She had been watching the same man for weeks, and she was still unable to ascertain his identity. He was always alone, always dressed in black, and always seemed to be watching his surroundings. She was certain that he was a spy, and she was determined to find out what he was up to.

One day, she decided to follow him. She stayed close but not too close, and when he entered an abandoned building, ...

Her back to the wall, Ophelia listened into the dark.

“It’ll work,” a voice said calmly, “trust me.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” another hissed, “One can't possibly—”

“One can't, blah, blah!” Cut in the first, sharper. “Shut it!”

Two spoke. For eight years, Ophelia had worked for the Spiders, operating as a Daughter of the Cause. Eight years of sneaking, listening, learning—paying attention to slig...

I just figured out I have a crush on you

I catalog things about you in my mind

I know you think it’s weird but I can’t stop

The depths of your soul I’d like to find

We don’t talk much, we just became friends

But you’re the sweetest in the world

You gave me the idea for my pen name

And in my chest butterflies unfurl

You told me to have a good day

And you walked me to the door

You held it open as ...

I wasn’t sorry when Evi left home. I mean I was ,but I wasn’t going to let her know it. I don’t remember Mama; she went away with baby Ferenc after the spring rains. But Evi left school to care for Papa and me. She was a little mother. Papa was angry at first. He was angry at the whole world for takng his baby boy. He used to shout and throw things. When his blood was up, Papa would take the strap...

“Welcome to Aunt Norine’s Bakery!”

Kristen was hit by the scents of baking bread, cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin spice, and hot coffee. The door shut behind her. In one hand, the “help wanted” sign.

“Is the job still open?”

Norine broke into a big smile. “Why, yes it is, my dear! Are you applying?”

Karen nodded. “I don’t have a lot of experience but willing to learn.”

Norine wiped her hands on...

Hey you! Yea, you reading this! Tell me again why I shouldn’t tell you about…Him? I’ll tell you why! No one’s ever seen his fucking face man! Oh, besides all of the social media posts and YouTube videos of dozens of bodies of drug lords, war lords and any other kind of lord getting scraped off the ground because of “you…know…who”! Still no one’s seen his face. Let me ask you something, you know an...

Dastardly creatures roam the world, Chaos unravels in flickers of gold

Under the pretences

They live as a spy

Separated by a thin fence

Good spy and bad spy

Destruction caused helping

All happiness melting

Follow the commands of you leader

Your one and only feeder

If you fail

It will be too late to bail

Your are the danger

Yet you will be needing saving

From a stranger

You corrupt out world by e...

How far will one actually go for the love of their country?

Rebecca Daughtry started her usual day this bright fall day in 1970, with a cup of coffee and blueberry scone before her husband and two children awoke. She contemplated her life as a child in Russia compared to the life of her children in the USA, Baltimore, Maryland to be exact.

She remembered her childhood as carefree and privileged...

The moments fall all around us

Crashing down like rain onto the pavement

It’s your job to catch them before they’re gone

The congeal onto puddles on the ground

Mixing up

Stirring around with each other

Making each puddle unique

No one drop is like the other

No matter how similar they look

The moments can pile up until you are drowning in them

Learn to swim

To tread water

Just don’t drown in th...

I feel the letter, slipped into my back pocket by the small man who passes behind me, but wait to take it out and read it.

Can’t get caught.

Can’t be spotted.

Can’t be suspected.

Those are the rules I have to play by. It’s why I’m so careful. So cautious.

I’ve been doing this for years. Sometimes, I’m no longer sure which identify I’m playing by. But in only two hours, I’ll be out of here. Th...