novella

There was a single window that tapered into a funnel, with eerie moonlight passing through it, reflecting directly off the globe like a mirror. For a moment, as I rose I saw something glimmering within. Dumbly, with feverish whispers assailing me, I realized it was the center of one of the distant galaxies, flaring after some unknown cataclysm. Its radiance was such that it burst from its prison. It met the moonlight halfway. It created kaleidoscopic colours on the walls. Then, in answer, the reliefs transformed from majestic art into something approaching divine, alive, plays from Egyptian memory, given the spark of life from space. I saw animal-headed gods move. They stepped from the walls to take their place around the altar. All stared at the globe. Each raised their arms in silent supplication. And such was their toxic ecstasy that I wished to join them, to forget my dreadful experiences and revel in something truly wondrous.

But optimism dribbles away when horror repeats.

The little queen__ mother and father had said that she would live on, for a long time, and that her tears would magnify the life around her forever more, but they had not explained how she should go about going on.

He paused, giving her a sweet smile of understanding. "You don't have to start with the crown jewels, you know. You could start with my lips then work your way down.

You shaved for this.""For you." He clutched her bare legs under her skirt, reminding her he still expected a traditional get-laid one night stand.She shoved his hands off her. "Maybe I wanted rough stubble.""By morning it will be all yours.

Oh, I don__ mean to infer that you__e not a great guy. I__ sure you__e the exception to the rule.

Hell if I know. I__ twenty-six, single, just signed a year lease on an apartment_ She touched her eyebrows with her fingertips. __amn, why did I move back here?_ __orry._ I grimaced. __he job market isn__ as bad as it was. I__ give you a job if you really needed one.___hanks. Not sure how good of a bouncer I would be.___aybe hair holder for drunk girls.___ounds great,_ she said flatly then made a gagging sound.

Yes, I just_ Should I be honest and sound like a complete loser? Oh why the hell not? __ have not had a kiss like that in a while._ I licked my lips.He looked me dead in the eye. __ood._ A wave of silence crashed over us. I didn__ know what to say to that. __ell, I better get going. See you soon?__ nodded dumbly. __mm-hmm._ He smiled and began to walk away. I couldn__ just let him go! __eclan!__e turned. __es, Cake?__ome on, brain! Think of something! __hat should I wear? I mean, what kind of place is Shellshock?_ Yes, yes, that was fine_ damage averted.__alifornia casual.___h, ok._ I think I knew what that meant. Spend three hours getting ready to make it look like you just threw any-ol_-thing on. __ave a nice night.__e flicked his head my way. __ou too._ Then he was gone.And then I was sad.It was ridiculous. Preposterous, even. I was going to have to come clean about the ring- eventually. I hoped he didn__ bring it up because I would probably tell the poor guy my life story to get to why the ring he bought meant so much to me.

I had seen that once before, bleeding water. A little baby I worked on as a resident in training. That poor kid had been shot as well__is father had blasted away the top of his head with a shotgun__nd we couldn't begin to stop the bloodletting in that case. "Looking pretty thin down here," I hollered when the stuff coming out his wounds was no more than pink salt water. That baby's heart stopped, started, stopped and started a dozen times before it finally gave up the ghost and we pronounced him. I could have read a newspaper through the watery stuff coming out his veins by then.

Good humour was miles behind a second cup of morning tea. It was too early for nonsense.

She asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"He buried his nose in her hair, took a deep breath and sighed. "You help just be being here.""Well, that bit is easy," she told him with a smile. "Because I wouldn't be anywhere else.

When a thundering horde of drunken Vikings rush a person, it's only natural to flinch.

He'd pushed and pushed and pushed until she had nowhere else to go but away from him. He'd been young back then himself. Inexperienced. Stupid. A little patience accomplished a lot more. Hard lesson to learn. Worst way to learn it.

Try not to be too stupid, will you?"That sounded like some great advice...

It was never you. Leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done and I've regretted that decision every second since the moment I walked out. I've made a lot of dumbass mistakes in my life, but letting you go is the one I'd give anything to erase.- Jason

Suddenly, she burst out, "I want to punch her evil, lying face."Liam caught a flash of hot gold as Dad looked at them, narrow-eyed, in the rearview mirror. Dad said, completely seriously, "I can make that happen.

She gave herself up to the waves of the storm. If they drowned, it would be together, a shattered vessel on the sea, a collision of longing and desire.

What was the point of spying if you couldn't keep it a secret?