The universe let out a sigh and breathed for the first time it seemed. Like it had been holding its breath through out every epoch of history waiting for this one singular moment in time to happen.

Its breath was baited. If it had eyes in the traditional…

I was supposed to feed the wallabies.

Oh, I remembered about an hour later.

It was a slight the wallabies would not forget nor forgive.

I'm convinced they keep a list in their head of each person or creature that slights them in the smallest of degrees…

She had a flicker of sadness as her ship pulled away from Lorentz Station.

She didn't pay it much mind though as the adventure ahead was far greater than anything she could have imagined: A posting on the USS Elena Pitjeva. It was the first Orion class s…

Power hummed through Rahmi's veins. Each pull of the thread brought a fresh surge of energy that threatened to break her concentration.

This time, she told herself. This time, she would not fail. This time, she swore it, and she would swear it again and a…

"Not who you were expecting?"

The snake dropped from the branch, out of view before emerging mere heartbeats later - as a wolf. Its cold yellow eyes weighed heavily on Rahmi's neck.

"I doubt there are any other shape-shifters here, so I'd wager you are e…

Just one more choice and destiny is yours. The universe whispered like she might hear.

When Kimber emerged from the employee lounge she was wearing her apron stocked with straws, stirrers and napkins. She got too many looks with her hair down, but bett…

Tap tap tap tap tap tap.

The pink girl darted across the rooftop, jumping gaps and dodging arrows, crystals, rocks, and all manner of magical projectiles.

"Talu, wait up!" The little weasel-like creature followed after her, much slower on its short litt…

He was tired. He'd read the same sentence four times and he was still stumbling across the words like he'd never seen them before. He instantly dismissed the absurd thought that the book was rewriting itself as he read it.

Inserting the bookmark, he cl…

The evening was clear and cool, a magnificent end to a warm autumn day. We leaned against white-painted porch rails to watch the sunset. Ma joined us for one, grimaced good-naturedly at the burn, and told us not to stay out up too late before disappearing…

Far away. In another room, in another place.

On a map table surrounded by officers and staff, a painted wooden figure that looked remarkably like Silvertown - down to the sparkle of her dress - took on a sudden lifelikeness. It waved for attention, spok…

She was the kind of person who could spend all day talking about her makeup to a camera. After all, it was much easier than talking to a real, live human about... well... anything.

She could imagine that she was just sending the video out into a void. A …

Silvertown watched Mornington snap open one of the new standard-issue collapsible aluminium wands. He held it against the ulnar vein in Newkirk's wrist and closed his eyes; she felt him send an exploratory pulse of magic into the dying magician's bloodstr…

I was sitting on a bench. It was cold. The weather, not the bench. Though because the bench was made of a thick, stone slab, it too was cold, not that it is worth noting.

This was a strange place. Lights, people, strange writing that I had never seen bef…

Beckton applied pressure to the wound through Newkirk's wadded-up coat, leaning in and using both hands. His attempts were met with no success, even after Silvertown joined him.

A noise came from behind, a rhythmic thump of boots against a wooden floor. …

Story is marked as mature

It was a beautiful night. The power was out on our block, so I had a gorgeous view of the Milky Way. Our Husky, Demetria, decided that the middle of the yard would be a wonderful place to howl at the moon. I expected that our neighbour, ever the one to lo…

A beam of blinding white light shot down from a sky thick with clouds, centering on Kym and bathing her in a gentle warmth. Under the intense brightness of the light her sweatpants and rumpled hoodie seemed to lose their color before fragmenting into piec…

That's how I became a part of the Cold Hail Battalion (Give 'em Hail!). I was never carried into battle but I was often carried out of one. My dad, the one who accepted me, tried hard to get me transferred to an orphanage or a host family, but there was n…

Grafham Road; left into Cable Street.

The sun was sinking. The flow of people on the street ebbed as people sought warmth and the company of their families.

Tessa drifted onward, the sound of cracking pavement filling her head with every step she took. …

"which flavor cheese?"

"the yellow one."

.................................

Forswear sesquipidalian garrulousness, communicating antidisestablishmentarian memoranda.

You cruise to a gentle stop at the red light. It's the end of the work day. You're looking forward to leftover lasagna, two hours of Netflix, and if the heat sticks around, a shower before bed. Traffic has been lighter than normal for a Thursday which is …

Doctor Tanner waited until the clock read 8:00 before approaching Darlene. She was munching on baby carrots while watching some kind of colorful cartoon on the wall screen.

“It's time for bed.” Dr. Tanner said gently.

Without looking, Darlene replied, “…

He squirmed and screamed but he wasn't going anywhere. My left arm was securely locked around his upper body. The claws of my left hand had perforated his upper abdomen and were interlocked with his lower ribs. With my right hand, I slowly shredded his sk…

Friday. Sunny, cool under the shade of tall oaks. Breezy. The park was calm in this early hour where most are just starting their workday. Perfect for running.

Not perfect for crying alone at a picnic table.

He saw her halfway through the first lap. The…