Slade noticed Leona relax, when she closed her cell phone. The tension drained from her body, her posture went from sitting up straight widely alert to comfortable. He wanted to know what happened, but decided this was not the time and the place to ask questions. Leona took Slade's hand, picked it up and nuzzled it against her cheek showing how relaxed she really was now. She kept his hand not wanting to let go. They fini...

Slade sat at his desk, looked over the squad room and thought of his missing partner. Connie was not there, she was in the hospital in a coma caused by an explosion when she visited The Main Artery's owner Gustaf. It appeared the explosion concentrated on his office and destroyed his sleep chamber. Gustaf was the master vampire of the city and had many friends and just as many enemies. This explosion targeted him, but onl...

Connie wondered why Slade left so early. He usually waited until she was ready to leave, walked her to her car and said goodnight. Tonight he left, never said goodnight and was very secretive about it. She went to her locker, grabbed her workout bag and left the squad room quietly. She had a post midnight rendezvous with Gustaf, the master vampire of the city at his club The Main Artery. She headed home now where she show...

Connie sat at her desk staring at the words on her screen while shock and surprise washed across her face. She pushed the print key and printed four copies. The data was there, she read and re-read the screen in disbelief but computers do not lie. Connie took the four copies, filed three where they belonged and carried the fourth over to Slade. She silently handed the fourth copy to Slade, watched as he read it and waited...

The day was coming to a slow end, as Slade and Connie came back to the squad room. After they filled out their reports earlier, they left until their duty shift began in mid-afternoon. The weather took a downward turn with the sun blocked by dark clouds and the threat of rain. To Slade, it seemed as if every time he went to see Leona or Gustaf, the weather was foggy or rainy. At least now, Slade was back in the squad room...

Slade and Connie headed back to the squad room. Instead of going home back to bed, they had to report on what they saw and file the appropriate paperwork. For every incident a detective covered, there was a corresponding paper trail in quadruple copies. One copy went into central files, one copy to the evidence locker by case number, one copy to squad files and one copy to the officer. It seemed like a lot of work, but it...

Slade caught up with Connie as she sauntered down the alley to the street. She was still euphoric from her first meeting with vampires. They controlled her easily and kept her out of the direct exchange between Slade and Gustaf. As far as she knew, the vampires were lovely people and could be trusted. When Slade got beside Connie, she wrapped her arm around Slade's arm and rested her head on his shoulder. Slade went along...

Slade and Connie finished with the body and scene, headed back to the car and sat inside reviewing what they had. Laid out in the car was not much stuff. There was not much room in the car with all the computers and firepower. "Let’s go back to DD's. We can spread everything out there and review it." Connie said. Her car was still there and she needed it to get home. Slade agreed, "OK, we need more coffee to stay awake to...

It was a very dark cold night, the air was heavy with rain. The alley was narrow, the cobble stone walkway glistened from newly fallen rain and continuing mist. The walls of the buildings held the sound of my heart and my shoes, as I walked slowly toward the only light. I pulled up my collar to warm my neck and protect it from the people I saw. It was a red light above a small non-descript sign that read 'The Main Artery'...

Where to begin, I really don't know.The start is too far and so is the end.I told you the truth from the very beginning.I told you what I saw in you, the good and the bad.I offered you my friendship and my most valuable time. I told you not use your spells on me, for your master's magic shall not work, if only you saw what I see.For hours you'd whisper and then you'd moan.While I simply accepted my fate.Testing my patienc...

Bath and Body Works As the evening sky turns into the moonless night sky, Bregan hides in the back of her closet, her only escape from her abusive father. She hears him open the refrigerator door, pulling out a can of beer. She knows what is coming next which only makes her hide deeper in her closet. Bregan presses herself as far back and close to the wall as humanly possible knowing that nothing can hide her from her fat...

The night sky was black, no clouds in the sky, the only light I had was from the moon. There had been recent fires in this area. I could still smell the fresh burnt wood. I don’t really know why people like me would walk through these woods but, I find it like this thing we call life...imperfect. I followed the scent of the fresh burnt wood and found an outcrop with a pond. This place looks like it hasn't been touched by...

Many a debonair doctor takes his girlfriends out to eat. Doctor Lechter invites them in and tries to eat their feet. Raising a child is difficult and can take many tracks. Lizzy Borden’s derailed parents took their forty whacks. A playful, furry loving dog can pick one’s spirits up. But “Son of Sam” killed victims on the orders of a pup. Most would tell a friend in pain to take an aspirin pill. Jeffery Dahmer treated frie...

Who's there? Voices murmur, winds stir. What's that? Diagnosis "crazy", once was never were. How come? No one's fault, born [that way] like that [as is]. Now what? Plunge the needle, take the pill. Push the drug, "Have the will." Numb the mind, dull the pain, Mix the fix with a rush of blood through the vein.

I woke screaming. Every nerve in my body seemed to be on fire. The burning pain was excruciating. My body thrashed and shuddered.“Shh, Maxine, relax. You need to relax your body.” A man’s voice said. “It will make things a lot easier if you relax.”I felt cool hands on my shoulders, pinning me down. I breathed through my nose and tried to relax my muscles. It made the pain a little more bearable but I still moaned and conv...