“Nobody stays after dark,” the thin ferryman muttered, keeping his gaze on the boat and water as he dropped her off. He refused to look at her or at the island hidden behind a crawling fog. Matilda Garner

It's 3022, a time when the Veil had ceased to exist. The living and dead now intersect, our worlds colliding and mingling in the aftermath of the Collapse. On that memorable day, the sky lost its clear

BEFORE..... BREAKING NEWS General Chase Osbourne of US Army Training and Doctrine Command was found dead in his residence last night. There has been no release of an official cause of death though sources

BEFORE...... The receptionist barely had time to announce Peter Mercer before he pushed through the door into Dr Laura Hart's office three days later. The therapist glanced up from her computer, her eyes

Thunder rumbled through the dark clouds as rain pounded against the windows of Dr Laura Hart's office. It drowned out the sound of the outside world, the traffic, and Peter Mercer wished it could drown

When Miles and Lisa burst into the diner at busy hour where she walked part-time, Shelley was amused because their excitement was infectious after they showed her the brochure a lab technician gave them.

“You can throw him under the bus and finally get on your father's good side.” Tim Talbot lowered his voice as though they were conspiring to save the world. Nathan Weston rubbed his neatly trimmed beard,

Forty arrives with much joy and ceremony and a few strands of grey Perched on the fence post, the same moon stares down like it has forgotten my name Friends and kin ask ‘what are you waiting for?’ The

Vivian Peterson wished she could feel overwhelmed by fear and anxiety, wished her body would simply give out so someone could sedate her into an endless sleep. As she paced her room hours after the Licensing

Luca staggered into the bathroom barely managing to take off his clothes. His chest contracted painfully, making him gasp for air. He turned the shower on and the cold water hit him all over. The events

It was late afternoon and the sun burned hot like it would never shine again, the sky slowly starting to turn red with the sunset. I picked up my pace, running past houses until I got to the garden park.

My bouquet was mix of flowers I thought he might have loved if he had ever cared for such things—white lilies, chrysanthemums and dark red carnations. It was six in the morning. The sky was grey and dull

Felix's loud honk blared through the apartment building, stirring nosy neighbours to look through their curtains. Zara jerked awake at the noise, her heart pounding like she had just ran a marathon. Her

BEFORE.... The wardrobe was dark and suffocating, the narrow slit between the doors offering a tin glimpse of the dusty bedroom. Noora and I clung to each other, taking turns peering into the room through

“Yazmin!” Noora called, striding over to my side of the room, her eyes wide and excited as she slapped grandma's diary open on my laps. “Read this part,” she pointed to a paragraph written in elegant

Zaynab was late again. I scanned the bar upon entering and picked a spot in a corner. A young man with a towel hanging from his shoulder approached with a swagger. “What would you like to drink tonight?”

Bury the evidence! My instinct whispered so loud I jumped, looking around to find the person who said that. I held the plate, listening for a sound, any sound of Anna, my wife, approaching. The distant

Her grandma gently combed her fingers through Elsie's thick, luscious hair. She closed her aged eyes sniffing in the faint scent of lavender that wafted in the air. “Speak, child,” she urged softly. “Talk

Bernard held the car door open for Tina who slipped elegantly into the driver's seat, started the ignition and pulled the door shut. She wound down the window with a smile. “Remember, text me,” she said

The light drizzle didn't stop Fred Gibbons from dropping by the newspaper stand a few blocks from his shop. It was part of his morning routine so he and the owner, Jim, had become something close to friends.