“Hey, babe,” I say, placing the brown grocery bag on the table and flipping on a light switch. “What are you doing in the dark?” I chuckle, walking to where she stands in the corner of the room, her back to me.

I touch her shoulder and give her a soft kiss on the back of her head. “I got the cookies you wanted. With the chocolate chips and-“ I stop, staring at her back.

“Kiara?” I question, qu...

_Gasp_.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

My eyes flutter open and meet a canvas of gray. I sit up, thorns and dried brush crunching underneath me and sticking to my back. I stagger onto my feet, brushing the sticks from my long black dress-

Then I feel it. I look down. Blood mixes with my dark dress, a splatter of abstract art. Protruding from the center of the canvas that is my stomach, is a brow...

The army marched closer to the stone, forming a circle surrounding it. Everyone looked at each other, fear shining in their eyes, silently daring the other person to make the first move. I lunged. And they did too.

I sprang forward, my legs carrying me with speed I didn’t know I possessed, every fiber in my body pushing itself to go faster. The armies clamaoured around me, tripping over themselv...

Red. On the ground. Everywhere. I’m swimming in it. Slipping in it. I run, stumbling through the sea of red.

I throw open a door, collapsing against the wall, gasping for breath. Grabbing the rose wallpaper. Then I hear the shouts. And screams. The door flies open and they march in. Grabbing me. I feel the red cover me, taste it in my mouth, smell it in the air.

More screams and someone covere...

I remember the laughter filling the playground as he pushed me again, my legs swinging up and down. “Higher, higher!” I remember saying. He gave me one last push and ran to the swing next to me, kicking himself forward, and we flew through the air together. We laughed, yelled and grinned until our cheeks hurt. I remeber getting off the swing and pulling a keychain off my backpack, sliding it over ...

January 4, 1692

I am still sick, but I am getting better. Momma makes me soups to drink, but its the magic that helps. When my coughing was really bad today and my lips were chattering, Momma put her hand to my forehead and the lump in my throat was gone and I could breathe normal again. She went out to get more food and I slept by the fire.

January 11, 1692

Momma said I'm almost all better to...

“And to the graduating class of 2024, congratulations! You survived all 4 years of high school!” I hear chuckles around me and I smile to myself. The tears are threatening to spill. My eyes are already wet, my throat clogging up, waiting for the sobs to be released.

It should be happy, really. Yay! High school is over! Finally! All those years I’ve been forced to get up at 6AM to sit in a classr...

The soft tap, tap, taps of the trees against my house now slammed with full force on the wood over and over again. The leaves flew in the air, spinning and dancing as if possessed. Over the howl of the wind, I heard soft plops landing on my roof. The plops turned from calming to aggressive, drowning the house in a splurge of rain. I slammed the windows shut as a blast of icy air found its way in. ...

I stare at the letter in my hand. And stare. And stare.

Dear Maleficent,

I received your letter regarding the christening of our newly born child, and though your desire to attend is clear, I am sorry to say that you will not receive an invitation. Only our prestigious and honored guests of our allied kingdoms or kingdom acquaintances have been invited, those who do not fit those categories ha...

BAM! I threw myself behind a rock as the cannon blew over my head, an explosion sounding soon after. I slowly stood up. The smell of smoke, blood and fear overcast the battlefield. I heard shouts, screaming, more explosions.

I whirled around in a circle as I knocked an arrow on my bow, searching for my next target. A man, his shirt torn and bloody, ran past me, dragging his torn foot behind hi...