My eyes blinked open to the harsh fluorescent lights. Everything was white, and too bright for me. My head ached.

I went to move up when something held me back. I slowly glanced over to see an IV sticking out of my arm. Was I in the.... hospital? How did I get here?

I blinked a few times and attempted to stretch when a nurse came in. She smiled when she saw me.

"Great, you're awake!"

I tried...

My seventeenth birthday is today. I know it's going to be a huge affair, being the only daughter of the queen, and becoming an adult is a big deal. I step out of my bed, stretching while looking at the view. I loved that view so much, it was of the teal ocean, the palm trees, and the sand.

"Happy birthday Augustina!!"

My ladies in waiting all ran into my room, each hugging me.

"Thank you all so ...

Tap. Tap. Tap.

This was the worst punishment Vokon could have gotten. It wasn't even his fault.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He looked outside of the window at the parking lot. Looked around his cubicle at the gray walls, the wired phone, and the boxy computer. His was the only undecorated cubicle, no pictures of family or friends, no things strewn around the desk, he knew he couldn't be staying long enoug...

"MITTENS NO!"

He grabbed the cat out of the air, blushing furiously as his brother laughed.

"See, this is why I'm not taking any more requests."

"Come on man, help your brother out. You know I would do it for you." Ugh, he always used this card on me, and it always worked. Being the only wizard in our family, they always came to me asking for help with magic. The thing is, I'm not exactly the b...

She was walking back to her car with her groceries when she saw it. At first, she thought it was a parking ticket, and annoyed, went to take it off of her car and proudly tell off the cop that she had only been in the parking lot for 20 minutes. She snatched it off of the windshield and to her utter shock, read,

"I know your secret."

She gasped, and almost dropped her bag of food. Quickly crump...

Every morning where she would wake up early to make him a breakfast of blueberry pancakes and coffee just the way he loved it, bringing it to him so he could have some enjoyment before his long dreary day at work.

Every time he had noticed when she was on the outside of the sidewalk, and he had gently taken her waist and guided her to the inside, as if to protect her from the cars zipping by.

...

I was coming home from the market when I saw it. The letter. It did not look like anything from the valley, too fancy, formal, and frightening. The envelope was a creamy off white, with a blood red ribbon tied around it, and a stamp the same color bearing the kings emblem, the swam. I picked it up, shifting the ingredients to my other arm. I prayed that it was sent to the wrong address, maybe for ...

The rain pattered against the windows in the cafe, creating a warm melody against the sounds of people quietly talking to each other.

The smell of the cafe was one of coffee beans and vanilla, along with the light scent of baking pastries.

When walking into the cafe, one could expect to see a cozily lit room, with tables in the main area, and a countertop with a menu displaying all of the many...

I never believed in love at first sight, soulmates, all of it. It's immature, with no proof whatsoever to back it up. To fall in love with someone, you have to know them, to know that they are in love with you, to understand everything about them. That's what love is.

Or so I thought.

It was a normal Saturday night when it happened. My friends were attempting to convince me to go out and have ...

Nell shook her hands, nervously pacing back and forth backstage. This was her first big audition, and, if she nailed it, could land her a spot on Star Agency, the dream she had since she was a little girl.

If she could do this, she could start professionally making music, that people would listen to and resonate with. It meant so much to her, she had to prove that she could do this, to her disap...