Elwin stared blankly ahead, his mind in a fog and the sound of beautiful singing in his ears. In that moment he wasn’t aware of the world around him only the beautiful creature hovering in the air maybe a dozen yards in front of him. He was filled with the irresistible compulsion to move forward towards the creature. As he began taking steps forward a high pitch scream brought the world crashing back into focus. Elwin’s head snapped to the rig

    
“How are you doing Tamara?” the concerned voice on the phone inquired.





    
Tamara shrugged and said, “I’m alright I guess. It’s just… I’ve been with that company for 10 years, to suddenly be told one day that I’m being laid off it… sucks.” She sighed, depressed. Tamara had j

1) The Party





Astra drummed her fingers nervously on the rough wooden table. The tavern she was in was busier than she had hoped it would be this early in the evening and she didn’t want to be recognized by anyone. No one was paying her much attention though; a bard was playing a bouncy tune and everyone was drinking. The smell of roasting meat wafted in from the kitchen every time a server pushed through t

    
“Cut!” the director yelled loudly. The rest of the film crew began mumbling to each other and a few people in the background rushed around the set. The director made an exaggerated exasperated gesture with his arms. “Anna! What are you doing?”





    
“Huh?” Anna stared at the director. Her body, almost

    
Tara was woken up when the harsh overhead fluorescent lights clicked on. It was like clockwork, every morning right at 8:30; the timer off in some electrical closet somewhere activated the stores overhead lights. Tara rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up on her bed made of aspen wood shavings in her corner of the small enclosure. As soon as the lights came on and the unnatural white light spilled in the Plexiglas front of the tank, Tara was never abl

    

Daniel groaned

as he slowly regained consciousness

. His whole body hurt. Every joint was stiff and aching. He didn’t know where he was; all he could see when he opened his eyes was a stone ceiling. He turned his head to the left. As he did a sharp burning pain shot through the muscles in his neck and down his spine. Daniel lifted his arm to try to comfort his neck;

    

“No,” Eric said firmly, “I am sorry but there are no more fire swords.” The knight, standing in his shop in full polished plate mail with an ornate sword bearing the kings crest was not having it.






    

“Well, why not!” He was practically shouting at t

You look around the brightly lit hotel lobby. The place is

a little fancier

than you expected.

The lobby contains a square of plush looking couches with a glass table in the middle beneath a large fancy looking chandelier. This late in the evening the lobby is empty with the exception of the lone receptionist behind the front desk at the far wall. Behind you the revolving door still spins slowly