Table of Contents:

Dalek (cover illustration) – Rachel Miller

The Silver Mink (part 4) – Taylor Bradley

The Third Brother’s Son (prequel) – Rachel Miller

Rise from the Ashes (part 2) – Sam Andersen

The Bunny and the Lamp – Melanie Andersen & Karin

Thogersen

Mob’s Daughter (chapter 3) – Gecko

Freak Show (part 1) – Melanie Andersen

The Great Outdoors – Taylor Bradley

Tree – Sam Andersen

Geese – Abby Covert

The Bat Who Couldn’t Fly – Rachel Miller

Shamrocks (back cover)

The Silver Mink - by Taylor Bradley Chapter Four: The Inn in the Middle of Nowhere

The earthy, sour smell of rain is carried by the wind. It’s been pouring down for about two hours or so. Now that the sun has set, I don’t know the exact time. I’m a sorcerer, not an astronomer. My coat is pulled up over my head to block out the rain, but it’s been going on for so long that my jacket’s sopping wet, so it’s basically pointless now. This day just keeps getting better and better. First the troll, then rain, not to mention that I can’t find a place to dry off. And just to add the cherry onto the All-Around-Bad-Day-Sundae, there’s a dripping wet fairy sitting about an inch away from my ear. Apparently, she can’t fly in the rain, her wings will get wet. Just her sitting on my shoulder annoys me. It seems like everything Moth Hailfly does annoys me. I didn’t believe her ‘wet wings’ story at first, but when she kept falling into the mud over and over, I figured it had to be true. So here she is, dirty and complaining non-stop. This is only night one of a full week with this darned creature, and I already want to tear my hair out… We’re out of the woods for now, looking for somewhere to get out of the rain. So far, we haven’t found so much as an outhouse. If I don’t find somewhere soon, I don’t know what I’ll do. “Aahchoo!” “You just sneezed right into my ear!” I yell. “Sorry, when a sneeze comes, it comes. If we weren’t in the rain for who-knows-how-long, I wouldn’t be sneezing!” “Well it’s not my fault! I’m not making it rain!” “This whole time you’ve been saying that dark magic is all that and a sack of gnomes, and you’re telling me you can’t do a spell or something to make the rain stop?!” I was hoping she wouldn’t ask that. “Well, I can’t do it when it’s…..I would need a….It’s…Stop asking me stupid questions!” She doesn’t need to pry into my personal life. Why I won’t cast a spell to stop the rain is my business, or rather my secret, and a booger-filled fairy like her doesn’t need to know. “Why don’t you use light magic to stop it, hm? Or does your magic not work when you’re wet?” “Hardy har har. For your information, I’m a Plant Fairy, not a Water Fairy.” “Well plants need water, don’t they?” “That’s not how it works!” “Well, then make it work that way!” “Oh, you’re such a child!” Even though it totally proves her point, I stick my tongue out at her….she kicks me in the nose again. “Look, we’re both in rotten moods, and sopping wet,” she tells me, as if I don’t know. “We need to find somewhere to stop.” “Well, maybe if you’d put in some effort and actually look around, we’d find a place!” Out of the corner of my eye, I see a sneaky smile grow on her face. “Oh, so you need my help?” I’ve just fallen straight into her trap. “No.” “Okay, guess we’re sleeping in the rain tonight, because you clearly don’t see what I see.” “That’s a load of unicorn earwax, you don’t see anything.” “Are you sure?” “It’s raining cats and dogs, you can’t see anything more than five feet in front of you.” “But it’s closer than that. So close that if you keep walking, you’ll miss it, so last chance.” “Last chance to do what, exactly?” “To ask for my help before you miss possibly the only chance we have of getting dry.” “I don’t need your help!” She shrugs, still looking very smug. “Okay, if you say so….five more steps till you pass it, four, three, guess you like the rain, huh?” “Oh for the love of God, I know you see absolutely nothing, but if it’ll shut you up, then do share just what you’ve found!” “You have to ask first.” I hate my life. So much. “Fairy, -” “Say my name.”

Somebody kill me. I’m twenty-eight, I’ve lived a full life, sort of. “Moth, will you help me find a way out of this rain?” “What’s the magic word?” “I’m a sorcerer for Merlin’s sake, I know a lot of magic words.” She sighs in my ear. “I guess that’s all I’m gonna get out of you, huh? Well, if I don’t show you, who knows how long we’ll be out here. Turn to your right, and look up.” “Alright, I’m humoring you because I’m too tired to yell anymore. I’m turning…I’m looking...how did I miss that?!” “Told you I saw something. You’re welcome, Maddock.” Apparently, what she saw is a sign pointing to a town. “What does it say? I can’t make it out in the rain.” “‘Nowhere, One Mile’. It’s pointing down the right path.” “Cut it out, you pest. I asked you what it said, like you wanted, so tell me honestly.” “That is what it says! The town is really called Nowhere.” Well, I suppose it’s the only chance we’ve got of finding a place to dry off and sleep for a few hours.

* * * *

“Good thing I saw that sign, huh?” she grins, nudging my neck with her elbow.

“Don’t let it go to your head. And get under my coat, or in a pocket or something. I’m not paying extra for someone no bigger than my foot.”

“Not my fault you have big feet.” “Just get under there! We’re almost inside.” The wet gravel still crunches under my feet, breaking the

silence of the night, as I get nearer and nearer to the large wooden building. The rain has died down slightly, enough for me to make out the sign: Blackjack Inn.

The stairs creak on my way to the door, which is extremely heavy. It must be made of mahogany, or something…that, or I have no upper body strength. Before I even get it open all of the way, I hear voices from inside.

“I’m serious, Janis, we get some odd people here.” “That’s why we put that group from earlier upstairs, sister dear. We won’t hear them from down here.” “But, still, there are some weirdoes here in Nowhere. Like that man with orange skin who came in last

week.” “He obviously added too much scorpion spleen to his Invisibility Potion.” “Then there was that girl who had squid tentacles for legs. And now….now there’s a soaking wet

gentlemen at our desk. See, Janis? Living, breathing weirdo.” “Janus! Don’t be rude!” This woman has two heads. They seem to be sisters who share one body. I’ve never seen anything like

her. I know about Hydras and things with multiple heads, but those are creatures. She, or rather they, look completely human otherwise.

In shock, I pay for one night in a room, though I’m so busy looking at both of them, I don’t even know how much it was really. The first Janis hands me a key.

“Seventh door on your left, upstairs.” I hear their voices again as I creep up the stairway. “See, Janis, he didn’t even talk.” “Of course he didn’t talk to us, we’ve got two heads.” “It’s not our fault he’s unlucky.” The hallway past the stairs is pitch black, the lanterns on the walls extinguished. It must be later that I

thought. At least with everyone asleep, this night can’t get any – “Halt!” Weirder. I can’t see the man who just shouted, it’s too dark. But I don’t need to see. I can feel the tip of his sword at my throat.

* * * *

“What a pathetic excuse for an assassin you are, making such noise up the stairs. Did you really think you could accomplish your filthy deed with me on guard?” “What are you talking about? I’m not an assassin!”

“And you’re a horrible liar as well.” His sword digs into my neck more, but has yet to cut it. Where is that fairy when I need her? “Oooh, busteeeedd.” she whispers in my ear. “Hey, if he kills you, does that break your spell?” “Do something.” I mumble, trying not to let whoever is attempting to kill me hear. “I’ll make some flowers grow on your grave. Do you prefer lilies or roses?” “I hate flowers, you pest.” “If I were you, I’d refrain from talking much, or you’ll force me to make a mess when I remove your head.” The mystery man says. “Of all the people who’ve tried to assassinate Princess Uro, you’re the most pitiful. Not pitiful enough for me to spare your life, but, honestly, you’re horrible at your job.” “For the last time, I’m not an assassin!” I also have an irrational fear of decapitation….which, at the moment, doesn’t seem so irrational. “Alright, hold on, I’m thinking.” Moth whispers. That’s so reassuring. Her brain is probably the size of a pebble, and she’s going to get me out of this situation. Hoo. Ray. The knight continues talking, which is better than killing. “Such a desperate attempt to get out of your fate. Do you not know who I am?” How could you not recognize the great Archibald the Third?” Maybe because it’s dark, genius. “Hey, Maddock,” Moth whispers. “I think this nutcase might be a knight.” Wonder what gave her that idea: The giant sword, the armor that I can barely see in the darkness, or the fact that his name ends in “The Third”? This is bad. How do I get out of this? I could hit him with some magic from my staff, but I get the feeling that I’d get my throat sliced mid-spell. Most spells are a little wordy. I could try just hitting him in the head with the staff itself, it probably wouldn’t be the first time he’s gotten whacked in the head with something heavy. But once again, his sword is so close I won’t be quick enough. There has got to be a way out of this. There has got to be a – “Archibald, what’s going on? Don’t you ever sleep?” says a sudden exhausted voice. A small amount of relief comes to me as the odd sound of jingling jewelry fills the hall. Next is a lantern that finally gives me a good luck at the knight. His face is gaunt and boney, and he has short blonde hair that covers the right side of his forehead. The rest of him is covered by a suit of armor that looks very old, and has a few dents. The person who just spoke finally comes into view. Her hair is light brown with a random pink streak in the front, and goes down to her shoulder blades. Her eyes are barely open, but are aimed at the knight. She’s in a flowery nightgown, and her wrists are covered in bracelets. She also has on a necklace, and a ring on each finger. I thought women usually took that stuff off when they went to sleep. Then again, I don’t know a lot about women. The knight still hasn’t taken his sword away from my neck. “What’s going on is my job, Lady Lynn. Now, please, kindly go back to sleep before anyone else -” All of the sudden, my ears begin to ring, and the sword jumps in the knight’s hand -thankfully not cutting me- as the entire upper floor is filled with some kind of unholy sound that resembles a mix of nails on a chalkboard and a caffeinated banshee. Once I stop cringing, I see that the sound is coming from a poorly polished trumpet held by a short man with unruly black hair. He’s wearing some weird puffy pants that make it look like he stuffed marshmallows in them. “Too loud, too loud, too loud for tiny people!” Moth is screaming in my ear, which is only adding to the noise. At least it can’t get any louder in this hall. I’m starting to think that these people are the “weirdos” the sisters were referring to. Finally, it stops. Maybe now I can figure out just what’s going on here. Wait, what is Marshmallow Pants up to now? “SIR ARCHILBALD THE THIRD, WELL-KNOWN KNIGHT WITH SOME ISSUES, IS ATTEMPTING TO KILL ANOTHER RANDOM PERSON HE’S DEEMED AN ASSASIN! I FIGURED THIS WAS ANNOUNCEMENT WORTHY!!!” “Why are you yelling?!” the knight screams. “BEING THE ROYAL ANNOUNCER, IT’S MY DUTY TO MAKE SURE MY VOICE IS HEARD THROUGHOUT THE KINGDOM!” “We’re in a small hallway, you dunce!”

The woman, I think someone said her name is Lynn, chimes in as well. “Yelling at him isn’t going to improve the situation!” “Well, then why are you yelling at me?!” “Because yelling at stupid men is what women do!” “Calling a man with a gigantic sword ‘stupid’ is not a good idea!” “A giant sword that’s currently pointed at me, in case anyone cares.” Hey, it’s worth a shot. “Oh, we’re only supposed to help you if we care?” Moth asks. “I was just gonna do it out of pity. Thanks for telling me.” “Stay out of this! Can’t you see the adults are having a conversation?!” “I’m twenty-two!” she fires back. “EVERYONE IS YELLING AT EACH OTHER! I FOUND THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WORTHY! ALSO, MY POOFY PANTS KEEP RIDING UP!” “If you’d stay out of the way and let me do my job, none of this would be happening right now!” The knight. Moth. “Good, now he’s distracted! Do some magic so we can go to sleep already!” Me. “Don’t tell me what to do! I’m twelve times your size!” “And only half as smart!” Lynn. “I’d let you do your job if you’d quit trying to kill random people!” The knight. “I’m protecting the princess! This man is extremely suspicious!”

“He just came up the stairs!” “Suspiciously!” “What in the world is going on?!” That last voice I don’t recognize. It sounded female, but it wasn’t Moth, Lynn, Janis, or Janus. For some reason, everyone save Moth and I have frozen. No more shouting, no more trumpets, just total silence. They’re all staring at something. Scratch that, someone. Someone new has come into this already overcrowded hall. Her hair is brown like Lynn’s, but darker. She’s paler than the rest, and is the only one in actual sleepwear: a lavender nightgown. “When someone ask a question, they usually expect an answer.” Her voice is furious, which is understandable given the circumstance. Another round of trumpeting. That’s it, Marshmallow Boy is dead. Aw, ogre warts, I’m too tired to kill people. Thankfully, he stops pretty quickly. “PRINCESS URO HAS BEEN WOKEN FROM HER BEAUTY SLEEP BECAUSE WE WERE ALL ACTING LIKE ROYAL FOOLS!” Does this guy have an inside voice? “Who started this?” the woman, who’s apparently some princess from who-knows-where, demands. “Archibald,” they all say in unison. “Sir Archibald, put that away this instant!” she yells. “Busteeed.” Moth whispers again. The knight quickly sheathes his sword. I would get out of here and finally go to sleep, but now there are a bunch of people in the way, and once again, I’m too exhausted to cast a spell, or even think of one. Guess I just have to wait this out. “Sir Archibald, would you please explain why we’re all standing in this hallway?” She’s giving him that look that mothers usually give children after they’ve scribbled all over the walls. Moth’s right. He’s busted. “Princess Uro, I’m only trying to keep you safe. You’re a long way from the kingdom, and you’re very valuable. It’s my job to make sure you get home safely.” “This is the fourth time this has happened this week.” “There’s a lot of danger in the world, your majesty.” She lets out a tired sigh, and walks up to him. “Archie, we’ve talked about this. Not everyone is a killer. Not everyone is a mugger, or robber, or whatever else you can think of.” “But he looks suspicious!” They both turned to look at me. I’m really hating all this attention. “Look at his black cloak. Who needs pockets that big? And that staff, what could he use that for? He’s skinny, has a large nose, and his black hair is so long, it looks feminine.” “Alright, that was kinda below the belt.” My hair is not feminine. I’ve just been too busy to cut it.

“Archie, judging people on appearance isn’t right.” At least someone’s on my side. “If he breaks into my room with a knife, then you can kill him.” I retract my former thought. “Now,” she looks to all the others. “Everyone go back to sleep. That means you, too, Archibald.” “But, your majesty, I’m you’re only guard! What if something happens?” “We are literally in the middle of Nowhere, Archibald. Nothing’s going to happen. If it does, it’ll give Trumpeter Toradora something to announce.”

“THE PRINCESS JUST SAID MY NAME! I FEEL SPEACIAL! TALKING ABOUT MY FEELINGS IS ANNOUNCEMENT WORTHY! I ALSO HAVE TO USE THE BATHROOM!”

“Everyone just calm down, and please go to bed. That’s an order, Archibald.” “Yes, your majesty.”

“Well….that happened.” Moth says after the hall is clear. “Yes, and you were so helpful. Couldn’t you have made some vines grow or something?” “Oh, so when you’re in trouble, then light magic is useful?!” “You were just waiting around for me to get my head chopped off so you could get out of here!” “Was not!” “Were too!” “Look, we’re both sleep deprived, so will you just unlock the door so this night can be over?” “For the last time, quit bossing me around! I know what I’m doing! Now which room was ours?” “I thought you knew what you were doing.”

* * *

The Third Brother’s Son: A Harry Potter fanfiction – by Rachel Miller

Prequel The third brother’s son was just a boy when his father gave him the cloak of invisibility and gave himself to death. The son’s name was Jacob Potter. When Jacob inherited the cloak he knew that death would be looking for him, too. He knew that death would be wanting his cloak back, because he gave it up so unwillingly. Jacob was a smart boy like his father, so he used up all of his childhood years hiding from death just like his father had. To survive Jacob would have to steal food and sleep in alleyways. By the time Jacob Potter was 17 years old, he had been hiding from death for 8 years. Jacob decided that it was time to stop hiding and live a normal life. Although he didn’t know what he would do with the cloak or how he would keep death from finding him, Jacob was desperate for anything other than the life of a beggar and a thief. So, he started the long walk to the nearest town that didn’t know who he was. If he was going to start a new, normal life, he was going to give himself a fresh start, too.

Rise from the Ashes – Chapter 2 – by Sam Andersen My eyes flutter open at the sound of muffled voices. I must have fallen asleep again without realizing it. Wait a second…voices? I sit up and listen more intently. Sure enough I can make out voices conversing and occasionally laughing. My heartbeat speeds up. People. In the house! I haven’t talked to anyone in so long and only a few from this world. I jump out of bed and cautiously creep over to the door. I turn the knob slowly, bracing myself as if a monster might ambush me at any moment. The door opens a crack and I poke my head out, gazing down the hallway. Nothing’s there, but the voices are louder. They must be in the living room. The banter continues as I sink to the ground and crawl over to the top of the stairs. If I stay crouched like this I can watch through the railing that lines the stairway while staying hidden from view. Four people (well, if you can count them all as people, some are more like creatures) lounge about the room. One large man, about seven feet tall or so, leans up against the far wall. His yellow, curly hair frames his square face and a smirk covers his lips. Near him, sitting in an armchair, is a woman with shiny, silver hair that flows past her shoulders. She runs her hand through it and it is then that I catch the claws at the end of her fingers. My blood runs cold at the sight. Sprawled out on the sofa lays a man with an egg-like head. It is completely bald and perfectly oval. He has no ears at all, but instead has an extra eye in the middle of his forehead. An extra eye in the middle of his forehead! Facing the group of three, stands a man around my height. He has dirty blond hair with vibrant streaks of red making it appear as if his hair is on fire. His voice is smooth and pleasant, dripping with a tone of light-hearted teasing. If his back wasn’t turned to me, I bet I could see his red eyes shine with amusement. This man is none other than Griffin Phoenix. My husband. I adjust my position and stretch my head out farther to try and see more, but without actually going down there, this is the best view I can get. And there is no way I’m going down there. The group laughs at something I missed and when it dies down the claw lady says, “Oh, Griffin, it is so nice to have you back.” “Yeah,” agrees the large man. “The council will be glad you’ve returned.” “Well, most of the council, anyway,” Griffin agrees with a small chuckle. “Next meeting’s at the end of the month. Wives are welcome this time around,” informs the three-eyed being. The claw lady leans forward. “Speaking of wives…when do we finally get to meet yours, Griffin?” I hold my breath and keep perfectly still. I don’t want to miss a second of the conversation now that it has transitioned to me. “Whenever she comes out from hiding at the top of the stairs,” he answers simply. I was not expecting this answer and the shock causes me to lose my balance and stumble forward. I look down only to lock eyes with Griffin. He’s leaning back on his heels with a smirk across his face. “There she is,” he announces to the others in the room. “Come on down here, dear. Meet the crew.” Shoot. Now I have to meet them? Why didn’t I just stay in my room? I reluctantly climb down the stairs, knowing I don’t have any other choice. I keep my eyes glued to the floor as I walk up to Griffin’s side. He throws his arms out to his right and presents me as if I’m a trophy, and I guess to him I am. “Here she is! Yes, she is real. Yes, we are actually married. And yes, she is a human!” I feel everyone’s gaze on me and I start to shake under the pressure. My eyes glance up and accidentally meet two out of the three eyes belonging to the bald man. I immediately look back down. “Wow, Phoenix. I have to admit I seriously thought you made her up,” starts the bald man. “I mean, you. Married. To a human, no less, which you met, wedded and bedded within three months. You see where I was coming from when I said I didn’t believe you?” My head lowers farther if that’s even possible. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Griffin dismiss the comment with a wave of his hand. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know I said some things against the subject of marriage,” he starts, “but as soon as I saw this one, I just had to make her Mrs. Griffin Phoenix.” Everyone in the room scoffs at his explanation, including me.

The large man shakes his head. “That wasn’t even remotely believable.” Griffin crosses his arms. “Yeah, well, whatever. You all have to deal with her anyway.” He pauses and runs a hand through his hair. “Isn’t she pretty?” “She’d be even prettier if we could see her face,” exclaims the bald man. “Look up,” Griffin instructs. I comply and slowly lift my head up to find everyone staring at me. I fight the strong urge to drop my head back down. The large man releases a low “hmmm” noise before admitting, “She is rather pretty.” “But Phoenix! You’ve married a mute!” The bald man exclaims. The large one snickers at the comment, while the claw lady continues to stay quiet. Griffin exchanges glances between me and the bald man. “What? No, she’s not mute. She’s just shy. Introduce yourself, dear.” I really wish I could just run back upstairs instead. But hiding is not going to make this any easier and really? Since when have I been the type to hide from her problems? So, with that thought in mind, I take a deep breath and green them, “Hi, I’m Misty Melcor.” Griffin immediately starts making this coughing/clearing his throat type of noise and we all stare at him in confusion. It seriously sounds like he is choking to death. He looks back at me and points to his left hand where his wedding ring sits. “Oh,” I say, realization dawning on me, “I mean, Misty Phoenix.” Griffin stops dying and starts beaming with pride at hearing his name follow mine. “I’m still getting used to the name change. The large man cracks up in response. His laugh is loud and hearty. It reminds me of my father’s laugh and that old ache returns for an instant before it is extinguished by the man’s explanation. “Misty Phoenix! That’s hilariously contradictory. And I thought it couldn’t get better than Griffin Phoenix!” “Yeah, ha ha ha. Everyone’s a comedian,” Griffin mocks. “You’re just jealous because our names are awesome sounding and yours is Landsome Billard.” I let out a small laugh accidentally and Landsome glares at me. “It was a cough,” I reply meekly, uncomfortable once again. He raises his eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You’re as good a liar as your husband.” Griffin chuckles at this before looking around the room. “Where the heck is Ram? He left to get food like twenty minutes ago.” He shakes his head before heading towards the kitchen. “I’ll be right back.” Now it is just me in a room with three strangers. I stand in silence waiting for one of them to start talking. The claw lady is the first to break the quiet. She stands up and walks over to me. “I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. Those guys just held you in conversation with no escape. And they say girls are the ones who talk nonstop,” she giggles lightheartedly before continuing. “I’m Silvana. Landsome’s wife.” She sticks out her hand for me to shake, but with her nails coming out five inches from her fingers I decide it’s safest if I shake her wrist instead. “Oops,” she blushes, wiggling her fingers. “Sometimes I forget how sharp these things are.” “That’s okay,” I reply. “How do you keep them that long without breaking?” “Oh, they break from time to time, but they’re pretty strong. Think in terms of your bones. Only my nails grow way faster.” The bald man stands up as well and takes my hand, planting a small kiss on the back of it. “The name’s Welford Albatrose.” I smile uncomfortably and pull my hand away. “Nice to meet you.” “Well, there you go. Now you’ve met all of us and we finally got to see you,” Landsome notes, walking over to Silvana and draping an arm around her shoulders. Silvana curls in closer to Landsome. “It will be nice to have more girls around here. Landsome always drags me around places to socialize with his guy friends. Well I want girlfriends to socialize with, too! And now that you’re here, and you’re human, why, we can swap so many stories!” I grin at her invitation. I’m…actually making friends. Sure, they look a little strange, but from what I can tell they seem nice. And it would be great to have some people I can turn to in this world.

Welford returns to the sofa and growls, “Now, where is Phoenix? How long does it take to find some food in your own kitchen?” Right after he says that, Griffin emerges from the kitchen with a scowl on his face. “Speak of the devil,” Welford mumbles under his breath. “He ate all the food!” Griffin exclaims, shaking his head in disbelief. “Did not!” a scratchy voice denies. “You didn’t have any food to begin with!” The owner of the voice appears – a small troll with huge ears and beady eyes. He walks over to the coffee table and sits in the middle, munching on a chunk of cheese all the while. He gets two more bites in before he notices me and when he does, his eyes shine. “Misty!” he exclaims, pieces of cheese flying out of his mouth in the process. “You’re finally out and about.” I smile softly back at him. “Hi, Ram.” Ram, I am more familiar with. He’s Griffin’s best friend and was alongside us while Griffin and I worked out the details of our arrangement. He was also the only witness at our wedding. “I did so have food to begin with!” Griffin insists, clearly not dropping the previous conversation. “I just went shopping the other day.” Ram only shrugs in response. “I dunno. Maybe your wife at it all.” What? I’ve hardly eaten anything this past month! And what I did eat was little and basic because we really did not have any food. Griffin crosses his arms. “Sure she did. Because Misty loves to eat serpent eggs covered in sand and then wash them down with a glass of arsenic.” He must be joking. That can’t really be what was in the kitchen. Then again, I did find freeze-dried cockroaches…Oh God, he’s not kidding. Ram glances over at me. “I don’t know what that girl eats. Women can have some crazy cravings.” “Well, I can assure you she doesn’t snack on beaches and poison,” Griffin huffs. He then walks over to Ram and rips the block of cheese out of his hand, taking a bite of it himself. Immediately he spits it back out. “That’s disgusting!” He examines the dairy product in his hand before tossing it back to Ram. “It’s moldy!” Ram stares at it for a moment before taking another bite. “Tastes fine to me. You’ve just eaten too much human food.” Griffin shakes his head. “Guess, it’s been a little longer than a few days since I last went. Oh well, we’ll go shopping tomorrow.” His gaze is focused on me as he says this. “Me?” I ask, pointing to myself. “No, Ram.” Relief floods through me when I hear I won’t have to be the one leaving the house. “Of course, I’m talking about you!” And the panic has returned… “But why?” I cry. “Can’t you do it by yourself?” Griffin rolls his eyes in response. “As much as you hate to accept it, you live here now. So, that means you eat here, too. Which also means I need to know what you want.” Even with his stupid logic I continue to whine, “But why can’t I just tell you what I want and then you go get it?” He sighs, obviously getting tired of me. Not that it’s much of a surprise. Guys tend to get sick of me rather quickly. “Because you need to get used to it around here. And I mean outside of the house. Do you want to stay cooped up all your life like a caged animal?” “No…” I mumble, “But I don’t want to get killed out there!” Griffin walks over to me and places his hands on my shoulders. “Listen, you will not get hurt. I will not let you get hurt, so long as you stay close to me…” he picks my left hand up and touches my ring, “…and you keep this ring on.” We both stare at my hand in his for a moment longer before he whispers, “Trust me, okay?” I bite my lip, but whisper back, “Okay.” Which he rewards with a light kiss on my forehead. “Aww, you two make such a cute couple,” Silvana declares. “We do, don’t we?” Griffin agrees, still staring into my eyes.

Landsome sits down in the armchair, resting Silvana on his lap. “So, I’m assuming you took her in to get a V.I. already?” he asks, though the way he says it sounds more like a statement. Griffin pales slightly and his smile drops. “Darn it,” he curses under his breath. “What?” I ask, worried. “It’s nothing,” he quickly replies. Silvana jumps up from her spot on Landsome’s lap. “Griffin Phoenix! You did not give this poor girl her V.I. already? You of all beings should know what happens when you bring a human to our world without one.” Now I am really starting to freak out. “Why? What happens?” “Nothing,” Griffin repeats. “I’ll take you in when we go out tomorrow. You’ll be fine.” “But what if I’m not?! What if that thing I needed to get, but didn’t is really, really important and I just drop dead? Or I explode! Or I turn green! Or I grow five legs and I really don’t want five legs! How am I supposed to wear any pants? Or what if –“ Griffin puts his hand up, silencing me from my rant. He puts one finger up, “First, I never knew you had such an active imagination. Second,” he holds up another finger, “none of those things will happen. V.I. stands for Virus Inspection and not having one just means you’re vulnerable to diseases and infections from our world. All you’ll really need are a couple of vaccinations and you’ll be set.” I calm down a little after hearing his explanation. “Oh, so it’s like when you travel to China or somewhere long-distance and you need to get shots to grow immune to the illnesses.” “Exactly,” he confirms. “Though, some of the illnesses here are really severe to humans, which is why they usually have to get vaccinated immediately upon arrival in our world.” “But someone was irresponsible and did not do it,” Silvana cuts in. Griffin glares at her briefly before turning back to me. “Yes, I forgot to take you in,” he admits. “After we made the deal and our wedding…well, I just wanted to give you some space for a bit. But soon enough a bit turned into a month and it still slipped my mind… “It’s alright, though,” he reassures me once again, “you haven’t left the house and you’ve had minimal interaction with anything outside. Well, besides me and now them,” he gestures to the others. “And if you do catch anything, worst case scenario, I still have another Elixir of Life – “ Now it’s my turn to cut him off, “Griffin, I believe you. I’ll be okay.” Welford snickers. “My, it seems that the boot is on the other foot now. You’re the one rambling on while she stands and rolls her eyes at you.” Instantly I get defensive. “I never rolled my eyes and I listened to every word you said. I only processed some of them, but I heard every one and I got the gist of it!” Griffin sighs again and rubs his temples. “Whatever, it’s…whatever. You may go back upstairs now.” Or, in other words, I’m done showing you off. Leave. My frustration grows. I am not a dog that he can just order around. He can’t just call me down, show me off, and then send me away! I’m about to tell him as much, I even open my mouth, but for some reason when I look back at him, I cower. It’s not that his gaze is intimidating or anything, well aside from his red irises, anyway, it just freezes my mind. When I become aware that the whole room is staring at me, I close my mouth. “Fine,” I squeak out, my voice breaking at the end. I rush back up the stairs, but miss a step and fall forward, slamming my chin into a step in the process. Griffin runs over to help me up, but I slap his hand away, still upset by his comment. “Don’t touch me! Just leave me alone!” I yell, standing back up. “Hey, will you calm down? You’re causing a scene,” he chastises me, glancing at the others. Again! He’s doing it again! “No, I will not calm down! Why should I when I’ve been kidnapped from –“ “I did not kidnap you!” he cuts in. “Well, it feels like it!” “Let’s get one thing straight,” his volume raises to match mine. “You agreed to this! I didn’t steal you, I married you. You gave yourself to me. You said your vows to me. May nothing but death do us part!”

“I don’t want to be your trophy wife!” I explode, letting go of the hot tears that were pricking the backs of my eyes. “I don’t want to be your prisoner!” “Would you rather your sister died?” The question feels like a slap in the face. I stand still for a moment, my body shaking once again. “I hate you,” I say, deathly calm. The calm doesn’t last for more than a second when I shriek the sentence again. “I hate you!” With that, I turn around and run upstairs straight to my bedroom. I slam the door and fling myself onto the bed, letting go of the rest of my tears. I hear Ram’s voice traveling from downstairs. “Well, we should probably be going now. C’mon, guys.” It’s followed by lots of shuffling. “What have I done?” Griffin utters. Silvana answers, “Things like this take time. She’s still getting used to it here. You can’t expect her to fall in love so quickly, can you?” “I don’t need her to love me. I just need her not to hate me.” There is a moment of silence before he continues in a softer voice, “She’s never said that to me before.” It’s true. I have never told him that. Not when he gave me the ultimatum. Not when he took me away. Not even when he led me to his bedroom. I hear more voices, but they’ve grown quieter and I can’t make them out. I slide off the bed and crawl over to the door, opening it a crack. “-be back next week. I’m sure she’ll love it,” Silvana’s voice again. “Thanks, I appreciate you trying to help her out. It might be a little easier on her if she had some, uh, girlfriends to talk to.” “Mmhm,” she agrees. “Now, Griffin, before I go I want to tell you – and I know I’ve told you before, but I want to tell you again – that while I don’t agree with your sudden union, I do think you’re trying here. And that’s saying something, taking into consideration some of the other folks around here…” “Yeah, I’m…not doing a very good job at it, though.” “Don’t worry. Things have a way of working themselves out. Just don’t give up. And try to look at life through her eyes for a while, okay?” Griffin doesn’t say anything after that. A muffled yell interrupts the short silence and Silvana says, “That’s Landsome. Impatient as ever. Goodbye, Griffin. Tell Misty it was a pleasure to meet her.” “If she ever talks to me again,” he responds. I hear the door close followed by footsteps climbing up the stairs. He’s going to come talk to me. I quickly shut my door all the way and hop back on the bed. Cocooning myself under the blankets, I stare at the door, waiting for the knock, or for it to just swing open. Who knows at this point? And so I stare and wait…

The Bunny and the Lamp – by Melanie Andersen & Karin Thogersen

Mob’s Daughter (continued) – by Gecko Chapter III

“Here we are. Home sweet headquarters,” Coms said as he helped me down from the pickup. “It looks like a parking garage,” I said as I looked around at the aircraft carrier-sized cavern. There were dozens upon dozens of different cars in all different makes and models. About a dozen guys were milling around in the center plaza. “Hey, Coms. Whoa, what happened to you?” asked a kid, about my height. He was wearing grimy clothes covered in grease stains, his blond hair was tangled and frizzy, and his eyes were a rich chocolate color. “Oh, hey, Tommy,” Coms said, waving the kid over. Tommy looked at me skeptically, but came over anyway. “Yeah, about the bruises and the scratches…” “And the bloody nose,” I interrupted. “Yeah, that, too,” he said, blankly. “Well, you can blame her for the blood stains in the car.” “Aw, Coms. I just cleaned out your truck barely a week ago.” “Hey, I did say it was her fault.” “No, it’s not my fault, actually. This idiot attacked me from behind,” I said to Tommy. “Wait, are you the newbie?” Tommy questioned. “Yeah, why do you ask?” “And you were able to take on Coms?” Tommy asked, his mouth wide open. “Uh, yeah. Why is that a surprise?” “Well, it’s just ‘cause we’ve never had a girl admitted. They aren’t strong enough…” “So, you’re saying that I have to be really strong if I’m here.” “Yeah. Well, that or really lucky since Coms didn’t beat you senseless.” “Ok, that seems like enough talk for tonight. Come on, I’ll show you my place,” Coms said, guiding me to a set of huge stairs. “Oh wait. Before I forget. Tommy, go in the backseat of my truck and grab the black duffle bag.” “I would, but it’s locked.” “Here,” Coms said, tossing Tommy the keys. Tommy dug around for a bit until he came out with an insanely large duffle bag. “Seriously, Coms, what in the world is in here? This bag weighs a ton.” “Actually, I have no idea what’s in the bag. Her dad gave it to me before he left,” Coms said, slinging the bag over his shoulder. “Why did he give you the bag and not me?” I asked, confused. “Well, you were busy knocking your mom out, and apparently he trusted me to take care of you,” Coms said, as he led me toward the hugs staircase. “Since when do I need protecting? I beat you up with ease,” I said, staring at him as we walked. “I believe he still thinks you’re his little girl,” he said, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. “Great. That’s just great,” I said sarcastically. As we walked, whispers were bouncing around the cavern. “Is that the newbie?” “Since when are girls allowed in here?” “She must be Coms’ girlfriend, because she can’t be one of us.” “No, she’s one of us. Coms tested her himself, that’s how he got all torn up,” Tommy piped up in the middle of all of the whispers. “What? No way. No one can beat Coms. Especially not a girl,” another stated. “I never said she beat me, Nick. She’s just really strong,” Coms called over his shoulder. “Yeah, right, Coms. Or maybe you’ve taken one too many punches.” “You want to bet?” Coms said, turning us both around. “Fine. You’re on. Tomorrow in the arena, you’ll get your chance to fight her and we’ll see who’s stronger.” “Me? Fight a girl? No way, Coms, that’s bogus,” Nick called back.

“What, are you scared I’ll hurt you?” I called to Nick, who paled instantly. “That’s what I thought,” I said, turning sharply, walking up the steps again. “Wait! You’re on. But if I hurt your girlfriend, Coms, it’ll be on you,” Nick countered, trying to regain his cool. “Oh, you should be more concerned about getting hurt yourself. I, on the other hand, will be fine,” I called, still walking. Coms caught up to me at the top of the stairs. “So, where are we going, I asked. “Follow me,” Coms said, taking my hand and leading the way. He led me down a few halls, pointing out random doors and passages. Finally, I had enough of walking. My feet hurt and I was really tired. “How much farther do we have to walk,” I wailed. “Just a little further,” Coms said soothingly. “Do you think you can walk to the end of this hall?” I looked down the hall. We were almost at a turn, but who knew how long the tunnel went on after that. “No, I’m too tired,” I said, as I sunk to my knees. “Can you carry me?” “Sure, you’ve had a long day, anyway. You need to sleep,” Coms said as he walked back to where I was. He knelt in front of me to let me wrap my arms around his neck and once I was off the ground, he scooped me up into his arms. I snuggled into his chest as he started to walk, the swaying motion making me sleepy. “Here we are,” he said. “Coms, I might be tired, but I’m not blind. This is an elevator,” I said, yawning. “And why is there an elevator in the tunnels?” “The boss owns plenty of hotels in the city, but only the higher-ups get to stay in them,” Coms said as the door slid open and he stepped inside. “So, you live in a hotel? That has to be really cool.” “Oh, trust me, it is very cool.” Ding. The elevator door slid open on the first floor. As I looked around, I could see this wasn’t an ordinary hotel. It was one of the most extravagant hotels I had ever been in. Coms stepped out and walked toward the front desk. The lobby’s ceiling was about twenty feet tall with glass chandeliers hanging above our heads. Bellhops ran around with baggage carts and luggage. “Wow, this place is amazing,” I said. “You haven’t seen anything yet,” Coms said in my ear as he set me on my feet. I leaned heavily against him. Man, he was right. I was dead on my feet. “Hi, Robert,” Coms said to a man behind the front desk. “Oh, Mr. Ross, it is lovely to see you again,” replied a man in his late forties, with graying hair and glasses. “Can I have two room keys for my room?” Coms asked, gesturing to me, and then added, “Tarin will need a key to the room, too.” “Oh, hello, Miss,” said Mr. Roberts. “And who might you be?” he questioned. “Oh, I’m just a friend.” “That seems like an understatement,” Mr. Roberts said as he pushed two room keys across the desk. “She’s a new addition to the operation,” Coms whispered back. “Oh, I see. Well then, I will see you two tomorrow.” “Coms, this place is amazing!” I exclaimed as Coms carried me into the room. “Does this take up the whole top level?” “Yep, and it’s private. No one can come up without a special key,” he said, carrying me into one of the rooms off the main room. “This will be your room,” he said, placing me on the big, king-sized bed. I stretched out, feeling at ease. “I believe that this duffel bag is full of your stuff,” Coms said, setting the bag on the dresser and unzipping it. “Yep. This is all your stuff. Hey, by the way, what is this?” he asked, holding out a stuffed panda and dangling it in front of me. “Hey, that’s mine!” I cried. I got up and tried to grab it, but I was too tired. I almost hit my head on the dresser and would have if Coms hadn’t stepped in my way. “Hey, it’s ok. Man, you are so out of it,” he said as he handed me the bear. I was still leaning on him when he wrapped his arms around me. He kissed the top of my head and held me close. “Here,” he said, as he handed me a pair of pajamas from my bag. “You should get ready for bed.” “Thank you so much,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. “No, thank you for everything. Get dressed, then we can talk some more if you want.”

“Ok, see you in a few minutes,” I said, as I tottered off to the bathroom. When I saw my reflection, I didn’t recognize it. I’ve never had bloodstains on my face. I never had had a bruise on my face stretching from my left temple to my chin. And I certainly was never covered in so many scratches. When I was finally cleaned up, I looked and felt so much better. As I walked back into my room, I saw Coms had pulled a chair close to the window and was watching the rain trace patterns on the glass. “Hey,” I called, when I was a few feet away. “Hey,” Coms said back. “Wow, you look a lot different than the girl I first saw in that parking lot.” “I feel really different, too,” I replied, looking outside. Coms ushered me over with a wave of his hand. When I was close, he pulled me onto his lap and cradled me in his arms. “You know, I never did answer your question,” he said. “Which one?” I asked. “The one about why I was angry about you being called my girlfriend.” “Oh, that one,” I said glumly. “Hey, that wasn’t why I was mad,” he said, cradling my head in his hand. “It wasn’t?” I asked back in surprise. “No, I was mad because Zach was making fun of you. He was mocking you for crying over losing your family,” Coms said as he smoothed down my wet hair. “So, I’m guessing he wasn’t sold, right?” I asked. “No, he wasn’t sold, but he likes to tell people that he was,” Coms replied, looking out the window. “Hey, how did you remember my name?” I asked, looking into his eyes. “Oh, you mean downstairs? I just picked it up as you were saying goodbye to your family. But it is Tarin, right?” he asked staring back at me. “Yeah, but it doesn’t feel right now. I feel different. I mean I don’t feel like I did when I woke up this morning,” I said. “That must sound really confusing, sorry about that.” “No, it’s alright. I understand perfectly,” Coms said. “So, if you aren’t the same person, then who are you, Tarin?” Coms asked, a challenging look in his eyes. “What do you mean?” I asked, confused. “Who are you, what is your name?” he said, pointing to me. “Rhin. My name is Rhin,” I said instantly. “Rhin, who’s Rhin?” Coms said, confused. “Rhin was my mom’s name,” I said, my eyes getting misty. “Oh, that’s cool, and besides, I like the name Ketta,” he said, squeezing my shoulders. “You’re only saying that because it’s my name,” I pointed out. “So what if I am?” he asked me. “What is so wrong about complimenting your name?” “Whatever. I can see it won’t be easy to win a fight with you. Hey, is your last name really Ross?” I asked quickly. “No. Each officer has a code name in the hotels,” he replied. “So, what is your last name?” I asked, yawning. “Why would I tell you?” he asked, poking my nose. “Because I asked you to tell me what your last name was,” I replied, still yawning. “Maybe in the morning, ‘cause you really need to sleep right now.” He got up still holding me in his arms. “Ok,” I replied, my eyes growing heavy. “I’ll be right across the hall if you need anything,” Coms said, placing me under the covers. I was going to reply, but I was already under.

Freak Show: Chapter 1 – by Melanie Andersen I am not supposed to leave the house once the sun sets. I don’t know the exact reason for this rule, but I suppose my mother put it into practice because, after all, she’s my mother, and has to warn me against the non-existent dangers that our small village lets roam wild after dark. It’s okay, though, because I am not leaving after sunset. I am leaving during the sunset. I feel a rush of adrenaline as I slip out the back door of my house and start towards the Village Square on my bike. There’s a pretty young girl who works at the flower shop, and if I can just sneak a quick peek at her and then slink back home, my mission will be accomplished and my mom will be none the wiser. A couple minutes later, the familiar buildings that make up the Square come into view, and I slow down my bike. The Square consists of a series of independent shops that surround a very small park, which is more like a small plot of grass with a fountain in the middle, and cobblestone sidewalks connect them all, even when the beaten streets threaten to tear them apart. Once I near the flower shop, I squint in an attempt to pick out Annette’s blond head in the sea of blooming flowers that fill the window. She’s leading an elderly woman to the door, and holds it open for her as she exits. Spotting me, she throws her arm up into a small wave, and I wave back, and then she flips the sign on the door to CLSOED and disappears back into the shop. With a sigh, I turn my bike around and am about to head back home when I notice a small figure a couple shops down, peering into the window. It’s summer, so the days are longer, but it’s eight thirty and the shops in the Square are either closing or are already closed. Surely this person knows that. Then why do they seem so fixated on whatever’s in that building? I decide some detective work can’t hurt, so I abandon my bike and slowly tip-toe my way closer. I duck behind an overgrown bush on the edge of the park and watch as the boy tries to pull open the door. It’s locked, but he keeps pulling incessantly on the handle, almost as if his life depends on it. But wait…isn’t this the Butcher’s Shop? The figure, who appears to be much shorter now that I’m closer, reaches down and heaves a big rock off the ground. Is he gonna…? Impulsively, I shoot up from behind my hideout in the bushes and race towards him, flailing my arms. “Hey!” I shout, and he jumps, dropping the rock. “What are you doing?” Instead of running, the boy and I just stare at one another. The reason he seemed so short was because he can’t be any older than eight years old, and he gazes up at me with fierce green eyes. I can’t be certain, because it’s getting dark out, but his pupils almost look as if they’re slits, not circular. And buried within his wild sandy blond hair are…two cat ears? I feel my heart lurch to my throat as I try to discreetly check to see if he has human ears under all of his thick hair, but it’s no use. “Uh…um, uh,” I stammer, placing my hand on my heart as if to slow its rapid beating. I try to focus on the matter at hand, but as I speak I cannot stop staring at the ears that are atop his head. Why do they look so real? They can’t be! “So…what were you doing? With the, uh, the rock?” “Nothing,” he replies automatically. “What were you doing in the bushes?” “Um.” It feels like there’s something lodged in my brain, something sharp and distracting and impossible to ignore. I can’t think of anything other than the intense pounding I feel, and this boy’s ears. “Nothing.” “You sleeping there?” The question catches me off guard, and it takes me a while to even squeak out, “What?”

“There,” he replies, pointing to the bush. “That’s not your home, is it?” “Of course not,” I respond, confused beyond belief. “What, do you sleep in a bush?” “Not anymore,” he says. We’re both silent for moment when his stomach growls loudly, and he grins sheepishly. It’s only then that I realize what he was trying to do. “You were gonna steal from the Butcher Shop, weren’t you?” I blurt, before I can stop myself. His face reddens and he backs away from me, but his eyes narrow, almost as if he’s on the offensive. “If you’re gonna say anything, you’d better watch yourself because I’ll get my friends and you do not want me to get-“ “Woah, woah, woah. I never said I was going to tell anyone. In fact, I was thinking just the opposite.” I can tell I piqued his curiosity, as he steps forward and gazes up at me like I’m a mystery he’s trying to solve. “What were you thinking?” “I was thinking I’m going to get you some food.”

* * * * * * * * * My eyes can’t look away from the boy who is ferociously gnawing on a piece of leftover chicken. He’s not using utensils, either; his hands are behind his back, almost as if they’re tied, and he’s bending forwards at an angle that must be uncomfortable. His sharp teeth are digging into the chicken and ripping chunks off, and although this is beyond disturbing, I’ve got to admit, it’s kind of cool. “Who taught you to eat like that?” I question, once he’s done. He has saliva dripping down his chin, and is wearing a grin that’s reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat’s. It takes him a moment to realize I’ve asked him something, and instead of responding he shakes his head furiously. “Oh no,” he cries, pushing the empty plate away from him. “What’ve I done?” “What’s wrong?” “I…I…” his voice breaks and a large sob escapes his throat. Before I know what’s happening, thick tears are rolling down his cheeks and his cries are filling the house. I live in a small one-story home with just my mom, as my dad and little brother died in a car crash three years ago. Ever since then, my mom’s been almost hypocritical in what she wants for me, and how I should behave. I can’t leave the house after dark, but she wouldn’t notice if I was gone; she warns me to stay safe but lets me roam anywhere I want alone; she tells me to make friends but I’m certain she wouldn’t be too pleased if she were to barge into my room right now and see this mysterious boy sobbing uncontrollably on the floor. “Shh!” I hiss, covering his mouth with my hand. “My mom will hear!” Something about the feel of my hand forcing the sound back into his mouth ignites a fire within him, a deadly fire that I wish I could have avoided. He bites down hard into my flesh and then whips his head away, ripping some of my skin off. I howl in pain as blood starts gushing out of the wound, and watch in horror as I see him swallow. He just ate my skin. The boy stands till for a moment, and if he was upset earlier, he’s hysterical now. “Leon was bad!” he cries, burying his face in his hands and screaming into them. “Leon was bad!” I don’t know what to do. My hand is still bleeding and my heart is beating so fast I almost feel like it’s going to burst out of my chest, but I lean closer to him and state calmly, “I’m going to go bandage my hand, but I’ll be back soon. You wait here.” Then I stand up and leave the room, closing the door slowly and tip-toeing to the bathroom. I quietly pass Mom’s bedroom, but my efforts to avoid her are all in vain when I stare at the closed bathroom door. She’s in there.

I turn on my heels, but the door opens and I hear Mom exclaim, “Kian!” With a sigh, I face her and ask what she wants while hiding my bleeding hand behind my back. “It feels like forever since I’ve talked to you.” “Now is really not the time to be getting all sentimental,” I reply, gesturing towards the bathroom. It takes her a moment before she realizes what I’m getting at. “Oh!” she exclaims, hands flying up to her mouth. “Oh, right. I’ll let you get to that.” Then I awkwardly squeeze past her and into the room, where I wash my hands and tie some gauze around my wound. Before heading back to my bedroom, however, I take a moment to reflect on what’s happening. There’s a kid – Leon, I assume – who was going to rob a butcher shop and …eat the meat raw? What does he even think he’s doing? And where are his parents? With newfound determination, I exit the bathroom and slip back into my room, where Leon is lying in a heap on the ground, violently but silently crying, so he almost looks like a fish out of water, flopping about uncontrollably. “Leon,” I start, kneeling down beside him. He looks up at me, heartbroken. “That’s your name, right?” When he nods, I decide to take this opportunity to milk some information out of him. “What’s got you so upset?” Leon sits up and wipes a stray tear away. “I bit you,” he explains, pointing to my bandaged hand. “I hurt you, and I told them I wasn’t going to do that anymore.” “Them?” I raise my eyebrows, but all Leon does is nod. “Yeah. They told me to go get some food because I’m the best hunter and I’m very stealthy. Most of the time I have to go with someone else, like Tyson or someone, but they told me since I’m eight now, I should be able to handle myself and it’s not very smart to have a lt of people with you when you’re stealing stuff anyways. Not that I was stealing.” He pauses for a moment to catch his breath, and then continues. “They told me not to bite anyone unless I was in trouble. That’s what Rosalie said, because she didn’t want anyone to know how sharp my teeth were. But then you found me and gave me food, and I…” Leon looks down at the floor, defeated. “I ate all the food. I was supposed to save some for the others, because they take care of me. And so I was very sad…but then you touched me.” His voice drops to a dangerous almost inhuman level. “I hate it when people touch me.” My brain can’t follow his endless trail of sentences, so all I can manage is a weak apology. “It’s ok, as long as it’s okay that I bit you,” Leon replies. I stare down at my hand, because the pain got lost amidst my fascination with this boy. I feel myself nodding, but I can’t get any words out until he yawns and I get a perfect view of his teeth, which must have been sharpened to get the way they are now. “Why are your teeth like that?” I ask, pointing. Immediately his mouth snaps shut and his eyes sparkle with something that can only be described as a sort of smug mischievousness. “It’s a secret,” he whispers. “What about your ears? Are those real?” “Can’t say!” he responds with a laugh. “And who are you getting food for?” “Shhh,” he commands, putting his finger up to his lips. “I can’t tell you. Not here, not now. Maybe not ever.” Leon stands up, dusting off his ratty, ripped pants. I never noticed what he was wearing before, because I was so focused on his eyes and ears and peculiar mannerisms that I completely missed his tattered brown shirt, which has deep red splotches of an indeterminate origin soaked into the fabric. Broken chains are tied around his skinny

wrists and mud is splattered on his black boots. Any skin that is exposed is covered in cuts and scratches and it clings to him, making it appear as if he is a skeleton. I get up, too, and say, “I get it if you don’t want to tell me who you’re getting food for, but at least let me give you some extra, okay?” Leon nods and I poke my head out of the bedroom to see if my mother is there. She’s not, so we quietly sneak into the kitchen and I open up the refrigerator. I already gave Leon all the leftover chicken, but there’s two bags of cold cuts, one full of turkey and one full of ham, and so I pull this and a loaf of bread out of the cabinet and hand it to him. “Thank you so much!” he exclaims, a huge grin on his face. His teeth, which are sharp as ever and still perfectly capable of digging into my flesh, no longer scare me and before I know what’s happening, I’m pulling Leon into an awkward hug, the food squashed between us at an odd angle because I’m almost two feet taller than him. My touch causes him to jump, but instead of attacking me he just shoves me off and turns away. “Goodnight.” “Kian,” I finish for him, and he nods happily. “Night, Kian. And thank you.” With that he opens the backdoor and slips out into the night. As he hops over my fence, and overwhelming sense of fear overcomes me and I throw open the door and race out of the house. “Leon!” I shout, my heart pounding in my chest as I exit my backyard through the gate. “Leon, wait!” I spot a short figure silently dashing behind houses across the street, but by the time I’m at the other side of the road he’s out of my sight, as if the night absorbed him. To be honest, I don’t even know why I’m out here, chasing this freak show in the dark. And even though I’ve lost him, something about the way his eyes glowed before he ran out told me that this wasn’t the end. Something told me that this was just the beginning.

* * * * * * * * * “Someone saw you?” she cries incredulously, grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me so violently I feel like I might fall over. “Who? Tell me, who was it?” “His name is Kian,” I answer, terror pumping through my veins. “He lives in a small house not too far from the Square. There’s two bedrooms and a bathroom and the kitchen is connected to the living room, and you can get to it through the backdoor if you want. It’s a nice house. I remember it well.” “You went inside?” By the expression on Rosalie’s face, I can tell I wasn’t supposed to do that. But how else was I supposed to feed us? “Maybe,” I answer, and she buries her face in her hands. The Triplets appear behind her, and Lonny puts his hand on her shoulder while Eden’s head disappears behind Rosalie’s hair and Rixx glares at me. “Watch yourself, Leon,” he warns, resting his head atop Rosalie’s shoulder. “We can’t risk being caught. Especially if they know what you’ve done.” “Yes,” I agree, looking down at the floor. “Leon’s bad.”

The Great Outdoors – by Taylor Bradley

The warmth of the fire surrounds me like an enormous hug Vibrant streaks of yellow and orange dance in the fire pit, putting on a show

Crickets and frogs sing a chorus down by the lake, That ever shimmers in the moonlight

In the distance, a stray bird puts in a solo, as the fire glows even brighter

Crunch or graham cracker is paired with the gooey, toasted Sensation of marshmallow, and sweetness of melted chocolate

Crickets pick up the catchy tune of the woods once again, the song every animal Knows by heart

I sit on the picnic table, my face illuminated only by the light of the bug zapper

And gleam of the everlasting flames Family sits near, cocooned in blankets of different colors, smiles stained with Chocolate and bits of marshmallow

The light breeze carries the smell of bug spray and sunscreen along with it

In the beauty of the great outdoors, the feeling of belonging is always present The stars sparkle in the clear sky, welcoming me

The moon is my greatest friend that will never leave The promise of a beautiful sunrise keeps me awake

As I lay cushioned by the sleeping bag Peacefully dozing off to the thoughts of the never ending magic of camping

Tree – by Sam Andersen

Geese – by Abby Covert As I watch the geese fly, I wonder what their life is like. They may go where they please, with no rules or boundaries to hold them back. They get free reign of the sky, their kingdom above the clouds. I see the path laid out before me. I know it is long, for I cannot see the end, but, given that life is short, I know it won’t take that long. I take a step forward, but fall back in fear of persecution. I have not courage enough for this. Not yet. Time stand still. No birds chirp, nor do trees sway in the breeze. Time has simply ceased to exist. I wonder what would the world be like, a world without time? A world where no one could die of old age, for there was no such thing. Around me, the wind picks up, and it is clear that time will move on with or without me. I take a step, this time I will not falter. I take a step, then another, and another. This time, nothing will hold me back. As I walk, the geese will honk happily. I will be joining them. Free. We are free.

The Bat Who Couldn’t Fly – by Rachel Miller Once there was a mother bat who was going to have a baby. When the baby was born mother and father bat were so happy! The baby bat’s name was Alex. When he learned how to talk his father thought it was time to teach him how to fly. Father bat spread his wings and flew to a tree branch a few flaps away. Father bat then told Alex to do the same. When Alex tried, he jumped off the branch and flapped his little wings as hard as he could, but it wasn’t enough, and he fell to the ground. When he landed on the ground a sharp stick cut through his wing. Alex would never be able to fly. A couple days later school started. When the other little bats saw that Alex couldn’t fly they laughed and made fun of him. At recess all of the bats played up in the sky while Alex sat on the ground, sad, wishing that he could fly. When Alex got home that day he told his mother everything that had happened at school. Mother bat told Alex to make not flying seem cool and fun. So, the next day when Alex went to school he played with a ball by himself during recess. All of the other bats looked down at him and saw how much fun that he was having and thought that it might be fun playing with him. So, one of the nicest bats went down to Alex. “Hi,” the bat said, “my name is Coal.” Alex smiled. “My name is Alex,” he said. “Can I play with you?” Coal asked. “Sure,” said Alex. He was very happy that someone wanted to play with him! So, they played together for a little bit and one by one the other little bats joined in. Soon, all the little bats were playing together on the ground. When Alex got home that day he told his mother all about the fun day that he had had at school. “I told you it would work,” said Mother bat. For the rest of the school year all the little bats played together and were all good friends. At the end of school all the little bats said their goodbyes to each other and left school for the summer. When Alex got home he thought about how he was waiting for the next school year to start. He mostly thought about how he had made so many new friends, and that being different wasn’t such a thing after all.

teen zine contributors:

Melanie Andersen, Samantha Andersen, Taylor Bradley, Abby Covert, Gecko, Alex Martil, and Rachel Miller

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Teen Zine is a publication of the Huntley Area Public Library’s teen writers’ club and includes members’ work as well as submissions from area teens in grades 6 – 12. If you would like to submit your writing or artwork for

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