This story is a continuation of my Q3 project. Here’s the link to Part 1 Bex thought back to that first day in the Phoenix House common room, with Laila. She wondered if she’d ever see her roommate—or anyone else—ever again …  Bex and Laila decided to spend their first afternoon reading together. For about…

Earlier this year, I binged-watched House of Anubis. That is what, in part, inspired me to write this story. Another part was trying to get better at writing romance/character development/dialogue. I’m a very plot-oriented person, so an exercise in writing believable, fun characters was my goal with my Q3 story. Enjoy! “Do you want to…

[Finally, in one place, my second story. Perfect Poe vibes for Friday the 13th and spooky season] PROLOGUE There were only two rules: People referred to each other only as the colors they wore. The premise seemed silly at first. It got scarier once you realized what it meant: everyone was replaceable. Black stared at…

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V A side Within minutes, the library was in flames. Scarlet took off a glove and used it to cover her nose and mouth. “The profane theft of human life ends here,” Black boomed through a voice modulator. It was a gratuitous precaution: nobody was expected to survive…

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV B Side December 11, 20— The figure in Black reached under the podium and picked up an old velvet bag. When he stuck his hand in, I heard clacking, like the sound of pool balls hitting each other. Black took out a large, light pink marble from the…

Part I | Part II | Part III A side Scarlet winced, hoping that the fear didn’t show too plainly on her face. Nobody was looking at her—and she was wearing a mask; but she’d never felt more exposed, more vulnerable, in her entire life. Black took the knife and raised it in the air,…

Part I | Part II A Side As soon as Black flung the door open, the candles seemed to dim. All shadows took on a more sinister presence, including the hooded shade steadfastly approaching the dais. Every eye in the room followed the dark figure. Ignoring the attention, Black glid wordlessly up the stairs and…

This story is a continuation of the one I teased last week, here. A SIDE Scarlet couldn’t remember the last time she felt this trapped. A textbook overachiever, her CV raised eyebrows of university admissions officers all over the world. Skilled in academics, athletics, and the arts—but for what? In all her years of pathologic…

Hopefully you’re on your way to meeting your quarterly goals (fiscal or otherwise). One of mine is to create a new short story at the beginning of every quarter and drop it at the very end. I was able to do it last quarter, so here’s to consistency. Disclaimer: In the interest of personal growth,…