Adjusting the frayed strap of her backpack more securely onto her left shoulder, Hollis pushed open the door to the little grocery mart by her school, triggering the jangle of bells overhead.     “Good afternoon, Miss Brooks,” called the stout man behind the counter as she entered.     “Good afternoon, Mr. Dolland,” Hollis responded with a respectful nod. “How’ve you been?”     “Well, I’d hate to ramble, but since you asked…”      Perfect, thought Hollis as...

    "You've heard what they've said about Vietnam-" she sobbed. He cut her off with a kiss, wiping away her tears with his thumb.
   "I'll be back."
 
Thomas lurched awake from the memory, gasping and clutching his shoulder. Grimacing, he rose from bed, making his way to the washroom.
   Peeling off his sweaty nightshirt, he hissed, unwrapping the large bandage around his chest.
   "Let me help." Katherine appeared behind him suddenly, pulling at the bandages....

His head didn't really hurt. It mostly just felt heavy, numb. Probably thanks to the painkillers. He sighed, leaning against his hand as his elbow rested on the arm of the couch.
   "Tea?" Mei called suddenly from the small kitchen across from him.
   "Yes, please," he responded quickly. Jabir had been given plenty of water at the hospital, but his mouth still felt dry and tasted sour.
   He took some time touring Mei's apartment with his eyes. From where he...

Day 1 
You're falling.
Down
   Down
      Down.
   Colors and shapes blur around you as you plummet, but you pay them no mind. You're too busy bracing yourself for the impact.
   Which never comes.
   You've been falling forever, but you have yet to meet the bottom. Realizing this, you finally release the tension from your shoulders, giving up.
   Bad timing.
   Crash!
   You hit the ground hard, head cracking back violently. All...

   “Hi...hello!” gasped Mei, sprinting to the front desk before leaning down, hands on knees, to catch her breath.
   “Hi, hon, how can I help you?” asked the woman behind the desk, typing away on a laptop without looking up.
   “I’m here...I’ve come to…” She took a deep breath, steadying herself and straightening up before continuing. “I’ve come to take someone home.”
   “Who are you here for, darlin’?” The desk lady still hadn’t looked up.
   “I’ve come for Jabir Reed.” The...

"Ty, I'm going to pick up the pizza," Renee called to her brother from the doorway. Tyler's head popped around the corner, framed by a set of thick headphones.
   "I can't hear you," he responded obnoxiously. "Why not tell dad." She rolled her eyes.
   "He's not wearing headphones and he still wouldn't even notice." She slung her purse over her shoulder, seeing her brother's smirk drop as she stepped out the door.
   Leaning her shoulders slightly to the left to...

Carter Long strolled his way up West 42nd, humming to himself. Pulling a hand from his jeans pocket, he tucked a strand of curly blonde hair behind one ear, intentionally letting the sleeve of his t-shirt roll up, revealing the refined muscle beneath.
   He heard giggling across the street and turned his gaze, dropping his hand. A small group of college girls stood huddled together, blushing and waving at him. Offering them nothing but another charming grin and a wink...

The alarm on her bedside table blared obnoxiously. Flailing her hand around wildly, Paisley eventually hit her mark and the noise cut off.
   Sighing, she sat up. With a yawn, she stretched then scratched her nose tiredly. Swinging her leg over the side of the bed, Paisley leaned on the wall as she hopped over to the shower. Staying in her dad's big travel apartments had some perks, including getting her own bathroom.
   After a hot, energizing shower, Paisley made...

Jabir Reed gently sketched along the back of the empty envelope, darkening the shadows cast on the neck by a soft jaw. Flipping the pencil, he brought down the very edge of it’s eraser, carefully adding contrast to the shines in those smiling dark eyes. He dragged out a few more lines, making the long, straight hair peeking from behind the figure's shoulders look even more black. He had no reference photo pulled up, but he didn’t need one. This...