On the napkin written in eyeliner were three numbers, a dash and then four more numbers followed by the words “Text me!” Allen looked up at the flirtatious bartender in mild confusion then asked, “Text?

The manatee was waving at him. The older fishermen said this day would come. He knew they were serious but he had hoped he could last at least a few more years. Sadly, it wouldn't be long before the manatees

“I know you're in there! Come out and face me like a man!” No, thank you! Jason thought as he ran semi clothed, through the connecting door from one bedroom to the next. If being a 'real man' meant meeting

To live. Is that not what we all want? Branches stretching up to the heavens, consuming the light from the closest star, the tree wanted to live as she had lived for hundreds of years already. But this

The pictures were all lies. They had never visited the Eiffel Tower or held hands on a gondola smiling into each other's eyes or gone camping together. ‘Cause she was a chatbot. A technological miracle,

“Okay guys, we need to show up classy, maybe a little sexy for this gig. Oh. And, uh, Jesse…just wear whatever makes you feel comfortable…?” He trailed off apologetically. And she nodded with a blank

The bottle held a gallon of something. The note said to drink all of it in the next 2 hours or a loved one would die. And the note said quite a few things that proved its authenticity. But what did the

Today was shaping up to be a very bad day. The voice in her head had started replaying its playlist of all the stupidest things she had said from age 5 to the present and it wasn't even 6 am yet. Which

With her ear pressed firmly to the door, Greta struggled to understand the conversation taking place on the other side. Her tenacity was rewarded. With seconds to spare she escaped carrying a secret she

The milk had a little coffee in it. Due to an extreme sensitivity to caffeine, Professor Gordon could only stomach the most miniscule quantities of caffeine at a time. This was upsetting to her because

The interviewer had asked him such an innocent question: what drew him to paint landscapes? He could have waxed poetic about his many artistic influences or something equally pretentious and believable.

Life could be so confusing sometimes but once in a while something reveals itself in crystal clarity so unambiguously that no other possible explanation can be given. Lila was in the middle of one of those

They lied about everything. The wealthy family that needed a nanny for their two young children did not exist. She spent barely any time at all in the first country she flew to before she was taken to

The city smelled like pee, there were hardly any trees and the strangers' eyes were all so cold. But none of that mattered to Rose. This was where the good doctor lived and there was a sickness brewing

Love at first sight sounded like such an immature excuse for lust or infatuation to Joe. How could something as deep and powerful as love just blossom into existence in an instant? How can you know someone's

He had his pride. But pride didn't keep the soldiers away. It didnt stop the children's hunger pangs. It certainly didnt pay for the graves of the loved ones he'd lost. So he swallowed his pride and forced

​The sky was gray. It seemed like the sky was always gray ever since the ship wreck. Lars was lucky to have made it out alive, but at the same time, you could say he was unlucky for that very same reason.

The magic test was negative. Despite having glittery butterfly wings, the half human baby was no fairy. At least, not at first. Years later, a series of strange events had everyone questioning the validity

It was a tough decision: designer handbag or next month's rent and utilities. Juliana was torn between her love for the finer things and that ever present desire to not slip into homelessness. The angel

Lucy's mom had news for her and that fact was enough to fill her with dread. Even with the flimsy promise that it was nothing major this time. So, obviously, the news turned out to be a new step-dad five