14 NALIA HAD ONLY BEEN ASLEEP FOR A FEW HOURS WHEN a soft knock sounded at her bedroom door. She turned over and mumbled a sleepy “come in,” expecting it to be one of the maids with a breakfast tray. There were always three or so in the house, ghosts that flitted from room to room, working their ...
When they see me, they both wave, and some of the despair huddled in my chest disappears when I see the hopeful smiles they give me. I haven’t talked to either of them since yesterday morning, when Tessa could barely say two words to me. I came to school today assuming I didn’t have friends anymo...
Nalia struggled to pull herself out of the flames, but the lava held on to her like a long-lost lover, its heat so much more powerful than the oceans and lakes she had morphed into. She wasn’t sure she wanted to leave its burning embrace. Nothing and no one could hurt her here. It felt good to gi...
It was later that night, after midnight, everything outside cloaked in sinewy darkness. Marge was asleep, and the storm was keeping the guests tucked away inside their rooms, so the lobby was silent, save for the occasional burst of thunder and the rain that pummeled the roof with angry fists of ...