(I have no experience/training whatsoever in creative or fictional writing and this is my first attempt doing anything like this, so any respectful or helpful input is appreciated. This is a work in progress, and to set the scene these two scientists/explorers are entering a previously undiscovered room on a space station that was built by a long dead race of beings) Though it was represented using symbols not seen in any human civilization derived from Earth, the form and structure of the equation was unmistakable. It was Schrodinger’s equation, that same differential equation that is intimately familiar to any physics undergraduate. While simple and elegant in form, it becomes impossibly complex when applied to anything more elaborate than a hydrogen atom. Despite this, given a proper mathematical description of the system, it has the power to describe the current and future evolution of any physical system, limited by the probabilistic nature of the quantum realm. He edged closer to the plinth and began to inspect the equations, running his fingers over the symbols and muttering to himself as he proceeded across the panel. As he went, the symbols and numbers began to suggest a hint of familiarity to him. He strained to recall how, but the answer eluded him. Like a splinter in his brain that cannot be extracted, he could feel the answer on the periphery of his conscious, but it remained just out of reach. He knew that if he could only remember, the jumbled mess of symbols and seemingly disparate equations would coalesce into a neat mathematical formulation and relinquish their secrets to him. After what seemed like hours of puzzlement, though in reality only minutes had passed, it suddenly came to him – the many world’s theory. The imaginative, if dubious idea, first introduced in the 20th century by a physicist whose name he couldn’t recall, postulated the existence of a universal formula to describe the totality of existence, and that every possible quantum outcome of every decision or probabilistic event is manifested in separate, parallel universes. Though long believed to inhabit the realm of fiction rather than science, here it was laid before him, in all its beauty and elegance. As his gaze led him to the bottom of the panel where one, final equation was displayed prominently, he took a moment to consider its meaning in the context of the rest of the panel. As he began to piece all the elements of the display before him together, he could feel a tingle of exhilaration welling inside him. Unless he was mistaken, this was it. The universal wavefunction. The one equation to describe everything that is or ever will be. What use the ancient inhabitants of this station had for this theoretical curiosity, he was unsure. From information salvaged and translated from devices found here, many in the consortium believed the station’s purpose was to investigate the possibility of time travel, and certain clues suggested they had been successful to some degree in achieving that goal. Given the level of technology displayed here, he didn’t doubt it. The connection was too tantalizing for him not to consider. Harnessing the power of the universal wavefunction and the complete knowledge of the evolution of the universe, could it be possible to return to the moment at which one universe split into many? As the full weight of this realization dawned on him, he let out a sharp gasp. The pounding of his heart was deafening. His breath coalesced in thick clouds of vapor suspended in the cool air, illuminated by the soft blue hue of the elegant equations laid before him. The glittering clouds seemed to freeze in time as his mind began reeling with the implications of this potential discovery. How many times had the historical or evolutionary trajectory of the human race been altered? Or, for that matter, that of the solar system, or even the universe itself? How many winding paths through the infinite space of alternate realities had been traversed? The entirety of natural and human history was but one thread in an endless web of possible universes. In the face of such hyperastronomical realities, he was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming sense of existential insignificance. Futility. He had been lost so deeply in his rumination that when his partner finally broke the silence, he was startled by the sound, as if it had been decades since he had heard a human voice. “What is that?” Alyona whispered, gesturing to the grand equation at the bottom of the panel. Given her almost reverent disposition, he assumed she had reached the same conclusion he had regarding the equation and was in similar awe of its potential. He leaned forward and inspected the symbols. After scanning the lines momentarily, he noticed what had attracted her attention. A particular symbol, buried within the mess of variables and constants that were recognizable to him, appeared several times. What’s more, it was a symbol that was previously unknown to him or any member of the research consortium. So far in the exploration of the facility, no trace of this particular symbol had been identified on any panel, door, or in any file. A novel symbol, to be added to the growing body of knowledge on this long dead, inconceivably advanced civilization. Yesterday, this discovery alone would have been reason enough for celebration and hours of unrestrained and giddy conjecture before more stringent semiotic analysis could be carried out by other members of the consortium. Now, in the context of the equation itself and what it represents, it seems but a minor curiosity. Still, the symbol’s prominence in the equation implied its obvious importance. In what capacity, he was unsure, but it was a question that was certain to occupy his every waking moment until an answer was revealed.


I was her first, and she was my last. I know that’s overly cliched, but it was the absolute truth for both of us. I don’t recall, exactly, the very first time that I saw her. She was working at a local market as a cashier. The owner seemed to regularly rotate through pretty girls from the local school. I had frequented there for close to a decade and a half, although I never asked how he managed to find them, but they were generally a feast for the eyes. She was a little shorter than I was, probably around 5’9” or so, and had crystal blonde hair that stopped just below her shoulders. Add in green eyes that one could get lost in, a lithe body and a certain … perkiness, if you know what I mean … and she was utterly gorgeous. I do remember the very first time that went beyond simple pleasantries while she was ringing up my order. There were two people ahead of me on line and she was the only cashier working just then. She had on a loose T-shirt and a pair of yoga pants tights. Those tights made me finally truly understood what the phrase “like they were painted on” meant. While they covered her from the waist down, they were utterly revealing. As the line slowly progressed, I could not take my eyes off of her. She was smiling and full of energy. When it was my turn, I quickly looked around and noticed that there was no one else in line and no one else nearby. Taking a breath to put a little courage into me, I leaned forward a little and said, “I know this might be overly forward of me, but you might want to consider wearing something that’s at least a *little* less revealing?” I paused to smile. “Not that I don’t appreciate the scenery, of course.” She smiled and laughed, and it was a quiet laugh with such a clear sound that I was sure there were angels getting jealous that theirs didn’t sound so beautiful. “I’m glad you’re enjoying the view. You’re the first one this whole day who’s commented, never mind everyone else seems to need to force themselves to not even look.” Her smile just then utterly melted me. Without even thinking, I introduced myself — even though I’d been here multiple times, I didn’t think she knew my name. And then, not even realizing what I was doing, I asked if I could invite her out for a cup of coffee some time … or lunch … or dinner … or breakfast in bed. I think the last one was what broke through to her. She laughed again and told me that we would have to wait on breakfast, but she would love to join me for a coffee. She told me her name and that she would be finished today at 5:00. If I was serious about that coffee, I should be waiting in the parking lot for her. With that, she turned away to do something else. \# # # I was back and waiting in the parking lot at least ten minutes early. Something told me that this was one of the most important appointments of my life. Little did I realize. She walked out of the door exactly on time, waving to someone inside, a light blue windbreaker over one shoulder. A twist of her head flung her hair around and I was, once again, utterly entranced. I waved and she headed towards me. Once she was seated, I suggested a local coffee shop — not one of the “name brands”, where we could sit comfortably and talk. A small smile indicated she was fine with that, and a few minutes later, we walked in the door. If I were tortured for the information, I could not recount what we talked about. All I do remember is that we actually *talked*, about ourselves, about what we wanted in life, and about all sorts of other real subjects. The more we talked, it seemed utterly natural that we would start holding hands. It happened almost without thinking — for both of us. The time passed all too quickly until we were told by the manager it was time to leave, as they were about to close. I escorted her out, holding the door to the cafe and to the car. Once I was inside, we looked at each other and her mouth turned into that slight smile that I was already falling in love with. “About one minute, I think” I had no idea what she was talking about and said so. “Oh … Well, right now, you’re going to drive both of us to your home. And I think it will take about one minute for us to take all of our clothes off before you take me to bed.” Who was I to resist a challenge of that magnitude from the most beautiful girl I’d ever laid eyes on? \# # # It turned out that she was wrong — by about 20 seconds. Then again, I don’t think she’d considered the time saved by torn clothing and buttons that would need to be retrieved and sewn back on later. Afterwards, we lay in bed, sweaty. I had an arm around her while she was half-cuddled against me, one leg hooked over mine, her arm casually draped across my chest, and her head resting against my shoulder. I slowly caressed her golden hair and then I heard her seemingly whisper, “Hold me … and never let me go.” I instinctively held her closer and tighter before gently kissing her forehead. Then I whispered back, “If that is to be so, dearest … then we must agree on how we treat each other.” She looked up at me, that smile once again cutting through to my heart. I smiled back warmly, and told her that there must never be secrets between us, not even in the things that we didn’t say to each other. We had to be able to talk about anything and everything — including the deep, dark secrets that we had never felt safe revealing to anyone else. And we must never say anything to intentionally hurt each other. She tilted her head back, climbing slightly up my body to kiss me, murmuring, “Yes, yes, yes…” as she did. And with that, we had made a certain sort of vow to each other and, magically, had become a couple. \# # # From that point forward, we spent all of our spare time together. When we were in public, our hands would always reach for each others’. And every time that we wound up in bed, after utterly tiring ourselves and each other out, she would always curl up against me and whisper those same words to me. It had become a sort of ritual, in a fashion, and I would now always respond by holding her a bit more tightly, and responding the same way. Somehow, that would melt her as she melted me and she would relax against me, seemingly feeling even more secure with me. Of course, there were complications. Any sort of serious relationship has them. At first, her friends were concerned for her and outright suspicious of me. After enough whispers behind her back, and even to her face, she confronted them. With her fingers twisted with mine, she practically yelled at them, saying that I was the best thing that had ever happened to her and if they were truly her friends, they could see that. I remained silent, almost on the verge of tears hearing her say those things, promising myself that I would never do anything to hurt her. Eventually, her friends came to understand. I suspect that at least part of what drove that understanding was that every time I was with her, she would always reach out to grab my hand, and that simple touch was enough to bring smiles to both our faces. I was never truly accepted as one of them, but they became more willing to allow me into their circle. Worse, though, was her family. Her mother never accepted me, and, I think, never stopped hating me for, she believed, seducing her daughter and taking her virtue. Her father, though, merely started out concerned for her. One time, while waiting for her to finish dressing, with him glaring at me, I quietly told him what she and I had discussed that first night in bed. I didn’t provide the details of the setting, but merely what we had agreed for how to treat each other. His expression softened, he nodded his head and then reached out to shake my hand. “You realize that we can never be ‘best buddies’. But so long as you hold to that for how to treat her, and I can continue to see the sheer joy she gains from being with you … I have nothing I can say against you.” I nodded understanding and agreement, moments before she came dashing down the stairs, grabbing my arm and shouting a farewell to her family as we went out to whatever we were doing that evening. \# # # We never lost those feelings for each other. Sure, I would occasionally look at someone else, as would she. That’s only natural. But even those instances were talked about between us. “No secrets” means exactly that — even when we had some sort of passing interest in someone else. No matter what, though, we had both come to the realization that there would never be anyone else for either one of us. Finally, before I asked her, I went to her father. It was still quite awkward between us, but I felt that I needed to — for my own sake, as well as, perhaps, for hers. I acknowledged that I was being quite “old school”, and then proceeded to ask for his daughter’s hand. He laughed and said, “I’ve seen the way you look at her and she looks at you. I also know the sheer joy you bring to her life, and can only assume the same is true for yours.” I whispered quiet agreement, not wanting to interrupt him. “I would be a fool and a worse father if I denied her that. “I’ll hold you to your promises about how you will treat her. And, honestly, I doubt that there is anything I could do to stop her even if I were to say no. So, yes, if she’ll have you — and I utterly doubt that she would ever say otherwise — you have my blessing.” I hadn’t gotten a ring. I was reasonably sure that she would not require such a trinket. That night, with her laying against me, once more … our ritual completed … I murmured softly, “Will you be mine, forever? I want to be with you and you with me. I know that it would be nothing more than a …” I searched for the right words. “A public acknowledgement of what we already have.” Before I had even finished, I felt her nodding her head, whispering, “Yes, yes, yes…” against my chest. Then she looked up at me, her eyes bright and somewhat watery, saying, “… and never let me go.


Sylvia woke up to the sound of her alarm. She got out of bed to turn it off. After getting dressed and having her coffee, she realized she had nothing to do. It was a Saturday, and she did not work on Saturdays.

Normally, on a typical Saturday, she would be doing something with her best friend Wanda. Whether it was going to the movies, walking their dogs, or visiting some random town not far away that they’d never been to, they were always doing things together.

Wanda had moved to another country a few months ago, though, and Sylvia was left all alone, not having been smart enough to make more than one friend in case something like this happened.

Today, Sylvia decided that instead of resorting to what had become her usual Saturday routine since Wanda moved away -- going to several different stores buying things she didn’t need, then coming home and binge-watching some random show with her cat -- she would do something. She decided that today, she would find herself at least one new friend.

                                                                   ~~~ Lora was up at 7:00 AM on what was a normal Saturday for her. After getting up, getting ready, feeding her hamster, her bird, and her bunny, she went outside and got into her old, red car and began to drive to the soup kitchen where she volunteered every weekend.

After helping out in the loud kitchen for a couple hours, she got back into her car and drove to the animal shelter where she volunteered twice a week.

She walked in carrying some towels, toys, and dog food she had bought earlier this week to donate for the dogs at the shelter. She fed the dogs, helped to bathe them, then went over to the cats and fed them and played with them before going home.

She came home with a smile on her face as she entered the small living room of her pastel-yellow house. Her smile faded as she turned her head towards the picture in the little blue and pink polka-dot frame that was standing on her coffee table. It was a picture of her with some of her friends a few summers ago, hiking in the Rocky Mountains. Lora had known those friends for a very long time - they weren’t around anymore, though. Two of her friends had moved to be closer to family; and one of her friends, the one who she probably knew the best, had died a year or two ago from an injury obtained from falling off a motorcycle.

Lora was sad, looking at the picture. If her friends were still here, they and Lora would all probably be going hiking, swimming, biking, or rock-climbing right now. They usually did stuff like that on the weekends. Not anymore, thought Lora.

She hadn’t really met any new friends since - at least not anyone who she actually enjoyed spending time with; she wished she would meet a person who she could be friends with.

She decided to go to the grocery store and buy some stuff she needed, but then she got another idea.

                                                                 ~~~ Sylvia was trying to come up with how she would find a friend. She wasn’t the best at this; she had known Wanda for a long time, which is why they were such good friends. Sylvia didn’t even have to befriend Wanda - they had known each other since they were little girls, when their moms arranged playdates for them. So, Sylvia had never even really had experience trying to make a new friend. But she knew she somehow had to.

Eventually, she decided she would write to all of her colleagues asking if maybe they wanted to do something today. What will I write? She thought. I barely know all these people - I only ever occasionally talk with them about work stuff - it will be so out of the blue to ask them to do something with me… Not to mention they all have their own communities of friends… It will be too weird if I ask them… Oh, who cares? It’s not like they adore me anyway.

She finally summoned up the courage to text one of her colleagues, Emma. Emma’s nice enough, thought Sylvia and began to write:

Hey Emma, I was wondering if you had any plans today? Maybe we could do something together. She pressed send.

She then wrote texts and emails of similar content to the rest of her colleagues. I hope this works… She thought, nervously wringing her hands.

                                                                ~~~ Lora jumped back in her car and went to the grocery store. Maybe, she thought, if I just ask around, I’ll find someone with the same interests as me.

She arrived at the store and went inside.

She looked around. Who should I ask first? She thought. She settled on a young woman with short, light brown hair who looked to be about the same age as her. Lora confidently walked over to her.

“Hi!” said Lora. “Do you like sports?” The woman looked at Lora strangely.

“Um, no… not really,” said the woman, and walked away.

Lora kept attempting at small talk with the shoppers in the store.

“Hi, I’m Lora! What’s your name?” “Margot… Why do you ask?” “Margot’s a lovely name! Are you into water skiing?” “No.” “Ok!” “Hi! What’s your favorite sport?” “Sleeping.” “I’m not sure that’s a sport…” “Leave me alone.” “Hello, I like your blouse!” “Well, I don’t. But it’s all I could afford, so. Who cares.” “Oh...kay?” “Hey! Do you like sports?” “Yes! I love all kinds of sports! Especially swimming! Last summer, me and my friends went on my friends boat… It was awesome! I also like to surf. Do you surf? It’s so awesome. I’m not sure if it’s a sport though… Oh, what’s your favorite color? Mine’s green! Green’s awesome! But not if it’s broccoli… I hate that stuff… disgusting… Oh! I remembered why I came here! I needed to buy apple juice and underwear! Thanks bro!” “Um…”                                                                   ~~~ Sylvia was drinking tea when her phone dinged to indicate that she'd gotten her first response. Sylvia checked to see who it was. It was Emma: Sorry, I can’t today. Me and Lia are going to the mall.

Lia was another one of Sylvia’s colleagues. Oh, well, thought Sylvia.

She decided to check her inbox. She had gotten responses from most of the people she’d written to: Sorry, I’m busy today. Can’t, I have a thing. No, I’m hanging out with my friends today.

Are you hitting on me? Sorry, I’m busy. I have a lot of work... Apologies.

No, thanks.

I’m sorry, I’m just very busy today - lots of errands.

Well, thought Sylvia. I tried.

                                                                ~~~ Lora was exhausted from trying to make friends at the store. She bought a few groceries, and headed home in her little, red car.

She came home, parked her car, brought in her groceries, and decided to take a walk.

                                                                ~~~ Sylvia closed her laptop, and quickly texted Emma:

No problem! Then she took her dog and went outside to walk her dog.

                                                                      ~~~ Lora and Sylvia were both walking past the park when they saw each other. Lora, afraid she’d get a bad response again if she said anything, stayed silent. Sylvia, eager to talk to somebody, piped up.

“Hi, I’m Sylvia. I like your shirt!” Lora looked down at her purple shirt with a silver paw print on the front.

“Thanks! I’m Lora, it’s nice to meet you.” “Nice to meet you too!” “Your dog is so cute,” said Lora. “Thanks, this is Baxter. He’s a Border Collie.” “Cool! I actually volunteer at an animal shelter sometimes, and I work at a vet clinic,” Lora said. “Can I pet him?” She asked.

“Of course,” answered Sylvia.

Lora pet the dog, and they kept on talking as they walked down the street. They each had gotten what they wanted - Sylvia finally succeeded in making a new friend, and Lora finally found a friend with the same interests as her.

They became best friends, and from that day they always spent their Saturdays together.

                                                             ~~~THE END~~~


How can she do this to me? I don’t want to be alone again. I’ve spent my whole life trying to find a partner, not just the romantic kind, but my chosen partner always left me. For the longest time I did not want children in my life. The thought of being tied down and woken up early filled me with dread. Over time those reservations melted away and the idea of pouring my love into a small creation of my own became insatiable, but like most things in life I left it too late: the biological bus had left the station before I found someone I was willing to share it with. In the end they left too, although it was a small Volkswagen car that they left in, taking the remnants of my youth and my best bedding with them, or did they take the towels? I guess it doesn’t matter now.    My sister is looking at me from across the room, giving me one of those ‘I’m trying to read your mind looks’. When we were young we were never that close, I was the tomboy who gravitated towards Dad and went to football games, she was the perfect lady, accompanying Mum on her shopping trips and ladies lunches. When it was just the two of us we never really knew what to say to each other. I suppose I envied her in a way, getting to spend all that time with Mum, before the illness took her from us.

   ‘Are you alright, Susie?’

   I turn towards my little sister and nod. She looks different. She looks older. I still think of her as the little girl, who would run screaming when I dug up worms for fishing trips and threw them at her. Our Dad used to take me out on this little boat, that was bright blue, or maybe it was yellow? No it was red and it was called…oh I can’t remember. Anyway we would spend the day fishing together and he would tell me everything. On the last trip he told me he wouldn’t be around as much because he’d found someone who made him happy. Well she can’t have made him happy for long because he left her too and then we never saw him again. My Mum burned all the photos we had of him and I can’t remember what he looked like now, although I’m starting to get that way with most people these days: just last week I invited the Amazon delivery man in for a coffee thinking he was my old maths teacher. When I close my eyes and think really hard, I can almost bring my Dad’s face into view, but his eye colour begins to blur like a kaleidoscope and his features shift and bend like cloud patterns.    ‘Do you want me to get you some water? They will be here soon.’

   My sister is speaking again, she’s good at that. Even though she was the baby, she bossed me around, and once it was just the two of us she stepped into the roll of Mum. I guess I played the part of Dad quite well, I often just disappeared too. I knew how much she would worry and how furious she would be with me when I did return. I don’t know why I did that really, because when I break it all down to the bare essentials she is the only person who has ever stood by my side from day one. Why did I feel the need to punish her for tethering her cart to me? Probably because I never deserved her love. I never managed to find it anywhere else. So why did she offer it up to me to willingly? Oh bloody hell I’m crying now.    ‘Oh Susie, please don’t cry. It’s going to be alright you know, you’ll see.    She’s walked over to me and I can feel her fingers raising my glasses off my nose and dabbing the corner of a tissue into my eyes. Her warm hand brushes through my ever thinning hair and rests on my neck. I try and bring my hand to meet her, but wince in pain when I try and move the arm that is strapped to my chest in a brace. Funny, I don’t remember it being like that? My other arm moves much better and I wrap my fingers around hers. She is staring at me, that same worried stare that she has given me my entire life: when she found me sleeping on a park bench after Dad left, when she picked me up from the airport after my love affair with the French..no Spanish waiter fell apart, when she appeared beside my hospital bed after I had slipped on the ice and broken my arm. She put her life on hold for me, she didn’t go to college because she needed to pay the bills. She put me before her husband and he left her childless and alone again. I can’t remember when she came to stay with me, I probably insisted that she leave and that I was alright. Truth be told I’ve never been alright. I have always found people who I wanted to be my rock, that I could hang on to and be safe, but they all crumbled away to dust in my hands, all of them except her.

   From across the room there’s a knock on the door. I wonder if it’s Mr Jackson, it must be about time for my maths lesson. I need to tell my sister how I feel, before it’s too late. From now on I don’t want to be apart from her, I’ve taken her for granted and it’s my time to repay her.

   She gives my hand a squeeze and a tired smile appears across her face. She dabs the tissue to her eyes and then shuffles across the room to the front door. Two women dressed in white enter. They all turn to look at me and then begin whispering to each other. I try to get to my feet but my legs won’t seem to move?     ‘Hi Susie, you’re going to come with us to your new home,’ said the shorter of the two nurses with the uneven fringe.

    They all have the same pitying smiles on their faces and now the two women in white are grabbing me with their firm hands and raising me to my feet.     I turn to my sister and try to speak, I want to tell her how sorry I am for dragging her down, I want to tell her that everything will be alright from now on, I want to tell her I love her, but the words won’t join up properly and the only sound that escapes my mouth is a whining groan.

    ‘They will look after you now Susie. I tried, my God how I tried, but I can’t do it any more. You took the best of me. I’m sorry, Sister, but I need a few years on my own before it’s all over for me.’    My eyes start leaking again and the larger of the two women presses a tissue into my face. There is a dull ache in my chest and a lifetime of missed chances spin through my mind, I want to stop each one and remove it but they can’t be expunged at this point. I now know that this is completely of my own making, created by a lifetime of small betrayals, each one cutting and slicing at my sister, finally causing her to lose enough blood and kill our relationship entirely. I offer her one final smile and look at her for what I know will be the final time.


It’s a typical Monday night. 8 O’clock and I’m just waiting to go to sleep for work tomorrow. I’ve got Monday night football playing on the tube, and a tombstone pizza on my coffee table. It’s chilly outside, crisp air, and clear dark skies. A perfect night for Star gazing. *WOOF WOOF* My dog outside usually barks. Nothing to worry about. Probably just needs some food. I turn down the volume on the TV, grab my Calvin Klein jacket and walk outside. I hate going outside in the dark, on account of my schizophrenia. It just makes everything worse, and today is a particularly difficult day with the illness. Nevertheless, I go to the shed and get a can full of Ol’Roy dog food for my dog, Bear. Bear is laying still on the concrete driveway and doesn’t appear to be spooked. This gives me some reassurance that everything is okay. *You’re fucked* I shrug it off as just an annoying voice I’ve had in the past. I typically hear that kind of shit all the time. It’s usually some obnoxious semi-demonic voice that casually drops the word “fuck”. I pour the dog food into the bowl. Bear still lays still and doesn’t move, but his tail flicks. He begins to growl. I turn around and see nothing. Maybe he’s just growling at me, who knows. I finish pouring the food into the bowl and head to the shed to put the can up. On my way back to the shed I look up and I can see the sky so clearly. It’s beautiful. This is the part of rural Wisconsin I love. The beautiful night sky, with the crisp windy air. It takes any depression, anxiety or other mental illness away in a heartbeat. I’ve always been a believer in - SNAP. Something snaps in the dark. This raises my paranoia to the max. I keep going to the shed, and open the door. This time, I try to turn on the light, but it doesn’t work for some reason. I feel my way to the dog food, and drop the can in the bag. I turn around, and at that moment I hear a squeak. A squeak of a mouse, or maybe the door. I brush it off, and continue back to the house. I walk out of the shed, and look for bear. He’s no longer laying on the concrete. I call out to him “BEARRR!!” Bear comes running up, I greet him and pet him. As I look closer, I realize something is a bit off about bear. He’s walking normal, breathing normal, and feels normal. Yet, there’s something off. I get down on one knee to examine him closer. He has his eyes shut for some reason. I try to open his eyes, and to my shock, I see they are missing. There’s nothing in his eye sockets, just eyelids covering the two holes. I freeze. Bear moves his head up to me, as if he were looking directly at me. At this moment he opens his eye lids, so his empty eye sockets are staring directly at my own eyes. I scream, and fall back on my ass. Bear continues to just blankly stare at me. What the fuck is happening, I think. *FUCK FUCK FUCK* The voices go wild now. *It’s dead, it’s dying, oh fuck, oh shit, what the hell?* At that moment, Bear falls over. He vomits as he lays on his side. He stops breathing, and I scream. I scream as loud as I’ve ever screamed before. My best friend, my everything is dead. I don’t even know what happened to him, what got his eyes? As I scream, I realize Bear is twitching. His body is still alive, but I feel his soul has left. *You’re so fucked, you killed him. You dumbass, save him. SAVE HIM MORON.* I run inside my house. I grab the phone, but at that moment, everything goes dark. Even the moon. There is a figure in my hallway. It stands there and stares at me. As I look at it. My vision gets blurry. *Three days later…..* I wake up in a sweat. I’m laying on my floor. I try to open my eyes, but they just won’t. I take my hand and peel back my eyelid, and suddenly, I feel….. my sockets are empty.


“Okay, Wizz, do you want to tell them the surprise? Or shall I?” “You always have such a flair for the dramatic, Paul. You go right on ahead.” “Always such a gentleman. Folks, last time you heard us, we were testing out some magical new coffee drinks. Well, you won’t believe where we are this fine morning. After spending endless amounts of money––” “––none from our sponsors or our fans, of course––” “––and lots of last-minute planning––completely legal and ethical, of course––we managed to scrape up two rocket tickets to…hold your breaths… Pl ––” “–– Planet Astrid !” “You have got to be kidding me. You absolute dipshit.” “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.” “Bloody hell. Screw you.” “That’s right, folks! We’re touring the grand opening of Planet Astrid at the main port city, Golden Kingdom. We’re at the legendary farmer’s market to share with our listeners some of the extraterrestrial goodies you can be sure to find on your own visit!” “And let me just say––this shit is whack , ya’ll.” “Truly bizarre. Granted, I might be…um…” “Tripping balls, Wizz? I believe that’s the phrase you’re looking for, right?” “I may have just tried a few extraterrestrial mushrooms, yeah. That’s what Paul meant to say, folks. But he’s sober. So, ya know––we’re responsible. Sort of. Maybe. Yeah. Obviously.” “What were they called again?” “Mushrooms, I think?” “Wizz, you just said that. I meant, what were the mushrooms called? So our listeners know what to buy––er, what to avoid?” “Said what?” “Mushrooms, Wizz. Focus.” “What about them?” “Jesus, dipshit. You’re hangin’ on by a thread, aren’t ya?” “You know what’s weird, Paul? Mushrooms. It doesn’t make any sense. Think about it. Mush. Rooms. Are rooms mushy? Or is it for those sled dogs? Mush? Get it? Mush. Mush. What a weird fucking word, man. What does one do in mush rooms? Can you sleep in them? Are there windows? A bed?” “Mate, we’re live on the air. You gotta focus. For the fans, Wizz. For the fans.” “Haha. Hahahaha. Mush in the rooms. Rooms of mush. Mushrooms.” “Folks, I’m dreadfully sorry about this. I’m just going to get some water for Wizz here. There we are; right over here, buddy, just at this stall. That’s it. Here’s a cup––thanks, sir. Ladies and gents, a nice young man stationed at this very awesome beverage stall just offered us this here cup of water, which I’m now pouring straight down Wizz’s hatch until he swallows the last drop. That sounded dirtier than I intended, but ya’ll can pick up what I’m putting down. Yup. There it is. Better, pal? “Paul?” “Yeah?” “I don’t think that was water.” "Huh." "Hmm." "Yeah." "Yup." “ Dammit . Well, folks, this is just a travesty. I’ve been informed by that young asshole––er, gentleman––at the beverage stall that this bloody drink is actually a type of hallucinogenic liquid found in the hybrid swamp-desert regions of this planet. They call it…well, they call it Delirium. So, while this is very unfortunate for Wizz, this is absolutely hilarious for me.” “Delirium? So, you mean on top of tripping actual planetary balls I’m also gonna be hallucinating ? Are you fucking kidding me?” “Wizz, I’m truly sorry, my friend––” “That is fucking awesome !” “Huh. Well, folks, that’s certainly a different response than I expected. So, thus far, Wizz has tried some extraterrestrial mushrooms and some hallucinogenic liquid. This trip is proving to be…out of this world. Right? Right, Wizz? Get it?” “ Stop. That’s…that’s just so…so…funny…I’m crying, Paul…stop…” “Um, folks? Wizz is on the ground. Give ‘im a minute to catch his breath. And his life. He might actually die. You look a little purple there, bud––” “ What in the actual fresh hell is that ?” “Uh, folks, Wizz is now pointing maniacally at something behind me. Can’t see anything. Guess that’s the Delirium talking. This is going to be a very long day. Wizz, can you stop––people are staring at us, Wizz––” “Paul! It’s behind you ! Look––” “Wizz, buddy, you’re tripping. And hallucinating. Nothing’s there, man. I’m serious.” “Paul, get down! Get down ! You’re not gonna make it––” “Alright, folks, I’m now heading to a medical tent and dragging Wizz here behind me because he honestly doesn’t seem like he’s in the best shape. Ah. There’s one. Just a few more steps, buddy. There we go. Hello? Yes? My friend needs some…yeah. Whatever that is. I'm just going to pray that it's not something else that will fuck him up, but at this point, anything goes. Wizz, just take the goddamn fluids. Okay, folks. There he goes. Looks like an IV drip but at this point, who actually knows. He’s starting to…yup, he’s starting to come around––” “You know what feels like actual shit, Paul?” “What?” “Me. Me, Paul. I feel like actual horse shit.” “Well, you did take some alien shrooms and some alien plants. Sounds like that’ll do it to ya.” “Hey, folks, don’t worry––I’m alive. I think. Although I wouldn’t mind being dead after this goddamn headache. But after all of that, I just want to say: you gotta try this shit, ya’ll.” “Wizz, do you really think that’s the advice that we need to be giving to our listeners here?” “Kids gotta start young.” “Folks, please ignore Wizz; I think he’s still tripping.” “What’s next on the list? We’ve gotta try out some other stalls, Paul.” “Um. No.” “Come on, buddy. Let’s go.” “Wizz, with your luck––and mine, honestly––whatever we find at the next stall will literally kill you.” “That cut deep. And yet, I still can’t blame you. Come on; let’s go!” “Buddy, you’re still hooked up––oh, geez, I’m sorry ma’am, my friend is not––Wizz, sit back down––folks, looks like he’s fully out of the medical tent now against medical advice, which kind of seems like a legal problem that I should look into, but I just don’t really care––” “Paul! Over here! Looks like I found some pills that do something!" "Goddammit. Folks, looks like I'll be signing out early. Wizz just swallowed some alien pills and is now trying to eat his own hands. Until next time."


Once there were 3 children Josh, Amy, and Martin. Their parents were on vacation in Philadelphia so they were living with their grandparents for quite a while. Grandpa would typically just lay on the couch, scratch his big belly and fall asleep. While, on the oth´t́ hand, Grandma would walk around the house and give out her freshly baked cookies to the neighbors, and water the plants in the house. One day when Grandma was about to go for a walk she saw it was snowing. Grandma was not able to walk in the snow so she called Josh, Amy, and Martin to help build a pathway around the house so, she could walk. Then she went inside to water her plants while the kids shoveled the snow. The next day while grandpa was snoring and honking in his sleep the three kids all tiptoed outside while granny was watching T.V. and ran away! The next day missing posters were spreading like wildfire around the city! Then a police officer said, “Three kids are missing please help find–” just then and banana hit him on the head and he went blurting out crazy things. But did you think granny was going to give up NO! Granny was still on the search for Amy, Josh, and Martin. She went door to door banging at people’s doors and holding them by the collar yelling “HAVE YOU SEEN MY THREE GRANDCHILDREN!!”But sadly no one knew. One day when grandma went for a walk outside in a nearby alley she saw a donkey and a horse talking about something she crept over to listen to what they were talking aboút what she heard next was breathtaking “What do you think we should do with the three children” said the horse “Let them go?” said the donkey“No you idiot why would we capture them in the first place ?” said the horse“You wanna know what was the biggest mistake of my life? HIRING YOU TO JOIN MY GANG!” said the horse that's when the grandma realized that the horse and the donkey had taken Amy, Josh, and Martin. But she had to be sure about it. So she kept on listening “Can you remind me what the three children were?, I forgot?” said the donkey“Ugh! Now you're forgetful on top of being an idiot” said the horse “Uhhhhh yeah” said the donkey “Listen the three children are one girl and two boys” Now this made grandma sure that the horse and the donkey had taken Amy, Josh, and Martin. She wanted to confront them but she knew that if she wanted to get her three grandchildren back she had to be smart. So she walked over to them and said“Have you two seen my three grandchildren? ”The donkey and the horse looked at each other and then the donkey said “Yes, your grand-” just then the horse covered the donkey's mouth with its hoove and said“No maḿ we have not seen your grandchildren” But the donkey said that he knew about my grandchildren,” said the grandma “Uhhhhhhhh............................ma'am I think itś because you have uh um a hearing problem uh yeah a hearing problem because the donkey said uhh nothing yeah he...... he was just ..........................................................uh.........lip-syncing,” said the horse“Yup I was lip-syncing,” said the donkey nudging the horse.“You can go along now there's nothing to see here ” That's when grandma felt even more determined to stand up and find her grandchildren. So she said“Your right it is probably my hearing problem but how did you know that I had a hearing problem?” Because................................all grandmas have hearing problems?” said the horse “So uh we have something to do remember horse,” said the donkey “Um yeah we do um bye!” said the horse and with that, they both ran out of there. And from that day grandma raised her suspicion and started sending police officers to every home in the town. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months but still after long days of investigation no hope. So she had no choice but to call the super-hero of the town.......SUPERNOVA! Grandma went inside took down a painting and said“SUPERNOVA, SUPERNOVA, SUPERNOVA!!!!!”And like that Supernva the centar appeared in front of grandma “Supernova my dear my three grandchildrn have gone missing for months and their parents will be coming in a week but I have no idea where they are ” said grandma “Itś ok grandma I will find them for you now tell me do you have any suspects?”said Supernova.“As a matter of a fact I do but this might sound silly its a doney and a horse ”said grandma“You mean the Animals illistration gang yeah they dress up as animals and capture kids many kids have gone missing and never seen again”said supernova“No,NO,No no no I can not lose my three granchildren please supernova do something I will give you whatever you need ”said grandma “Dont worry over the past year I have being doing some anylis on the Animals illitration gangs weakness and turns out its lemon mixed with frosting all you need to do is just disguise the frosting by putting it on your famous cookies”said supernova“Well I think I can do that thank you supernova.”said grandma and like supernova vanished, and grandma ran to the kitchen and started making the cookies and adding the frosting with lemon on. The next day she went to the same alley where she saw them before and just like that the horse and the donkey were over there She walked up to them and said “I am sorry about the other day so I decided to bake you some of my faomus cookies wih extra icing on as an apolizy ”The horse and the donkey looked at each other then the cookies and then started gobbling them up after two minutes both the horse the the donkeyś eyes glowed and said the three children are in the basement of the coordinates in 178.73600.“Thats 10 minutes away”said grandma so she took a cab and rushed to the place and when she got there she ran to the basemant the lights were so she went to switch the light on.......................................“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA,HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!!”sang everyone and there grandma saw Amy , Josh, and Martin and their parents with disguies on as a horse and a donkey and even supernova.“Ahhh this all makes sense now you all faked this whole scene just to wish me a happy brithday you guys are so sweet”said grandma and with that everybody got into a tight hug. Oh, and as well for the police officer he was still running around town yelling crazy things.


COVID-19 was just the beginning. By the end of 2030, 15 new viruses had ravaged the world and killed off almost half the world’s population. Since the early ‘20s, no one has been able to leave their state or country; all air and boat traffic was suspended. Traveling to another area became illegal. There were still those who did it, of course. The viruses still managed to spread. Americans had it the worst. Of their population of over 300 million in the early ‘20s, less than 50 million were left by 2030. Some residents tried to illegally immigrate to Mexico or Canada, and boarded ships illegally crossed the ocean. This is how this last virus started.

Back in 2029, a new virus appeared in North America. It started in North Carolina when a cat infected its owner. This virus was a strain of rabies that had combined with a parasite that attacked the brain. The result was a pale, lethargic state with an overwhelming desire to bite others. The parasite reproduced quickly and spread its eggs via the infected wounds caused by the bites. The owner decided to have the cat put down and called Animal Control to pick the cat up. The cat bit 5 others in the attempt to be caged. At that time, no one suspected rabies due to the cat’s lethargy. However, one of the Animal Control employees had recently had a rabies vaccine (due to issues with another animal) and treated his infection with some strong antibiotic ointment. The two in combination seemed to save him (for the time being). Fifteen months later, the WHO was able to track him down and transmit their findings of a possible vaccine...before the employee and entire WHO team were killed via a zombie attack.

Zombies - as they have thusly been named - are not naturally cannibalistic, they are omnivores just as we are, but a lot of food sources have dried up. Zombies don’t work, see, and therefore there are now twice as many mouths to feed and half the workers. After reports of zombies started popping up all over the US, farmers began to cordon off their fields with electric fences. Mayors began to build walls. NYC blew up their bridges and screened people heavily before allowing them through via ferry. So the zombies ran out of readily available food. First, they turned to the livestock and wild animals. Then, they turned to the people.

There are barely any safe places left.

At the time of the first cases, I was living in a small town in the middle of Pennsylvania. Living in the middle of nowhere has its benefits. For one, about half of the viruses that had destroyed the world never reached our small town until after the vaccines had been developed. For another, the new “zombie” pandemic seemed very unreal and hard to believe at first.

Reports reached us that major cities in North Carolina had been lost to zombies. The National Guard had tried to control the situation, but entire units were lost. Virginia spent its entire yearly budget on building electric fencing on its border. The border between it and North Carolina was secure, but it failed to secure all the fencing needed to protect itself along the Appalachian mountains. Zombies made their way (very slowly) across the mountains into Virginia. The President decided to bomb the majorly affected cities, but it wasn’t enough to stop the flood of zombies, especially because it would take days for new patients to turn.

With the failure of the bombs, my friends and I decided to leave. I suggested moving to my Grandpa’s old farm: it was large, had food sources (corn, gardens, chickens, pigs, and cows), and had a water source. Plus he had old electric fences that were no longer running but could be rigged to work again. We packed necessities and left the next day.

The farm was being run by my Grandpa’s current tenants. But when we got there, the tenants were nowhere to be found. “Oh, they left days ago, heading for Canada,” Grandpa told us. A lot of people had been leaving for Canada lately.

The first thing we did was feed and water the animals. One of my friends and his brother were comfortable with animals as were my sister and I, but my other friends knew nothing about how to care for animals. My friend Tom, his brother Dan, my sister Jess, and I each took one friend along to show them what to do. Then we inspected their enclosures for any breakages or weak points.

We each contributed to the farm in our own ways. Megan B took up veterinary medicine. Jess learned animal husbandry. Marty and Dan learned how to set up the electric fences and got them working. Tom set up traps outside and inside the fences, for game and for larger creatures. Alek set up an internet system and called people to set up backup systems if our main one failed. He also ordered laptops and phones for each one of us. Stef was in charge of drawing a map of the farm and developing a plan (and several backup plans) should things go awry. I learned the ins and outs of gardening, cooking, and canning for the future. Grandpa helped where he could, but his health made it difficult to do much. Still we were grateful for his expertise.

Our biggest problem with our plan was the cats. Grandpa had a ton of barn cats living in and around the barn, free to come and go as they pleased. Within two weeks, 5 of them came back as zombie cats. Megan B and Dan put down any who were bitten and managed to catch the zombie cats. Megan B decided to keep one in a cage to watch and document what happened as the illness progressed. Of the over 20 cats left, I decided to adopt a few and put the rest in the tenant house for safety. Megan B managed to spay and neuter over half of them.

But the cats weren’t the only things that made it through the fence. One day, we discovered 5 deer had jumped the fence and made it into one of our corn fields. We managed to herd them into a smaller barn we had decided to reserve for sick animals. We watched them carefully for any symptoms. On the 3rd day, Dan noticed one of the deer acting slow. He went into their enclosure to inspect further. The other 4 deer scittered back into the barn, but this one allowed Dan to approach. Too late, Dan saw the festering bite mark on the deer’s left flank.

Before he made it two steps, the deer had bitten Dan hard on his left arm. Dan screamed with frustration and pain, throwing his arms up in the air. The deer tried to bite him again. Shots rang out from behind Dan. He quickly ducked and covered his head. The deer dropped to the ground, twitching a little, then lay still. It had been hit in the head. Tom was standing on the other side of the fence with a gun aimed at the deer. He slowly put the gun down and asked Dan,

“Did it get ya?” Tom made as though he was going to hop over the fence, but Dan held up his hands to stop his brother from approaching.

“Don’t come any closer, Tom,” Dan said in a restricted voice. “I’ve been bit.” He let out an almighty sigh. “Go tell the others.” Tom went inside the house and told Grandpa, Jess, Megan B, and I what had happened. He collapsed in a chair; Jess tried to comfort him. Megan B and I went around the farm to tell the others. I let Megan B find most of the others, though. Instead, I went to the buildings behind the tenant house that now held the cats.

My Grandpa’s farm was a very old farm built before electricity. Back then, the tenants did the majority of the work. They even had three extra buildings in the back. One was being used as a storage shed. The other two were a spring house and a summer kitchen. The spring house’s main floor was empty and would possibly be a good place to house Danny for the time being, but there was a giant pool of water the bubbled from the spring in the basement. And though there was little I knew about rabies, I did know that it caused an irrational fear of water. The summer kitchen had an old stove in it, but that could easily be removed. The only problem was the basement level (that I was honestly too scared to check out). Maybe we could cordon it off somehow? When I got back to the house, they were already discussing the matter. Marty and Stef had suggested the practical, but hard suggestion of just shooting Danny now. Tom walked out of the room and couldn’t handle it. Megan B suggested that we use antibiotic cream to treat the wound and see what happened. Jess suggested putting him in the basement in Grandma‘s old painting room. That’s when I suggested the summer kitchen. I took the other people out to look at the building, while Megan B went to put antibiotic cream on the wound. We decided the best place for Danny was the summer kitchen. Then, Alek had a great suggestion about putting an electric fence around the summer kitchen. Jess went to break the news to Tom.

At this point, we had no idea how soon the virus presented itself, just that it was like rabies. We gave Danny things to do, books to read, and machines to work on in the kitchen. We also moved a twin-sized bed, a comfy chair, and a small table and chair in there. Alek set up a two-way video feed running to the house. Megan B and Grandpa were set the tasks of watching him for any changes. While we waited for the worst to happen, Alek discovered a way to set up a remote control electric fence. We set one up inside the door of the summer kitchen so that we could bring food to Danny without risking ourselves. The change happened on the fourth day after he had been bitten. He complained early in the day about a headache and fatigue, so he took a nap. Upon awakening, he just sat on his bed for hours at a time. The only times he showed any signs of life were when people would bring him food. Dan would rush towards the person, mouth open, then yelp with pain as he encountered the electric fence and back away. He would do this over and over again until the person left. Then he would attack the food, eating it without his hands and with food going everywhere. Eventually, we decided to get a feeding trough like the ones we used for the pigs and a shatterproof glass feeder for water. About a year later For those who still keep track of time My friends and I have really settled into this communal farm living. We share almost everything, except for size-specific clothes and partners. Everyone has paired up with someone. Megan B and Marty were the first to start “dating”. With no priests or officials to marry someone, we decided as a group that whoever you were sleeping with was your husband or wife. Jess, Tom, and Stef went off to do their own things. I believe Jess just chose whomever she wanted, and Tom and Stef were ok with that. Alek and I appreciated solitude more than the others. We decided to move into the “cat house” and claim it as our own. We still helped out the others as much as before, but now we had a little place to simply be alone. Megan B, Jess, and Stef had thought enough ahead to bring birth control pills and condoms. But Alek and I wanted none of that.

I am now about 3 months pregnant (or so estimated by an OBGYN we were able to video-chat with in California). Yes, we worry about the baby: how it will grow, how we will be able to feed and care for it, and how to frankly get diapers! Megan B has at least helped birth several calves, piglets, and kittens now, so maybe the actual birthing won’t be so bad?

We have heard worrying reports on what few news stations are left about a hoard of zombies ravaging the middle of Pennsylvania. We have taken to sleeping in shifts and have packed the four vehicles we have full of provisions and necessities. We have also taken turns going on raids of neighboring farms for feed and any trailers we can find. Thus far, we’ve managed to find three. We keep animals in the three trailers on a rotating shift so that no animal spends more than 3 hours in the trailer. We created a driving schedule and plotted routes to Canada in case of the need to escape. We chose meeting points in abandoned areas in case of separation.

Danny is much the same. He still only eats, sleeps, and tries to attack whomever entered the room. Megan B has tried putting a few basic meds in his food to see if he would act the same. Nothing has helped.

“Ugh,” I sigh as I sink into a comfy chair. “I really don’t want to deal with Danny’s food today. Just the smell of that room makes me nauseous.”

“What doesn’t make you nauseous?” says Alek in a joking voice. “Don’t worry, Megan, I’ll handle it.” I had fallen asleep when Alek burst suddenly into the room. “Megan, come quick! Something’s happened to Danny!” I run as fast as I can to the summer kitchen (though I have to stop and vomit after just a few paces outside). Danny is nowhere to be seen. Then I hear some yelps coming from the basement...the basement we had never cordoned off. I freeze. I do NOT want to go down into that basement. Alek grabs my hand to help me towards the stairs, but I do not budge. Alek sighs, and says, “Call the others.” He turns the flashlight on from his phone and carefully peeks down the stairs. I call the gang. Even Grandpa manages to come. Tom and Marty bring a rope. Alek manages to scare whatever is living down there away from Danny, and Tom lassoes Danny. Together, the men, Jess, and I manage to pull Danny up. Megan B prepares her med kit. Grandpa shouts encouragement from the doorway. They bring up a dead Danny.

Or at least, that’s what he looks like. Jess and Stef place him on the bed while Megan B gives him a shot of antibiotics. Megan B says to hope for the best; there’s no broken bones, but it looks like he’s been bitten by a snake. He lays unconscious on the bed for two days.

The 3rd day of Danny’s unconsciousness starts with a rude awakening by Tom and Marty. “Our large perimeter traps have gone off. They’re coming.” I rush around, getting the loaves of freshly baked bread and the baby clothes I had been knitting. Alek picks up the cages with a few of our cats inside and takes the fencing remotes with him. We leave the door open so that maybe some of the other cats would have a chance to survive. Stef and Tom rush around to open the animal enclosures. Megan B and Marty are hurriedly picking some fresh fruit and veggies from the garden. Jess is arguing with Grandpa.

“What do you mean you’re not coming?” Jess yells.

“I’m too old,” Grandpa replies. “I don’t want to slow you down.” “Grandpa,” I butt in. “I need you.” I look down and pat my belly. “And more importantly, my child needs you.” Jess glares at me in shock. Alek and I hadn’t told anyone besides Megan B yet. Life was too uncertain to be proud of bringing a child into the world. Grandpa slowly nods and agrees to get in the car. I rush inside the house to get Grandpa’s medicine and a picture of Grandma. Stef and Tom and Marty and Megan B have already started to leave. I’m heading out when I hear a loud, “Wait!” I look around confused, thinking maybe Grandpa left the TV on, when I notice Danny looking right at me from the two-way video feed! “Danny?” I ask, confused. We hadn’t heard a single word from Danny since he had gone zombie. “Don’t leave without me!” I dash out through the garage without stopping, putting the things down on top of Jess’s car as I run past. I wave my arms and yell, “Come back! Turn around! It’s Danny!” Tom makes a vicious u-turn that almost hits Marty and Megan B’s car and speeds towards the back part of the farm, where the summer kitchen is. Marty and Megan B turn around and head in the same direction. I run to catch up to them. Alek starts to run but turns around. He goes back to the car, and, next thing I know, he’s running next to me with an empty cage. I look at him questioningly. “I’m going to get that snake.” “Why?” I ask. “It’s not like it’s…” I trail off. “...the cure,” he finishes. When we get there, Tom is giving Dan a big hug while Stef is urging them to get in the car. Marty comes out of the shed with a long pointed stick, and Megan B tests a flashlight. “Ready to go save the world?” Alek asks. Marty and Megan B open the door in answer.

Minutes later, we all speed away, heading towards Canada with the cure in our backseat.


Leonard Field watched the blurry white dot high above, longing to pull himself out of the muck at the bottom of the swamp. He was halfway submerged beneath the mud, and the rest of his body too was dark now. He clenched his right hand around a chain that happened to be splayed out across the swamp bottom, the individual links digging into his now-rugged flesh. “I can breathe out there,” he said. “Nothing is keeping me down here.” He could speak underwater, and when he did, no rush of bubbles emitted from his mouth. He did not breathe air in the way he used to. Technically, he didn’t breathe at all. He didn’t have to. He felt fleshy tendrils around his shoulders gently press against his body; the armored tubes that pierced his chest expanded, and fell. “We can breathe here,” said the voice on his back. “As long as we need to.” Leonard allowed himself to sink an inch more into the mud, his eyes still staring upwards. The white blur shifted and twinkled, and the fear he felt that it might go away constricted his heart. “I have to go up there,” he said. “I can’t stay here forever.” The voice on his back hummed contemplatively, the vibrations providing his body a warm and gentle massage. “We must agree together,” it said. “Wherever we go.” Leonard did not reply. The mud covered his mouth. He pushed himself deeper into the dank sludge, brushing against the chain as he did so. He heard the click of metal. He was beneath the floor of the swamp. Unable to move. Waiting. They slipped across the bottom of the swamp, exploring. The voice on his back was moving its body as they went. Leonard could feel it probing, snapping up weeds and small fish, crunching up crustaceans. They never rose far from the floor of the swamp, always staying close to the mud, where they could easily escape danger any moment. Though the mud floor seemed like nothing but slime and sludge from above, there was a home underneath of tunnels and chambers that could easily be accessed by slipping through the filmy, gooey silt and ooze that was the floor and was the ceiling. Leonard paddled languidly while pulling himself along with his hands, dislodging plants, chasing out animals so the thing on his back could catch them and eat them. “You should eat, too,” it said. “Your body can eat them now.” Though Leonard looked down at the floor of the swamp, his mind was above. He remembered cooked foods. Steak. Hamburgers. Even skewers of fish roasted over a fire. A wriggling swamp worm was not food. It was a horror show. “Are they still there?” he asked. “We share much now,” the voice said. “When I eat, you take nutrients, but… If you don’t eat and use your own body, you become weaker. It’s bad for us both.” “It’s bad for us if I don’t see her,” he said. “It makes me weak not to see her.” “You want to mate,” it said. “It’s a good thing, to reproduce. But the timing isn’t right.” “I want to live,” Leonard said, and he turned his body around so that his face was towards the sky. The white blur was still there, not far away. Still moving in the waves. Still calling to him. Despite being underwater, his mouth felt suddenly dry. “Watch out!” The voice spoke too late. Leonard’s head collided with a large rock. He curled up in a ball, clutching at the back of his head. When he opened his eyes again, he saw strings of red rising around his line of sight. “It’s not serious, I think,” said the voice. “I can take a look. I can lick it and make the wound clean.” “No, no,” Leonard protested. “I’ll check it myself.” He touched the wound, flinched. It stung. “Oh, no one saved this one either,” said the voice. Leonard felt his heart drop, and he began to uncurl himself to get a better look. The rock was actually concrete, round, heavy, sunk in the mud. Above it was another chain, still mostly clean with relatively little in the way of accretions of swamp muck in the links. The chain floated upwards, and attached at the end of the chain was a man, naked, and very much dead. But his body was still buoyant enough to keep him from settling down to the ocean floor just yet. Leonard stared at his corpse, the series of bubbles still stringing up faintly from the deathly dumb face of the poor sucker. “We can eat him,” said the voice. “He is still fresh, and the flesh will be good for you. Familiar flesh for your body.” The man did look familiar. Leonard had not known the man well, but he had been a crewmember on the ship. John or Dilton or something, it didn’t matter anymore. Something was happening up on that ship. Crewmembers were dying, and they were burying them in the swamp, where their bodies could become a part of the ecosystem again—a cold and scientific way to deal with the dead, but one he approved of. It was the right thing to do. But still, why were they dying? Would his friends okay? And what about her? “I have to see why these men are dying,” Leonard said. “I can’t stay down here forever.” “That which floats on the surface is large and dangerous,” said the voice. “It swallows many lives. Even before you fell to this world, that which floats took many lives from below. This voice does not trust it.” Leonard was quiet for a time. “That’s where I came from,” he said. “They are waiting for me to return.” “Are they?” asked the voice in a strange monotone. Leonard continued to pull himself along the bottom of the swampland, and a slow prickling annoyance arose and seemed to prance upon his temples. Of course they were waiting for him. Of course she was waiting for him. Several days later he caught sight of her. When the voice on his back was asleep, Leonard crept out onto a small island far from the ship. It was barely an island so much as it was just a swath of thick mud and reeds that could only just bear his weight, and even then his limbs were deep in the muck. Though he was far from the boat, he knew a way to peer long distances with clarity, as if looking through a pair of binoculars. It was a trick the voice had taught him after they had become one. Leonard’s body had changed in some ways after the voice had fused with his back. His hair had thinned, and webs had grown between fingers and toes. The voice had shown him that he could touch fingers to thumb in a certain way, and then, after running his hand through the water, pick up bubbles that, if he shifted his fingers just right, would form into makeshift lenses in his hand—lenses through which he could peer and see farther away. Of course peering through a bubble caused some distortion and warping of the image, and if there were impurities in the bubble—refuse from the swamp water—they could disrupt his vision. It took him several tries that morning on the mud island, hiding behind the reeds, before he could get the bubbles shaped just right in his hand, and clean and clear enough to look through. She was walking on the deck. Long, dark hair framed her perfect, moon-shaped face, now distorted through the bubbles. She was wearing a white one-piece swimming suit that hugged her curves, delineating her body. His mouth watered as he stared at her breasts, her hips. Even through the bubbles in his hand, she was gorgeous. He remembered the first time he had been close to her, smelling a warm scent of jasmine. When they had held hands, the flesh of her fingers so soft in his rough laborer’s hands, the way she would hook her hand through his and kiss him fiercely on the lips, how they would… On the boat, she raised her hand to her mouth, a small red dot winked on, then she flicked something into the water below. A cigarette—no doubt one of the new “safe” ones with none of the dangers and a healthy hit of vitamin C, but still… littering here? That was against regulations. He would have to chastise her lightly when he… The thing with the voice on his back seemed to hum, a feeling like a light vibration playing against his spine. It was waking up. It wouldn’t want him on the surface of the water. It definitely wouldn’t want him spying like this. He didn’t want a fight over what his body did or where his body went. He clenched his teeth and backed away into the water, letting the colorful and translucent water cress close over his head. The voice didn’t say anything about the island visit until they were in the tunnels later that day. The tunnels stretched in every direction underneath the swamp. They were not just the living quarters that Leonard and the thing on his back called home, but other scampering creatures lived there, too. Leonard was always careful stepping through the tunnels because he didn’t know when one of the clawed, sinuous lyre worms would ping like a struck note and lunge out of the puddles to latch on to his heel. “It is good to walk carefully above too,” the voice said. “I was careful,” Leonard replied. “I wasn’t even walking. I was low. I got down into the water when you started waking up.” He had hoped the voice hadn’t noticed that he had been out. Maybe the thing had awoken earlier before the hum. He clenched his fists, the webbing between his fingers crinkling uncomfortably. “Better to stay in the tunnels,” said the voice. “You can’t find anything of value on the mud banks.” “She is my girlfriend!” snapped Leonard. “She cares about me, and you’re keeping me from her! What do you expect me to do, wait underwater until my dick falls off?” The thing on his back seemed to tense against his shoulders, and it let out a thin stream of warm water that ran down the small of his back. He used to think the creature was urinating on him, but apparently it thought it was calming him down with a “gift” of warm and comforting liquid. Yeah, right. “If we leave this swamp, we can find other options,” said the voice. Leonard, felt his eyes flash with fire, and he nearly choked with rage. “I am a human being!” he yelled. “And I want to love a human being!” The thing on his back seemed to consider this. Leonard waited, expecting another warm trickle of not-urine to snake its way down his thighs. It didn’t come. “Are you sure who she is?” the thing said. “I’m in love with her,” Leonard said, feeling an overwhelming longing. “I want her.” The thing hummed and held him, and he took a deep breath, crouching in the dark in the tunnel. “I will catch a twinkling eel tonight,” said the voice. “It has a pleasing poison inside, it will make you feel good.” No, thought Leonard. Nothing would make him feel good enough as long as he was under the swamp, stuck in these tunnels, away from his real life, away from everything that he was supposed to be. The twinkling eel—a long and sinuous blue creature with dozens of sparkling appendages that snap and writhe as it swims—was delicious in its way. Leonard did not eat it, of course. However, even still, after the voice, the thing on his back, consumed it, Leonard felt the effects of the toxins in the eel’s body entering his own bloodstream. They filled him, fingertip to fingertip, toes to scalp, with a sense of kinetic energy and a rush of euphoria. Like jagged waves of energy, he felt his nerves jangle and swim across his skin. It felt as if the allure of the toxin reached into his farthest depths, into his deepest desires. And he saw her. Salinda Powers. Her flashing smile, her curving waist, her flowing hair. Every word like steam from her lips, beckoning him. Every movement lithe and smooth and seductive, like the most delectable dream. The voice was silenced on his back. Whatever effects the toxins may have had on Leonard, their force must have been multiplied several times over on the creature as it was the one who consumed the eel directly. Thinking that the voice could not resist any longer, Leonard stumbled through the tunnels, treading over lyre worms and clicker crabs, and pushed out of the muddy bottom of the swamp, out into the water, and up, up, the excitement inside him building, eyes wide, staring at the blur of white above as it grew larger and larger. He felt the power inside, felt invincible, felt a lust he could not contain. His webbed hands grasped the chain leading off the side of the ship. The cold metal sent a shock of pleasure through him, almost as if he was caressing her arm. Hand over hand he climbed, his breathing ragged, the thing on his back like a dead weight. He clawed his way onto the boat, gasping, eyes on fire, teeth bared in desire, and pushed himself to his feet. “Salinda,” he croaked. He saw her, pointing at him. He tried to smile. And the men came. They had sticks of electricity. He could not look at them, but only at Salinda, even as the electricity touched his flesh and sent his screams spearing into the sky. When Leonard awoke, something was missing, and something else was there. In his state of mind, it took him some time to figure out which was which, despite the gaping psychological absence that should have been there. He tried to feel of his face, but found that he was bound, and when he tried to turn his head, he found himself encased in wires and tubes at every quarter. Clacking footsteps rang out, and when Leonard looked up, he saw Salinda, wearing white. As she came more clearly into view, he saw she was wearing a long white coat over a professional gray top and ironed raven-black pants. Her mouth was open in excitement, and he tried to speak, but heard a strange rasping sound instead. “Shhh,” Salinda said. “You’ve gone through a lot. Your throat sustained a lot of damage I’m afraid.” She sounded gentle, and Leonard wanted to lean into the comfort of his voice, but he saw in her eyes a jet professionalism mixed with a frightening excitement that pulled at the corners of her mouth and gave a taut character to the skin around her eyes. “Salinda,” he managed, hearing his voice finally in that awful rasping. “You remember me,” she said, and allowed the excitement to pull her face into a savage smile. “I thought you might.” Leonard imagined those days before, in the spaceship, holding Salinda close, his hand upon her cheek, her hand upon his side. Feeling his hands now as he clawed at the bedsheets, he only found rough scales, the webs between his digits stiffer now, even more uncomfortable. “I love you,” he said. The savage smile softened a bit, and she pressed her lips together in a sympathetic grin. “That might have been the difference,” she said. “That might have been what finally brought one of you back.” He stared at her, desperately, willing the restraints to go away, aching to reach out for her. “You deserve an explanation,” she said, taking notes from the monitors connected to his flesh. “We wanted the parasite. But the parasites are smart. Smart, but, I don’t know, good-hearted? Some of the other scientists are already calling them the Samaritan suckers. They suck onto you, you know—and they are a sucker for someone who is dying underwater.” Leonard almost choked. “Some people did die,” Salinda said. “The suckers don’t always rescue everyone. They bond with land-dwellers so that they, too, can become ambulatory on land. But they also seem to want to save people, and prefer to bond with sentient lifeforms. We don’t really know why yet, but we are trying to figure it out.” Leonard thought back to the many times it had warned him, how it tried to help him. “Turns out we got real lucky,” she said, patting Leonard on the upper arm. “Not only did one of the suckers go for the bait finally, it just happened to be a bait that I had had a fling with for fun. At the time I never dreamed that would matter. Just a nice pastime, you know, and you weren’t so ugly, and I knew you wouldn’t stay around forever. We just tied you to a rock, like we deal with corpses anyway. We thought the chains would hold you, and then we would have the sucker, too, captured as it tried to bond with you. But it managed to get you loose.” Leonard felt fireworks in his mind, broken shards of darkness and light. “Where is he?” he hissed. “Oh,” said Salinda, frowning a little. “Unfortunately the sucker didn’t survive. Thought it would be hardier than that. But we can still learn a lot from its remains. We are dissecting it now.” The smile appeared again on Salinda’s face, the same kind of taut excitement returning, pulling open her cheeks so that they revealed teeth that nearly snarled, flashing in the harsh light. She put her hand on his, her flesh soft, her fingers hooking around his scales. “We will learn a lot from you, too.”


He and I. Me and him... It was an energy that built over the course of a year. We flirted, we spoke. It wasn't that kind of shallow conversation that normal people have. Afterall, I don't really know how to have those. Maybe I mistook that he met me on my level. Maybe I wanted to believe he admired me as I did him. Maybe it was the worst end of a date that never happened. He was tall, and possibly handsome. It's strange with tall men. Sometimes people perceive them as good looking just because their eyes are drawn to the highest person in the room, but they aren't always so. I have met many people who say a man is attractive to them, and it really is just because he is tall. I admit: height does add a certain charisma, but I always try to see past a person's born attributes, to who they really are. I don't want to be blindsided by someone who knows they are attractive and uses that to get what they want. Right: this is a story about a first date I will never forget. And every first date, that I will never forget. Because. It was horrible. It started with me seeing someone and remembering him.  I see so many faces all the time of people I may or may not ever see again, that I could see the same face five times and still not remember seeing it before. If I remember a face,  then I know it must be special. A face, a dream, a possibility. I project onto him the fantasy of what could be, and a dance begins. He is smart (enough) to beguile me and I am willing to be beguiled. We have drinks (after all we are adults). We are adults who can accidentally meet for a drink (because we go to the same place at the same time) and during the conversation we realize each of us are hungry, and so we decide to go to dinner. We eat together separately,  drink some more,  pay separately,  and say goodnight. We decide not to sleep together. We are adults. We are adults who drink and enjoy each other's intelligence and conversation, and depth, and say things like "you know how much I admire you, even though I have never told you" and "I like you but I will never say it". So one day, after a year of these accidental meetings and deep forays into whether or not there is an afterlife, or the earth is flat, or death is real, or we are actually in hell and he's the devil,  which is really just a fallen angel (I argue) and I'm a psychic, or just super observant (he argues), he says "let's go home". And I think  "              ". "Yes", I say. We go. In the morning, he says, "Come back to bed. I'm leaving in two weeks. I have the next two days off. Come back to bed" I say, "oh" and put my shirt on. I leave his home for mine.  I can't spend two days falling in love with someone that's leaving.  I don't want to, that's not what I want.  I don't know any other way to react, than to withdraw, to make myself scarce again, so that's what I do.  I leave. That was the worst date I never had. It was a non starter.


Looking at the fascinating starts a teenager girl Finding her parents who had past away 2 years ago because of a curse,but she doesn't know anything about that curse and she doesn't know how her mom and dad died and how she came to the hostel , suddenly she realized a strange voice coming from outside . It was 2 am at night everyone was in there dreams. She decided not to go outside and she begin to look at the star, after sometime she notice that there is a card lying on her bed with a beam of light .when she pick that card , she found a word written on it' maktub ' which means 'it is written '. The girl was roaming around and reach and abandon place, abruptly she saw a handful of teenager boys beating a boy, by seeing the boys face she realized that the boy was scared to the death. The girl was thinking what she can do as she too scared of those boys and she get an idea she unlocked her shinny, long hair and divide her hair in two sections and pulls it in front of her face and started laughing like a witch and said " haha ,I got so many peoples to eat yummy I can do a party, haha " and by listening it the boys get scared all boys ran away except the one who got left and right from those boys. They both got settled down near the bench . Thank you the boy said and started laughing . The girl with a demented look started staring the boy and by looking at the boy she couldn't control herself and started laughing too..... Later the boy ask" what's your name? " the girl replied" Dada " the boy said "Macin my name ,where do you live? " the girl replied "in a hostel , why didn't you ran away by seeing at me like other boys? " the boy replied " because, witch doesn't bleed ".the boy removed a bandage from his bag and apply it to her leg. The girl said "your pretty must smart, but coward more " . and there chit -chat goes on, like this way they started meeting each other. One day they decided to meet near the seashore the girl was waiting for the boy and the girl was walking inside the beach suddenl a huge wave came and the girl drifted inside the water the Dada doesn't know how to swim,macin saw Dada he ran and get inside the water and tried his fullest to help her, when they came outside the water Macin started shivering Dada asked him why are you shivering as , it's summer season? Macin narrated her the story of his life that when he was 8 years old he and his parents where going for picnic and suddenly his dad got distract from the road and they break the bridge and directly get into the river and from then Macin was scared from swimming inside the water . Dada asked "then why did you drive inside the water ?" Macin said "I'm scared you loosing more than swimming in water ",and they get attracted with each other and the day come when the boy proposed the girl with a beautiful diamond ring at night in front of the shooting star . They fixed the day for there marriage. Everything was going according to the plan. The day of their marriage the girl was wearing a beautiful white gown with a trail . The boy with light blue coat, they were looking like they got there soul mate. The second they declared married the boy faint there was a death silence suddenly everything get it freeze except Dada a dark glow appear and a lady with a black candle in her hand said 'Dada, I'm taking ur husband with me ' . Dada with a flutter of confusion and anger said 'No, who are u ' . The lady hold Dada's hand. Dada saw a place looking like a kingdom the king was sitting on his seat to people where on there knees and crying they were lovers ,suddenly the king said 'take the boy and hang him ' the soldiers followed the order and the lovers got sperated the girl with tears in her eyes turned into anger and she said ' the king who had sperated my love will also get sperated with her love and not only him but everyone one belonging to his family will get sperate .' and it get over. Dada asked th lady "what's the relationship between the king and me? " . The lady said ' you too belong to that family, I have taken the life of your mom and dad and I'm going to take the life of your husband because it is written "Maktub " ' .Dada said ' what's my mistake? ". The lady said ' the same question I asked to the king he said he had some personal grudges with my family and the mistake is that you to belongs to that family. Dada asked the lady that 'us there any way to save my husband's life? "lady replied "there would not at all waybut you not the one who killed my love so I give you one chance to save ur husbands life ,do a sacrifice give me your life ". The girl with a delima has to make a tough decision between her and his love. After a long time in newyork to old age man and woman sitting on their balcony and seeing the stars. They were Dada and macin Dada choose to sacrifice , she kissed macin and said ' take my life I can't life without himand never wanted to die without him , by crying till death she continue " we have decided that we will live together it doesn't matter how much we live it matters that we are together, but I can't let him die in front of my eyes, so take my life instead of him " and by seeing her sacrifice the lady give them the wedding gift - their life. "love never die "


The morning was bright and cheery as I strolled through the forest. I listened to the birds sing, and the gentle breeze swept my hair. It seemed so peaceful, like a fantasy, until a heartbreaking noise filled the air. I twirled around, and I saw before me a wounded deer with his muscular legs trapped in a snare. The hunters were at work again before the threat of winter took over. I ran to the poor creature and continued to untangle the trap that he was stuck in. Not one second after I got him free, he stood up. On his hind legs! To my total surprise, his legs were wholly healed…and human. The deer was transforming into a man before my very eyes: a young, good-looking, and very naked man.

I blushed and turned around, still in shock. "Please put on some clothes. I have so many questions for you." Who was this man? Was I still dreaming? His low voice cut through the silence. "Oh yeah, it is rather chilly." He chuckled, gazing intently at me. "I don't think I have any clothes with me." I quickly slipped out of my jacket and gave it to him, trying not to look. I had so many questions. My curiosity was taking over, and as soon as he fastened the jacket around his waist, I turned around and bombarded him with all my inquiries.  He quickly introduced himself. "My name is Aspen. A few days ago, I was put under a powerful enchantment. I was cursed in the body of a deer for the rest of my life unless my soulmate freed me. So I guess that makes you my soulmate." I gasped, but he didn't seem to mind. He was smiling, his eyes alight, but something else was in them. I was still determining what. I also couldn't stop myself from scanning his beautiful body, seemingly too perfect. There was something he wasn't telling me.

We spent the whole afternoon together. That is after we stopped by my cottage and fetched him an old pair of pants that had belonged to my father. Time seemed to go by far too fast as he told me stories, and I opened up like I never do with anyone. Not that I had anyone left. My mom died when I was young, and I grew up as my dad's most prized possession. We weren't rich, but we had a good life together. However, my dad passed away a year ago from tuberculosis, and I had learned to fend for myself. As I opened up, we clicked seemingly magically. We laughed under the shade of the towering trees for countless hours until the sky turned dark as ink. I soon discovered he was from a wealthy family and an only child like me. I sensed he was a good man and learned that we shared a passion for exploring the world beyond the walls of our kingdom: Puria. The following day, I went out to get some bread for Aspen and me. He had stayed the night, as it was dark when we returned. He wasn't able to sleep at all till finally, he fell asleep at the crack of dawn. He must have still been running on a deer's sleep schedule. As I walked down the busy streets of Furia, I overheard talk from the vendors. King Tobyn, the 1st, had put out a reward for his missing son. I saw a flier a few meters away, and my heart sank. I realized what had seemed off when I first met him- I had seen his picture before. Aspen was the throne prince.

Apprehensive about the reactions of others, I decided not to share this secret until after I confronted Aspen. I didn't know why this news bothered me; I had only known him for a day. He was wide awake when I arrived, anxiously pacing around the steps of my house.

"There you are!" He exclaimed. His face was a mixture of worry and confusion as I entered with a frown.

I placed the loaf of bread on my dining table and took a deep breath. To my surprise, I erupted as I turned around to look at him. "You lied to me. You told me that you were wealthy, but you so conveniently left out the fact that you were the crown prince of Puria? That is not something you just forget to tell someone. Why didn't you tell me?" A sob broke out in my throat, and I swallowed heavily.

Aspen made strides toward me, at my side, within seconds. He cupped my face and stared into my eyes. They seemed to look directly into my soul, searching for something. To my surprise, he backed off not a moment later, his hand at his side in a blink. Like the moment had never happened. I raised my head at him defiantly, demanding an answer.

"I know. I heard talk in the forest the day before I met you. I didn't want you to treat me differently if you knew I was a prince. I wanted something based on love, not status or what society deems right. I really like you, Emily. I really do and don't want anything to change between us. I know of the implications of my background on a relationship, but I really want to try this. Come back with me to the palace." The whole world seemed a little brighter after he finished, and I released the breath I hadn't even realized I'd been holding.

"I… I like you too. But how can we be? A poor, insignificant girl and the crown prince of all of Puria?" The second the words came out, I realized I really did want to be with him. Yesterday had been the best day of my life, at least for a long time, and I didn't want to lose him.

His lips parted as he replied, a flame in his eyes. "You are not insignificant, and I will convince my father that my decision is final. He can choose to accept it or not, but I am the only heir. He will have to."

Looking into his eyes, I let myself nod. "Okay, I trust you. I'll come with you." I saw him exhale in relief, his eyes shining and his posture straightening.

This time, I made the first move. I tiptoed so our eyes met and pressed my lips against his. His lips were warm and soft against my own. I could feel the gentle tickle of his breath beneath my nose, his fingers carding through my hair as we breathed each other in. It felt magical and so very right. Like fate wanted it to happen.

The following day, we devised a plan to ensure our happiness while not compromising the kingdom's stability. We had to wait until the time was right to announce our love to the king and the kingdom. The domain continued their search for the prince, and we secretly embraced our moments together whenever we could. Whenever I returned from work, Aspen would be waiting for me with a bouquet of freshly picked flowers and a sheepish grin. We cherished every moment together, knowing that our secret could be discovered at any moment. Months passed as we planned for the perfect time to announce our secret love affair. However, fate had a different plan. One evening, as we strolled through the marketplace, the air cold and the clouds dark shades of gray, a voice stopped us.

"Hey, you look awfully like the prince on all the missing posters." I turned to face an elderly woman as a crowd gathered around us. How had she seen through Aspen's disguise? His beard had grown as well as his hair, and he wasn't in a royal suit but in plain peasant clothes. No one had been able to recognize him so far.

I turned to look up at his face, still stoic and hard at work, thinking of a way out of this. I could almost see the gears moving as he said, "Me? I'm just a simple man taking a stroll with his lady."

"How come I've never seen you before? Or ever heard about you?" The woman sneered, jabbing her finger at him. I was getting nervous, and we were drawing too much attention to ourselves. Before he could reply, I took his hand and led him away as we ran back to the comfort of the forest. When we were safely surrounded by the overhead trees, we stopped. Little droplets of rain started to fall, and we stood there, breathing heavily. "We have to tell my father. We aren't safe anymore here. If my father finds out from someone other than me, he'll never be able to forgive me. We shouldn't have to hide, and we shouldn't have to keep our love a secret." I nodded. He was right. It was time to make our love known. "Okay," I said. "I trust you. Wherever you go, I'll follow. If you'll have me." "As long as I have you, I have all I need. I love you. I love you so much, and I can't imagine a life without you. You are the most adventurous, beautiful, caring girl that I have ever met, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you as my wife." I couldn't believe it. Tears flooded my eyes as he knelt on one knee, his eyes never leaving mine. "I don't have a ring yet, but I couldn't wait a moment longer. Will you marry me? Will you be my queen?"

I gasped, overcome with happiness. The rain started to pick up speed as it wiped the tears off my face. "Yes. Yes, Aspen. I want to be yours. I love you." I couldn't stop smiling as he rose up and cupped my face, his lips pressing against mine.

The kiss was full of tenderness and urgency, a dance of two hearts in perfect harmony. I felt his sturdy arms wrap around me, pulling me close as we lost themselves in the moment. The world around us ceased to exist, leaving only us in a sea of emotions.

The kiss lasted for what felt like an eternity, our lips parting only briefly to catch our breath as droplets of water trickled our faces and the sky broke out in thunder.

As we finally broke our kiss, I looked into his eyes, knowing that what we had was special. It was a moment that stayed with me forever. The time to tell the king was tomorrow, but today was our time. __________________________________ It was time to go. The sun had made its way across the sky, and the birds were chirping in delight. Aspen came up beside me as we said goodbye to what had been our home for the last couple of months. Hand in hand, we started out on our journey to the castle. Our hearts were filled with a mix of hope and fear. Upon arrival, after several days of traveling, we made our way to the king. Aspen seemed at home here, and I could feel him longing to see his father again. The great doors to the throne room creaked open, and there, upon his majestic throne, sat the king, his crown catching the sunlight in a wreath of gold. "Father," Aspen began, his voice echoing through the hall, "I come before you with an apology and a truth I cannot bear to hide from you any longer." The king's sharp eyes filled with relief but also burned with anger. I held my breath as his gaze scanned over his son and me, the girl who clasped his son's hand in peasant garments. "Speak your truth, my son." I squeezed Aspen's hand in encouragement as he rose from his knees. He stepped forward, saying, "This woman beside me, brave as she is kind, has saved me from a curse. Not only that, she captured my heart and opened my eyes to a whole new world. I ask not only for your forgiveness but for your permission to unite our hearts in marriage." The room held its breath as the king rose to his feet. His gaze shifted from me to his son and back at me again. "Love," he said, his voice surprisingly warm and kind, "is the truest form of loyalty one can offer their kingdom. If she has your heart, then she shall have mine. You have my blessing." A swell of cheers broke out around us as the courtroom erupted in applause and welcome back's. However, I couldn't help but notice that not everyone was happy for us. Some officials were still whispering to each other, their eyes filled with contempt as they scanned over me. But now wasn't the time to think about such things. We had the king's blessing.

The wedding bells ran not two weeks after the scariest night in my life. From the moment Aspen led me around the garden, I knew it was special. Our wedding was set in the blooming gardens of the castle, where the air was fragrant with roses and the sounds of joyous celebration.

I had quickly gotten acquainted with the queen, my lover's mother. I learned that she had also been of low status when she married the king, and she accepted me with grace and kindness. So, that's how I ended up dressed in a gown of silk and lace, walking towards the love of my life, a smile on my face brighter than the morning sun. As I arrived at the altar, I took his firm hands in mine, and we exchanged our vows, sealing our love in writing for all the coming generations to see. Our first kiss as husband and wife was sweet and full of promise, filling the air with a love that would be sung about for ages. Ultimately, it wasn't my poverty or Prince Aspen's royalty that defined us, but our courage to trespass all expectations and defy all odds. Many years passed, and I had a lot to learn as a future queen, but together, with the guidance of my new family, I did it. The king passed away peacefully, and we had to take over the throne. There would always be some people against us, but our kingdom flourished like our love, and we lived happily ever after. And to think it was all thanks to a curse.

The End!! Merry Christmas!!