In the end, they were throwing everything in the back of the truck as fast as they could. They launched dishes in boxes. Crash. They threw boxes of books. Thump. There went bags of clothes. Oomph. There was no pattern to it. No sense of order. It was moving by chaos.

And still, the apartment was too full. They were running out of time to be out, and still, it seemed like all the stuff, their stu...

Dick and Jane both stopped.

There was no way to leave the park.

Spot barked. The trail ended. They had come into the park, taking Spot for a much-needed walk. The sun had been shining. The sky was blue. Spot had greatly enjoyed playing with his ball. Both Dick and Jane had greatly enjoyed throwing it to the dog. He had brought it back every single time.

But now, all three of them stood at the e...

"This might pinch a little," she said.

He wasn't sure how he had agreed to all this. He had been talked into it a little too quickly. Was he trying to impress her? Was he trying to get her attention?

"That was a needle. I think you meant a prick or stick, Dr. Corlinn," he said.

She stopped and looked at him. She was breathtaking, but now she appeared very annoyed with him, and this was not the ...

For most of his life, The Pirate engaged in risky behavior. All bets were off when you raced up behind a moving vessel, some with anti-piracy protection like nets, water cannons, or even armed guards. A slip or a fall could lead to instant death. A wrong choice could lead to being hung up and maimed and instant death. The work of an assault rifle aimed at you could lead to bullets and instant deat...

Guy bustled into the kitchen and abruptly stopped, the swinging door smacking him in the back. The pile of plates clattered as he did everything to keep from spilling them from his hands. Angel was kneeling on the floor and startled as he entered. Amelia’s body sprawled out awkwardly, her face showing a wide-eyed grimace.

“Guy, this is not what you think.”

“You keep saying that. What happened? ...

She came from the wrong side of the Spanner. So he was immediately curious about her. She had a different look about herself. Edgy. Colorful. Fun. Somehow, she was gorgeous, too. Long limbs. And oversized head. Hair sprouting from both sides of her face. It was a package so ungainly that it worked to pull him in and give him something to fantasize about and imagine doing things with.

Of course, s...

This device in my hand changes worlds. I simply point and wish it so, and it does the magical. It is a time portal. It can take me into the past and also into the future.

I marvel at its capabilities. Indeed, sometimes I wonder if it is too complex for its own good. It has far more features than I would ever use. Most of the time, I keep to a smaller subset of its functions. I change my environm...

Sprite woke up with a start. All her worries had piled up and spilled out in her sleep. She felt groggy and a little bit disconnected. Mother raised her head, studied her, and settled her head back on her paws. But her eyes were still open, and she studied Sprite in near darkness.

"I'm sorry, Mother, you can go back to sleep. Just a bad dream."

Mother still studied Sprite, her eyes sparkling bac...

The squirrel is much easier to deal with. He takes me off in all sorts of directions, but at least I have some sense of accomplishment. I can label his interference as "research" and pretend that I have made forward progress. I haven't, but self-delusion is comfortable for any writer.

But not the cat.

The cat just stares. You can ascribe many inferences to her interference. That stare says it al...

He packed his cameras and lenses deliberately. It was more gear than a typical shoot, but this one would be different. He had chosen the bag for mobility, and his choices were pushing the limits of what it could contain while still giving him the speed of access he needed.

This assignment was going to be different. He had known that for the week, hanging over him as a reminder in the back of his...