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1001 Inventions That Changed the World | Various | [
"history",
"nonfiction"
] | [
"science",
"pedia"
] | Chapter 1 | To invent is to create something new—something that did not exist before. An invention can be an idea, a principle (such as democracy), a poem, a dance, or a piece of music, but in this book we have restricted ourselves to technological inventions. Technology is the practical application of our understanding of the wor... |
1001 Inventions That Changed the World | Various | [
"history",
"nonfiction"
] | [
"science",
"pedia"
] | The Ancient World | The invention of the first stone tools more than 2 million years ago was the moment when humankind started to distinguish itself from all other species on the planet. It took our forebears another 1.2 million years before they found other ingenious ways to use their natural resources—by learning to control fire, build ... |
100 Greatest Video Games (2015) | Edge Magazine | [
"video games"
] | [] | The 100 Greatest Videogames (1995) | [ THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION OF MODERN CLASSICS ]
It's been eight years since we previously compiled a list of the 100 greatest games. We don't do it very often because, well, it isn't easy. You try weighing up a game such as Tetris against, say, Half-Life 2. It's a bit like pitting bacon against apple pie - they' re bot... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 1 | "Don't chew on your eraser, Dawson."
That was the last thing Dawson Montgomery heard, or something like that. It was a bit more, his third grade teacher never gave just a warning, she didn't stop there, and it wasn't that simple. It was always a warning, followed by the why and then the consequences.
"Don't chew on y... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 2 | At first, Morgan Welsh tried to be calm and rational, but as soon as she heard Craig's voice on the speaker phone, she lost it… again.
"Fuck you. I mean it, fuck you, you're such a fucking asshole," she verbally hit him.
"Yeah, that's nice, Morg. Real nice. You done?" Craig asked. "No hello first, before you bitch me... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 3 | It didn't even make sense, Judd Bryant thought. He understood his producer wanted an awesome looking music video, however he was still scratching his head over what the heck a construction site had to do with his newest song. Not to mention he was afraid of heights and now they wanted him on the ninth floor of a shell ... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | WAKE | Gasp!
The air entered Dawson's lungs and, head still on the desk, he opened his eyes with the large breath that revived him. He was confused, didn't know what was happening. He remembered choking or not being able to breathe and that was it. Things were blurry. He expected to be scolded by the teacher for falling asle... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 5 | Morgan floated. At least she felt as if she did. Flashes of light came at her as if she were sailing through space. She moved quickly and was even conscious about it. After feeling the last impact, she was lucid and aware.
"This is peace," she thought. "I am at peace. Thank God."
She figured her anxiety attack or eve... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 6 | It wasn't Judd's first disaster rodeo, that was the reason he was able to keep his calm.
He blamed himself. Ever since he was a kid it was like he was a magnet for trouble, but it was worse as he grew older.
There was the one and only earthquake to cause massive damage in Kansas City, he was supposed to play that nig... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | POOR THING | Dawson was so overcome with emotions, both fear and sadness that he passed out on the sidewalk in front of the school. Before he did, he kept thinking that his parents were at work and would hear about the school and come get him. He didn't want to leave or go running off somewhere, then they wouldn't find him.
Like m... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | WHO ARE YOU | The woman was hurt, pretty badly too. Ross Howard wasn't at a loss on how to help the woman he pulled from the car, he just didn't know where to start. Although he never thought about leaving her hair stuck to her face. It acted like a coagulant and the moment he pulled it aside to clean her wounds, the gash on her hea... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | BAD CHOICES | Judd didn't handle the apocalypse as well as he thought. In his mind he was taking it like a champ, but in reality he handled it more like a man on a suicidal mission, a man losing his mind.
It started in that bar, one drink turned into two, then he just grabbed a bottle and ate potato chips while staring at the dead ... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | PAIRING | That firm rule of 'Don't talk to strangers' went out the window, and Dawson was sure his mother would not be mad. After all, if the guy was all that bad, his mother wouldn't have subscribed to his videos. Dawson was glad she did or else he wouldn't have seen the notification of a new video. When it popped up, Dawson kn... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 11 | There was a phone charger on the counter and it fit Judd's phone. He plugged it in. He needed the informational resource it was.
In fact one of the first things Judd searched on the internet was how long the internet would last. Most experts agreed only a couple hour because it would be overloaded with people posting.... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | RELUCTANT | The sound of nothing and smell of coffee caused Morgan to open her eyes. At first she thought she was late for work. She probably slept through the alarm clock and the auto brew on her coffee pot had long since made its pot.
'Shit', she thought. "I can't be late again. I'll get fired."
As soon as she jumped to a sitt... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | CONNECT | The website was informative, and after downloading 'How to Survive the Apocalypse, by Frank Slagel' Judd began the task of printing up the book. Dawson grabbed him a three ring binder from his father's office, then went off to find his shoes.
Judd remembered the days of being a kid and losing his shoes, but as an adul... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | ANSWERS ARE NIL | "And that's it," Ross explained. "Since I brought you in here, I spent the last twenty-four hours searching for survivors, calling out, trying to find a way out of the city. We need to get out of here. You think it smells bad now, wait until later."
"I don't know how well I'll be able to walk."
"Unfortunately, you're... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | FLAT TIRE | Ray of Sunshine never responded, despite how quickly after his post Judd had made a comment. They waited and nothing happened, finally, Judd sent one more message stating that they'd be away for an hour or so and left his phone number.
He and Dawson ventured out, aiming for the car which was not far from the bank. The... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 16 | Judd was at a loss. There was absolutely nothing he could do for Dawson, except let him go. It was painful to watch and brought back memories of when Judd found his own mother when she died of an aneurism.
He stayed on the floor with Dawson, until the boy said he was ready.
"We can't leave her like that," Dawson said... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | TROMP | There was no healing time, none at all, and Morgan's pain was worse. She was fine during the night when she shifted and moved in the computer chair, but once she was still for that brief sleep period, the pain was atrocious. Her head was better, every other appendage as well. It was her ribs. It looked like two of them... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | STUDY | The last thing Dawson recalled was holding on to his family picture, clutching it tight to his chest while watching the video of his family at Cedar Point the year before. He watched that video over and over. He heard his mother's voice and he needed that. It was hard for him to believe that he would never see them aga... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | BOURBON, TEARS AND GUESTS | Having lived in the Pittsburgh area most of her life, Morgan had never been to Greenfield. She heard of it, and for some reason she attached a bad rap section of town to it. She supposed it was like any other area, it had its shares of trouble, but there was a certain charm to the suburb. She just wished she was seeing... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 20 | There were three things that could be found in nearly every Pittsburgher's home. Chipped Ham, Heinz Ketchup and something Steeler related. Ross had those and he also had something else… a bottle of bourbon. He never ran dry, there was never less than half a bottle. That was just his thing.
He swore he could have drank... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | DAZED | "My phone is one bar," Ray said. "Sorry, I can't talk anymore. I'm buried in eight feet of water, and we're trying to get out. It's getting higher. Storms haven't stopped."
"Have you had any earthquakes?" Judd asked.
"Some. Minor. Nothing compared to the water. It's the storms. That much water dumping in the ocean ca... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | DIRECTION | The blinking yellow stop light told Ross and Morgan that the town twenty-five miles north of Pittsburgh still had power. Once they made it out of the city and to the expressway, it was easy to maneuver around the cars. Rush hour was over when everyone dropped, and HOV lanes were clear and empty because they were closed... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | VISION | The prior evening, before the lights went out, before he heard from Ray of Sunshine, Judd read Dawson's mother's email. He was curious after finding the Dawson is 'special' email what it all meant. To him Dawson was a normal boy, not much different than Judd remembered being at that age.
An email from Dawson's teacher... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | PLAUSIBLE | Ross gave a lot of thought to what Morgan asked. Did he want to kill himself? He was glad he was honest and told her that it had crossed his mind. Even though he didn't want to die, he still had no idea why he wanted to live.
The rain was steady. Oddly heavy and steady and there didn't seem to be an end in sight. When... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | DIVIDE | By the next morning the tremors were frequent. They were similar to labor, each one getting longer with shorter intervals in-between. Judd was extremely worried, he didn't know what they were building to, but it was something big. By morning it was time to go.
They had packed a lot of supplies to take with them, he wr... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | FULL HOUSE | The couch was comfortable. Morgan had propped pillows behind her back and was able to sleep without too much pain. In fact, after she had fallen asleep, she didn't wake up like she had the previous night. Then again, her injuries were still fresh.
Ross was a good man, a family man. He had been with his wife his entire... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | ONWARD | It took a while for Judd to get it together. He felt like an utter failure. He nearly lost Dawson. Granted there was no way for him to know the street would break, but then again, had he paid any attention to the warning signs in the book, he wouldn't have gone further.
Moving water means danger.
Still, Dawson fell d... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | CONCERT OF ARMS | Following the letter of the law, Ross went outside to have a smoke, that was when he saw the crowd. He didn't notice them at first. It was early, he was half asleep and in his own world. He looked down only at the ground and didn't peer beyond the truck until he wanted to see the rain.
There was something about the cr... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | CHASING RAINBOWS | When Dawson was seven, to celebrate his First Holy Communion, he went to Idlewild Park in Pennsylvania with his best friend Sawyer and his family. They left on a Friday and they got to miss school. Dawson's mom and dad didn't go and it was the first time ever, Dawson had been away from them.
His parents were at work w... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | ROLL BY | It bothered Ross and Morgan knew it. His face was bruised, his arms had gashes, he looked as if he had been beaten by a mob. When in fact, in a sense, he had been. They didn't reach out and hit him, bite or scratch him, instead they acted like a boa constrictor and tried to squeeze him in. It was the fight to get throu... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | DASHING MEMORIES | Dawson gave the queerest of looks to Judd when he they passed a road sign that read 'Lodi' and Judd chuckled out with fond remembrance. "Oh man, Lodi. Bet you love Lodi."
"I don't think so," Dawson said after staring at Judd for a moment or two. What's Lodi?"
"Wait. You don't know Lodi, Ohio. Little dude, that's only... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | SPOT | The planned route outside of Youngstown, Ohio came to an unexpected end when the road entered what looked like a lake just west of the town of Canfield.
It went across too far and wide to see.
"Did we just hit the end of the country?" Ross asked. "Is everything flooded from here on in? This is insane."
"That's ridic... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | NUN OF THAT | Judd supposed he should have known, Wadsworth and Seville were both a repeat of what they had seen only on a smaller scale. The biggest difference was the ability to make it through main roads. There were vehicles that collided and some had gone off road. They even saw a car that had hit the steps of the Seville Method... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | CONSCIENCE | "Go." Morgan slammed her hand on the dashboard. "Go. Go, Go. Now."
Hand gripping the gear shift, Ross looked forward. There were many, too many at the hood of his SUV. He peered in the rearview mirror, they were at the back gate, too.
What there was of the daylight was fast blocked out by the people that mobbed the c... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | HOLY INFORMATION | She looked uninjured and in great shape and to Judd she was pleasant enough, unlike the stories he had heard about nuns. But in the five minutes he had met her, he was really close to telling her, "Step back a little, Sister." Because instantly she grabbed on to Dawson's hand and wouldn't let go. Keeping him close as t... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | REGRET | What was Ross thinking? He wasn't a coward. He never ran from problems. In fact, he was the guy on the force they said never thought of himself when running into dangerous situations. Yet, there he was, beating the pavement racing, it was a good two blocks before he stopped, turned around and ran back.
The distance wa... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 37 | Morgan didn't hesitate. There were no regrets or guilt. Not a single smidgeon of her conscience was bothered by it. After nailing Ross, she left him. On the street, not far from the SUV and the mob of depraved people.
She didn't give him a second thought. Morgan was enraged.
How dare he?
There she was, fighting for ... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | FOUND | "Can we just go, please," Dawson asked as he stayed close to Judd, walking to the drug store, not far from where they left the sister and priest. He moved fast, probably faster than he should have. "I don't want to be here. I want to leave."
"I know, Buddy."
"How did that shelf fall on him?"
"I don't know."
"You he... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 39 | The trip to the drug store was a good thing and not just for medication. It was food for the soul. Dawson took a bag and loaded it with candy. Judd thought smarter, granola, crackers, juice, stuff like that. Not Dawson, he didn't even get normal candy. He picked the stuff that old people usually ate. Butterscotch and c... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 40 | "No!" Dawson screamed out. It was the first time that he acted in a temper tantrum manner.
Judd pulled him aside. "Little man, come on."
"You promised. You promised."
"We are still leaving," Judd then dropped his voice to a whisper. "We're not traveling with the kids. I promise you that."
Dawson shifted his eyes to... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | COPE | The pain was intense from his cheekbone to his temple. That was where Ross took the hit. He saw it coming and couldn't react. Morgan nailed him so hard, he literally saw stars and then nothing.
He deserved it.
It didn't matter what kind of person she was, leaving her behind to die was not the kind of person Ross was.... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | FIGURE | The new woman, Morgan didn't say much. She sat in the back, sleeping most of the time. The main highway, while not free and clear was easy to maneuver for about eighty miles, then the weather took a turn. Almost instantly the sky darkened and the temperature dropped. The rain increased in intensity until it began to ha... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | Chapter 43 | Columbus, Ohio was gone. Not geographically displaced, but rather it was destroyed. What caused its demise was anybody's guess. The skyline was dark, the buildings that had not been reduced to rubble were mere support beam skeletons of their former shapes. Debris of wood, concrete and glass scattered everywhere, and se... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | PLAN | The extra person was going to come in handy. Even though he looked pretty injured, Judd knew Ross was a strong guy and he told them he was a police officer. He told Judd that he saw them somewhere after Columbus and followed them.
There was still a bit of daylight left and a lot to do before settling in for the night.... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | FREEZER | Judd watched Morgan sitting off alone, peeling potatoes with more conviction than he had ever seen. Legs slightly parted, elbows on her knees she worked that peeler with a vengeance, she was fast, too.
Nothing had been said to her all evening, she grabbed her dinner and walked off by herself. Things had quieted down. ... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | RATTLED | "Get me this, get me that, find me this, find me that." Ross was a plethora of orders and Morgan followed them as fast and best as she could.
Each item, he asked for, she found. Either he had it, or Sister Helena did in her bag.
He was on the floor working diligently on Judd. There wasn't time to worry about the rema... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | FORTUNE AND FAME | "Branson, anyone, anyone out there? Do you read?" Morgan called out. "Anyone? Over." She switched the channel.
Ross reached over and stopped her. "Give it a few minutes before switching."
Morgan nodded.
Sister Helena called from the backseat. "Can we go any faster?"
"No, Sister," Ross answered. "Water on the road i... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | LAST CHORD | They were filled with hope. Even though the slow moving trip was taking longer than it should have, they were in contact with Branson.
"Radio when you're within fifty miles. You may run into trouble. We'll look for you," Bill from Branson told them.
Ross didn't know what that meant, maybe they had trucks out on the r... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | BRANSON | Branson, Missouri was gone. Technically it was still there, but under water. Those who survived the drop of humanity, heard about the storms and retreated to the Branson Airport twelve hundred feet above sea level.
Bill Thomas ran the airport and greeted them when they arrived.
He was just like Dawson dreamt. A littl... |
10.37 | Jacqueline Druga | [
"scifi",
"post-apocalyptic"
] | [] | SEVEN YEARS LATER | His knuckles made a popping noise when he clenched his cramping fingers into a fist. "Damn it," Dawson shook his hand.
"Language." Came the voice in another room.
"He heard that?" Dawson shook his head. "Man."
He lay on his single bed in a bedroom he shared in the three room apartment in Leadville Nine. It was small... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | The Special Guest | "She's daft, she is," Mary Marshall said as she set the dining room table for four.
"Mum, keep your voice down," her daughter Eva replied as she placed an elegantly designed napkin on the table.
"Why? She can't hear me, with her banging on in the kitchen like that. Acting as if she were expecting the bleeding queen,"... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 2 | She drove, not knowing where, or for how long. She didn't have much time. She couldn't leave Mary and Eva waiting forever. But how could she face them? "I told you so," Mary would say. "Didn't I say that nephew of yours was no good?" Eva would just look at her with pity. It was all so humiliating! But she knew she had ... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 3 | Brett Greenwood stared at his reflection in the pristine bathroom mirror, wondering how he'd gotten into this mess.
He looked terrible. His uniform was worn and big. Why would she want to present someone like him? But he was hungry and if this was the price of a good meal, he'd do it with a smile, even though he hadn'... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 4 | She wouldn't have recognized him, Eva thought as she stared at John. He didn't look anything like the boy she'd used to run from. And where had his vanity gone? Her mother used to call him Mr. O'Jay referring to a polished singing group the O'Jays from the past. 'Look it up,' she liked to tell him. John would never hav... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 5 | "You're doing great," Miranda said when Brett offered to help her in the kitchen 'Like you used to,' she'd added so that Eva and Mary wouldn't offer. Although they all knew that John rarely helped her and only did so reluctantly.
"Eva doesn't like me," he said.
"No," Miranda agreed with a laugh. "So you must be doing... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 6 | What am I doing? Brett wondered as he paced the small guest room. Why did he keep saying yes to her? This wasn't like him. He should be waiting at the bus depot or staying in some motel somewhere, not in a cozy little room with freshly laundered sheets.
He heard a light tap on the door. "Is everything okay?"
"I'm fin... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 7 | She'd done it again. Why couldn't he say no to her? Brett stared at the four place settings in wonder. Miranda almost made him really believe they were expecting guests. She'd given him one of her father's shirts and a pair of trousers to wear, but what amazed him more was that he was glad to have a reason to stay long... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 8 | "We have to get rid of him," Eva said, after she'd told her mother about her conversation with Miranda. They both sat in their living room while her mother put aside the gift items they knew they'd never use.
"Why don't you leave the poor woman alone?"
"She doesn't know what she's doing."
"She's older than you are a... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 9 | Somehow she knew he'd disappear from her life. She'd remembered their last conversation before he'd gone to take a shower.
"She's right," Brett said, taking a seat on the couch, staring at the breakfast that had gone cold. "I don't have anything to offer you right now and—"
Miranda sat beside him, taking his hand. "T... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 10 | Leaving had been hard, but he had no choice. Miranda was his weakness and she'd make him stay. But he had to do more. He had to make good, he had to be in a position to help provide. Eva's words sounded so much like something Sarah would say. That's why she'd chosen another man. Because he had nothing to offer. Could h... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Epilogue | [ A year later ]
With the fire crackling, they decorated their freshly picked Christmas tree, Afro-Brazilian music, the kind his father loved to listen to, playing in the background. There was still gossip in Hamsford about their small, hasty wedding and Miranda's 'young man.' "You know what he really married her for,... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 12 | Marina stood in the baggage claim area of Baltimore Washington International feeling like a farmer trying to find a particular blade of grass in a field. Although it wasn't as crowded as a midmorning or late afternoon flight, there were still enough people to get lost in. Marina shoved her hands in her gray wool coat a... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 13 | Aunty Helen didn't say anything on the drive to Marina's apartment. She stared out at the dark, chilly morning, looking at the bright lights of the highway and the large buildings looming on both sides of the highway. Close to her apartment, Marina stopped at an all-night grocery store and bought another box of tissues... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 14 | Marina took her new arrival to the police station. "I could really use your help," she said to the clerk at the front desk, a woman with finely shaped brows and fading lipstick. "I have an older woman here who's lost. She doesn't seem to speak English and I don't know where to put her."
"Okay. Where is she?"
Marina t... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 15 | When Idris Helmond came to, he didn't know how to feel. One moment he was thinking about closing a case on the brutal beating of a gas station attendant and finding the right gift to make his girlfriend, Deena, happy. She was pissed about something, but that wasn't new. She was always pissed about something and she wou... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 16 | After seeing Idris's past, Marina prepared herself for a painful holiday memory. So when she saw the sight of her old bakery kitchen she couldn't help her surprise. She stared at the sight of the woman she'd been four years ago. The kitchen was small, all her new equipment that Eli would encourage her to purchase hadn'... |
10 Holiday Stories | Dara Girard | [
"contemporary"
] | [
"short stories"
] | Chapter 17 | The phone call shattered a beautiful dream at 3a.m. on Christmas Eve. Marina groggily reached for the phone hoping that it would stop ringing by the time she picked up. It didn't.
"Hello?"
"I'm sorry to wake you," her mother said. "But I need you to pick up Uncle Sola."
"Who?"
"Uncle Sola. He'll be arriving at BWI ... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | 764 years earlier | The figures slowly peeled away from the soaring column of smoke, which was becoming denser. They were different shapes and races but they all exhibited the same facial expressions which fluctuated between exhaustion, satisfaction and confusion. They clambered up the last few paces of the newly formed crater and turned ... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 2 | It was the sudden croaking of an ogre frog that woke Ahren up from his slumber. Startled, he looked down at the creature, a good forearm in length, which had woken him so rudely. With a frown and a wave of his hand he shooed the troublemaker away, and with an almighty leap the frog found the safety of the river some di... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 3 | Midsummer's day begin in glorious sunshine which provided a ceremonious invitation to the festivities. Every self-respecting person was there, spending the day mingling on the village square with the other villagers. The village innkeeper served beer and the miller's wife offered her famous little cakes, which were so ... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 4 | The ruptured eyes of the two-headed calf foetus looked accusingly up at him as he withdrew his bloodied hands. His efforts were once again in vain. The unhappy animal had been stillborn two days previously and now, to stop the stench, he raised a silk cloth to his nose. A servant scurried by, taking away the ritual bow... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 5 | The sun was already a hand's span over the horizon when Ahren woke up. There was no sign of Falk and so the young boy looked around the hut which would be his home from now on. He had been worn out the night before and the Forest Guardian had led him to a corner of the room with a mattress and a blanket. The boy had fa... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 6 | Whatever about Ahren smiling in his sleep, the next morning was hell. He was woken up by his master's low humming, as he warmed up a herbal soup. The delicious aromas permeated the little cabin and the boy's stomach started to rumble. He moved to get up, groaned hoarsely and clenched his legs. The least movement and he... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 7 | Ahren lay on his mat the following evening wishing he were dead. Or that the forest would flee. Or that the bailiff would come and take away his master for unnecessary cruelty to apprentices in general and to Ahren in particular. And then lock him up in a particularly dark and damp dungeon. This thought almost made him... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 8 | The weeks flew by. Falk went with Ahren two or three days in a row through the forest, carefully increasing the tempo over the period. It was still more of a quick walk than a slow trot but the would-be Forest Guardian hardly stumbled anymore and he was certainly able to keep pace. And it was a while since he'd dropped... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 9 | The next two weeks couldn't go quickly enough for Ahren. Falk noticed Ahren's impatience and upped the practice tempo considerably in order to distract his apprentice. The practice ball was constantly flying here and there between them. His master would deliberately throw it off course forcing Ahren to hop, duck, dive,... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 10 | 'I don't understand why I didn't notice the monster earlier. There were practically none of the typical tell-tale signs in the forest. No massacres of wolves and bears, no swathes of destruction in the undergrowth, no woodcutters ripped apart'. Falk threw his arms in the air and looked questioningly out the window to w... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 11 | The weather at least was reasonably kind and so the three headed off under clear skies to confront the Dark One who was threatening their village community.
One thing was bothering Ahren. 'Why is Selsena helping us? Couldn't she just gallop away? Or can you control her with your thoughts?'
Falk rubbed his beard and a... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 12 | Falk awoke with a start the following morning. He was still sitting on the stool and had a stabbing pain in his back. He must have dropped off at some point. The last few hours of the previous night had crawled painfully slowly. The struggle between the exhausted boy and the similarly spent wolf had lessened to no more... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 13 | Thankfully, the rest of the winter passed without incident and normality returned to the daily lives of the Forest Guardians. Culhen displayed such a joyful trustfulness that even nervous villagers were persuaded that he wasn't dangerous and once Keeper Jegral had intoned the blessing of the THREE over him, all doubt w... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 14 | He found it difficult to maintain the necessary concentration as he awaited with suspense the return of the magician he had sent forth some weeks previously. He hated having to wait so long but caution made more sense now than unbecoming haste. Better a slow and certain result upon which he could build.
At last the ai... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 15 | It was a sorry sight that greeted Ahren when he reached the village square again. Villagers were standing all around in various states of dress. Most had woollen coats thrown over their nightgowns. Here and there blood-stained bandages glistened in the torchlight and the sound of distraught voices was punctuated by sob... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 16 | Ahren brooded to himself as he walked quickly beside Selsena, trying not to fall behind. They were on a wide dirt road, typical of the travel routes in Hjalgar. They had left the Eastern Forest and were now heading northwards. They were hardly clear of the trees when Uldini abandoned his normal floating.
'We don't wan... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 17 | They set off early the next morning. The farmyard was still and deserted. The residents were still too traumatized by the previous night's danger to go about their daily tasks unimpeded. Ahren craned his neck to try and spot Miriam and he was relieved to see her looking out the kitchen window. He waved good bye and the... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 18 | Ahren had expected a completely different world when they first entered the neighbouring kingdom. There were no kings, armies or heroes in Hjalgar, there were only bailiffs, village councils and city administrators. Which meant that any stories that reached Deepstone and told of the knights of this kingdom were fairy t... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 19 | By the time Ahren's stomach had settled and his uncontrollable shaking had stopped, Falk had matter-of-factly wiped the bloodstains off himself and Selsena with one of the attacker's cloaks. He had also polished all the armouring so that there wasn't a speck of dirt on it, nor on Selsena's coat. Ahren surmised absently... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 20 | The green wall of trees soared ever higher as they traversed the final lengths to the Elfish forest. Shortly before that, they had passed by the Knight Marshes border station, a strangely humble stone building with an elderly man sitting snoring on a platform. Ahren had expected an imposing castle or some other symbol ... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 21 | Ahren woke up, fresh as a daisy. He lay there with his eyes closed and enjoyed the peace of the moment. The greenish light of Eathinian warmed his face and the rustling of the trees soothed his spirit. The silence around him could only mean that the others had got up before him and the fact that Culhen hadn't licked hi... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 22 | They caught up with the old Forest Guardian that evening. He had set up camp beside a small pond. There were no insects on the water and the fire had already burned down to its embers. Jelninolan raised her eyebrows quizzically but Falk pre-empted her.
'Only dead branches on the ground, it just burned for a short whil... |
(13th Paladin 1) Ahren | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 23 | They met nobody along the way and once they saw the enormous trees in the centre of the village, Ahren knew why. The whole platform was full of elves, who turned as one in his direction as soon as he came into view. No sound emanated from the gathering and you could hear a pin drop. As they walked towards the silent co... |
(13th Paladin 5) The Isles of the Cutlass Sea | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 1 | Ahren was happy. The realisation hit him like a thunderbolt and made him laugh out loud. It was a rainy morning in the jungle, and his loyal wolf, his soul animal Culhen, reacted to the sudden outburst of joy by giving the apprentice a tired sideways glance, before the animal's yellow eyes scanned the surrounding scene... |
(13th Paladin 5) The Isles of the Cutlass Sea | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 2 | Sven stared at the grim, mistrustful face of the militiaman, whose battered leather armour was covered in a fresh, gleaming blue tabard, boasting the symbol of the THREE. The man was unconsciously tugging at this piece of clothing, which was clearly a recent acquisition, having puffed himself up self-importantly, a com... |
(13th Paladin 5) The Isles of the Cutlass Sea | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 3 | 'Why the question about obedience towards the other Paladins?' asked Ahren into the silence. The night had drawn in and most of his companions were already asleep. Khara too, having snuggled in against his shoulder, so Ahren didn't dare to move while he gazed into the embers of the fire and talked quietly with Falk and... |
(13th Paladin 5) The Isles of the Cutlass Sea | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 4 | They were filled with joyful anticipation as the ship headed towards their section of the coast. After looking carefully, Uldini had concluded that it was a vessel of the Knight Marshes, and all were convinced that it was indeed the means of transport that the Arch Wizard had requested by magic message some weeks earli... |
(13th Paladin 5) The Isles of the Cutlass Sea | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 5 | Sven blinked as he entered the squat tent and observed the little altar for worshipping the THREE, as well as a robust wooden table covered by a white linen cloth. An unprepossessing man with thinning hair, wearing a Keeper's robe turned to him and gave him a joyless smile.
'Come inside, my son, and sit down over ther... |
(13th Paladin 5) The Isles of the Cutlass Sea | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 6 | Ahren concentrated and took aim at the little cork ball bobbing cheerfully up and down on the swell in front of him. The practice arrow he was using had a blunted head but was otherwise balanced like a genuine war arrow.
'Tell Selsena that I'm going to shoot now,' murmured the Forest Guardian to Falk, who was standing... |
(13th Paladin 5) The Isles of the Cutlass Sea | Torsten Weitze | [
"fantasy",
"young adult"
] | [] | Chapter 7 | 'Ship ahoy!' shouted the voice from the crow's nest. It was noon.
Ahren stormed to the bulwark, his eyes following the lookout's outstretched arm and searching out the expanse of blue sea for the alien vessel. Half the crew followed suit, and then Falk's voice roared out.
'Return to your posts, you scurvy dogs! We ar... |
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