“It’s haunting the way Julie never seems to leave that decrepit house. She’s been in there for years, and some say she’s only a ghost now.” Finn frowned. “You shouldn’t make stuff up like that, Wendy.” “I’m not. You don’t have to believe in ghosts to consider Julie might have died from a broken heart when Owen didn’t return after his last voyage.” “If she didn’t?” Finn lifted his chin. Julie shrugged. “If you’re convinced she’s a ghost, why don’t…
Xavian glanced around the forest glade before picking up the rabbit he’d caught. With a day until the transforming ceremony, he wants to ensure his mother will have enough food until his return. If he survives. Not everyone does. Some return scarred or missing limbs. Sometimes both. Tangible reminders signifying their transition into adulthood and magic. Absconded at night, they awake in unfamiliar territory and must navigate their way back equipped with a knife and a prism. Nobody knows Xavian…
“Well, I was at the supermarket, and thought I saw Dad. I recognized the back of his head with that stick up hair, but when I chased him, he vanished. Annoyed, I got in line to check-out when I saw him heading out the door. I figured he’d not spotted me and chased after him, but he got into a waiting taxi and drove off.” “He left?” Deb asked, frowning. “Angry, I came straight home only to find him sleeping…
Papa, whiskers twitching with a smile, wiped his cow shoes before wrapping them in a scrap of cloth and hiding them in the back of the closet. On this moonless night, he’d walked deep into the woods under the blanket of darkness. Jars of moonshine, wrapped in burlap, hid in his pockets. A subtle sign of the silent rebellion we mountain people engaged in. Settled at the table, lantern low, he used his knife to sharpen the stump of pencil…