Sam takes a deep breath, pressing his forehead against the door. The freezer cools his skin, which is freckled and heated from annoynce.

He moves away from the door just in time for Bruno to slam it open, swaggering inside. He's wearing avaitors and a hollywood smile.

"You're late." Sam growls.

"You're early." Bruno remarks breezily, sliding off his jacket.

Sam's black hair is slicked back to ...

The red lines on the circus tents are blood red in the night, only made richer by the contrast of bone white lines. It's a warm night, but there's a breeze carrying a sweet smell and a lovely chill.

The sky is navy blue, as deep as the ocean and just as vast. The stars haven't come, probably never will. Better off, the darkness is more alive without light's cry for attention.

Vibrant green tree ...

Inside a crowded room but completely alone, watching them mingle like an alien species. Maybe they're not the aliens, maybe it's me, maybe I'm the one who's from Mars.

A young woman - short blonde hair, pretty brown eyes - bumps into me. It was on purpose. She's been eyeing me for half the night. I force a charming smile.

"Easy tiger, don't want to spill wine on that pretty dress." My voice is s...

The field outside my window goes on for miles, an endless wave of gold wheat that crashes against the shore of a barb-wired fence. It glows in the setting sun.

Cornflower blue sky. Sharp white clouds. Cool summer breeze. Honeyed sunset.

I count the crows gathering around my scarecrow, screaming their jagged songs into the darkening sky. There's seven... maybe nine. I've lost track.

The coarse r...

A bleak grey sky stretches past my car window, a watercolor splotch of a day. My legs ache. The radio has been on for so long we've heard repeats.

Mom doesn't mind, hums along to Bon Jovi like he's live in concert. Suits her, this lack of concern or worries. She's prettier like this, her eyes look brighter.

My shoulders feel smaller, cramped and rounded, like the world is shrinking around me. Th...

My hands are steady. I want them to shake. I want them to tremble and crumble and be broken. I want to smash my fingers until they quake. They should be shaking. I should be uncontrollable.

"What happened?"

I can't even place the voice to a name. It's familiar. I can't lift my eyes to check. My hands are still steady.

"What the fuck happened?" The voice is angry, harsher. I should respond.

"He...

"I'd be careful if I were you..." Her voice drags across my ears like glass, shards of something sharp and painful, "One wrong move and our planet gets wiped clean."

Heat sizzles to life on my cheeks, in my chest. Anger is boiling hot, scolds my stomach and the Toothpaste-like breakfast I had earlier.

"Do you understand the stakes, Soldier? Or are you conducting yourself with your usual level of...

Humid, loud, and packed. My heart is squeezing in my chest, tight with panic. Too many people, too much noise. A drunk, slurring girl knocks into me. I'm drenched in cheap beer. Air, I need air.

The sound of the party roars like an amphitheater until the back door slams shut. Silence rings in my ears. The air is crisp, like a clean slap across my face.

I sit down on the backstairs with a deep s...

"Once you do this, you can never go back. You understand?"

The seat beneath me is ice cold, despite the fact I've been sitting in it for five hours. My wrists hurt. The glare of the bright light above reflects of the silver table. The table separates me from Chief Harris.

He's a large man, tall, broad. Like an oak tree, aged and full of strength. His eyes leave no room for masks, or facades. I'm...

Platypus. Platy-pus. I'm the biggest idiot in the world.

Everyone was right. I'm stupid. Dumb. My parents probably wish they never got horny outside of that movie theatre. They made the biggest moron to ever walk this planet.

One mistake. One letter. It all comes crashing down. A filled auditorium. Eyes, so many eyes. The lights are too bright. I'm hot. Sweat trickles down my forehead, into my m...