Meg handled the egg with oven mitts, but it felt pleasantly warm against Sue’s bare palms. She kissed the shell and felt her dragon stir. Heavy wings flapped overhead. Joe scrambled down a rope in the well. Flames roared, the rope burned, and he tumbled to the cold water below. […]
free fiction
Jim didn’t like cafeterias. He’d had bad experiences in cafeterias. Of course, the adult scientists weren’t likely to dump chocolate milk on his lap or make fun of him for reading at recess, but he was still uneasy. He stuck close to Ronnie as she got in line. She was […]
Martian Adventures: Cafeteria Food
"I don’t want you going down to the stables anymore," Isaac’s mother said, standing in his doorway. "It isn’t safe for you, out every morning riding that monster." "He’s not a monster. Flame would never hurt me." Isaac turned away from her, hoping that she’d let the subject drop. "It’s […]
A Taste of Freedom
The doctor screamed when she cut off his hands. His fingers were much longer than the ones he’d given her. Now she could be a piano prodigy. His body was trying to kill him. His wife tied his limbs, but they forgot his hair. He screamed as it encircled […]
Twitter Stories
Ronnie loved running, and the forbidden greenhouse was her favorite place to do it. She dodged between trees and glanced back. Jim was following her, and they’d already lost Dr. Eric. Joy gave her feet wings. She didn’t slow down till she got to her hideout. When Jim finally caught […]
Martian Adventures: The Hideout
Jack squeezed his mother-in-law’s parrot with both hands. Its tiny heart beat like mad, and its wings strained against his fingers. "Set me free!" the parrot squawked. "Please?" Its beady black eyes pleaded with him. "Sorry, buddy," Jack said. "My wife would kill me if I lost her mom’s […]
Pet Sitting
Ignacio examined the fortifications, seeing strengths, flaws, and faint future ghosts with his gift. He smiled. He’d stop the French here. A dead dolphin drifted past, and Tom’s strength was fading. He was drowning. He wished that he’d never wished for an ocean of tequila. Tim’s margarita was a pretty […]
Twitter Stories
James–no, Jim, he had to start thinking of himself as Jim–couldn’t believe his luck. The only other kid on Mars was a cute girl. A cute, nice girl who was obviously excited about the idea of being his friend. No one had ever been excited to be his […]
Martian Adventures: Into the Greenhouse
The Earth still looked beautiful from the moon. Kari stood on the lunar surface and stared up at it. She started to run, accelerating in long bounding jumps. It wasn’t hard in the low gravity, even at her age. When she was going as fast and jumping as high as […]
Homesick
Sam’s alien boss laughed when he asked for his birthday off. It told him to stop tracking time by Earth’s sun and took his calendar away. The once-pauper was ready to return to his life, but a servant gave him a crown wrapped in rags. The note said "Happy Birthday, […]