“I was just trying to be what you wanted.” His voice cracks on the last word, tears streaming down his too-tanned face. “Please, don’t go.”

I look away, feeling awful knowing what I’m about to say will only make this worse. He deserves to know the truth, though, no matter how much it will hurt.

“I liked you the way you were….before. Now, I can’t even look at you.”

He winces at my confession and...

It was the eve of November, when the werewolves rose and the moon howled. I had woken to the sound of my parents dying screams, followed shortly by my sister. I lay cowering under my bed, praying they would not come for me. I hear scuffling and faint growls down the hallway. They’ve caught my scent and it won’t be long now. With a final sigh, I raise the gun to my head and know I will soon join my...

The day started as any other. I woke from a dreamless sleep, hair a ratty mess of curls. Stretching my arms, I released a yawn and surveyed my bedside table, finding a glass of water. Though the drinks had seemed weak at the time, the blistering headache suggested otherwise. I gulped down half the glass before returning it to the table. The water rippled once, twice and continued dancing as the en...

Wind raced in from the open window, scattering Stella’s papers across the room. Goosebumps rose on her arms as she felt the pressure drop. She rose from the desk and reached for the window, feeling raindrops peppering her hand. Latching the window, she tried to keep from shuddering at the crack of thunder in the distance. She had always been afraid of lightning storms.

It had been weeks since the...

“So, who’s going to die today?”

“Excuse me?” I say, turning toward the man in the back of the elevator.

The stranger looks at me with a puzzled expression. He gestures to the phone at his ear.

_Sorry_, I mouth. Embarassed, I twist back to face the door and wait for my floor number to appear on the display.

7…..8…..9…..

Could this thing go any slower?

“Yeah, I should be there in an hour. Th...

Droplets of rain beat down on me mercilessly. No matter how far down I pulled my hood, water still managed to cloud my vision. Arms screaming from exertion, I paddled on.

Twice on the left.

Twice on the right.

I couldn’t look back. I didn’t even need to. I knew where they were from the sound of their shouts.

“Hurry, we’re gaining on him! Don’t slow down now”

Wave after wave pulled my canoe off...

February 15th

Momma says that she’s found me a match. He lives in a mansion across the country; it’s been in his family for generations. I know I should be excited, but there’s a part of me that fears he will be disappointed in me. Though I do not possess all the attributes of a distinguished lady, Papa says my beauty is unrivaled and any man would be lucky to have me. Maybe I’m borrowing trouble ...

She scanned the page again, but the words were the same. Sweat slickened her hands as she crumbled the note, smearing the ink in the process. The words “to be released” stained her palm. Chewing on her lip, she tried to clear her thoughts. Panic would only slow her down. She needed to act…To go. To do something, anything, but not let the fear consume her.

Rising from her chair, she rushed to her ...

Rebecca lay sprawled with blades of grass tickling her arms, eyes closed and lost in thought. The breeze, a distant murmur, was lulling her to sleep. She found herself awestruck by this perfect moment. For weeks she had been working herself ragged at the local tavern, dealing with drunkards whose hands often roamed and cleaning sticky spots she prayed were from spilled mead. This tiny sliver of pe...