Love Lost, Chapter 16b: Declarations, concluded.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 16b: Declarations, concluded. * * * James wiped some cold sweat from his brow. "Well, what do you think?" Marianne spat some stringy, purple condensation against a wad of tissue resting in a small rubbish bin. "I...
Love Lost, Chapter 22: Conclusions.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 22: Conclusions. * * * After circumventing a front gate, Grace telepathically operated a door's knocker while ringing the call bell. She felt tired and impatient. She felt a force gently shove her and her...
Love Lost, Chapter 11b: Excesses, concluded.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 11b: Excesses, concluded. * * * A small travel alarm clock sounded. Burner hardly responded until after Alice turned it off and started playing with the feathers on his chest. "I told you you'd fall asleep after I...
Love Lost, Chapter 12b: Communiques, concluded.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 12b: Communiques, concluded. * * * The rhythmic noise of waves sloshing ashore roused Carlos. He found himself snoozing in a small hut with no recollection of how he got there. He emerged and glanced around, seeing...
Tempus Venit
* * * Tempus Venit. * * * With precisely even strides, a woman wearing high heels announced her entry into the lobby of a research facility, one click after another. Familiar with the protocol and procedure of Scoparin University, as the...
Love Lost, Chapter 15b: Alignments, concluded.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 15b: Alignments, concluded. * * * Burner had not said much of anything since he and Joe were delivered to Manse DeWell and escorted to their suite. After a while, Joe beat on the bathroom door with his fist. "The...
Love Lost, Chapter 19a: Cleavages.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 19a: Cleavages. * * * Daniel placed a few boxes of berry juice on his coffee table. "Sorry it's kid sized, but little boxes are good for coolers on expeditions so we buy it in bulk." Grace thanked him for his...
Love Lost, Chapter 21b: Absences, concluded.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 21b: Absences, concluded. * * * Joe let Alice enter first. She had not said a word since she caught up with him. She patted the love-seat as she passed it, indicatively. He sat and watched as she went to the kitchen...
Love Lost, Chapter 8b: Confrontations, concluded.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 8b: Confrontations, concluded. * * * "At least it's a beautiful view," Carlos remarked on the panorama from the top of an unnamed peak north of Allylidene Forest. The spring weather had thinned the snow, although it...
Love Lost, Chapter 20a: Exposures.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 20a: Exposures. * * * Not awake enough to realize that if he were fully awake he would be sure without questioning it, Carlos spent a moment wondering if he was awake, asleep, or still in an altered state of...
Love Lost, Chapter 13b: Phobias, concluded.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 13b: Phobias, concluded. * * * Grace and Alice continued onward as Sam walked up the path to his house. "Do you feel that?" Grace asked of Alice. "Yes. It's like a fight, but not." Alice's antennae raised. "And...
Love Lost, Chapter 14a: Rotations.
* * * Love Lost, Chapter 14a: Rotations. * * * Burner and Grace worked in the living room, operating a rented carpet steam cleaner. Joe sat at the kitchen table. So did James. In silence they sat for quite some time, as James let Joe sweat...