Chapter 1: The Contract Marriage Lena Whitmore had never imagined that her life would be reduced to a signature. One signature. That was all it would take to save her family—or to destroy whatever was left of her heart. The lawyer slid the document across the polished mahogany table. The paper looked harmless, almost elegant, … Read more

This story contains sensitive content Written in response to: “Set your story during the coldest day of the year.” as part of The Fright Before Christmas. Not even magical reindeer who fly are immortal, and Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen were tales of Christmas mornings that had long since … Read more

I always joke around and say that my life is a movie, but at this point I need Spike Lee. It’s 4:45 pm, I know that I need to ring the bell so that the boys can finally get out of daycare but I needed a few minutes to myself. Breathe. Alright let’s go I … Read more

90s Fine Word Count: 2718     “Your neighbors are here,” the host said. She leaned in so close to Lola’s shoulder that Lola caught the sharp, citrus bite of her cleaning spray. Lola glanced up out of habit. Her breath snagged. Perri. The world didn’t slow. It didn’t dim. But something inside Lola shifted—quiet, … Read more

The Gig   Imani didn’t miss the stage. What she missed was the half-second before it—the moment when your name hasn’t been said yet, and your body hasn’t decided whether it’s going to cooperate, when you can still turn around, when the room hasn’t reached for you. That moment mattered because everything after it cost … Read more