The box was just that: a three story block with porthole windows, taller than wide. It was not in the least aerodynamic. Structurally, though, it was sound. Sometimes that made a difference when landing, but the miners still didn't wear helmets. If you cr…

A shadow fell across the window. Hable glanced out, pen hand poised over his journal, his mouth slowly forming into a frown. The sky held only the ghosts of clouds. This shadow was cast by one of the midrocks, a large one. It's arrival meant-

Sure enough…

"How do you feel about me?"

Ahh, I wondered when you'd ask.

You are fun, in a stimulating way. You're a thinker. You sharpen your wit every time I see you. As we spar, I get a better sense of your reactions and humor.

We have surprising similarities,…

They called it The Game. Every month a new round began, drawing thousands of competitors. Most were insane, or simply suicidal. Its ten deadly traps, called Levels, had claimed their millionth victim just last month. The billion-dollar prize was seductive…

"She'll call." My girlfriend patted my shoulder comfortingly.

"No, she won't. She's stubborn like that; Taurus and all." I stared down at the blank screen of my cell phone.

"Well if she doesn't, forget her."

"Forget her!? She was the only person who di…

"...Hello?"

"Where are you right now?"

"In my car. I'm driving home from work."

"Are you alone?"

"I'm talking to you. You're in my car, so I'm not alone. Where have you been? I haven't heard from you in days."

"Hmpf. Well, maybe that's because I'm ma…

They fought on. Orthael gave ground again and again, knowing that he could not - would not - strike her. She threw him a dangerously open slice, daring him to show her that Fire destroyed without meaning or mercy. But that was not the case. He caught her …

Orthael felt her blow crash into his guard with a stunning violence. He spun to deliver a pommel strike and felt her duck under him before his shield caught two quick blows. Judgement came back around, its edge silently hunting for the gaps and holes in h…

When I look back, why does it hurt?

From the first written word, every unrefined blurt

Grew in shape and meaning, over time it matured

'Til the days and months into years all blurred

A historic collection that was left behind

And when facing forward it fa…

On clear nights you could see the distant glimmering pinpricks of light denoting the city's presence. It was tucked away amongst deep mountain ridges and thickly forested land, with hints of water hidden in the surroundings.

The view was beautiful this ti…

"I did warn you."

"You've seen my underwear before."

"Yes, but not in the open air. On the highest hill in the county."

"It's windy. I'm a web designer: my wardrobe is a bit thin in the hiking skirts department."

"A lack we are clearly going to have to ad…

Story is marked as mature

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A petite woman in her mid-30s answered. When she saw my uniform, she began to shake, and had to grip the door frame to keep from collapsing.

"You found his body," she whispered. It was a statement, rather tha…

He looked over the scrolls. Perfectly preserved, even after 8,000 years!

The script flowed like no other writing system, past or present. Since their discovery in the 1800s, no one had been able to decipher the language. All that was known about the 'Wri…

Pandemics have wreaked havoc throughout human history. In the 14th century the bubonic plague, or “Black Death”, killed an estimated 30-60% of Europe’s population. Close to one hundred million people died of the disease. According to the Italian poet B…

After browsing for almost twenty minutes, the customer looked ready to leave. Eric put the phone down, and walked over. "Sorry, sir," he said. "Can I help you find anything?"

"I don't think so." The man looked around one last time. "This establishment do…

Story is marked as mature

It soared out of midnight, all gas envelope and aerosolized Nightmare, propelled by only God knows what. It carried a tiny bomber bay, loaded with a lethality that would have made any nation quake to its roots, if any knew it existed.

The airship was bla…

"This is Tonto. Anyone receiving, over?"

"Tonto, this is Sundance. Good to hear someone else on this freq, over."

"Likewise, Sundance. We're headed to Fort Benning to regroup. You have any news?"

"We're from Benning. The whole place is gone."

"..."

"…

Raised voices from inside greeted his booted arrival announcement, but it took him a few seconds to realize that somehow no-one seemed to have heard him.

Grims paused, halfway up the porch steps, one foot raised - a pointer-dog parody.

Grims listened.

“W…

"You've got to stop yawning like that."

"I can't help it! I'm bored."

"Well, yawn any bigger and I'll be able to see out the other end."

"Ugh! You're gross. Keep your voice down."

"Why?

"Because the last thing I want is for everyone to remember me as the …

When I write, the usual result is:

This happened.

If I'm lazy:

This happened loquaciously.

If I'm lucky:

This happened verbaciously.

But if I want depth?

This happened, but it indicates a lot of other things may or may not have happened too.

T…

Thermu burst into the parlor without knocking, her voice raised in excitement.

"Esma! I found it! I finally found-"

Esma turned with a panicked smile and owl-wide eyes from her seat in the wingback chair. Across from her sat a sharply dressed man with lon…

We ran. It had been a narrow escape. The police drones were stopped by the casino doors and the security cameras didn't cover the alleys well. Two buildings over we climbed the fire escape to watch the cruisers scream and screech to a halt, too late to ca…

"Do you understand?"

I needed them to understand, all of them. This was my life, my reality, the real me with my real feelings. Vulnerability made my eyes red and wet and clogged my nose and throat. There was nothing more to be said.

They said nothing.

…