You left me.

I was all alone.

But you “had to be free”?

I was forced to grow up.

At seven, I was an adult.

Wearing a mask like makeup

While my classmates ran for game,

I ran to survive.

Oh look, I’m still alive?

Did it catch you by surprise?

That I am still here.

That I had not met my demise?

You've come back,

but I no longer need you.

This is my payback.

Oh you need me now?

How the tables h...

Self-destruction is an ugly form of art,

its loathing and brutal

trying to stop it is futile

In the mirror,

I’ve been watching fires

Burning down my desires

The smoke is thick and terrible,

The flames destroy everything in its path

I feel as if I’ve been watching a bloodbath

The bloodbath of myself

Of my fears, my dreams, my tears

Gone are my wishes and my careers

I’ve torn myself down,

bri...

If desires are a flame, then I am a wildfire

And I am to blame, I cannot acquire

All of the treasures, mine to admire

Yet nothing measures what I require

Greed is my flaw, though I feel no shame

And you may be in awe, but I’m not the same

All of these things, under my name

The wealth of kings, mine to claim

I am trapped still, under the heavy claw

Filled with the thrill, breaking the law

I c...

It’s perfect. The sun is setting on the horizon, turning the sky into a thousand different colors, which are all reflected on the ocean’s surface. I watch as the waves crash and the sea foam churns. There’s nobody around, surprisingly, at least nobody near us. Probably because it’s a random Wednesday in the middle of April. The sunlight is still warm, though, and a slight breeze stops me from grow...

In retrospect, hiding in the kitchen cabinet wasn’t the smartest move. I have effectively trapped myself as Thomas prowls the house with the sole purpose of finding me. But if we’re considering wise choices, agreeing to play wasn’t one of my brightest moments, either.

I can hear his footsteps echoing around the house. After all, we are the only ones home, the only ones playing this ridiculous ga...

It's the middle of November and I'm trudging through three feet of snow because, much to my dismay, bodies don't just bury themselves.

Dead bodies, also to my great disappointment, aren't all that much lighter than living ones, especially when you're dragging them through snow.

I wouldn’t have been so dumb as to kill in a time like this. The first step to murdering, of course, is checking the we...

Marilyn walks slowly across the frozen lake, every step cautious and uncertain. Her eyes sweep across the surface, searching for any sign of Bear.

Bear, her chocolate lab, was no where in sight. She listened intently for his barks and whines. His paw prints had created a track in the snow, leading right toward the frozen lake.

“Bear?” she called out wearily. Her voice cut through the cold air, b...

Hide and seek has always gotten my adrenaline pumping. Now, I feel as if I’ve had five double shot espressos.

The announcement had echoed around the courtyard. People paused, pulling out their earbuds and looking at the sky as if the voice had come from the heavens. I snorted at their foolishness.

Oh well. If there was anything I knew as a pro hide-and-seeker, it was that a head start was always...

For 100 years, the kingdoms of Ramidere and Stohan had been locked in a deadly war, the Blood War. Too many lives had been lost and not even half the bodies had been recovered. The two kingdoms had been hopelessly stuck in a stalemate and neither about to wave a white flag. They were locked in some game of tug-a-war, with no side having a clear upper hand as territories were constantly being won a...

“You don't understand, Maria! I love you!” he exploded, throwing his hands into the air, “I love you and I love you more than I’ve loved anyone else in my life. I love you so much that I feel like I’m going crazy—.”

“Stop, please, stop,” Maria pleaded, moving around the back of the couch as he continued to corner her. They had traveled around the apartment that way. Every time he stepped forward,...