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In the first week of seventh grade, Tobin Rahn called me fat, and his friends endorsed him with their laughter. I remember the hurt and betrayal I felt. We had been in school together since kindergarten. I thought of him as my friend. I went to his birthday parties, and he went to mine. We … Continue reading Image →

Mystery Woman

Her hair caught his attention first. It bloomed from her head like a cloud of smoke, gleaming even in the poor lighting of the bar. He had never seen anything like it. Bright white, yet in a way that glimmered as it caught the light, as though stars hid somewhere within its curls. When she … Continue reading Mystery Woman →

He Said to Her

The first time, he said to her, “It won’t happen again.” He promised, and she believed him, and he believed himself. Because what reason did he have to lie? He loved her. He wanted her in his life. He respected her. He hadn’t done it on purpose. He hadn’t planned to do it, or set … Continue reading He Said to Her →

Trapped, Part 1

How many times had Bastian come to this room? Did it number in the tens, or the hundreds? He didn’t know the answer. Perhaps it did not matter. It seemed, sometimes, that his memories of his life before this time were fading away, replaced by the vivid yet monotonous existence that now encompassed him. He … Continue reading Trapped, Part 1 →

Growth

Kon did not like to leave his apartment. He didn’t like to be around other people very much. He didn’t actually hate it, as long as they weren’t talking to him. The thought of having to smell and listen to other people was worrisome, but most people didn’t smell too bad, and the majority left … Continue reading Growth →

An Awkward Date

“So, ah, what do you do? For a living?” Tim seemed nervous about even this basic question. Valerie, who had been looking around the room, pretending to be distracted by something she had seen, turned back to him. “I’m an adult film star.” In the inch before it would have reached the dinner table, Tim … Continue reading An Awkward Date →

Bedtime Story

I’m going to tell you a story. Your grandfather told it to me when I was your age, so I think it’s time you heard it. No, it’s not really like the ones Grandma used to tell. She was great at telling them, you’re right. They weren’t really her stories, though. No, your Grandma didn’t … Continue reading Bedtime Story →

Savior

I saved a merfolk, once, when I was very young. I wouldn’t say that I saved her in the traditional sense of the word. I can guess what springs into your mind when I say it. Perhaps she was hurt, and I found her bleeding on the edge of the sea. Or, somehow, she wound … Continue reading Savior →

She Believed

He told her she couldn’t do it, so she didn’t. He told her she wasn’t smart enough, and she wasn’t. He told her she wasn’t pretty enough, and she wasn’t. He told her she wasn’t talented enough, wasn’t strong enough, wasn’t friendly enough, wasn’t, wasn’t, wasn’t. And she wasn’t. He told her, you’re nothing without … Continue reading She Believed →

Everything Has a Cost

Evran, self-proclaimed Master Artificer and Enchanter, Whose Works Astound All Who View Them, slipped on his breeches with haste. The mayor’s wife sprawled across the bed, one finger curling through her hair as she watched him dress. He had just finished displaying for her his other masterful set of talents. “Evran, do you really have … Continue reading Everything Has a Cost →