Series
Vessels (Part Two)
A quiet, worried, busy week passed while Jeshed cared for the girl. The storage room slowly turned into a proper bedroom around her. First to be swapped out was the sad cot with a decent bed. A bedside table was next to be added, so that he might leave water for her to drink whenever she was ready. A few days later, he found a papyrus illustration of some happy animals in a sunny field. He felt it would add some color to her room and perhaps give her good dreams so up it went on the wall. While in the market, he purchased a cotton cow doll and when he lay it next to her, he thought he saw a smile on her face as she slept.
By Rachael Dunn5 years ago in Fiction
Viking's Funeral
That damned asshole caw bird is screaming again as I gingerly step into the shifting sand. Cicadas buzz, uncaring as well. The rocks of the lake bed are slippery, so I test my weight with each step. The water’s warmer than I expected. Because the morning mountain air is cool, I expect the water to be freezing. It isn’t. It feels good.
By Michelle Blackerby5 years ago in Fiction
Crossing the Abyss
I had said that I would cross the abyss itself for a slice of comfort, but this... was ridiculous. First off, when I said that, I had been considering the abyss something figurative. Casual shorthand for 'the ultimate terror.' Something that haunted people's dreams and imaginations. Kind of like speaking of the coming of Ragnarokk, in fact--which was another thing proving to be real.
By Theis Orion5 years ago in Fiction
Command & Conquer History - Part 2
[First, allow me of course to say that I do not own Command & Conquer. Second, anyone that knows the regular C&C timeline will eventually see that this does not follow the canon timeline of any individual universe. This is my attempt to tie the various games into one consolidated universe, while also incorporating more historical events that may not have been altered due to the shifting nature of the timeline.]
By Bastian Falkenrath5 years ago in Fiction
Command & Conquer History - Part 1
[First, allow me of course to say that I do not own Command & Conquer. Second, anyone that knows the regular C&C timeline will eventually see that this does not follow the canon timeline of any individual universe. This is my attempt to tie the various games into one consolidated universe, while also incorporating more historical events that may not have been altered due to the shifting nature of the timeline.]
By Bastian Falkenrath5 years ago in Fiction
The Best Thing I Never Had
It was a beautiful day for a wedding. The sun was shining, it was a perfect 80 degree low humidity, light breeze in the air, not a cloud in the sky type of day. There was only one problem with it. It wasn't her's! Monise slumped down in the chair next to the bay window of the resort and continued to stare out thinking about the possibility of having her own special day, if/when her long-time boyfriend Ben ever got around to actually proposing. Every time the subject of marriage came up, Ben's consistent response for the past year of their relationship had been, "I love you, just like a fat kid loves chocolate cake!" Monise was a little chunky growing up and the thought of chocolate cake made her absolutely sick, so needless to say the whole analogy was lost on her.
By T Gaither Stuckey5 years ago in Fiction
The Diner
It was a couple hours past sunset, and only two streetlights pierced the darkness. One was almost out of sight, at the far end of the street. The other was in front of their destination: a seedy diner. The diner was the only other source of light. The neon red accents outlined the edges of the diner’s welcoming light pouring out of the windows and propped-open door.
By Farah Thompson5 years ago in Fiction
Chocolate Cake
My hands were shaking as I walked up to the podium. Even after the hundreds of times I’d done it, from awards acceptances to guest lectures, speaking in public still made me nervous. I wanted so badly to do right by Ulli. She had always done right by me. I looked out at the mourners, dressed in bright colors (at her bequest) but with sad faces. Please don’t let me choke. I cleared my throat and began.
By Kerry Love5 years ago in Fiction
Into the Groves
Nightfall came sooner than I anticipated. I still needed to spread her ashes and say my goodbyes to her, so I must stay another day in this town. I walked the quiet streets, heading back to my aunt’s old home. I looked to the sky, admiring the innumerable stars that decorated it. This view makes me hate this place a little less. With the amount of light pollution in the city I can only ever see the moon and maybe a few sparse specks of stars. But here, it’s like I can dive into a sea of stars and bathe myself in the glow of the moon. It’s almost intoxicating how beautiful it is. I brought my gaze back to the empty streets. Though it is only 9pm, every storefront is closed. That’s small town living for you. One store in particular catches my eye. Mama Blossom’s Bakery. I’d only ever been there once, long ago. A summer I can’t seem to get out of my head today.
By Katie O'Shea5 years ago in Fiction
Fighting for Absolution
Tilly kept her head turned away from the man in front of her. With the tattered, dirty clumps of her hair hanging around her face, she had a bit of a shield against the tantalizing smell of warm chocolate, but the mild stench of soiled hair could hardly block out the decadent aroma of freshly baked cake. It didn’t matter. She wouldn’t give him the pleasure of seeing how affected she was by this act. Mind games were never a thing she’d taken interest in, so she had no idea if her act of defiance would make a difference, but she still refused to broadcast how painfully hungry she was by staring at the cake being consumed dramatically by the Arbiter.
By Caitlin Justine5 years ago in Fiction
