They guessed I was thirteen, but they didn't know. As I awoke, my mind was a blank slate with nothing in it. I had been rescued from a drug induced coma that had imprisoned me. I had very little in my head, but it didn't take long to discover I had exceptional abilities. I could control and manipulate matter. I seemingly had untold intelligence. Yet with all my power, I had no idea who I was.It was chilly in the room despite the heat of the rest of the house. I took my finger and traced it along the cold slab of cement. I inhaled deeply, to see if a recognized the smell in there. Nothing. I walked in circles around the room several times, then I turned to London with sadness.“I don’t remember anything. Are you sure this is where I lived for years?”London nodded.“It’s not doing a thing for me. I really thought it would.” I noticed the room had a mustard yellow aura. A shiver went down my back. I did not like the way the aura made me feel.London came over to me and put her thick arm around my shoulders. “I am so sorry, Alora. Maybe it is for the best.”I couldn’t believe that. Even if they had tortured me there, didn’t I deserve to know it? I tried to stop the tears, but they came anyways. I was so disappointed.“How about we forget this place and go get ice cream?” London said.I wasn’t ready to leave. I desperately wanted answers and had expected to find them there. Glum, I sat on the floor. I would stay there until my memories returned. Unsure of what to do, London lowered her large body onto the ground next to me. She pulled me into her and held me for over an hour. Her warmness softened my sorrow, but not by much. My bottom eventually got sore from the hard cement, but I wanted my memories.Finally, London said, “Alora, please. Let’s go. There is a bad spirit in this home. I can feel it. I am ready to leave, and you should be too.”She was right. I could sense something dark and negative there. I let her pull me up. I was upset I had failed to retrieve my memories. I had been convinced I would find them there. We walked out of the house, and I could feel the negativity melt off my shoulders.“Let’s get ice cream,” London said as she held my hand and led me across the street to her waiting car.I didn’t want ice cream. I didn’t want anything. I was so disappointed I hadn’t figured out who I was. The house was the only clue to my past. No one else knew a thing about me. If I couldn’t find my past at the house, then I concluded I would never know who I was. Views: 679
What is the dividing line between myth and reality? Where is the frontier – if there is such a thing - between one and the other? I’ve always thought I had the correct answer to those questions. I always thought I knew where the limits were. After all, it is not that difficult.What is the dividing line between myth and reality? Where is the frontier – if there is such a thing - between one and the other? I’ve always thought I had the correct answer to those questions. I always thought I knew where the limits were. After all, it is not that difficult. Being young and inexperienced I had the feeling I knew many things when the truth is I knew nothing at all. There were many things I had still to learn and some of them were – to my astonishment – not so easy to explain or to give credit for.An early and eager interest in legends has kept my mind in alert mode searching and enthusiastically hunting for stories of every kind. But the ones I prefer are those which depict paranormal activities. It feels good from time to time getting some thrill in this, otherwise, boring life of mine. Views: 678
Teen Sonya Neslund and her friends solve the mystery behind a series of sniper shootings in their hometown during a fierce winter. Who is the Marine Sniper?Teen Sonya Neslund and her friends solve the mystery behind a series of sniper shootings in their hometown during a fierce winter. Sonya's friend Bobby finds a kindred spirit in a boy with his own secrets. Meanwhile, the outlaw Blue Diamonds MC seek vengeance for a murdered brother. Does a new church, and its charismatic leader, have the answers? Who is the Marine Sniper? Views: 678
**From a double RITA® Finalist and an award-winning author The Kilts & Quilts saga continues with more than stitching and a love match. This time it's mystery and murder... In Scotland, the Gandiegow quilters are in an uproar when their favorite fictional quilters—the Buttermilk Guild—are killed off by a best-selling mystery author. Diana McKellen is called in by the publisher to fix this PR nightmare. It's said, there's no such thing as bad publicity, but Diana questions this long-standing notion when an editor is murdered at a book signing. Detective Chief Inspector Rory Crannach has been called in to investigate. He has to interview all the suspects closely...including Diana McKellen. He finds it perplexing that he's drawn to her, especially since Diana wants nothing to do with him. Her own father was an NYPD detective, who died in the line of duty. She has vowed to never make the same mistake her mother made...falling for a... Views: 678
Inhuman monsters, giant robot spiders, and a madman with a thirst for destruction ... Professor Kurou is back and more dangerous than ever. After five years of incarceration, Jun Matsumoto is released from a mental hospital. With his hatred for Professor Kurou still consuming him, he enlists the help of some old friends and tracks his nemesis to Barcelona, where he hopes to rescue Ken Okamoto's missing daughter, Nozomi. Kurou, however, has a master plan that will not only destroy one of the greatest landmarks in mankind's history, but bring war to an entire nation. Jun must battle not only ghosts from his past and his own failing mind, but a man who is now the undisputed Puppeteer King... From the author of the acclaimed Tube Riders trilogy, The Puppeteer King is the third volume in Chris Ward's Tales of Crow series, a blend of science fiction, fantasy and horror set in the near future. Views: 678
Terrorized by the thought of death, a man lets himself be contaminated by vampirism to prolong his life indefinitely. However, when Hell and Heaven’s legions face each other in the ultimate battle, he becomes the last human being on Earth. Will he let himself be dragged peacefully into one of the afterlife kingdoms?Terrorized by the thought of death, a man lets himself be contaminated by vampirism to prolong his life indefinitely. However, when Hell and Heaven’s legions face each other in the ultimate battle, he becomes the last human being on Earth. Will he let himself be dragged peacefully into one of the afterlife kingdoms?This is one of the short stories included in the anthology "Dark Fantasies and Other Stories " by the same author . Views: 677
When a street cat is lucky enough to find a home, he learns to adapt - even when his people bring a new kitten to share their lives. But he never really learns to miaow... until, one night, danger threatens.Fidelia was happily married, with one child, but her life was about to turn into a nightmare, for her only child had gone missing from school. In the ensuing quest for the girl, she is to realize that the ideal life she had been living was nothing more than a sham; that the wealth she had come to enjoy had been hinged on ritual murders, the likes of which she had never heard of before. She was the chosen blood for the ritual goddess. And now, her only child was the ultimate blood sacrifice for the altar.She would have to battle to save, not only herself, but also her daughter, from the greatest evil they had ever encountered. Views: 677
Nathan Monroe is a 28-year-old American living in Saigon who falls in love with a poor but talented Vietnamese painter. When he fails to protect their love from her desperate chase for a better life in America, his safety net appears in the form of Anthony, an old domineering friend in Hanoi who hires Nathan at his real estate firm. Only much later does Nathan discover that Anthony has intended all along for him to take over his job and family so that he, too, can escape and start his life over in America. Lotuslanddramatizes the power imbalances between Westerners living abroad and between Westerners and Vietnamese — in love and friendship, in the consequences of war, and in the pursuit of dreams. Views: 677
