Source "That's the story of my life, Len. And I say that with no irony whatsoever." Len was surprised to see that a crowd had gathered; newsies jostled for good positions, and ear-thumping amateurs

Source "Do you hear that?" "What?" Michael asked patting his ears and the rumbling from the blacksmith shop across the dirt road was loud as usual. "Shh! Stop talking," I

Source Zeki scowled at her hands. It was all so silly, really. Six years she had slept, every day she woke up, hoping it was all a bad dream, and every day she was disappointed. The golden sparks, the

Source He (she?) lifted the heavy book. It was hard going; her arms were tired. Her father’s handwriting was almost illegible, and the book was huge. She hated her father a little, as she read the first

Source The king did not know what this was. He did not know what was the right word. But he did not care. He knew that the machines had to be stopped. He knew that the machines would be made. When the

Source Robots were curious creatures. They were resistant to change. They did not evolve. They did not reproduce. They just were. They were made to be in the service of people. They were made to serve

Source Robots were curious creatures. They were resistant to change. They did not evolve. They did not reproduce. They just were. They were made to be in the service of people. They were made to serve

Source He went away, and then came back. The ship he was on was a little smaller than the one the soldier was on. They came up with the boat that the swordsman was on. From their boat, they came out and

Source Not all dragons are evil. Some of them fight evil itself. One such dragon is al-Alfat. She lives far in the desert lands of Benjy. A strange place, Benjy. Although it is in this land that the current

Source In the distance they could hear the sound of clashing swords, and more cries. His majesty, and the other great swordsmen, were protecting the great priestess. They had to hurry, but there was nothing

Source "Horsemen! Archers! A charge!" The dragon blew fire into the air, sending horse and rider scattering like leaves. Arrows fell upon the dragon, but were deflected by impenetrable scales

Source Kyle was standing in the shower. He was glad for the hot, soothing water after such a cold day. Unlike his brother, whom Tyler called, ‘Brother,’ Kyle could not stand the cold. Now he was waiting

Source The mountain seemed to go on forever. Its slopes were littered with snow even in the season of spring and its tall pointed tip looked like a dagger stabbing at the sky. Far below on the ground level,

Source I’m trying to fall asleep; huddled up inside the vestibule of an abandoned train station. It’s cold. The rain is dampening the hay on the ground I’m laying on. This place is not fit for an adult,

Source "Great, just great," the shrill voice of a woman echoed through the house. She hit a nearby table with her high heels. "Ethan, I told you not to leave your books on the floor."

Source What the world would be like if, over the course of a decade or more, the majority of large mammal species, and many small ones, suddenly went extinct. Mark's dream was to be a writer. He considered

Source Watched through the trembling sight of a bazooka on his shoulder, the man killed by the weapon camouflaged in the bushes, the Confederate sniper saw the figure of the flag rising up. He, an African

Source The casket seemed to fill the main room and the line of wooden chairs from one wall to the other. A sea of people quietly, slowly filed through the pair of open double doors, shuffling forward to

Source My father had told me stories of my ancestors, about the great warrior tribesmen of the mountain. He told me of their many acts of valor, how they fought with the savagery of animals, how they raided

Source "Mom. Can we get one of those?" my son asked, pointing. He was looking at a female cat-bot being displayed on the sidewalk. "Oh, no. your father forbid it, remember Leon?" I