A Cyberpunk poetic story. Earth has been vanquished by our mistakes, we have moved into a new world, Zinzanzar. Similar to our home, but by 2021, the peace we expected, turned into a catastrophe. Look through the eyes of Angela Madison to experience this world of sorrow-surrounding her and within her.As a recent graduate, Ryan Johnson is on the fast track to having a prestigious career and prosperous life. Then Ryan wakes up one spring morning and everything he cherishes becomes jeopardized. He finds himself left with only fragments of the prior night's events and covering his body are numerous strange injuries that he cannot rationally explain. As he learns of the painful experiences that took place the night his memory was deleted, his world is exterminated of all purpose and is instead replaced with abundant chaos. Did his destructive habits finally ruin his family or is someone else hiding in the dark? In search of answers, he begins peeling back the layers that surround his tragic demise. But answers are hard to come by, and the murder that turned his life into a nightmare takes an unexpected turn. His search leads him to the rediscovery of a piece of family history, the tale of an event his own ancestors buried, so that their family could move on from the past by hiding any remembrance of the lost "Gate's Fortune" from the public.Who does a person trust, when he can't even trust himself or his family? While excavating the corrosive details from his wrecked world, he uncovers a hidden relationship that brings him clarity. A relationship that removes the carnage from his mind and breaths life into his heart. But to find any true peace, he himself must not only protect himself and those he loves, but also avenge those he has lost, thus hopefully repudiating his own transgressions within his distraught reality. But, all hidden truth comes with a price. Some of these truths can take a person into a bottomless pit of despair, where things are best left untouched and forgotten. While other times, the only way to survive a life of trauma and pain is to engage the truths that the mind tries to hide. For Ryan, this struggle for regeneration will either lead him into the light or banish him to a bleak life of darkness inside his twisted mind. Because there is but one way to decipher the events surrounding that horrid night, he must dive head first into the raging hurricane within his subconscious, in search of the buried truth.

The first volume of short stories written by M. Edward McNally, circa 1991-1997. Contents:Bedlam - "The Saturday after my dad first shows up, Walter makes his break for the woods, and vanishes."7:00 C/M (Seven, Central and Mountain) - Let's see what's on tonight, shall we?Bedlam - An employee at a Southern "Treatment Facility" called Willow Farm meets the father he never knew. Questions of sanity abound. Who is sane, who is insane, and is there really much of a difference.7:00 C/M - Honestly, it is just about what's on TV tonight, what could be simpler?

A teen goes wild when his father is killed in a bar room brawl, he causes the death of the man responsible, then takes the life of another men, he embraces the biker gang until he attempts to steal the bike of an immoveable Vietnam vet.**Please review this book**Judge Henry Davis is faced with deciding whether a young man, convicted of murder, should live or die. The case has generated national media attention, and opposing forces are lined up outside the court as he arrives to announce his decison. Adding to the mounting pressure on Judge Davis, himself a candidate for political office, is pressure from publisher who regards himself as a king-maker in their political party. He wants the judge to duck the decision. What will Judge Davis do?

Where do baby apes sleep? In apricots!I'm Elsa, and that's one of my jokes (I tell LOTS of jokes and I'm going to be a big star one day). I do my best to cheer my family up - but no one seems to laugh much any more. Not since we lost our lovely house and had to move into a bed and breakfast hotel...

Dan Sherman goes from a History Teacher to a Space Guardian in one day. He is transformed into one of the most powerful beings in the Multiverse.Dan Sherman had to take early retirement through bereavement. He started to have lucid dreams about a tall man who was beckoning him go to a certain place. He soon realized that this wasn't an everyday event. It was to be the start of a once in a lifetime chance to be a Space Guardian. How will he cope with powerful entities who will try to destroy him at every turn?

It’s the Year 9 Self-Es-Team Building residential, and Harley’s not sure why she signed up. Charlie’s as neurotic as ever, and Devon’s cooing has reached a frequency that only dogs can hear.When Rachel’s nasty side comes out to play, Harley hopes for anything at all to take the spotlight away from her feuding bezzies, but what she’ll discover isn’t going to be easy to handle.It’s the Year 9 Self-Es-Team Building residential, and Harley’s not sure why she signed up. Life in a field is full of inopportune meetings, and two out of four attendees are finding out things they didn't want to know. Charlie’s as neurotic as ever, and Devon’s cooing has reached a frequency that only dogs can hear.Under the un-supervision of three overexcited teachers and some absentee camp counsellors, the students find themselves more-or-less alone, so when Rachel’s nasty side comes out to play, Harley hopes for anything at all to take the spotlight away from her feuding bezzies. But what she’ll discover isn’t going to be easy to handle.

Murray Van Rensselaer has wealth and status on his side. But when an unexpected event brands him a murderer, Murray desperately needs a new name.

This book is a collection of short stories or ‘flash fiction’, inspired mostly by author Chuck Wendig's weekly writing challenges on his Terrible Minds blog. Most of the stories are based on these challenges and can be found on my short story blog, Under A Starlit Sky, with a few unpublished ones thrown in. Now, please, won't you journey into the dark and shadowy places?This book is a collection of short stories or ‘flash fiction’, inspired mostly by author Chuck Wendig and his fantastic and hilarious blog, Terrible Minds, where he hosts weekly Friday Flash Fiction writing challenges. Ninety-nine percent of the stories in this book I have written are based on these challenges and can be found on my short story blog, Under A Starlit Sky, with a few unpublished ones thrown in. I decided to compile them into the more convenient and easy to read format of an eBook, rather than scrolling through them online. Now, please, won't you journey into the dark and shadowy places?

Speculative/magical realism short fiction - single storyThe Snub Nubbins are a bit different, we can expect that, after all they do come from a planet so far away, an area in space called the Cosmos. Just like humans they have a planet to live on that is no different to our own earth.They found something called Quog, it was magical stuff, they didn't know what it was, but used it for many things. Quog could keep them warm, keep them cool, make things go along and even make Bok Bok's disappear but they didn't know where too. Quog could make Snub Nubbins very sick, if one was not very careful with it.Snub Nubbins knew a lot about their Universe because they had a special hole, they could look into the bright coloured lights, sparkling and popping inside the hole, and if they closed their eyes and concentrated with their head in the hole, they could see the universe and far beyond.Larco the scientist had studied the hole for Palliums, bit like earth years. One Peck, like an earth day, he saw a planet just like his own, he called it Plop Plop. It was blue, and had lots of water, it was round, and looked exciting, just like home. There were living things on the planet, similar to Snub Nubbins, but they were very ugly. Larco could understand their language, and listened to them with great interest. He wrote a report to the Grand Snub Nubbin and was invited to talk to the Grand council of Snubs. There was great concern, and great anticipation, and the race was on to find out more about the planet Plop Plop.

Why does God allow suffering? What is the purpose of life from heaven’s view? Where do we go after we die? Thirteen-year-old Alex Opalstone is learning all about this through surreal dreams she has at night about the great mysteries of life. Finding their meaning brings great friends and dangerous enemies. Come along for an adventure that is out of this world in its ability to amaze and inspire.What is the view heaven has about the purpose of life? Thirteen-year-old Alex Opalstone is learning all about this through amazing dreams she has at night that lead her to the answers of the great mysteries of life. But even though she has the dream and already understands what much of it means, finding the meaning to the rest of the dream will take her on some unexpected adventures that bring her great friends but comes with the unfortunate results of attracting dangerous enemies. The dreams help Alex to learn of just one of her many potential abilities. The first power she learns of is the potential to see multiple worlds at once: The everyday world in which we all live and how it can be influenced for either good or evil by influences not usually seen with physical sight and she sees the bright and often unseen world of heaven’s blessed influence along with the opposing darker world that works to interfere to try and prevent heaven’s blessings. She sees life as heaven sees it. Because of her bully of an older brother, Dex, she knows all too well what it's like to suffer. But Alex turns her experience for good by learning to have compassion for those who suffer. When Alex was younger, she would use an old window frame to imagine the view heaven has of life and how God's angels bless us in our times of need. But after several years pass without her using the old frame, she has several surreal dreams at night that use the window to teach her about the purpose of life in heaven's view and of her own potential for good. She learns that she can tap into something beyond this world to work within her to give her strength and abilities to do good and help others through powers that are not available by her own efforts alone. Some would call such abilities "superhuman." When Alex must move away to live with relatives that will keep her safe from her bully of a brother, she attends a new school, makes new friends and learns of the school’s charitable fund-raising contest. It's a chance for students to create a way to sell something to raise money to be donated to a good cause.As her new friends, Leena and Julio, join her to help win the contest as a team, their friendship brings about exciting adventures and even a few near catastrophes through funny yet often innocent mistakes along the way. When an older woman, billionaire Linda Wise, agrees to coach Alex and her team along towards success, her extra help begins to attract unexpected enemies for Linda and Alex.When Linda isn't helping Alex, Linda works on solving a great mystery she discovered unexpectedly about her deceased father. Her father was doing research on a mysterious scroll that reveals teachings of Christ to shine a great light and answer the great questions of life such as how to find lasting happiness and know who we are, why we are living here and where we all go after death.But where is the scroll now and how did her father learn of it? How will Alex's dreams confirm many of these answers? And what is in the scroll’s lessons that will prove that the "superhuman" abilities Alex may have within herself are one of the greatest gifts anyone can receive? And is there a way for others to have the same gift and powers Alex discovers? An inspiring story that merges with a humorous, laugh-out-loud funny style, the story of Alex Opalstone is set to rival other bestsellers of the past. Come along for an adventure that is out of this world in its ability to amaze and inspire while showing that the realities of life are often far greater than we imagine and that each of us has the potential to unlock heaven's powers within us to shine brightly for good in ways that will take us far beyond where we thought we could go.

What is inside the fascinating house with the locked door and the shuttered windows? Satan wants an experiment, to demonstrate that there can be peace in the world if God allows Satan to run things in his own way. A startling and gripping account of what happens when God stands back and Satan steps forward. All seems to go well for the people who volunteer to take part. And no Christians allowed!What is inside the fascinating house with the locked door and the shuttered windows? Satan wants an experiment. God allows it. John is caught up in the plan as Satan’s human representative. The experiment? To demonstrate that there can be peace in the world if God allows Satan to run things in his own way. A group of people gather together in an idyllic village run by Satan, with no reference to God, and no belief in him.J Stafford Wright has written this startling and gripping account of what happens when God stands back and Satan steps forward. All seems to go well for the people who volunteer to take part. And no Christians allowed!John Longstone lost his faith when teaching at a theological college. Lost it for good -- or so he thinks. And then he meets Kathleen who never had a faith. As the holes start to appear in Satan’s scheme for peace, they wonder if they should help or hinder the plans which seem to have so many benefits for humanity.

Carol Walsh returns home late at night to find her daughter isn't there. When she is unable to contact her, Carol succumbs to her own fatalistic thoughts.A short story giving two different points of view of the events of a single night.First of a three part series.Carol Walsh, overprotective and pessimistic by nature, returns home late at night to find her daughter isn't there. When she is unable to contact her, Carol succumbs to her own fatalistic thoughts.A short story giving two different points of view of the events of a single night."I was captivated by the story right off" - Freetail Therapy review."The writing throws you smack dab in the middle of a mother's worry and drags you around with her until the very shocking end." - Ey Wade on Wade-in to Book Reviews.

Evan wants to get his little sister a brand new doll for her birthday. The problem? He's living in the Age of the Undead and the toy store is in the most zombie infested side of town. Should this make Evan change his plans? Probably. Will it? Heck no! With his bicycle, book bag, duct tape, and Super Hammer, there's nothing he can't do.Evan is a middle school kid who's trying to get by in this Age of the Undead. With his parents missing, it's up to him to provide for his little sister. He's found a niche for himself as his community's scrounger - If you need it, Evan can find it. Today is his little sister's birthday and he wants to get her a doll. Not just any doll; a band new, never played with, still in the box doll. For that Evan needs to go to Toys, Toys, Toys!, the Best Toy Store on Earth. The only problem is, the best toy store on earth is in the most zombie infested part of his town. Should this make Evan change his plans? Probably. Will it? Heck no! With his bicycle, book bag, duct tape, and Super Hammer, there's nothing he can't do.

Chauncey works for a kneecap banker, a loanshark whose rates are so high that very few ever come to him. Chauncey is the muscle that gets sent in to collect when payments are missed, when people run, or when things generally go sideways instead of according to plan. No one is better at tracking down a runner. That's because Chauncey is a werewolf.Chesrie and Kelcie lost their mother when they were young. Without a father to turn to, they had to find their own way to survive and became thieves. But several years of such dishonest living have worn on their consciences, particularly Kelcie's, and so they have been saving up to move far away into the mountains and start over. All they have to do is finish a string of robberies along an archipelago just off the western coast of Eretsfel. One strange island that lies on the western edge of the archipelago, however, has much more in store for them than they could possibly anticipate.

Want more shorts from K. Weikel? Look no further! They just get better and better...K. Weikel has written several books and many more short stories, poems, and creative essays. Read them all here, each one different from the next and ranging from general fiction to fantasy to horror. Take on dragons, fight with vampires, run with the wolves, disintegrate with zombies, and let your hairs rise as you read a collection of her works, all in one. List X includes poetry, short stories, creative essays, book previews, and so much more. But you'll never know if you never open up and take a gander at what comes out of K. Weikel's mind. Prepare to be astounded.