Felix Swift is a teenager with a big problem; He just can't stay awake. And falling asleep at the wrong moment has already caused him more trouble in the past year than most people will ever experience. Relocating to the countryside with his family brings with it a whole new set of problems. Missing persons, freak storms, crop circles, all-night raves, the local gang, not to mention the challenge of baby-sitting his annoying little brother. His time in the 'arse-end of nowhere' is proving to be every bit as wild as his years growing up in South London. But as Felix soon discovers, village life also holds the keys and the clues to the adventure of a lifetime, and an opportunity to nurture the seeds of friendships that will last forever. ***************************************************************************** Dear Readers, If you are enjoying The Brightlings, please don't forget to vote for each chapter, and feel free to comment (provided you don't post spoilers). Receiving the tiny little stars and additional interaction really spurs me on, and certainly helps to point more people towards my story. I'd love to hear from you, if you like what you are reading, but I'm afraid that I can't promise an instant reply as I'm pretty flat out these days. Finally, it really shouldn't need to be written here, but just a quick note with regards to intellectual copyright and my use of this platform to write/publish The Brightlings; All rights reserved. This work is all of my own creation, and I retain the right to publish it elsewhere, or to remove it from this platform at any time in the future should I choose to do so. ---- I will not accept any excuses from those that copy or intend to pass this work off as their own, or republish it elsewhere without my permission. ---- Ok.... so now that is out of the way, there's nothing left to say, except "buckle up, hold on tight, and enjoy the ride!" Cheers, Ric #1 Environment #1 Tunnel

A possible future in less than 500 words, if plastic wins. This was my entry for the WattPad/National Geographic #PlanetOrPlastic competition back in late 2018. It reached their Top 10 Submissions which, given that there appeared to be well over 5000 entries, was a very pleasant surprise! The competition itself had a limit of 500 words so, for those who keep asking if I intend continuing the story, the answer (for now!) is no - unless I can find a very good reason for adding any more. Many thanks to everyone reading and voting on this story and getting it to number 1 in the #sciencefiction category in May/June 2020! I did try to thank the voters individually on their pages but Wattpad have a daily limit on the number of times I'm allowed to do that and there are now too many of you (not that I'm complaining)! Here's the top 10 submissions page: https://www.wattpad.com/list/738243473-planetorplastic-top-10-submissions If you want to read the story in Polish please head over to https://www.wattpad.com/story/236405960-m%C4%85dro%C5%9B%C4%87-staro%C5%BCytnych-t%C5%82umaczenie-pl where @juliatlumaczy has done a fine job - thank you, Julia! @juliatlumaczy has now sent me a version of the cover she used for her Polish translation - thanks again, Julia! @alex_sokolova has also translated the story into Russian as well. You can read that here: https://www.wattpad.com/976002417-мудрость-древних - many thanks, Alex! We now have a third translation! @AlfonsoLucassen has kindly translated it into Spanish and you can find it here: https://www.wattpad.com/1063634347-la-sabidur%C3%ADa-de-los-antiguos

"The Caregiver and the Mob Boss" ❦ Avelina makes her money by taking care of those who can't take care of themselves. When she is handed a case about a man who had needed a personal caregiver, she accepts. One thing Avelina never anticipated was the dangerous lifestyle he lived. Not only that, but she didn't expect for him to be so incredibly good-looking. Adrik Zolotov, the Russian mobster that everyone called "Mad Hatter". His insanity and crave for blood left him the most feared man of all. All he wanted was power and those around him to fear him. For a man recently diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, everyone believed him to be emotionally incapable of ever loving anyone. . . Imagine their surprise when he meets Avelina. ❦ "Mr. Zolotov, I have to make sure you bathe before I leave. It's apart of my jobs protocol," she said softly. The truth was that he made her feel nervous. There was so much coldness and evil in his eyes, it left a chill to run down her spine. "Fine," he stated before walking over to his bathtub. Her eyes followed his movements as he pulled off his shirt causing her to lick her lips and quickly look away. She could hear the sound of more clothes falling onto the ground until the sound of water running littered her eardrums. "You assist when asked, isn't that right?" He asked. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see that he had already gotten into the shower. "Yes," Avelina answered. "Bathe me." ❦ Dangerously far from cliché

Lisa Branson is married to Ryan Matthews, her first love. Her perfect life unravels when she discovers that Ryan is cheating on her with Susan Wells, her best friend. Susan is married to Maxim Chamberlain, the enigmatic, charismatic, and devastatingly attractive billionaire. There has always been something simmering between Lisa and Maxim, but they have never acted on it. Together, both of them decide to plot revenge against their cheating spouses. Is it time, finally, for Lisa and Maxim to give in to their undeniable attraction toward each other? And what happens when the cheaters find their affair exposed, and their marriages and their lives crumbling and spinning out of control?

When Hailey Evans, an aspirant employee of the marketing department in one of the most wealthiest companies in the states finds herself in trouble with the arrogant, cold hearted CEO Ian Kingston, she pulls a trick no one has ever done. And in return he gives her a disastrous kiss that turn her world upside down. One party. One kiss. And the next thing she knows, she's a billionaire's fiancé.