Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter. The rain on the windshield blurred the slick roads ahead of me, turning everything a dull gray. I should have focused on the car, on the wheel in my hands, but the only thing in my mind is that autumn night. Six years ago, and it was still fresh in my mind, as if it had been yesterday. 

_“What constellation is that?” the boy lying on the roof beside me asked, point...

It’s ugly, I know.

‘Why would you choose those colors?’

I didn’t.

‘Who would use this yarn?’

Not me.

‘It’s 100 degrees, why are you wearing this?’

I’m cold.

‘Why would you wear this?’

It’s ugly, I know.

‘I would never wear that. Why do you?’

Well,

You didn’t see her hands twisting the yarn.

You didn’t hear her excited gasps as she hid it behind her back.

You didn’t see the marks on her finger wher...

As the flames grew, she made up her mind. She raced to her brother’s room, flinging the door open. “Dori, wake up!” she shouted, making her brother’s eyes fly open.

“Maemae? What’s going on?” he asked, rubbing his tired eyes. 

Mae ran to his bed, scooping him up on her back. 

“Wait! We can’t leave LuLu!” he exclaimed, sliding off of her and grabbing his stuffed cat.

“We don’t have time!” Mae excla...

“So,” Zein said, his eyes flicking towards Mae’s propped-up leg. She was wearing shorts instead of her usual long pants. His eyes landed on a small, straight scar on her shin. “Where did you get that scar from?”

She laughed. “You know, you don’t have to dance around my leg,” she said, gesturing to the bad limb. “If you want a story, I’ll give it to you.”

Zein nodded, looking slightly embarrassed.

...

She had always been the dutiful child.

She loved to sit with our parents, telling them

about how well her lessons were going.

Me, I would sit in my room and write myself

into stories, pretending I was somewhere else.

She had always been the beautiful child.

She never had to curl her hair or do makeup

to make the boys around her look.

Me, I sat by myself, casting illusions

to make myself look like ...

As I sit in my hospital room thinking about how much my life sucks, my mind senses something… off.

I sit up, cocking my head in confusion. That… that can’t be right. Something must be wrong. I throw the blankets off and leap out of the bed, my head swimming for a second as I race for the door. 

There’s no way. How could he have found me? I have to get Kali out of this place before he gets here. ...

I knew the second it happened that my body was no longer mine to control. I didn’t feel it coming; you never do. It just happens, and then you’re left at the mercy of that stupid kid who takes people to be his playthings. Once he has a hold of you, you can’t do anything to stop him. Just wait until he lets you go.

Damien didn’t notice right away. He walked next to me, chatting as we walked through...

“They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first-years into a small empty chamber off the hall,” I read, reading the passage for what must be the fourth time in a row. Nothing seems to be sticking in my mind as I...

Have you ever felt out of place?

Like you’re in the wrong body?

In the wrong role?

In the wrong life?

If you’ve felt those things, people may have told you that it’s wrong

That you aren’t supposed to be that way, that you’re just right the way you are

That you were born in this body into this role because that’s how it’s supposed to be

That this is who you are and who you always will be, but they...

Klaen groaned, pushed herself up onto her knees and shook her head, trying to orient herself. People started to gather around her in confusion, having just seen a girl with slightly pointed ears and dressed in green and brown robes fall out of the sky a minute prior. 

She pushed herself to her feet, staggering slightly before regaining her balance. She looked around, waving away the people who app...