I will do anything to keep the smile on my nephews little face, but I saw something on my sisters coffee table amongst the paper work that made me question if Jamie my six year old nephew is safe and if not, can I get the mysterious policeman Liam, who I call ‘beast’ since he is so intimidating, to help me Emilia or as he calls me 'Tinkerbell'? It’s obvious that Liam gets all the women to fall at his feet, I’m usually not the main character the way my life goes, more of the sarcastic, curvy best friend. But the butterflies I feel when I’m near him and small glances he gives me can’t help but make me feel different, this has nothing to do with romance, I’m only getting him to help Jamie and when it’s done but that’s it. I’ve never been the main character, especially not with a love interest that I know won’t happen and it’s not going to start now. Besides I am more of a side character anyway…right?

Dog adopters get two Winnies in one.

TWIN Siblings LAUREN & HARLEY seek to find the truth of their deceased parents...

All I know is toil and work and rice and beans and saying goodbye to loved ones too early. All I have is a family made up of broken people and a community paved with broken streets. All we have is stories and hope and the Lifemaker and each other.  All they want from us is the sweat off our backs.

But on one night I have a dream. On one afternoon a child commits a crime. On one dawn the world starts turning towards a new day and the gods are closer than we ever knew them to be.

Former Queen of Hell Charlotte learns of a prophecy regarding four children who, if allowed to grow to maturity, will become powerful enough to eventually destroy all life as they knew it. Instead of doing what every single Monster Hunter and most other humans plan to do, she decides to adopt all the prophesied children in hopes that giving them a happy childhood would prevent the apparent Apocalypse they would otherwise create.

Once upon a time there was a kingdom. A kingdom full of common people who were scraping by however they could. A kingdom full of nobles who had more than they ever needed. A kingdom full of imbalanced power and inalienable longing.

There was a servant girl who was the mother of the king's son. There were many other women who were the mothers of many saccharine children.

And somewhere in the reality between realities, there were four women creating.

———

This work is in the public domain and anyone can do whatever they want with it.

Azania was sixteen. And she couldn’t take it anymore. She had spent her childhood lonely, spent it terrified, spent it desperate, spent it aching. The only adults in her life were the people who saw her as nothing but a tool to exploit and use. She was told over and over and over again that she was nothing and no-one and she didn’t matter. The only people in her life who cared about her were fellow slave-children and she barely ever got to see them at all. She needed freedom. Escape. She was willing to do anything for it.

And she wasn’t the only one. All over the city people were being exploited. People were being forced to work under impossibly degrading conditions and live in abject poverty. People were silenced. Stifled. And they were longing for escape.

The Forest was beyond the edges of the city. It was a place of magic and miracles. It was a place of hope and freedom and rebirth. But getting there was next to impossible.

Within the Forest the wolves howled. Azania emerged from the water. And she wasn’t the only one. And she wouldn’t be the only one. Who she met changed her life forever.

————This work is in the public domain and anyone can do whatever they want with it.

You were born dirt poor to a mother and father who loved you. You were orphaned at the age of eight because poverty is inherently precarious. Thankfully you grew up in a community that cared for you as best as they could. A community that raised you into the young woman you are today.

You live in a world that used to spark with life and hope and magic. Now there still might be magic but ... it's different.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story takes place in a fictional fantasy world full of fictional fantasy people. Also my take on the magic elements of the world  is heavily inspired by my religion of Lokeanism. I recognize that the motifs (is that the right word?) I used in this piece are not necessarily universal.

———

This work is in the public domain and anyone can do whatever they want with it.

Milahi loves her family. She loves her community. She loves her people. She works hard at the cafe six days a week. They don't have much. But they have each other. They make sure they have each other no matter what. And that's strength.

She's blessed as much as she's cursed.

As much as the Lords have every piece of her, they don't have her soul.

Monday through Saturday are days for misery.

Sundays are days for joy.  For rebellion. For hope.

———

This work is in the public domain and anyone can do anything they want with it.

Be careful what you wish for.... [Based on a true story; names have been changed to preserve privacy.]

I always welcome constructive criticism.