“I don’t need your fucking money” Billy throws a stack of cash back at Joe Collie just as he was about to leave.

He stagers from the bar stool to Joe Collie’s face, away from the half glass of Burgundy he’d been drinking.

“You took from me….” He says, staring, droopy-eyed, directly at Joe Collie” You stole from me Joe.. you took him from me”

“Listen, Billy, you should head on home don't even w...

WHUMP.

The box hits the table with an alarming thud, causing a cloud of dust to rise from the rickety piece of furniture. Pedro, AKA Water boy, switches on the basement light, which hangs just above us, emitting a dim glow. I feel like I’m in an interrogation movie scene.

Karmi, AKA Toothpick, drags one of the wooden chairs from across the room and slams it down across from me. She hops onto it,...

Alice sat down on the bathroom floor, a place she unfortunately knows all to well. It’s cold, as always. But this is the first time the temperature of a frequently visited place felt like an avalanche of expectation.

“I’m pregnant.” Alice wispered it to herself, but she needed to say it out loud to make it real.

Just that day, Alice kicked her worthless alcoholic, drug addicted husband to the ...

“𝖢𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝗎𝗉 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋."

/\/\

"𝟣𝟢-𝟦 𝖣𝖾𝗅𝗍𝖺 𝗌𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗋𝖽𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗌."

/\/\

"𝖣𝖾𝗅𝗍𝖺 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗂𝗇!."

-----///

"𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝘂𝗻!!"

"𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸-" ----/\

"𝖲𝖺𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗐𝖾 𝖩𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗅𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗆𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖣𝖾𝗅𝗍𝖺 𝗌𝗊𝗎𝖺𝖽."

"𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗐𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝗎𝗉?."

"�...

The arena is my stage, and a sword is my prop. At least, for today that is.

A sea of vibrant coats roar from the stadium, banners fluttering with provincial pride. I even see a few Valken’s in the far back, cheering for me. I wave, and they cheer louder.

Most days the arena is empty, say for the few students who are given clearance to spar here. But today isn’t most days. It’s the damn winter so...

(Idk, this pompt was perfect for part of my story)

Juno fell to her knees at Solomon’s side. This man, though he wasn’t related to her, had posed as a father figure for the last year. To see him dying was like a knife to her heart.

“Juno…”

She placed her sword down beside her, her eyes following the trail of blood that dropped down it.

“I know I should have told you sooner…but you looked so...

What has it all amassed to

The work,

The pain.

If you have to earn an empire,

Then what have I learned?

Am I not deserving?

Is there no meaning?

When I was younger I felt so certain of life.

Of death too.

I didn’t fear it,

Because I never imagined it might touch me and you.

What am I doing with my time,

The most precious resource of all,

When others have more of it

And have already gone so far...

Have you ever been in the backyard enclosed by a circle of your brothers? The feeling of anguish and despair as they close in on you knowing what is going to happen next. The unthinkable yet used to event in which the youngest brother always is the target. The normal wrestling match yet what I like to call “a beating” always happens when I’m caught off guard. I’m the youngest of 5 with the smalles...

Part 2- Allysa’s perspective:

I woke up from another bad dream last night. I was tossing and turning in my metal cage and making a huge mess with my water bowl. I hear one of my friends- Darius, insanely rocking against the bars from insomnia.

“Allysa, are you ok?” Kates voice said coming from her cage next to mine. Ok??! Am I ok!? No, I’m a prisoner, a test subject, just like my other 5 fr...

The system is designed for his failure - to sound the alarm as the first fifty percent achieve the standard set by the minister. Maturation, growth and development according to nature, die in the machination of levelled gears - like a flower determined to peek through the crack in a hot concrete jungle, he tries again.

He bites and then purses his lips, brows furrowed. The fluorescent lights abo...