Story is marked as mature

She wasn't the prettiest girl that he knew, or even the kindest. She plied her razor tongue on the "stick insects" and "puffed up princesses" that he had crushed on and asked out and been dumped by. But she had a sharp and hard morality that left her appa…

He lifted his head, unscrewed the top of the whiskey and took a big swig of it, holding it in his mouth for a moment to savor the taste that only good whiskey can provide before swallowing it in an attempt to make the girl disappear.

"I'm not going anywh…

"You drink too much" she said to him. "Or not enough. I guess it depends on what you are going for."

"I'm going for the 'forgetting my misery'" he said with a sigh.

"What you need to do is write more. Especially if you are drinking. All the great writin…

Dark nights often lead to dreamlands.

<->÷<•>~<=>÷<•>~<->÷<•>~<=>÷<•>~<->

Dear Diary,

I killed a man today. At least, I think I did. I was alone in the room one minute, and the next there was a man in front of me. I'm not sure who was more surprised -- him or me. I know I was pretty shocked, but by his expression, so was h…

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…

The King sent out a messenger into the Wide World to seek out information. The messenger did not return. So he sent out more than four hundred servants to seek the messenger out. The King then assembled these servants to inquire as to their progress.

KING…

Laying inside a field of wildflowers, Lana stretched out luxuriously, feeling every blade of grass slide along her skin. She felt so intimately connected with her surroundings, not just the flowers but the tree in the distance, and the vast pink of a dawn…

The old men say that singing the fidjeri makes one go blind, but what can I do? I am al naham on a pearl ship and it is my job to sing while stronger men risk their lives diving beneath the surface of the coastal waters. The hours are long and the days …

"There is blood in the rain," stated the Deep One, matter-of-factly. He stood at the deck railing, staring out over the city spread out below.

"What do you mean, sire?" Kolster asked, looking up at the imposing figure looming over him.

"There is blood i…

The kindly earth prepares a home for me

A pleasant home, so soft, with fragrant air!

I nurtured plants and loved my pets, I know

And kept the public lands of litter free--

Perhaps that's why the earth is kind to me.

--

Shall I commune with nature, settlin…

Ryle sighed, never one for games. I made him wait a little longer before answering in earnest.

"Cerian is two years my senior. She has always been the sensible one. My brother is the eldest, but he was often too busy to be spending time with us, so Ceria…

Oh god oh god oh god why did I do that!? What was I thinking? She couldn't help but laugh drily at that. She wasn't thinking. That was the whole point. She hadn't been thinking for some time now.

Pictures lay torn in half and scattered on the floor. Th…

"OK, first of all? Do you know how much I'm already paying for all the outlets to be water-proofed? Why are you telling me it's $4,000 for waterproof floorboards?"

"I don't make the prices, Miss, I just hand over the bill."

"You don't get it! I am the…

Across all surfaces, we swarm

Like plagues of locusts, causing harm

We move so rapidly, alive

Spirits of speed, ah! For we'll drive

And no one knows, not even I

What destination fills our eye

Erupting from communal hive

On tires of fire, for we'll drive!

…

The fat man moved suddenly, standing up and ducking forward to release her hold while throwing his unfinished noodles over his shoulder. Even as the contents of the bowl splattered against her chest, her hand closed reflexively, no longer on his neck but …

Done. You're dead. I hope you're happy with your decision.

.

The End

.

Uh, well played. I guess.

Jewel sat astride her palomino horse, clutching the urn full of her husband Kimbel’s ashes. It had been a few weeks since his death. She’d been waiting until the next full moon to fulfill her promise.

The two had met through the Greenbriar Community Th…

The town of Greenbriar sits about thirty miles north of nowhere. Founded in the mid 1800s, the town grew up around the railroad and cotton. The town’s founding father, Henry Greenbriar, moved here as part of a massive land grant that brought settlers to…

Nick goes flying, spinning and bleeding, through the train. He passes through walls and seats and hull.

He's flailing around, twisting and turning in blind panic. He can see the train and the station, but he's in void. Air rushes out of his lungs violentl…

There aren't many frogs out and about now, being late autumn and all. By this point, most have already burrowed into the mud to hibernate for the winter. As the ground around them grows colder, their bodies will eventually freeze into solid blocks of ice …

"Give back my magic!" Ruta called. She forced herself to get up.

"Oh, no. I won't. I'd much rather keep this. Look at how lovely it is!" She twirled.

Ruta attempted to catch her, and the girl bounced away.

"Let's try out these new powers, shall we?" She…

to be or not?

I feel so mobile

shifting. which one

Is more noble?

Suffering with

Sticks or rocks

Outrageoius fortun

My mind socks

A sea of troubles

Splishy splash

I’ll fight it all

the sea I bash

to die,. to sleep,

Perhchance to drim

that is the rub

Or…

Ruta stepped through the portal and onto one of the scattered little islands. Her golden hair, clothes, and tiara all shimmered with each movement she made. She summoned a golden bow, and pulled back the string, and a golden arrow appeared.

She let it fly…