Nothing at all in the last few days," the crewman said to me over a tumbler of whiskey. "Nothing 'cept for a whisper of some Martese…

We kept our head down over the next few days, safe in the knowledge that there was too much traffic moving through Aery Bergun for Neptune to successfully track us. I played the part of the traveller carefully, emerging from our cabin in the evenings to p…

This time last year, I kissed you for bringing me a sandwich at work. You had already begun educating me on the vast world of classic rock, starting with disbelief when you found out I had no idea who the Grateful Dead was. Then Lou Reed died, and you gav…

The time of feasting had ended. I watched my father untie from the other floating homes around us. Joyfully, my sister waved her teddy bear's arm to all the neighbors, young and old, as they also untied and pulled their anchors up. My mother stowed the ro…

Sonia hesitated, glancing around. Every single person in the small shop was looking down, or away, or busy.

Go, they said silently. We must know!

She dusted off her apron, wiped her hands and followed him out into the street. There was a moment of …

The Assistant Governor took his sweet time in answering the wary-eyed woman. "The pie here is divine. Never had anything quite like this one."

Sonia leaned on the booth and angled her head to the side. "Is that all you come down here for?"

He halted mid…

"Wait. Excuse me, what? What do you mean I can't go back?"

The gate stood resolute and impenetrable. I tried to rattle its bars, but it didn't so much as tremble at my efforts.

I had seen the notices, read the warnings, but who could accept that their hom…

She stumbled out of the alleyway onto the busy street. A few people jumped out of the way, barking at her to watch out. Her muscles trembled as she leaned against the brick building.

He walked out of the alley and smirked at her. "Tough, isn't it?"

She …

At first it had caused surprise and alarm; now it was simply part of the normal flow of life. At around midday, two trucks full of guards would materialise in the square. Quietly and efficiently, they would fan out with their weapons drawn.

After the fir…

I whip my jeep faster around the turn than I should. I get a little impatient, but when I pull in and see his car, that head of tangled hair bent over a book, his recognition and heartfelt grin, I can't help myself. He makes my heart beat, dark and dashin…

I am so mad right now. So freaking flipping wawbsqeeaqs-ing MAD. Laughably mad. Like, I want to scream-and-punch-something mad.

And the best part is I can't tell anyone. How the heck is that even remotely fair? And I really want to curse cuz I'm so mad. …

"Oh, there you are!" her booted feet clacked audibly across the shaded concrete. "I bought you a coffee."

The beverage slid roughly across the metal mesh tabletop. I eyed it warily. "I don't drink coffee."

"I know, but I do, and I figured once you warmed …

The young woman staggered backwards into the wall – the people in the room idly glanced over at the sound of the impact and got back on with their business – and slid into a sitting position. Elbows on knees, arms crossed, forehead on arms, she sat, tremb…

I waited in line for at least ten minutes to get my coffee that morning. I knew I'd be late to class, but it was worth it. As I got to the counter, I spewed out my lengthy order.

"Venti salted caramel mocha latte with soy milk and an extra shot of espres…

Story is marked as mature

Things are only ugly when they have no purpose.

And even then, useless things can be beautiful.

I knew one once—an undisclosed, discolored discard—

who was beautiful despite her lack of worth,

and isn't beauty inherently valuable?

One can argue either way…

There is ten minutes 'til my train's departure.

There is a man bathing in the bathroom sink.

There is a wet spot on my pocket; I don't know how it got there.

There is room enough for all of us anywhere we go.

There are blotches of orange paint on my watch…

The first officer and a handful of the crew looked up at our approach, but I briefly slowed at the mention of a familiar name nearby.

"... tight ship on board the Decisive, that's for sure. Commodore aul Cantor-Sobel fought in the last war, you know th…

I hadn't quite expected Neptune to escalate quite so dramatically. Perhaps the great ship-of-the-line had already been in the area, perhaps the captain owed favours. Either way, we needed to get out.

Ryle squinted at the slowly banking silhouette.

"We c…

I followed him, and caught the first constable around the corner with a raised hand.

"Martese Royal Armed Forces, sir, please stop there. There has been an incident. Please instruct your men to form a perimeter here; officials from the His Majesty's Cour…

I'd write you a song

And trust me I've tried

But it never works out for me

How do I write something I don't get

~

You're rocket fuel in my veins

You're dead weight on my mind

You're a strange new beat

Seems I've got two left feet

~

Sucks to be me

But look…

A

Apple

(Sounds like) Orangutan

Monkey

Apes?

Jeff Corwin

Celebrities

Cooking stars

Chopped

Guillotine

Execution

French Revolution

Armies

Three musketeers

Movie

Disney

Mickey

Goofy

Pluto

Planet

Dwarf planet

Cognizant planet

Bullied planet

Unstable planet

D…