Stories

Under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Benjamin and Alexander built a life behind the word roommate. Afghanistan cost them the rest of it. Now, every evening at dusk, Benjamin sits by a river with the only photograph of the day he let himself be seen.

He kept the photograph. The river keeps the rest.

Myles Valentine Paton Fleming - Widower, Father of teen son, Computer Engineer, and owner of a catamaran yacht, based in Adelaide, South Australia, with holiday adventures and unexpected changes to the family group.

Nos is half human, half vampire, and 100% stressed out. At school, he’s surrounded by purebred vampires who never let him forget he’s different. But then he’s struck with the Change, and Nos’s looks are enhanced. You’d think being easy on the eyes would make his fated match happy, but his destined partner doesn’t trust pretty faces. Just how does one seduce a cambion?

Seventeen years ago, Tyler was Martin’s high school drama club rival, accusing him of stealing the role he deserved. Now in their 30s, Martin has no interest in reconnecting with the guy who made his school years miserable. But when their employers team up to create a theater program for underprivileged youth, Martin and Tyler are forced to work together. It doesn’t help that Tyler is still cute as hell.

As old rivalries give way to some kind of friendship, Martin is plagued by painful memories of the past—and increasingly aggressive fantasies about his former nemesis. Have these theater nerds grown up at all?

The poem reflects on how people often feel like the nation is more divided than ever, even though history shows we’ve faced deep disagreements before and found ways through them without falling into conflict. It reminds readers that loud voices aren’t always wise ones, and that passionate words can unintentionally influence vulnerable people. The poem encourages calmer speech, perspective, and a return to the simple hope expressed in the old saying: give peace a chance.

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.

An alpha without a pack is like a house without a roof.

Theodore Pembroke has lived for years with only vengeance in his heart. As the last of his kind, he knows the dark forces that destroyed his pack will come for him one day—and when they do, he’ll be ready.

But even the best-laid plans will often go awry. The enemy he’s been preparing for turns out to be an unexpected ally, and a sudden and fragile spark of hope makes a mess of everything.

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The poem describes how an AI’s mistake can leave a human mentally exhausted. It shows the frustration of trying to correct a machine that speaks confidently but misunderstands simple human meaning. As the person struggles to pull the AI back toward clarity, the effort becomes draining, creating a headache born not from anger, but from the strain of dealing with something that cannot truly think.

A mischievous fairy and a bold pixie chase each other through a magical forest, their playful games sparking laughter and delight.