The text message arrived at 3:17 AM. Maya Reeves jolted awake, not from the notification—her phone was perpetually on silent—but from the same nightmare that had plagued her for seven years. In it, her sister Ellie was always just ahead, turning corners in an endless maze, laughing. Maya could never catch up. She reached for … Continue reading The Whisper Line
Something I Made Up
The Memory Merchant of Bleecker Street
STOP! Don't read this story without going back and reading The Black Market Below Bleecker, a story I posted back in April. Today's entry is a follow-up that takes place in the same reality and features a few callbacks to that original tale. I promise, if you read that one first, you'll enjoy this one a … Continue reading The Memory Merchant of Bleecker Street
Wavelength
The first time Eliza saw the colors, she was alone in her apartment. A shimmering patch of deep indigo appeared on her living room wall—vibrant and impossible, like spilled ink bleeding upward against gravity. She blinked, certain it was a migraine aura or a trick of the evening light. The indigo pulsed once, then dissolved … Continue reading Wavelength
The Hollow Lands
Author's Note: This story explores an alternate history where the Black Death of 1347-1351 killed approximately 90% of Europe's population, rather than the roughly one-third estimated in our actual historical timeline. This devastating divergence from our history creates a world where European civilization nearly collapses completely, forever altering the course of global development and preventing … Continue reading The Hollow Lands
Beneath the Surface
The screaming had stopped hours ago. Eliza stared at the wreckage scattered across the beach, her designer blouse now torn and stained with blood that wasn't hers. The setting sun cast long shadows across the white sand, transforming the debris into monstrous silhouettes. Seventeen survivors had dragged themselves from the ocean after Flight 2783 went … Continue reading Beneath the Surface
Harvest Cycles
1924 The first time Ellis Hargrove laid eyes on Millfield's fertile valley, he knew he'd finally found home. Standing at the edge of his newly purchased forty acres, the morning sun warming his back, he watched his young wife Mary cradling their infant daughter as she twirled slowly among the wild grasses. "Just think, Ellis," … Continue reading Harvest Cycles
Shimmer and Shadow
The fairy perched on the edge of a neon sign in downtown Tokyo, her translucent wings catching fragments of pink and blue light. Below her, humans hurried past with their anti-fairy nets and protective goggles, standard equipment now in most major cities. Thistle – the name she'd chosen for herself – watched them with a … Continue reading Shimmer and Shadow
The Black Market Below Bleecker
Dave Winters considered himself a rational man. He recycled when convenient, tipped exactly 18%, and had strong opinions about people who took the elevator to the second floor. He worked in data analytics, lived alone in a reasonably-priced Greenwich Village apartment (inherited from his grandmother, thank you very much), and had never once entertained the … Continue reading The Black Market Below Bleecker
Death in the Long Dark
Maya sat in her tiny apartment, staring at the holo-display floating above her desk. The news was everywhere on the ship's feeds: "DEATH ON DECK 7 - MANUAL VIOLENCE SUSPECTED." The headline scrolled past again, its red text harsh against the soft blue background that most shipboard interfaces used. She'd already watched the official announcement … Continue reading Death in the Long Dark
The Great Raccoon Chase
Ember clutched his clipboard of hand-processed paper, carefully noting the properties of yet another surviving wooden structure. "Pine," he muttered, "approximately ninety-seven years old, minimal degradation despite exposure to—" His scientific observations were interrupted by screaming. "THE NIGHT BANDIT APPROACHES! SHIELD YOUR VESSELS OF SUSTENANCE FROM ITS SACRED GRASP!" Ember ducked behind the ancient pine … Continue reading The Great Raccoon Chase
The Confusing Middle 