Becca concentrated on her breathing, in through her nose, then a long controlled exhale. She hugged the wall as she speed-walked the hallway. Her sea foam green eyes were cast down, giving her a view of her once-white Chuck Taylors. She had thrown a shapeless dress over her slight frame that morning, pushing aside her disappointment as she faced her reflection in the mirror. She would never fi...

The young man carefully negotiated the aisle and stepped off the bus. He regarded the graffiti on the concrete buildings lining the street, neon colors and soft, bubble letters, ghetto murals he admired every evening as he walked home. He adjusted the glasses that framed his hazel eyes, making sure they sat securely over the mask covering his nose and mouth. The sky was aglow, broad pink and or...

At 5:24am, Beth’s phone rang. She had completed three consecutive 12 hour shifts at the hospital the night before. She had done her best to refuel and hydrate before bed. As usual, she had not had time to take her breaks and had only managed to escape the floor for 15 minutes to inhale a yogurt and banana around 3pm. As she struggled to clear her head, she heard a young woman on the line, clear...

Long hallways devoid of color turn and twist, maze-like. Framed pictures line the walls, but they offer nothing to brighten the space. Generic collections of people, appropriately diverse, smile vacantly at visitors. An effort has been made to incorporate natural light, but very little succeeds at gaining entry. There is no music, but occasional warnings and messages sound overhead. Staff rus...

And so, it had come to this. All the plans, the fruitless attempts to communicate, to educate; it had all ended in violence. Hardly unexpected, but disappointing nonetheless.

When Arak had first heard the reports about the bipedal beings, she had been cautiously optimistic. These beings were soft, vulnerable, thus necessitating bulky suits and weapons. She believed they would be reasonable,...