The castle, begrimed by salt and seagulls and empty years, rose from a promontory that overlooked a violent sea. A narrow isthmus connected the castle to land, worn away by waves and no wider than two, maybe three, men walking comfortably abreast. The water churned far below among jagged rocks….
After days of gray clouds and constant snow, the sun shone in a clear, pale sky. The temperature hovered just above freezing. In the sunlight, it seemed positively tropical after weeks of single digits plus wind chill. Towering heaps of smudged snow glistened on the corners and curbs. The streets…
The children stared at her, uncomprehendingly. “Did I stutter?” The littlest, Kandace, smiled brightly, thinking it was some sort of joke. “It’s time to take down the tree,” she repeated. “Why?” Kayley, the middle child, asked. “Because it’s the middle of January.” “I don’t want to take it down,” said…
Bitter winds disturbed the bare branches, which creaked and muttered and hissed. Samuel had smashed his hat on his head so tightly the wind couldn’t budge it, but he felt the cold even through his long fur-lined coat. He trudged forward across the hard ground, breaking sticks and turning autumn…
Sadie took a deep breath, praying she didn’t make a complete fool of herself. She had searched out Cassandra Rosenthol through the coffee shop windows before entering so she wouldn’t stand in the middle of the shop looking around like a dope. She only had one chance to make a…
“You’re lying.” “No, I’m not.” “There’s no such place!” “Yes, there is.” “No way. You’re a liar. Liar! Liar!” Julia sighed. The second graders had only just started their lunches and she already needed to quiet them down. “Brock, Aiden, inside voices, please.” “Miss Hulbert,” Brock whined (she was pretty…
Once a year they brought the Sorrow from her hermitage in the hills so that she could speak to them and remind them of the world that had once been, to speak from the affliction that science had cured. They gathered in the stadium by the tens of thousands, talking…
“Hudson, school’s been cancelled.” Hudson walked out of his room with his Pokemon shirt half on and no pants. “Why?” “There’s fog today.” “That’s dumb,” he said, putting his arm through the sleeve. “Chase and me were going to be captains at kickball today. “At least you have an extra…
“All purchases are nonrefundable,” John recited as he processed the timeshadow application. “If you wish to proceed, sign your name on the pad.” The young man, Quentin according to his application, did so. “Follow me.” John led Quentin down the hallway to Prep Room 5. Quentin was 19; John had…
Henry knocked and entered at Alice’s voice. She was usually a neat young woman, but today the bed sheets were in disarray, the drawers of her dresser hung open, and the contents of the bookshelf were spread across every surface. “Don’t you say anything,” she said sharply as he shut…
On County Road 7, about three miles south of Clearwater, on the right side of the road just past 1000 East, there is a barn. To be accurate, it is no longer quite a barn. The roof collapsed long ago. Two of the walls have fallen in. Mostly it is…
The crystal blade waited for him. Andros did not know if this were dream or reality. He climbed the steps of the platform. The sword emitted a faint glow, the only light in the cavern except for a gray haze as if the moon looked in through a window far,…