Perched on a craggy outcrop, staring out to sea, the priest opened his mind and his heart to God. In such wild and lonely places, he felt closest to his Maker and His divine word. He was not a young man, and knew his role as a travelling preacher, bringing God’s message to those isolated enough to be those starved of it, would not last forever. Previously, he could put in a day’s march in cold and damp weather over the na...

I dreamt a lot that night. My mind was recalling all the actions that took place today and would not let me sleep. I was just too thoughtful and curious about why these projections have appeared.  One particular had frozen me in place, with fear and disappointment, since I knew why I was here. I remembered. After all these years. It was where I first met her, next to my locker. Mine was 052, and she was 053. A new additio...

The Case Of The BlackFalcon “Morning Rocci; what’s up?” It was a Monday and I had been in the office for only an hour when the D.A. called. Rocci and me, I should mention, go way back to when we were kids. Now I have a detective agency and Rocci works for the city courts. Go figure. “Got an unusual case for you if you’re interested,” Rocci replied. “It’s a probable abduction with a twist.” “What do you mean by ‘twist’?” I...

The sun was setting, with orange-gold hues reflecting off the bay, a romantic backdrop of scenery, clearly seen through the glass wall that spanned the back of the house. The glow illuminated the spacious room with a high-rise ceiling where light blue sheer lace curtains flowed down from the rafters offsetting the light from the sun. Two to three rows of chairs lined the edge of the room, vines of ivy and flowers skirted...

Marcia had a sinking feeling as she left the headmaster's office. She knew that the prank against Daria was not the end of the rivalry between Franci and her. There would be at least one more showdown between the girls, only one would emerge victoriously , and the other would fade into obscurity. Marcia knew that she might have help from her spirit friends to take care of Franci, but the confrontation must occur in privat...

Polina woke in an unfamiliar place with small lights and a few empty beds. The headmaster sat next to her bed dozing quietly with one of his hands resting on her blanket. She sat up abruptly and woke the man startlingly. "Welcome back Polina, how are you feeling. Glad to see you are healthy again," Gustaf told her. "Uhm, what happened, all I remember is eating dinner. Now I am here in what is the medical section. It seems...

While Klaus and Marcia looked at the boat, Kathy and the headmaster talked. "It seems our young woman is more sensitive to the spirits than we initially thought. We will have to monitor her more closely to protect her from harm. You and Klaus have to train her more and quickly. We need to ascertain her capabilities but also her vulnerabilities," the headmaster told Kathy. Kathy nodded with a thoughtful smile on her face....

Daria and Franci sat at their table waiting for class to begin. The missing partner did not seem to bother either girl as they chatted. The girls chatted loudly about how sad it was that the poison only made the girl sick, but did no harm. Daria kept looking at Marcia after her group came back from meeting with the headmaster. Daria's face registered disdain for Marcia as her mind thought of another way to harm Marcia and...

Marcia spent the night tossing in bed wrapped in the covers getting no sleep. The discovery of Franci practicing with a bayonet sword weighed heavily on her mind. The implied threat of bodily harm felt as if things never changed from New Jersey. Her dreams went from Franci to Franci's roommate Chantel, who threatened Marcia. Her dream leapt back in time to the confrontation with Sarah outside the school where Marcia refus...

As Marcia slept curled up in a protective ball, dreams invaded her mind and caused her to moan and cry. Kathy stood at the door watching and listening to her wishing that the spirits would leave Marcia alone. Suddenly, Marcia unfolded her body and lay flat on the bed arms tight against her side as if standing at attention. She started to talk as if she were a soldier reporting to a superior officer. Nothing Marcia said ma...

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, a crack in the corner, likely to fall. All the distorted voices, hear my call. Take up arms we rise at nightfall. Abrupt fright woke Madge, another nightmare, another dream in which all her dreams disappeared. The howling wind rustling through the trees outside did nothing to ease her fears, as she lay awake. She was burning up, but the cold sweats made her room feel drafty and bitterly cold....

When the three girls were ready, they left the barracks and walked to the dining hall entrance. They joined a group of their classmates, who waited, chatting about the night before and sleeping in the barracks. The comment most uttered was that it was like having a giant sleepover with the whole class. Everyone seemed excited about continuing this for another six weeks and that it would be fun. As they waited, a small com...

Chapter 1 It was a foggy Christmas Eve. I was so busy packing a bag that I didn't hear the front door open. I looked around my room trying to decide what I was going to wear. I saw a pair of jeans lying in the corner. I quickly threw them on along with a sweatshirt. I went back to zip up my bags. As I was zipping it up, I felt a hand on the back of my neck. As I started to turn around, I felt a cloth in my mouth. I began...

All the students returned to the barracks after taking some valued free time. Marcia sat on her bed facing Naomi and Polina, who listened to the chatter of their classmates. The level of excitement and curiosity was high because of the packets they received before dinner. Marcia listened but felt remotely distant from all of it, lost in her world. Her mind puzzled over the two things she discovered in the forest and near...

I called 911. When they arrived, they told me she was dead. They took the body away.After asking where my parents were, they made me call my best friend's mom, telling her to stay with me until my parents got off their flight. Then they left.Mrs. Crothers had arrived quickly and now sat in the living room uncertainly. The silence was unfriendly. The walls seemed to press inwards, trapping me. Her purple dress was rumpled...