In a shadowy alcove in a darkened and dimly lit pub, a humanoid figure sits at a small table and holds his wineglass by the stem. He tips the empty glass first one way and then the other as he contemplates the small flickering light which rests in the center of the table. This light, as with all the others in the pub is not a candle and he has never understood what it is, nor has he inquired as to its nature. It simply ex...

My life fell apart when I was ten -- and that night will stick with me forever. It was mid-summer and Mom and Dad wanted a weekend to themselves. I was spending it with my grandparents -- Dad's parents. We'd had a good time with a quiet day -- just Grandma, Grandpa, and me. That evening, one of their friends, Gene, came by to visit. We were sitting in the kitchen, drinking tea and nibbling on cookies, when Grandma grabbed...

Captain Llewellyn Gavin Crayford — “Captain Crayford” to many, “Cap” or “Cap’n” to most of his crew, and “LG” to his friends — disembarked from his ship, Running Light, with a sigh. Most of his crew were already off the ship, glad to have some shore leave. His ship was now officially down for maintenance for at least a week, with just a rotating skeleton crew for the duration. The Chief Engineer and he had agreed that the...

I was sure I had walked down this side street hundreds of times. How could I have never seen this pub before?All right, granted, there wasn’t even really a sign for it. There was just a very tattered-looking board sitting off to the side of a front window that was so caked with dirt it was impossible to see through.Even so, mate, how the hell could I have missed a pub that was within about 15 minutes of home?It had been a...

I was her first, and she was my last.I know that’s overly cliched, but it was the absolute truth for both of us. I don’t recall, exactly, the very first time that I saw her. She was working at a local market as a cashier. The owner seemed to rotate regularly through pretty girls from the local school. I had frequented there for close to a decade and a half, although I never asked how he managed to find them, but they were...

I stopped at the entrance counter, looking around and noting the guards and security cameras — just as I expected and knew would be here. The guard behind the counter looked up from his desk. “Yes? Can I help you, sir?” Reaching into my jacket, I flashed my identification badge. “Jarrod Fletcher. You should be expecting me. They told me I had to take a look at the elevators. There’s some problem with how long it’s taking...

He sat there, staring at the page, stunned by what he saw, thinking, “But … he’s been my best friend since college. This … This can’t be right.”Edward Miller had just gotten back from his latest trip, this time to Japan. The hired car had taken him from the airport to the office, so he could report in and then drive his own car back home. It was as he’d been checking his mail slot that he found the envelope — looking just...

It was going to be a typical late July day. Rather than spending the whole summer stuck in day camp, Mom and Dad had offered that I could stay most of it at my grandparents’ house. Their house was an hour and a half away, and I’d been told it was right on the border between the suburbs and rural farmland. Just about every time we were there, grandma or grandpa would talk about how the farmers kept selling their properties...

He pulled into the driveway and saw that the realtor was already there, leaning against the door of her car, waiting for him. She smiled and walked over to his car as he parked, grabbed his jacket and stepped out. “Mr. Bradburn?” she said, holding out her hand. He nodded and shook her hand, starting to look around while she continued talking. “Amanda Williamson — Amanda.” “Please, call me Owen. I always feel weird when an...