"As the their world above burns, a mother and daughter take shelter in the darkness below. With only a flickering lantern between them and the chaos outside, they cling to each other, haunted by the promises of peace that became a storm of fire."

Irwin Gilbert is a hoarder, a bookworm, and after a cosmic event leaves the earth void of all electricity, the owner of what might be the world's largest remaining cache of novels. Irwin has a dilemma, however, the world has turned cold and he has no idea how long it will last. When faced with freezing to death, can he dare to burn "his friends" and how will he choose which will be used to keep him alive. This short story originally appeared in "The End: Visions of Apocalypse" edited by N.E. White. I wrote it the weekend I learned of Ray Bradbury's death and is a homage to this master of science fiction.

A priest enters his church in the predawn hours of a cold and snowy January day to prepare for morning Mass. What he finds there will change him.

The plot to fool the Russian Royal Family had many casualties, none more so than the would-be Anastasia. Fleeing across the seas with her fate in her hands, this is story of Anna, a Sister of the Black House and Stepsister to the girl who would be Cinderella. Welcome to Good Tales For Bad Dreams, a short-fiction series of re-imagined fairy tales. Each story is set in a different time and place. Some will be familiar, others will not. So, strip bare your assumptions, open your mind and see these tales told like never before. *Note: This displaced character story shifts the traditional tale of Anastasia from the Russian Revolution to 1600s Europe.* *Warning: Mature themes. PG-13 sensuality. Not suitable for younger readers*

A shantytown sails upon the sea; a lonely boy builds himself a friend; and the night sky in Japan's frozen north is filled with stars. Surely you've heard the Tale of the Five Magicians: Anne-Marie, Paolo, Goodman, Fyodor and Aika? let me tell it to you again, and for the very first time.

A short story.

This is a collection of short stories written by Wattpadders who love their Science Fiction as much as we do. It aims to celebrate the diversity of the genre both in sub-genre, length and style, so whether you like Steampunk or Hard SciFi, Space Opera or Dystopian, fanfiction or a drabble, we know you'll find something in here you like. Explore, read, enjoy. Come one, come all. Welcome to Nano-Bytes!

Secret numbers and hidden codes feature in this story about how cultural differences can affect even things that are supposed to be universally true. Originally published in Fantasy Magazine and reprinted in Looking Glass and Cosmos.

When a security breach is detected at Diotech Inc, the Memory Restoration Department is called upon to do what they do best: make you forget. But with every memory that’s taken out, a new one must be installed in its place. It’s a job that requires skill, artistry, discretion, and flawless proficiency in the language of memories. That’s why only the best programmers in the world are recruited to work for the department. But diving too far into another person’s memories is a dangerous endeavor. And for some, the temptation is just too strong. “The Memory Coder,” an original story by Jessica Brody, is set in the science fiction world of the Unremembered Trilogy. Unremembered and Unforgotten (Macmillan) are in stores now. Look for the final book, Unchanged, available on February 24, 2015 wherever books are sold. Visit: JessicaBrody.com for more information about the Unremembered Trilogy Copyright - Jessica Brody Art Copyright - Goñi Montes ## POSTING SCHEDULE: Chapter 1 - September 11, 2014 Chapter 2 - September 18, 2014 Chapter 3 - September 25, 2014