Water. Above and below and inside me. Tendrils grasp at my hair, my arms and legs, pull me ever deeper. My chest is surrounded by a thousand pounds of nothing and everything, all at the same time. Pressure so intense, my lungs will burst at any second, will finally put me out of this misery. Will finally send me to a watery grave. I open my eyes, which is exactly what I don’t want to do. The world around me is fuzzy and dark, except for that one bright spot, the one my body i

Dust mites play on waves of sunlight. The few sharp rays that cut through the dirty window are a spotlight on weathered bindings of ancient books. The used bookstore is a hole in the wall, set in the most remote part of downtown, off the most remote back alley I can find. Books explode off each shelf, tower in stacks against each wall. It’s a wonder anyone can find this place. But somehow I did. I mill around the musty section in the back, “Gardening” and “Self-Help.” Gardeni

Two-hundred twenty-two days. Or was it two-hundred twenty-three? I’d lost count. Didn’t matter. It had been more than seven months since my boat had sunk, since I’d managed to find my way into the dinghy. Had resurfaced on the beach. The lone survivor. I’d searched, begged to find someone, just one. But none were found. I shoved my feet through the grainy sand, the once seductive tropical appeal of beach life now nothing more than a daily nightmare. Clothes tattered and threa

Gracie watched wax melt down the sides of the candles. Twelve in all. Small puddles formed in the chocolate frosting of the cake, a flicker of the flame as she sighed. “Make your wish and blow them out,” Aunt Hildy said with a smug smile. The wish. Gracie always wished the same wish. If only it could come true. If only the family wasn’t cursed. Another sigh. She blew them out with a frown. How many years had she celebrated this birthday? Her aunt cut the cake as Gracie walked

“Think we should give her a second chance?” “I don’t know. She flushed her brother’s homework down the toilet, and snuck an extra cookie last night.” The small man with pointed ears adjusted his green cap. His female counterpart scrinched her nose. “Please? She’s usually a sweet girl.” He nodded. “Okay, but tell her parents this is the last chance.” An alarm sounded, a spit of paper from the machine. “Oh no! Jimmy Frey’s on the Naughty List. Again!” “Two weeks before Christma

“Hide.” Mother pushes me between our bed and wall. “Why, mama?” “The prophets of The Supremacy say you’re the one. That when you grow up you’ll lead the revolution to set our people free. They’re afraid.” She smooths the side of my face. “Of me?” “Yes.” A noise outside. “Shhh!” She stands. The door opens, men speak. “His father took him to the planet Drein-” A blast. She falls, eyes open. Mama’s dead. Men gone, I creep out. Heat fills my chest, a tremble, pain, agony. They wi

7:03 a.m. Unit 202 “There’s a shark in the pool.” Gracie’s clear blue eyes held fear, her mouth set in determination. “There can’t be a shark in the pool, sweetheart,” her mother said, a stray piece of auburn hair stuck against the sweat of her neck, an electronic tablet in one hand. “Honest, ma. There is! I saw it!” The girl bit her lip. Her mom looked up. “Honey, if this is your behavior, I won’t let you swim this early anymore. You may be alone in that pool, but that doesn

Scarlett sat up, a cushy bed of pink ruffles and faint scent of floral perfume around her. One hand swiped against her tired hazel eyes. Where am I? Two blinks later, she placed her bare feet against the carpet of the unfamiliar bedroom, pushed the flimsy covers aside. She stopped and wiggled her toes. What is this? It certainly wasn’t carpet. A strange fabric covered the floor. She twisted her upper lip and buckled her pale brow as a chill ran down her arms. “Hello?” she sai

Violent shrieks echo across the Midway, the fragrance of popcorn saturates every pore of my body. The Ring Toss vendor beckons, lights blind, music deafens – all the giddy glorious environment of the Carnival. “Wanna do the Fun House?” my best friend, Tilly, says. “Sure!” I glance down to count my tickets. “Huh.” My brow cinches together tighter than my belt. “I swear I had more than this earlier.” Tilly presses her lips together. “Yeah, I thought I did, too. Whatever.” She s

Empty boxes line the hall of my eight hundred square foot, two-bedroom apartment. Piles of books wait to be stored. Dishes carefully folded in cloth and bubble wrap, stand in queue for relocation. Sigh. Another year, another move. With a fall to my knees, I grab the packaging tape as I assemble a crushed box. Hello familiar friend. How long has it been? Nine months? Ten? Black ink marks the outside of it, my indication that this one is to hold ‘Important Papers: File Cabinet’