Love Lost, Chapter 17b: Reservations, concluded.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 17b: Reservations, concluded. * * * Alice was happy that her cookie recipe proved to be a hit. Grace felt like she was about to pull a muscle from the strain of faking smiles at slights and resisting an urge to...
Can't Escape, Part V: Hates to Lose
* * * Can't Escape, Chapter 5: Hates To Lose. * * * "Wait, wait! Are you sure this isn't going to scramble my brains?" Fiona noticed the graffiti that was written all over a plain-looking machine embedded inside an alcove wall's...
Diaphanous Perception, Chapter 2: Bringing Home A Stray, As Told By Manny.
* * * Diaphanous Perception, Chapter 2: Bringing Home A Stray, As Told By Manny. * * * I guess the worst part of being mugged is obvious: it hurts like hell. I groaned and slowly raised my hand to my forehead. Touching it brought a dull...
Diaphanous Perception, Chapter 5: Penetrating the Veil, As Told By Maggie.
* * * Diaphanous Perception, Chapter 5: Penetrating the Veil, As Told By Maggie. * * * I ran my bathwater almost scalding hot. Steam billowed and circulated my shampoo's fragrance. Soon, I was as clean as I could get myself, but I felt like...
Can't Escape, Part IX: Thoroughly Cunning
* * * Can't Escape, Chapter 9: Thoroughly Cunning. * * * Opening before Mortimer and Shade, the cabin's front door groaned as if to announce their return. Zap did not need a warning. Having perfected his sense of timing, Zap ensured...
Trick Candle
* * * Trick Candle. * * * “…as hard as you can." * * * Muffled by twin-layered corrugation, I heard only the duller vibrations of distant voices. No matter, were they clear and meant for my ears, I could not—yet—comprehend them....
Eternally Vernal, Chapter 6: Rock, Paper, Scissors; Noughts and Crosses; Marbles; and Tag
* * * Eternally Vernal, Chapter 6a: Rock. * * * Gates struggled to keep up with Seth. Were it not his familiar style, the dog could have been suspected of plotting to ditch his master as he hotfooted from shallow spot to shallow spot amid...
Eternally Vernal, Chapter 7: A Fresh Coat Of Pain
* * * Eternally Vernal, Chapter 7: A Fresh Coat Of Pain. * * * Fardeau bared his teeth and snarled. His breath today was far less objectionable than it was when he was found half-incapacitated with a bellyache born of broken shards of what...
Can't Escape, Part VIII: Often Lost in Thought
* * * Can't Escape, Chapter 8: Often Lost In Thought. * * * Vincent cast Vera's name into the skies and received no reply. He shrugged and turned to face his team. "Maybe she knows we don't have six and is waiting at the motel with...
Eternally Vernal, Epilogue: Snowflakes On Flowers, Their Souls Preserved Beneath Glass, Springtime Forever
* * * Eternally Vernal, Epilogue: Snowflakes on flowers, their souls preserved beneath glass, springtime forever. * * * Fardeau, coming to realize the concept of context, felt frustrated. In the woods, a battle to the death to protect his...
Can't Escape, Part VII: Hot Tempered
* * * Can't Escape, Chapter 7: Hot Tempered. * * * Vincent and Theodore discussed finances and other things alone, as Vera was away meditating somewhere awkward and the others slept soundly. Spinning Jacqueline's pokedex on an...
Love Lost, Chapter 19b: Cleavages, concluded.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 19b: Cleavages, concluded. * * * "Hey!" Grace gave up on looking and tapped the ceiling with a broomstick's blunt end. Marianne's hat and eyes fell through. "Exactly how bored are you?" "Do you know where they...