Isador crawled towards her, his brow creased and lips sinking into a frown.

Aedus stepped in front of him. “I said not to interfere.”

Please fade. Lorin curled on her side, panting. If she figured out how to damn Isador back to Hell, she’d send the faerie with him. The pain withdrew further as the seconds disintegrated. Breathe. She gulped streams of cold air.

“Oh, good girl.” Aedus leaned over her. “Fain screamed the first time I did that to him.”

His name wasn’t what she needed to hear, as though it didn’t matter their lives had been torn asunder.

Aedus crouched closer. She gathered her strength and kicked him in the shin. He gave a startled blink, and then a smile spread across his face. He grabbed for her. She jerked backwards, scooting across the stones. The grit of scattered dirt scratched her palms.

“You want to fight?” He caught her around the ankle and pulled. His fingers stung like shards of glass ripping through skin.

She groaned low in her throat. With one foot uncaptured, she twisted and kicked him in the thigh. His grin widened. No wincing, no intake of breath — no sign her attempts to deter him worked. Indestructible freak of nature.

Aedus planted his hands beside her waist, looming over her. She struggled to balance and slapped him across the face, hard enough to make her palm ache. She watched him and saw nothing. Nothing.

“You think that hurts me?”

And then Lorin remembered Fain’s words in the forest, their meaning returning to her in horrified realization.

A true faerie can’t feel pain.

By Alicia

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The bare bones set-up::
Andrew tried to get Blake to break up with Alexis, then suddenly changed his mind. Who knows why.. Then, Alexis found herself fighting Andrew in the faery realm. He was trying to kill while she was protecting, but she thinks it may have all been a dream. They’re back in the human dimension now.

After freshening up as best she could – she borrowed some toothpaste and used her finger as a brush – Alexis wandered into the kitchen for a glass of water. And found Andrew there.

“Morning,” she said groggily.

“Oh, hey. Thought I was the only one up.”

“Nah, I always get up early. I need to find Blake. I gotta get home.”

“He’s still drunk, I think. I’m about to leave. Wanna ride?”

No, I don’t like you, remember? But of course she couldn’t say that.

“Yeah, that’d be good. I have a lot to do around the house today. Can’t waste time here.”

“Alright then, let’s go,” he said.

They walked outside to Andrew’s truck, and even though Alexis had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, she made herself climb in the cab. Too bad it was even worse inside. Some kind of smell – nothing like old food or gym clothes or anything, just a weird odor – almost choked her out. She rolled the window down. Thankfully, it was nice that morning. Her stomach was getting queasier by the second.

They made random small talk on the way to Alexis’, but mostly sat in extremely uncomfortable silence.

I know I’m supposed to be giving him a chance, and he is being decent driving me home. What’s my problem?

Alexis had the strangest feeling that the same thoughts were running through Andrew’s mind.

Not soon enough, they arrived.

“Well, thanks for the ride. I appreciate it. If you talk to Blake before I do. can you ask him to call me?”

“Sure thing. And no problem – being stuck without a car is no fun. See ya later.”

“K. Bye.”

By Eden

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Pushing him away, she lurched to her feet. “I can’t…I…You…I’ve gotta go.”

“I’m sorry. Please. Don’t push me away.” He held up his hands. “I’ve wanted this. Since the moment I saw you I’ve wanted this.” He let out a big breath. “But you don’t. So I promise I won’t kiss you again. Kate. Please. Stay here with me.”

What’s wrong with you? You want him, he wants you. What’s the problem?

She shook her head.

I can’t control myself around him.

It terrified her.

“Look. I’ll keep two feet away. I heard somewhere that it’s a good distance to stay away from you.”

She couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped her lips. “Okay. Two feet.”

He doesn’t have to torture me. I’m doing that just fine on my own.

“You know. You don’t have to stay two feet away from me.” He shrugged. “In case you wanted to know.”

“It shouldn’t be a problem.”

It shouldn’t be. But it is.

She sat back on the grass, folding her legs under her. He sat almost precisely two feet away and handed her a bottle of water.

She took it, careful not to brush his hand.

“You can’t count that as breaking the rules.”

“There’s only one rule. But even I’m not that crazy.”

Or horny.

Then she thought about tossing the bottle and jumping him.

Okay, I’m that horny. But he doesn’t have to know that.

He picked a purple wildflower and offered it to her.

“Now you’re just pushing your luck.” Her heart lurched.

He leaned forward, keeping his eyes on hers. “Want to see how much I far I can push it?”

“No.”

Yes.

By Joyce

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By Robyn

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The first line is from Leni, the younger, who is also the narrator.

—

“Hair in funny places?  An irresistible urge to pump out a few babies and bake cookies all day?”

She cracked a little.  Not a lot, but a little.

“Yeah.  Right.  Never.”  She held the pillow like a shield between her legs, and we both smiled at the old joke.  I flopped down on the bed beside her, not looking at her, but not looking away, either.

“It’s just …”  She trailed off.  She wasn’t looking at anything, either.

“Lexi, your wrist.  And the bruises on your shins.  Did you ever tell mom about those?”

She didn’t do anything but breathe.

“That would be a big, fat NO, then?”  I might have sighed a little over-dramatically at her.  Just a little.

“Last week it was your wrist again.  And a few days before that you were limping all day at work.”

She nodded and put her head down and that’s when I saw it.  I don’t think she meant to show me, but it was there.

“Holy crap, Lexi!  When did you get that?”  I pointed.

The bruise under her hair on the back of her neck was ugly.  Yellow and green.  It would fade in another few days, but it must have already been there for a while.  How had I missed it?  I reached out to touch it, not thinking.  She slapped my hand away a little to harshly.

“Hey!  Sorry!  Geez.”  I might have pouted.

She finally spoke to me, but she still wouldn’t look at me.

“You’re right, Leni.  I’m so sorry.  I should have told you sooner.  I just … I didn’t know how to.”

“Was it whats-his-name?  David?  Dean?  Has he been beating you up?  We have to tell mom and call the cops!”

I made a grab for the phone, but she got there first with those gangly spider-monkey arms of hers.

By Rick O

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Andrea stared at the pair of eyes. They were the best pair that she had ever drawn. They were open wide, but the irises were slits, they were knowledgeable, calculating. There were shadows under the eyes, showing many sleepless nights. Andrea licked her lips. It wasn’t like her to create something this amazing. Drawing was a skill, not a talent, but once in a while, she created something that she fell in love with. And with her recent social suicide, she felt that this pair of eyes were incredible.

Andrea licked her lips.
Okay Andrea, you don’t have to do this…But these eyes, they’re so beautiful. Who do they belong to? I need to know! But I can’t! I promised mother that I would try to make friends and hold of drawing for a while…but I just had the whole school laugh at me! Including the freshmen! No Senior should have this kind of pain! I’m sorry mother, but I can’t help it.

“The Chameleon,” whispered Andrea to herself.

“Do you want to share that with the class?” Snapped Mr. George, the gangly teacher with a surprising military past.

“No, Mr. George.” Replied Andrea obediently.

“Then recite the quadratic formula!” He commanded.

Andrea said nothing. She hadn’t paid attention to Mr. George’s command. She was too busy dreaming, wondering about possibilities. She NEEDED to know who The Chameleon was. Andrea was floating into madness.

By Ceylan

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