Anyone who has moved house before will know the way it goes.

You walk through the old house, flooded with nostalgia, reliving the memories you shared there. All the stories you shared. The romances, the fights... the ice cream.

And as you pass once more…

A tundra of clouds whizzed by as I watched from the airplane window. It was a stunning show, a glimpse of heaven. But, the radiant clouds did little to soothe my nerves. For the first time in years, I was going home. No, not home.

Back.

A bit of turbul…

"Autumn now," Grandma spat, rocking in the tired oak chair. A graying cat sat in her lap, wide eyed.

Sure enough, the trees had become rusty red.

Grandma's children affirmed her assessment with a grunt. They were rooted here by obligation only, and pass…

It was not a technically challenging shot to make, not in comparison to some others. A stationary firing position, to a stationary target. Wind conditions were calm, and I had calculated yardage well in advance. That the target was nearly third of a mile …

Hunter didn't know where she was. It was hard to make anything out. Impossible, really given how exceptionally dark it was. There was nothing but the cold, wet floor underneath her, almost slick from condensation. Walking around proved useless, as it se…

"Carte noir?"

The label is white.

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

"Morning, Aralis!" The blonde girl bounced into the shop, effortlessly slipping behind the counter and slipping an apron over her head.

"You're late," the other teased.

"By like, two minutes! The shop isn't even open yet!"

"I know, I'm teasing. Jeez Kri, …

I've got a monster in me.

A lazy, hungry one. A liar.

He's like the evil Pooh bear sitting on the kitchen counter, always beckoning. His voice is the most insistent at night, when I'm alone, or when I'm already feeling crummy. It whispers clearly, “Come…

I found it hard to sleep. Worries chased themselves around my head. What was I doing, leaving alone in the company of a strange man? What if I couldn't make it this time either? What if I am wasting my life? What if it wasn't worth chasing anyway?

Frustr…

I wish I could tell them how beautiful the funeral was. The things everyone said were so touching. Even Aunt Agnes, though I know she was full of shit, talked sweetly about her "beloved nephew" (that she hadn't spoken to since I was 5).

I wish I could te…

A spirit stood less than three feet from her door, waiting.

It was the old man again, the one she supposed had drowned. His wispy hair and long white beard were matted with sea water. Salt crusted his bloated blue lips and his tattered clothes were drip…

As soon as you get to the opening of the back stairs, you can see that it's no good. The ceiling has fallen down and there's a pile of burning textbooks blocking the entire stairway. You'd better

go back to the elevator, or try the main stairs

As the shade drifts by one particularly large oak, its glow momentarily illuminates a small, bulbous husk. There's just time to see a seam in the husk pucker before the shade glides by, returning the husk to darkness.

But then, a low, sustained intake of…

The trail here narrowed and dropped steeply down; one side a sheer cliff cut by the rapids and the other side a wall of rock. The base of the trail widened and flattened beside an old, sturdy pin oak tree.

From here I watched a family carefully pick thei…

I talked to my boyfriend about my feelings of jealousy for my best friend's relationship.

"I get that you are protective of him. You've been really close for a long time."

"We were close, then we got together. It's all I know. It's a pattern, one that …

“Sure is coming down real hard.” Teeny returned the pot to the burner. “Glad I'm inside even if I am working a double.”

I nodded. It was a familiar story. Long before I had ever set foot inside the Hot Plate, Teeny's husband, Ralph, had been laid off fro…

Malika was silent for a time, regathering her composure. She was embarrassed by her reaction, especially in front of this man. Finally, she nodded solemnly.

"The Archbishop is gone, as you presume, holy man," she said, "as is everyone else I ever knew. T…

The walls never change. A sterile, indifferent white; not comforting, yet not hostile either. Completely neutral in the observation of the clinically insane. Of course, he wasn't denying it; that’s what he was, after all.

James smiled. The chair was almos…

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 …

This wasn't our first date together but I still felt like I had to impress her. I was keenly aware that I wasn't very good looking and constantly reminded by my friends, not to mention the amused looks of strangers, that she was way out of my league. Mayb…

The house appeared abandoned. It was spacious, boasting of what looked to be a dozen rooms, but falling apart. Broad windows, glass gray with dust. An iron plate set into the brick walls proclaimed the house as belonging to F. The massive front door was b…

One minute.

It struck me, toward the end, that every disaster movie had been too optimistic. Deep Impact thought that we'd have around three years to save the world. Armageddon predicted a few weeks. But Asteroid 409233 Megiddo was discovered and tr…

Two more minutes and she would be free. It had been fifty-eight minutes since Rosa had trapped herself in the hourglass. Like much of her magic, it had been an accident. Spells were tricky like that. Intent and annoyingly detailed description had to match…

"The cooks will not take such abuse from the swabs!" Chef's face was red, and he slammed his ladle into the round table.

"Your soup is little better than our mop-water!" screamed the chief swabbie.

"My steersmen and engineers can't stay awake, living off …

This is a lot simpler than it feels. Now that your emotions are well vented, let's set them aside and looks at the fundamentals.

First, you care. Otherwise you wouldn't be upset. Caring is good so long as it promotes useful action.

Second, if this particu…