Agnes does not even flinch when the verdict is read back to her.
Cold raindrops pour down her narrow face, yet her eyes never once blink. She makes sure they remain steady on the horizon even as her hands are bound so tight behind her back, the rope digs into the pale skin of her wrists and her fingers begin to prickle and go numb. After all, her mother always told her never to let the others...
I didn’t even know it was a date until, suddenly, his hand found mine.
Clumsy and fumbling in the dark of the theater, he intertwined our trembling fingers, one by one by one. He glanced at me, eyes wide and hopeful, soft smile hidden behind a blush. I kept my eyes locked on the glaring movie screen, its bold colors blurring together like a tearstained painting.
“Is this okay?” he whispered, g...
The ground is silky soft beneath my hands. I take a deep breath in; the fresh air smells sweetly of spring rain and dandelions and clean clothes. Relief washes over me as I realize that here, I am untouchable. No emails, no deadlines, no demands, no one around for miles. It is simply me and the earth and my fleeting, untroubled thoughts.
Chattering robins create a perfect melody against the h...
The sky is electric.
Flashes of bright light create glinting porcelain cracks among the heavy gray clouds. Harsh, freezing drops soak through his clothes, pierce into his blinking eyes like daggers. Rivers of murky water run under his feet like the ghoulish veins of the cobblestoned street. He almost screams, but he cannot stand the sweet taste of the rain.
Desperately choking back sobs, he...
I can feel the cold sweat dripping on the back of my neck as she stares us down from the front center of the room. Her face is pale and cold, graying blonde hair pulled tight into a severe bun, pointed finger ready to press the dreaded button. My heart rate builds and my face scrunches in a fierce panic. God, all I wanted was to have a fun Halloween. How is it that I ended up here?
People aro...
When you were seventeen, you fell in love.
I could tell by the language of your letters, those little notes you passed each other with hurried hands in the hallways. Valentines with red roses imprinted on the front, signed off with sweeping Xs and Os. Lengthy, cursive confessions of flowery feelings I never really understood, but venerated nonetheless. I thought, after all, that I would grow t...
The feast was brought out at the baron’s request, of course.
Nimble servant hands placed steaming platters covered with silver domes in front of each guest. I was glad—I hadn’t eaten a thing since that morning—and my seven-hour journey to the estate had well worn me out. Looking around, I saw similar expressions on the others’ faces: watering mouths, licking lips, fingers fidgeting out of hun...
There’s a prickling at the back of my neck and a sensation of spiders crawling up my spine. My heart is pounding as my eyes dart around like a hunted animal. I know you’re watching from somewhere. From the cobwebbed corners shrouded in darkness? Behind the slight crack in the door? I look, but I can’t see you anywhere.
My ears ring bright as I tear my house apart. I search the closet, th...
There is a mirror hanging on my bedroom wall.
It’s got a sturdy pink frame with little purple and white flowers, and it’s almost as tall as I am. My mom likes it, but I wish my parents would take it down. I really don’t like the way my reflection looks at me.
I have to bury myself under all my covers at night so I don’t see her staring; eyes half covered by her tawny, tangled hair; a huge, Ch...
