The magnificent lines of the Core Expeditionary Force were on full parade formations, that day. Thousands of ships all arrayed in perfect arrangement, capital ships surrounded by droves of smaller combatants.

When the order came to fire upon the ragged a…

"But you're a fairy Godmother!" screamed Cinderella before collapsing on her bed and sending a dozen birds tittering out of her window. She began to sob. It was all right there before her, the castle, the perfect life, the perfect husband, and just like t…

This glass of liquid seems to weigh a ton. I about dislocated my shoulder trying to pick it up.

Why don't you give me some lighter fluid?

Ryle stepped over the broken bodies littering the floor in order to retrieve the knives.

"Ryle, do you ever think about the men you've killed?"

He didn't answer immediately, instead choosing to wipe down the hard black blades with the edge of the dead m…

The alleyway was narrow and stank like shit.

Nat wasn't looking forward to meeting Seth. The animosity between them had grown lately. Perhaps her curiosity was to blame. Perhaps she asked too many questions. But he had always encouraged inquisitiveness. …

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 …

Thunder crashed again. Martin looked up from his laptop, but could see little beyond the glow of his halogen desk lamp. Just for a moment, he had fancied that he could hear a deep rumble that was closer, something that was not the rain or thunder. Somet…

"Alright, you can only play with it for 30 minutes"

"Ok mum, thats fair enough"

15 minutes later

"Honey, can you do some chores for me? It will only take 20 minutes"

At the sound of Grouse's shout Beckton turned - pivoting on both feet and dropping to one knee at once, just as an older man in a dark-grey overcoat and a somewhat incongruous German-style steel helmet came around the corner in pursuit.

The private, who…

Our blades flashed in the dark, sparks of light from our lanterns flickering off our weapons. The things were all around us, attacking from the sides, the floor, even the ceiling. We stood back-to-back and warded them off -- one, two, sometimes even three…

Unregistered college graduates drink through a discussion on the possibility of fewer student loans

-

Overworked parents scoff at the idea of paternity leave and cheaper child care

-

A dusty ballot woolgathers at the bottom of stack of medical bills

-

Why…

Sir Alfred Worthington III coughed as he tightened the final screw of his new automaton. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief, catching the flecks of blood that came with each rattling bark.

The machine stood approximately 183 centimeters tall and r…

She watched from the bushes in cat form. The window was curtained, but her yellow eyes could see the magic rise into the air. She purred, her favorite part of this transformation. The magic rose like a blanket, rolling into a twist and smoothly slid throu…

To Detective Hawk, the more she examined the scene, the more she felt the whole thing was an accident, an illusion. The ink was spilled, not spilling from her body. She lay slumped, not in a defensive pose. There were no glasses of drink, no tubes for gas…

The glowing lights of my destination blaze fearlessly on my horizon

Clearly defined against the dawn of my new day

Glorious in their attainability

Except

I keep wasting miles

meandering down roads with no outlet

taking left turns at intersections whe…

Dave’s sister answered the phone with a cheery hello.

“I’ve talked to him,” Mara said, skipping the social niceties. “He’ll get in touch with you soon.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Jo asked. Belligerence was clearly a family trait.

“If he doesn’t, then he’…

We found each other in the dark some time later. Or, rather, the semi-dark. A crack in part of the tunnel ceiling extended through the rock over our heads and let in just enough light that we didn't require our lanterns. It did little to dispel the gloom …

The preparations were brief and to the point. Broadview insisted that Newkirk take a pistol, which the wizard took with distaste before tucking it into an inner pocket of his jacket.

After a few minutes, Beckton appeared in the company of two military po…

I noticed a minute hesitation from Grace. Curious, I made eye contact.

There it was again - a blink, a crack in the normally flawless armour of the Janse-Lomberg household service. And again, as she looked away quickly. Too quickly.

"Cerian," I said, sl…

Ryle, who acting as spotter tonight, muttered something about the rising wind. He seemed utterly unconcerned about the situation. I nudged the crosshairs left.

The Minister lit his cigar and leaned on the balcony. Through the telescopic sight, I could al…

We set out again, following the same pathway we'd been on before. The floor beneath us continued to slope downward. The ceiling of the tunnel dropped low in places but never so much that we needed to stoop. We weren't certain where we were headed. Such wa…

You reached out your injured arm, placing your hand on my shoulder while I wrapped and bound it. You didn't even wince as I pulled the bandages tight to help slow the blood flow. One of the Healers would need to tend to the wound once we returned to the H…

We watched from inside as Bob mowed the lawn. Then one moment he saw something through the garden fence and rushed to the gate. He looked upset, and quickly took his phone out to make a call.

„Hello? Yes, I’d like to report an intrusion of cockroaches. W…

"What's this ring about?" he rounded on me with accusation, hurt, and anger in his eyes.

"This is a promise ring."

"Promise!? You took VOWS to be my wife!"

Patiently, and without fear, I patted to the cushion next to me. He sat, but his hands shook. "List…

This isn't just to say

That I have eaten the plums

From the icebox that you unwisely left unlocked

.

Like, you didn't even install a lock

What were you thinking?

.

Any butthead could come along and steal your plums!

You're damn lucky it was me.

.

They wer…