Nora stared at the tree. It was a beech tree. Perhaps that shouldn’t have sounded remarkable, but Nora knew better. She remembered the fires. All that destruction sponsored by the state when she was a kid. Maybe a vendetta against a species of tree was a waste of time, but nobody bothered to mention that […]
I don’t know who they are. But I know what they are. A thug. One of the enforcers on the colony’s main complex. We’re not supposed to look them in the eye, so how would I recognize him? He knows who I am. I wasn’t careful. I didn’t catch on that I was in danger […]
Naomi could walk when she got home. That alone sent the alarm bells off. A six month mission to the planet Venus and a week long trip back to Earth couldn’t change that much, could it? Naomi had a spring in her step her second day back. She should have been adjusting to the higher […]
Rochelle was fine with waiting. Waiting was a part of life. Even on a space station. When it came to the person in front of her, however, she had to backtrack. The vending machine didn’t look particularly dangerous. But even though she hadn’t been watching, she knew the person in front of her had vanished. […]
All the equipment was there. Nobody was paying the electric bill anymore. The station just sat there. Claire had always thought it was strange to leave a building on the moon unoccupied. But maybe it wasn’t easily repurposed. Playing around with the settings on her new communicator, she found the dead radio station. Claire tapped […]
The robot was puzzling. It had unlocked Jill’s door and rolled its way in like those ancient roombas. It didn’t have any trouble with the rug under the kitchen table. It was strange, but Jill couldn’t quite get annoyed at her intruder. Just curious. “I would ask if you were lost, but you would have […]
She hadn’t decided anything yet. The box sat on her kitchen table and stared at her with those words. “For when you decide”. Felicity hadn’t ordered anything. She checked her phone. She was sure she hadn’t ordered anything. And what, exactly, was she supposed to be deciding? “You’re the last thing I need right now.” […]
Arnold had barely knocked when the door flew open. “Well, it’s about time you got here.” The woman said. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for you?” “Um…” Arnold didn’t know how to reply to that. It was clear that he had knocked on the wrong apartment door. With a glance […]
It was unbearably hot. I was sweating everywhere. I’d never felt that before. It told me something was very, very wrong before I even opened my eyes. I started to stir and I heard voices arguing. It echoed in the room with metal walls. I saw something glowing orange running along each one. It ran […]
Not sure how this happened. I spent a few hours reading and rereading the letter and being so annoyed at the thunderstorm outside. “Summons: Ophelia Champs, it has come to our attention that your emotional state is affecting the local weather patterns. You are now required to attend weekly mood calibration sessions.” I didn’t really […]
The town library had been abandoned for years. It’s doors were shut and the windows were boarded up, promising a demolition in the future. When the construction crew came to tear it down, they found fresh footprints in the dust and lights flickering in the reading room. At the center of the room sat an […]
The elevator stopped at a floor that didn’t exist yesterday. The doors opened, and no one inside remembered pushing the button. Even worse, the doors wouldn’t close. Heather looked at her fellow travelers. A middle aged man, and an older woman with a fluffy dog. Heather looked at the button. “Did anyone press that button?” […]
The new tenants never spoke, never blinked, and never cast shadows. But they always waved back. That was probably why they were able to stay. It was an old building, full of creeping things that only came out at night. The new tenants never made much sound, either. They lived above me, and I never […]
It started yesterday. The mirror started getting lazy. The reflection started moving half a second too late. Today, the reflection smiled first. Tess frowned. So did her reflection. But the reflection seemed angrier. Tess leaned in to the mirror, studying all she could. Her reflection rolled her eyes and grabbed her upper arms. She pulled […]
He told me I wasn’t like the others. It sounded like a compliment. Until I saw the others. I’d known Cade for years. I thought nothing of it when he asked for a sample of my blood. He had always been a little weird. Probably just keeping professionally sharp. Now we were in his lab. […]
A shadow fell across the table. “You’re not supposed to be here.” The waitress said. “This booth is reserved… for someone who doesn’t exist yet.” “I don’t suppose they made the reservation, then.” Claire said. The waitress gave her a blank look. “I’ll move. No problem.” Claire watched the waitress go. She didn’t seem too […]
I put the sign up. It reads: “Danger: Do Not Speak to the Mailbox”. Naturally, someone does. I watched the old man read the sign and smile. He leaned against the fence, and began to chat with the mailbox. I could hear everything he said from the window. “Yes, sir, name’s Allan Johnson. Widower.” The […]
“I don’t think the laws of physics apply here,” she whispered, watching the staircase ripple like water. “What’s physics?” Benny wagged his tail. If physics meant treats, that was definitely worth climbing the weird staircase. “It’s… like the rules for what can and can’t happen.” Ella turned to look at him. “You know, like, Physically?” […]
“Temporal anomaly detected. Please remain calm while the present is reconfigured.” “That is not what it says.” Rake was sure she was lying. To get back at him for something he’d done earlier. “I’m reading the display.” Kara said. She crossed her arms and dared Rake to disagree with her. “That’s what it says.” ”We’re […]