Short Stories
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“Are you ready?” If there was ever a pair of eyes she could face with the truth, they’d be his. Ivy searched them for a moment, sifting through the memories in those soft blue irises. Then she reached for Kaiden’s hands, drawing on the warmth that closed around her fingers. A small smile twitched her…
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For a moment, my presence towers over the room, unable to be smothered. They’re not all staring at you— I prepare a disarming grin. No matter how many times my arrival heralds wide eyes, hushed whispers, and coyly disguised smiles, I’ll show up. “It’s been so long,” I announce into the silence that’s temporarily taken…
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They didn’t want me here, but tough shit. I’m an adult. And I’m not here for them, anyway—I’m here for Max. The room is packed, with good reason. I linger near the back, concealed by the distraction of the trial. Today, a new defendant sits behind the table. Her eyes are sharp, and her brow…
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The Cane house—the stuff of small-town legends. A wreck that had been condemned long before all but the town’s oldest residents had been born. Misguided souls sometimes attempted to arrange a petition to have the site preserved; but they were always mocked out of possibility, and their efforts faded to be recycled when the town…
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He flicked the pen in his hands, as carelessly as if it were just a cheap device purchased at the dollar store. Which it might’ve been. Despite the whispers Joel had heard, the pen had yet to exhibit any special abilities, other than the ability to dispense ink. The neon light of the passing signs…
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The horse came back alone. The stable hand stuttered to a stop. Was that the prince’s horse all by itself? Grady never dismounted before reaching the stables. He always walked Benny back to his stall, or at least into the care of a hand. The saddle was still attached, and none of the affectations had…
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The pendant was old and bulky, decorated with the delicate touch of enamel flowers. Emily’s mother Rachel had discovered it a few months ago, helping her own mother Lucy to clear out the relics collecting dust in the woman’s attic. Despite the flickering bulb in the ceiling and the abundance of cobwebs, Emily and her…
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“What do you do here, darling?” The girl started, then blinked as she spun around, as if there were someone else sitting here the woman could’ve been talking to. Leyla Isles let a coy smile curl her lips. “I meant you, sweetie.” The girl fluttered her lashes a second time; then she ducked her head,…
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I like cats, so…here you go. He was used to noises in the alleys. But unlike the mortals, Dante didn’t fear them. Sounds were harmless—or they meant fresh prey. He was familiar with the slithering of a rat, or the rustling of a raccoon, or the pecking of a bird. But this one…this one, he…
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This story was inspired by the architecture and histories of older college campuses. Surely there must be ghosts hanging around at least a few of them? Closing her eyes didn’t really help. The room cloaked in darkness, with only a crooked thread of light to peek out from between the curtains. If Khloe squinted, she…
