“We’re spending too much money on tedt animals,” he stated again. “We need an alternative.”

“And what would that be? Ourselves?!” exclaimed Trish. Usually he hated just about everything that came out of Trish’s mouth, but this was actually a good idea.

“Why not?” He asked, not even half joking. Everyone just looked at him blankly. Then the conversation continued. He stopped listening.

He had p...

I double checked the number, no one I knew. Googled the area code, from out of state. Another freaking spam text? I was getting sick of these, but this was a new one.

“Why not?” I texted back. Sometimes my partner would mess around with whoever was spamming them. I had never done it, but maybe it would be fun?

“You won’t like what you find.”

“And what will I find?”

“You won’t believe me. Just ...

They stood across the field from one another. The sun beginning to set behind them. The wind blew dust around them, making their capes rustle. One bright yellow with the sun embroidered in pure gold, the other deepest blue, the phases of the moon lovingly rendered in silver thread. They held their swords ready. The battlefield hushed around them, knowing this was the battle that would decide it al...

Well….this can’t be good, I thought staring at the black and lightly smoking envelope in my hand, my name written in silver ink. I flipped it over and opened the flap, snapping the black and silver seal with Hades own insignia.

I slid out the thick black card inside. In the same silver ink all it said was:

1:00am Friday

Apollo’s Diner

I loo...

You didn’t expect to go out this far, but now that you have it’s peaceful. You bob on each wave and time your breathing to them. The water is cool, the wind is calm, and the sun is setting.

You empty your mind and give yourself the time to forget the worries you left on the beach. Water laps in, one breath in, one beat of your heart. Water laps out, one breath out, one beat of your heart.

This ...

Waiting for anything. Waiting in line, at the doctor’s office, for a meeting to start, for a meeting to end.

Waiting for results, to hear back from the job that they assured you was going to get back to you. Waiting for that person to call, text, like, subscribe.

Waiting for the bus, the train, a cab, a flight. To take off, to get your bags. To check-in, to check-out. To get there, to get back. ...

It’s probably the same…

Life on a distant planet.

Beings going about their existence.

Doing tasks, feeling deeply, trying their best.

Success, failure, worry, joy.

They may lay in a similar field.

Staring at stars.

Wondering what life is like on a distant planet....

The magnificent dog called Baldr

Keeps shedding but never gets balder

His fur gets on all the seats and the chairs

But he still has a ton of wonderful hairs...

You suddenly look up, bleary eyed. Your legs are stiff and your neck is bent just a little funny. You realize you’ve barely moved in hours, only to shift slightly or turn the pages of the book in your hand. Time has ticked by, but you were so engrossed in the story, so lost in the words. It’s much later than you planned on staying up, but you had to read just one more chapter, just get to that nex...

It sits in the now overgrown woods. Once bright tents and awnings now covered with mold and shredded. Once lively booths full of rotting prizes. Stuffed animals whose fluff pours out their ripped sides, eyes falling off around sagging noses. Deflated balls and fishbowls with little skeletons in them. The metal of the rides is rusted and bent, the ferris wheel is close to crashing down and the tilt...