Lexi stood in complete shock. All she could hear was cops yelling at each other commands that she wasn’t gathering meaning from. At the same time, other first responders were running past her, some bumping into her. Lexi was in the way, she knew that, but she couldn’t move. Her legs felt like they had somehow seeped into the concrete and it wouldn’t let her go. Her neighbors were everywhere, stari...

_January 8, 2019_

“I am fine” she says. Her voice is soft and quiet. It sounds sad and forced. It is different than how she normally talks to me. When we talk she is always so vibrant and full of life. Her voice always sounds happy and warm.

“Are you sure?” I ask my grandmother.

There is a pause.

“Yes, I am fine. Remember I am supposed to live for two hundred years.” There is a hint of a sm...

My gaze meets the firm stare of the beast standing before me. Its slitted pupils surrounded by a bright red iris. I look away and instead focus on examining its body. The beast is about twenty feet tall. It has black, iridescent scales covering its body. Its wings are wide and strong, probably from the years of flying. And the tail, long, and curving to a nice, pointed spear tip. It’s so captivati...

I fidget with my ring, twisting it over and over again on my left middle finger. This movement calms me, if only a little. However, it doesn’t help eliminate the anxiety I feel. No. The anxiety always stays, like the smell of strong onions in your mouth. It is overwhelming and awful. It is something you want to get rid of, but can’t, no matter how hard you brush your teeth or how much Listerine yo...