NOC Ch4: Down time
Brian Thomas Jr absolutely loved Wednesdays. It wasn't that he disliked his jobs. If anything he felt pretty damn blessed to be able to earn a living doing the kind of work that he actually had a passion for. That all by itself put him well ahead of...
NOC ch10: A Middle-Class Menagerie
Marcus stepped into Melody's room, unsure what he would find there. He even closed his eyes as he entered, trying to temper his expectations. He reminded himself that the dance was an act. As mesmerizing as her performance had been, Melody wasn't some...
NOC ch9: First Contact
Boston. Marcus had made it. The teenage hybrid sat in a cheap motel's parking lot just within the city limits, the engine still running and his music on but turned low. In his hands, his phone displayed a picture he'd taken of the contents of his...
NOC ch8: Wagon's East
"Oh god, Marcus... what did you do?" Barbara Lewis paced around the living room, her short legs rapidly carrying her in straight lines from one spot to another. Three hours ago her son had left the house to go back to school. He had promised her he...
To the Lighthouse
`"FUCK!" Brayden yelped out in surprise as he was suddenly jerked awake and thrown forward into the glovebox of the car. He collided with an awkward thump, not terribly forcefully but enough to leave his arm and shoulder sore from the impact. It took...
Deep in the Heart of the Alley
_Deep in the Heart of the Alley_ by Richter Rozich I didn't start out as a sports correspondent. When I was going through college, I had aspirations of being a serious political journalist, and even wrote for a mildly popular blog back when those...
The Scream of the Butterfly
_I met an angel with a sawed-off shotgun, wanted by the FBI..._ Brayden layed out on the hood of his chauffeur's beat-up Honda Accord. It was a benefit of fur, shielding his flesh from the hot surface without need of a shirt. The air was dry, and it...
Prologue: Sunrise Over the Alley
The sun made its presence known, shining through a bare window to the bare room inside. On an old mattress on the floor, a slim rat stirred. He opened one eye, glancing toward the source of the unwelcome brightness invading his privacy. He snorted,...
Home Sweet Home
Here it was. The house he'd traveled across the country to find. Marcus stared out the car window at it, unsure if he should be impressed or disappointed. Sure, he knew it was going to be less impressive than the needlessly opulent home he'd grown...
Ch2
Greenwood Academy. Nestled comfortably in the hills of Weston, Massachusetts, this highly selective preparatory school has garnered itself a reputation as where tomorrow's leaders are educated. One of the oldest of its kind in the nation, Greenwood was...
Prologue
High school isn't easy on anyone. It's a time of self-discovery, when teenagers are eager to step out from under their parents' wings and establish themselves as independent adults. A time of development, insecurity, and conflict. For a young...
NOC ch20: Into the Serpent's Lair
Marcus Lewis nearly jumped out of his shoes from the sudden voice, his hands fumbling to keep his phone from dropping into the water. He spun around, looking to see who was speaking. Off to his right, another form stood, leaned on the railing just like...