It was done, and baked to a beautiful perfection. The yellow cake was ever so slightly golden, and despite being firm, it was soft and spongy. A light smile graced my face. It was my first cake at my new job, at least, the first one I’d made without any assistance.

“The icing.” The voice came over my shoulder and I turned to my childhood friend, meeting his warm eyes as he held out the icing for ...

His hands shook as he picked up the knife, it’s sharp blade glinting from the flickering fluorescent lights. He didn’t want to do this… He couldn’t. But he had to. His whole family depended on it. His wife, his oldest Bernard, Claire, Evie, and his youngest, Terese. They would all starve if he didn’t do this. He needed the money for them, and he was desperate enough to do anything for it.

He lift...

“Clearly it was put there. Probably by a crane or something.”

“Probably,” I responded with a hum, tilting on the back of my heels. “But what if it sprouted there?”

My companion stopped in her tracks with a judgmental stare. “It did not.”

I smiled. “Well no, probably not, but what if it did?”

“But it didn’t.”

“But Maybe,” I added with emphasis to the word, “it did.”

Her eyebrow twitched. That...

Frigid waters splashed up her arms as she dipped her oar frantically into the torrents. Escaping by river hadn’t been her best plan ever, but it was still serving it’s purpose. She cast a quick look over her shoulder and confirmed the small motor boat coming after her. It was still gaining, but they had to be careful lest they tear the bottom of their boat against the rocks. She on the other hand ...

Day 1

I guess it’s a bit awkward to be starting a journal now. At the time, it made sense to wait until I’d found and opened the passage. But now I realize the search was also part of the journey. And of course, when I opened the ancient door, do you really think I went back to camp to go find my journal? Of course I didn’t. What enthusiastic adventurer would? Thankfully, my less enthused scienti...

The pen… it was crooked.

Miguel took in a shaky breath. He had five minutes. And then he had to hand in the essay. His cursive was scrawled sloppily across the page and he only had two paragraphs.

But… the pen…

It was crooked.

Miguel squeezed his eyes shut and ran a hand through his coarse black curly hair. He could already hear his sweet Mother’s sigh and see the slow shake of his father’s...

The screeching of the creature’s metallic neck ruptured the battlefield, slicing through my helmet. My ears continued to throb.

“X-15, come in. Report.”

A muffled voice reverberated in my helmet, causing the lines in my suit to flash with blue as it connected with the System.

“Coming in C2. Advised to abort. This world is finished.”

The helmet cackled with silence as the earth trembled benea...