Mary had a little lamb

Its heart was black as coal.

And everywhere that Mary went,

It swallowed children's souls.

It followed her to school one day,

At which it ate its fill.

The teacher cried as children died.

It savoured every kill.

"Popcorn!" she announced, hurdling over the back of the couch, microwave bag securing the salty, buttery snack from spillage. She landed next to me.

"Ready?"

"If you insist," she sighed and pulled open the top of the bag.

"Star Wars is a classic and yo…

I dreamt you cried for me.

"So, my intrepid friend. I think I'm quite ready for another adventure. Care to follow me once more down the rabbit hole?" Phoebe asked her friend across the table. She watched over the rim of her glass as Casey downed her fourth ale of the night.

Casey …

Astarlane stood lazily, as if the sudden appearance of an elf from the aristocratic line of the Firsts was of little consequence.

"Why is he here?"

Sadie fixed her with a stare.

"Desperate times, desperate measures. We can't get through fast enough or …

I lay in the bed craving sleep. Even though I’d gone to bed at midnight, I’d woken up dozens of times, turning over and over, back and forth, continually searching for comfort that teased me. I felt groggy and gross. My body felt heavy as stone. I wanted …

"And on that day, I will be here to turn you back. This truce will stand, this war is over, whether you wish it or not." I approached the god-post and jammed my blade into the wood just below the loathsome face that peered back at me.

"You are releas…

Sadie watched Tenever trudge upstairs, spreading a collection of maps and notebooks across the dining table. Astarlane's grindstone faded into the background while she carried out the convoluted process of making a best guess at the next day's route.

Haz…

I hate being a slave to my feelings. I don't know how not to feel something. Shit, feeling something on command isn't something I can do either.

Try not being angry

Try not to be sad.

Stop being depressed.

Don't like her.

Don't feel bad for him, h…

An adolescent boy, nude but for a spotlessly white loincloth. Great feathered wings sprout from his shoulder blades, so perfectly clean and glorious that anyone who saw them would be instantly blinded. But of course there are none who can.

He stands in t…

There's a side hallway ahead and to the right, leading to classrooms.

There's a set of stairs on the far end of the hall, opposite the classrooms hallway, leading both up and down.

You can see a fire extinguisher hanging on the wall, and several …

'Why are we here?'

'I dunno'

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

Aery Bergun was a soaring construction braced against two sides of a narrow canyon. An arch constructed out of huge lumber spars spanned and supported the width of the Aery, which looked more and more precarious as the Silver Skies made its approach.

I…

He wastes no time. Already the moonlight has crept across the box, and if he misses this opportunity, it will be weeks before another presents itself.

He slips his tongue between his teeth -- and bites down, hard, severing the flesh. He takes the torn ti…

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…

Coffee collects on the tongue. Fingers press the tired eyes; their hand slides over the nose and onto the cheek. Digits extend over one eye, the other eye opens.

Attempting to Establish Connection to Remote System

A swallow. Status grids; motionless, …

Hurrying to the bathroom, I felt like I was going to burst. I prayed that no one was in it and reached for the handle. It was open. I locked it and rushed to the toilet, dropping my pants as I did so.

I had to bending down to raise the seat up. My face…

Story is marked as mature

The two fighters were clumsy. They didn't know that before but they knew it now. Winning a fight was something they'd both taken for granted. With size and power on their side, they hadn't bothered to learn finesse. Mastering a fighting style took time an…

I keep only one mirror in the house and I'm not entirely sure why. I should have destroyed it when I destroyed all the others. It's an antique hand mirror that's been in the family for four or five generations at least. Perhaps I value that link to my pas…

You don't run from police, not even drones. They also do a comprehensive body scan, so I had no choice but to stash the chip with Acrylic's memory. Faking tying my shoe, I furiously dug a little hole with the key and buried both in the sandy soil beside t…

Complicated and stressful,

Every day is more than you can handle.

They show on your face,

All the thoughts you've come to hate.

Like a disease with no cure,

Controlling everything you do.

When the days end

And the dark descends,

You settle into your refu…

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 …

Story is marked as mature

The rain trickles lightly down your umbrella

Your steps in perfect sync with the beats of my heart

Ah what a scene

Your perfect figure against this dismal landscape

Grey concrete pillars and abandoned stores

The depression of recession still apparent

Yet…