Stories

Life is filled with surprises. We are constantly reminded that we are at the mercy of the universe; from the people we meet, to the events that shape us, to the places we find ourselves in. If we are among the lucky ones we will find our place in the world, and someone to share it with, and life will be sweet. But even then, everything is subject to change, and we either roll with the flow, or find ourselves fighting against the tide, because you just never know what might come at you from out of the blue.

Julian Aldrich has never had reason to doubt the world built for him. At twenty-one, heir to a gilded American dynasty, he sees his life as most people see a painting: beautiful, composed, complete. His father Victor is the architect of that world. His mother Catherine is its atmosphere. And Mark, his best friend, is the person Julian loves most.

During a family trip, the careful geometry of these relationships begins to warp. What Julian slowly uncovers will collapse every structure he has built his identity upon: family, loyalty, desire, and the dangerous assumption that the people we love are who we believe them to be.

"You can never trust a Crawley." Those were Albert Cooley's words to his sons, spoken every chance he got, and August did his best to do what was expected of him after his ma passed. The Crawleys and the Cooleys were ranching families, and they didn't mix, not ever, but more and more, August had a problem with letting his father decide everything for him. Was Fletcher really his enemy? Could he trust the man he'd butted heads with over and over, one he'd known pretty much his whole life? All he knew for certain was he was tired of all the conflict, and needed his life to change before he exploded. That's where his Gran came in.

Prompt #265

Write a story that begins with a phone call at three in the morning.

Trevor insisted the house phone be on his side of the bed. There was one problem with that; Trevor was nearly impossible to wake up. One night, the phone rings at three AM. Julius has a hard time waking Trevor, but finally succeeds. Trevor finally answers the phone on the ninth ring. The phone call starts something they never could have expected.

Bison Taunt thought his destiny was in the light, with the angels, but life, apparently, had other plans. He will have to find the way to his true destiny, with the help of his powerful heart. Demons will fall on his path.

Colt's temper got him expelled. Now he's starting over in a small town where he meets Noah, a quiet, bookish boy next door hiding a terrible secret. As their friendship deepens into first love, Colt discovers that Noah's stepfather has been abusing him for years. Desperate to protect the boy he loves, Colt agrees to a dangerous plan. But the guilt of his choices and the friends he's made over the summer may be the only things that can save them both.

Now in his early twenties, Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, has been going through a rough couple of years dealing with deep rooted mental illness. Things somehow get even worse when he is forced to work together with an 'unhinged psycho' who manages to get on his nerves every step of the way. As they get to know each other better facing various adversities, they learn to respect their similarities and differences. Eventually, "respect" grows into something Nico finds much harder to deal with.

The ambition of courtier Gesi Ajai threatens the Empire of Lyra. Skilled general Raithion Maenaer meets Azula, a blacksmith, but their connection is cut short. Years later, Basileus Dio has thwarted Gesi's ambition, but Gesi now plans to take the throne by any means. Raithion and Azula must bring Gesi down and navigate treacherous court politics. Will they succeed?

A washed-up captain steals an alien saucer, crashes it into a pre-spaceflight civilization, and accidentally abducts a terrified teenage local. Now he's stranded with a hostile hostage, a sarcastic AI, and a teleporter that turns livestock inside out. To make things worse, his estranged husband is tracking him across the galaxy—and the real owners of the ship want everyone dead. A chaotic sci-fi romp about bad decisions, found family, and learning that running from your problems just creates bigger ones.

Poems about my relationship with God