As soon as the bell over the door jingled and Madison saw who was coming in, she knew that today was going to be a bad day.
Founder, owner, and proprietor of the Victory Lap corral, Madison considered herself very good at her job, and a good part of that involved knowing who to talk to, who to buy and sell from, and what potential clients might be trouble for her or her girls.
And she suspected that the rattler lamia currently sliding her way in through the front door was going to be quite a b

“Bloody hell, that’s another two this week!”
“I know, mistress, but at least this time the banishment won’t last as long-”
“The length of time doesn’t matter, it’s the fact that all of my best servants are being sent back for months and years at a time and nothing we do seems to work!” Flicking a finger in annoyance, the parchment report on her desk combusted in a burst of black flame, but it did little to quell Deva’s anger. Th

“...In other news, police have still not discovered any leads regarding the recent rash of missing person cases that have been reported around the Park District. Authorities would like to remind residents that any information that leads to the resolution of these cases will be rewarded for their assistance. Now, as for the upcoming weather next week…”
“Hmmph. Shows what they know about policing. C’mon, Grey, we’d best not keep the others waiting!”
L

“Can I get some chips, mom? They’re just in the next aisle over. Please?”
“Yes, Molly, just be careful. One bag for you and your sister and one for me, alright? And no running in the store!” Shaking her head as she watched her daughter go scampering off around the corner of the aisle, Danielle just looked back down at her list and continued to pull items off the shelf before she glanced at Paula who was still engrossed by the maze on the back of the box of cere

“Time to get ready, everyone, we go live in five.”
Looking over the top of the camera, Val looked over at Imrylla, who flashed her a thumbs-up from behind the editing computer as the group for the latest commercial stepped up onto the stage in front of her. Giving them one last look as the studio lights started to flick on and the clock mounted on the wall began to count down, she turned to the laptop next to her and made sure that the filters were enabled.
In front of her were asse

“Look, all I’m saying is that there’s gotta be something going on there. You said that Miya’s never really stayed with a girlfriend for this long before, right?”
“Yeah, that’s true...I dunno, I guess I just hadn’t really thought about it like that.”
Sitting on a park bench with Harley next to her and a cup of cocoa in her hands, if someone had told Darla that she’d end up going out with the person who had given Darla her name and numbe

Huddled under the overhang and trying to hide as best she could, Angela tried to remember where things had started to go wrong, and how they had managed to avoid the signs of danger so thoroughly.
They had first seen it from above, but even then it had been quite a bit of work to confirm that the trees there were actually a different species, rather than just a slightly different shade of green. Actually getting there had proven an even more difficult task, as the dense overgrowth had forced th

“Mistress, the last two are ready.”
“Excellent~ I’ll be right there.”
Pushing myself up to my feet, I started to slowly make my way across the clearing from where I had been resting and studying one of my grimoires. This latest batch promised to be an excellent one, but the correct process for the final few steps was going to be crucial, so there was no sense in not reviewing what needed to be done beforehand. Stepping past what possessions remained of the previo

‘May you live in interesting times.’ Despite the somewhat apocryphal nature of the phrase, its use as a curse still seemed more than appropriate for more than a few of my little adventures, and as soon as I saw the spring attendant’s gaze settle on me as I approached, I had a feeling that today was going to be another of those days.
“Ah, Haruko. Good. I was about to send for you, but it seems that won’t be necessary.” Giving a short but respectful bow, the

Stepping into the woods and crossing under the first of the torii gates on the gravel pathway, I looked ahead to the distant lights of my eventual destination peeking out between the trees. Setting my gaze on the highest of them, a singular red lantern above the other yellow lights, I walked to the right for a minute before continuing forward, doing so again after passing through the next of the gates erected in the woods.
To someone unaware of my actual goal, it would simply appear that I was

Judging the distance in front of her, Tonnta looked up at the top of the roof and threw, watching with no small amount of satisfaction as the roll of toilet paper went sailing up and over the roof. A moment later, another pair of rolls went sailing up only to bounce off the roof and roll back down, and a handful of eggs splattered all over one of the stained-glass windows.
“Nice shot, Blutig! How many more rolls do we have left?”
“Six more, and we still have three full carton

“What do you mean, ‘it doesn’t come charged’? What’s the point of getting this thing rush-delivered if I’m going to have to leave it plugged in for the next two days?”
“Look ma’am, I’m just the delivery driver; I don’t make those kinds of decisions. Now, can I finish unloading the rest of the shipment please? I don’t have time to deal with every entitled customer that has problems I can’t solve.”
Giving the dr

Obsidia

was unhappy today, and when she was unhappy, others tended to have a bad time if they were the cause.






Her weekly tribute had been rather late in arriving, and this had been something that she had been looking forward to arriving. She had been almost tempted to discipline them when they arrived, but as soon as they had, she knew that something had happen

Wedging my crowbar into the lock on the door of the mausoleum and wrenching back hard, I was satisfied to feel it give way and rip off as I put by weight behind it, and with that, the last impediment between me and a life of relaxation fell away.
“Jenna, get over here and help me get this open!”
Waiting for my assistant to help me push open the door, I couldn’t help but think about the circumstances that had led me to finding out about this little treasure trove. The owners of

Looking down at the instructions scrawled on the piece of paper, Luna was, in a word, skeptical. She wasn’t sure where Jasmine had gotten the information from, but she swore that it was legitimate and would finally answer the questions and rumors about the school for good.
“Go to the cafeteria at midnight, bar the doors, and light three candles in each corner of the room. Give a suitable offering of food and drink, and once it has finished eating, the entity will reveal to you its

“Only one house left, and then we can go to the big party at school!”
That had been their mantra, the promise that all of girls had been repeating to themselves and each other all night - finish making the long circuit around the neighborhood to get as much candy as possible, and when their trick or treating was finished the party at the school gymnasium would be ready to start, where they could have fun for the rest of the night before they had to go back home. They had followed th

“Jenna, did you bring in the rest of the drinks? Jenna? If you’re listening to that silly pod-whatsit again instead of helping, you’re not getting anything to eat!”
Hefting the last case from the back of the van, Allison turned around pushed through the front door to the raucous applause of the rest of the girls inside, and started to hand out the bottles from the case she was carrying. The planning for the party had been ad-hoc at best, but they had just barely manage

This time of year, the center of town was always busy with people out enjoying the holiday in the myriad different ways that had become common at this point, be it trick or treating, parties, or the more traditional religious services that were the roots of the holiday. What was universal was everyone’s desire to enjoy it to the fullest.
Some, however, had slightly more specific plans in mind.
Half leading and half herding a pair of younger children down the street from door to door, Chik

Putting the last few finishing touches on the inner circle, I took a step back and examined my handiwork, looking for any mistakes or missing elements. Incorrectly scribing a circle like this one would have some unfortunate consequences, not to mention being rather embarrassing for someone of my reputation, so it was worth going back over a second time. Satisfied with how it looked, I shook the can of spray paint and moved on to scribing the outer circle.
“Hey! HEY! Put the can down an

Breathing a sigh of relief as the bell rang, I quickly swept my books off my desk and hurried out of the classroom, ducking around the other students in the hall as I worked my way out of the school. The weekend had finally come and for once I didn’t have any major homework to do, which meant that I had plenty of time to work on my own projects at home.
Making my way to the local train station, I stepped onto the train and moved down to one end, slipping on some headphones and pulling out

*ping*  *ping* *ping*  *ping*  *pi-kaCHUNK*
Giving herself a silent congratulations as the last tumbler fell into place and waving to Ruby behind her, Rose carefully pulled open the vault door and looked around inside.  It didn’t look like there was any kind of secondary security in place inside the room itself, but it was always better to be careful about this kind of thing rather than risk undoing all of their careful work.
Fortunately for the two, there didn’t

Sometimes things just turned out differently than they initially appeared. Instead of the ‘romantic private beach’ that the brochure had promised, the passengers on the flat-bottomed passenger boat had been all but tossed out on the small beach surrounded by scraggly trees and steep bluffs before the pilot had cheerfully announced that they’d be back in six hours to pick them all up and promptly left. Instead of a ‘private getaway perfect for couples and small parties&r

“Station, this is patrol car 4. I’ve reached the address, but there doesn’t seem to be anything going on here. You’re certain this is where the disturbance complaint was called in on? Over.”
“Patrol car 4, this is station. That’s the correct address, the complaint said that a barbeque or party was getting too rowdy. Check the premises, but be careful. Additional units are en-route. Station out.”
Putting the radio back in place and looking bac

Looking down at the strange metal contraption, I watched as yet another group of them arrived at the station and let out another group of the little ones, only for another group to get back on. I had watched them come and go for some time now, and I was beginning to figure out how they worked.
It had been some time since I had first arrived here in this strange place, but I was starting to get used to things around here. It was much different than the jungles I had grown up in; finding a safe

“Hilarry, where did you want the fuel for the lanterns?”
“One would assume somewhere near the lanterns themselves.  Look, for the last time, I hired you to make sure this expedition and dig went smoothly; if I had the inclination to do it myself, you wouldn’t be here, so please do what I’m paying you to and stop bothering me unless it’s important!”  Hilarry had indeed hired...whatever her name was...to direct virtually all of the operations of

“...two large slices of pepperoni, an extra large order of mozzarella sticks, and a large diet soda, please.”
“...And a diet soda. Anything else?”
“Hmm? Oh, no. My friend should be here soon, but she’ll put in her own order when she gets here.”
“Alright, just let me know when she gets here and I’ll be right out.” Working to get everything written down, Darla was relieved when the lady absent-mindedly nodded her head, already glued

Running my tongue over the struggling form in my mouth one last time, I swallowed and sighed happily as I felt the squirming bulge slide down my throat. She had been a good appetizer, but I was in the mood for a bigger meal than that today, so I picked up the bag she had dropped and stepped back out of the alleyway, idly looking through it while I headed deeper into the city.
Checking a few of the more popular places nearby, I recognized more than a few of the city’s other preds out on th

“Amy, are you certain that the other group came this way? There’s been no sign of them for almost an hour.”
“I know that, Claire, but there’s literally nowhere else they could have gone. We haven’t found a turn-off since that first one, and the mark they left on the wall was past that point.”
Claire knew that Amy was right, but it didn’t help her mood any. Their group of five had been looking for the last group to enter this portion of the cave

*twitch twitch*
Blinking open one eye, I glanced at the bundle of sorted silken fibers on one side of my nest, watching for which one was moving. Slowly sliding off of my bed, I ambled over to the bundle, carefully taking the ends in my hand, feeling for the thrumming like a musician playing a guitar, and smiled when I realized which one of my little alarms had been set off.
It wasn’t too far, which was good, because I had grown quite hungry since my last meal.
Climbing out onto the netwo

Grabbing the last memory card from the latest batch she had received, Val shrugged and plugged it into the reader on her computer and waited for the footage to load. This was the last one up for review that she had to get to today, and she was looking forward to getting through it and going to bed, as she had worked long past the end of her normal shift as it was. The competition for this last ad slot had been a fierce one, so one more tape wouldn’t make too much of a difference. Openin

Ducking inside the dimly-lit room, Reffles and the others looked around in anticipation before taking their seats on the cushions scattered around the room. The larger costume party that they were at was starting to wind down for the night, but there were still a few events planned, and this one had caught the attention of more than a few of the attendees. After all, it wasn’t every day that you got to experience a ‘traditional’ dance from one of the more exotic people that h

The stars were right, the preparations had been made, and the time was upon her. All that was left to do was finish the ritual, and finally the threat that had stalked the town for far too long at this point would be dealt with, once and for all.
Even offhandedly thinking about the horrid creature brought unwelcome memories flooding back, and Amanda couldn’t help but shudder as she remembered what had happened to the poor town over the last several days. It had started off small; a sales

Leaning back and grinning wildly as I felt my board start to catch on the wave, I put one hand out and traced it along the growing wall of water beside me as I sped down its length. Nimbly guiding the long surfboard down the wave as it approached the shoreline, I eventually flipped up to the top and launched myself over, landing deep in the water past the wave. Paddling my way back to the surface, I flipped over onto my board and lay down, gazing up at the bright sun.
When I had first heard th

Decorating properly for this time of year was always so involved.
Don’t get me wrong; the stores of this day and age made getting most everything I needed far more convenient, not to mention quicker than the way I used to have to do things. Even being able to wear more...comfortable clothes out during the Halloween season was a blessing that I would never have thought would come to pass. But for one such as I, there was always one thing that modern conveniences could never help with, and

“Ms. Bones’ Wild Ride? Isn’t that, like, an internet joke or something?”
“Nah, that’s Mr. Bones’ Wild Ride. This is probably just them renaming the ride for Halloween or something to cash in on the meme. Gotta say, though, it’s not a terrible idea, and the coaster looks like fun regardless.”
Looking up at the sign over the entrance to the theme park’s roller coaster, Pria sucked idly at her soda as she contemplated the ride along wit

“--CONTAINMENT BREACH IN UNIT...3 -- CONTAINMENT BREACH IN UNIT...3 -- CONTAINMENT BREACH IN UNIT...3 --”
Quickly scrolling through the information on the screen as the alarm klaxons continued to blare, Resileaf flicked through file after file looking for something that could tell her and the others where their target was. They had come in with barely any information and even less preparation; despite the number of people that had decided to involve themselves, there was virtually n

“HELLO, and WELCOME everyone, to this special holiday episode of BITCH! MY! RIDE! It’s everyone’s favorite host, DJ BitchTits, and I’m coming at you LIVE with something I bet none of you have ever heard of before!”
Shaking her head, Leigh just adjusted the camera and made sure it was focused on her overactive employer as she carried out her customary over-the-top opening for the show. Today was certainly going to be different though; that was for sure. She had

Pushing through the door into the gym, Jess looked around for a moment before she ran towards the locker rooms, weaving her way through the crowded lobby as only someone her size could. Moving past the others over to one side of the changing room, she started to slip into her exercise clothes when she heard a familiar voice coming from the next row of lockers. Poking her head around the row, she smiled and jumped at the other person.
“Bluejay! I didn’t know you were going to be he

It was the sirens that woke me this time. Groggily twisting around, I looked blearily towards the nearby road and blinked a few times as I realized that there were more than a few police cars pulling off the street. I got the odd visitor from time to time; mostly people making their way from one town to another, or someone who wanted to take a walk in the fields or woods nearby, but cops this far outside of town were uncommon, and especially in these numbers. I had a strong suspicion as to wh

Looking up at the massive edifice in front of me, and then back down at the delivery instructions I had been given, I honestly had to wonder if the rather significant bonus for the long drive was going to be worth it this time.
“‘Only one more delivery for the day,’ he said. ‘Last one of the night, and then you can go home early,’ he said. ‘This one will get you an extra $50 bonus for the distance,’ he said. Early my ass, the sun went down almost an h

"Alright girls, we're halfway there! Let's take a break up here, and then finish up. Just five more miles to go!"
Taking a swig from her water bottle and turning to look back at the group of joggers behind her, Danielle was honestly rather proud of the progress that they had made together. When she heard that she was being put in charge of the company's 'Women's Athletics Club', she had been initially certain that someone in upper management was having a laugh at her expense just because she

“Do you think they’ll take the job?”
“Oh, they’ll take it. It’s exactly the kind of thing that they’ve done before, and I know they’re short on coin at the moment. This is too good of an opportunity to pass up.”
“Well then, all we need to do is wait. Gods, I’m already looking forward to this…”
---
Yawning sleepily, Thalia slung her spear over her shoulder and picked up her pack before giving a wave to the inn&rsquo

“Are the latest test subjects ready?”
“Yes doctor, everything is prepared. Should we start?”
“Yes, as soon as the equipment is set up, begin the experiment.”
-----
Ex-peer-ement. I wasn’t sure what exactly they meant by it, but every time I heard them say that word, they gave me different kinds of food. I wasn’t sure why, and I didn’t know why they didn’t just say ‘food’ or ‘feeding’ like they did other times

Slowly moving up the beach, I looked around at the scattered beachgoers that were still on the waterfront this late at night. When it was this warm out, there were always people up late enjoying the beach for as long as they could, and that just meant more opportunity for me. Taking my time walking past them, I adjusted my hat and kept moving, staying clear of any of them so that they wouldn’t see any of my lower limbs under my dress.
I had to move slowly around the humans and their like

Yawning, I felt my eyes drooping shut as I contemplated the last page of results from the tests today, and I finally pushed them aside, cradling my head in my hands. There was just so much that needed to be done still, and nowhere near enough time. With every breakthrough had simply come yet more questions, and as I stood and yawned, I wondered if it would ever cease.
Adjusting my glasses and walking over to the other side of the lab, I looked down at the culmination of my work, and simultaneo

Groaning as she held her head and slowly sat up, Livian looked around, trying to figure out what had happened. She had been out late with a friend, doing some research for an article they were working on together, and the last she remembered was something hard smacking her in the back of the head, and then unconsciousness. The throbbing headache she had was likely a side effect of that, but it was making concentrating on much of anything rather difficult.
Looking around, she was not terribly e

“To think that this where I get sent...I’m telling ya, I didn’t do anything to deserve this!”
“Just keep moving. And what do you mean, ‘didn’t do anything’? You ate the entire crew of the merchantman you hijacked, then ate all of the civil police they sent after you, and then four Marines before the rest managed to catch up to you. And that’s just in the past month!” Pushing her roughly in the back with her rifle, the guard, whose n

Ducking around the tree, I paused to catch my breath, using the thick trunk to give me a moment of respite. Looking down, I saw more of the strange little darts sticking out of my side, and I hurriedly yanked them out. I didn’t know what they were, or why the foreigners were launching them at me with their thundersticks, but I had a feeling that they weren’t good for me. Hearing their cries come closer, I took off again, barreling through the forest as fast as I could.
Something w

It was the vibrations along the pavement that woke her. She had an...intuition for things like this. Too jerky and sudden for normal driving, but without the hesitance that signified a new driver. Plus they were hitting speeds that no ordinary driver would attempt without risking a ticket or worse. No, this could only be one thing.
Racers. Someone was racing on her turf.
Pulling out from her garage, she sped off down the highway, heart racing and radio blasting to the night sky as she appro

Twisting around to look at the rest of the caravan behind her, Sarah hoped that this time, things would actually go as planned. They were quickly approaching the most dangerous leg of the trek, and she had been working long enough as a guide to know what happened when a group wasn’t prepared for this.
“Alright everyone, circle up. Time to go over the last bit of prep work for today’s leg of the trip.” Turning around and waiting as they walked, rode, and pulled their wa