"You have to learn to live, kid, not just survive."

A dialogue short story about the things we wake up to that remind us there are still things in this life worth waking up for. ante meridiem - [adv. & adj.] "before noon;" Abbr: A.M. Or a.m. [credit to owner of image (not me)]

Sometimes all you really need is a place to call home. *** Claire is lost and scared and utterly alone. Her family is in shambles after the death of her older sister Ina, and she's left to pick up the broken pieces of herself as her life heads into a downwards spiral of loneliness. Her heart leads her to 5:48, a little cafe by 33rd street, where she finds her new home. With a broken heart and a speech disability, Jasper has his heart and mouth sewn shut by the winding threads of hurt and fear. Painting and serving coffee in cafe 5:48 are one of his last few saving graces, but the smile he's been painting on himself will soon fade away as everything he's ever held dear slips away from his grasp. Ezra is out-of-sync and oddly cold by the way life has treated his young self. Abandoned by his single mother at an early age, he has grown up thinking that he is a mistake. His constant shaking hands are a reflection of what he often thinks of himself, but the delightful pastries he bakes for 5:48's customers are a reflection of what others see of him. Drew is a quirky rarity. He is a dash of loud, a pinch of exuberant, and a cup of eccentric - just like the meals he serves in the cafe as the only chef there. Behind his playful grins and outlandish clothes, however, are his jutting ribs, hollowed cheeks, and too-thin arms. Sometimes he cannot stomach being in his own skin as much as he cannot stomach food. This family has gone a long way from finding each other, and they'll be going a long way together too as reality comes catching up to them, threatening the newfound happiness they've found with each other. Secrets are revealed, pasts become presents, and lives are changed. Slowly but surely, they find their way back home. *** NOTE AS OF 08/2026: This is the old version of the story from 2012, posted in FULL. Another story that will be considered a reprise of this old version is in the works, and will be posted under the name "Hiraya House."

When Katie met Steve online a couple weeks before her 16th birthday party, she thought he was completely harmless and just someone to talk to to pass the time. But she was wrong. Steve was obsessed with Katie. And because of her, Steve would soon hold Katie and her friends hostage on her birthday, forcing them to do unspeakable things. They don't know what is going through Steve's mind and they don't know what he's capable of. But they will soon discover that there's a whole lot going on in Steve's insane head that they never would have suspected.

He just sits there. On seat 31. Reading a book or listening to his music. He looks out of the window. Or looks at her. She just sits there. On seat 30. Reading a book or listening to her music. She looks out of the window. Or looks at him.

After finally graduating high school, eighteen year old Elizabeth Proctor is pressured into a party at sea. When things go wrong, she finds herself thrown into an entirely different world. Waking up on a pirate ship that sailed hundreds of years before her time, Elizabeth must figure out how to adjust to her new life and hide her impossible secret. A grand adventure awaits her if she's only brave enough to take a chance. Cover by @All_AboutAssymetry *Updates on Saturdays* 11/30/16 - #236 in Historical Fiction 1/23/17 - #225 in Historical Fiction 2/12/17 - #98 in Historical Fiction 4/7/17 - #69 in Historical Fiction 4/30/17 - #34 in Historical Fiction 5/21/17 - #29 in Historical Fiction 5/26/17 - #17 in Historical Fiction 6/13/17 - #14 in Historical Fiction 6/23/17 - #7 in Historical Fiction 6/27/17 - #6 in Historical Fiction 7/5/17 - #4 in Historical Fiction 5/15/18 - #1 in Historical Fiction Started - 9/17/16 Finished - 6/10/17

❝You and me,❞ he whispered, ❝until the end of time.❞ // A chronicle of Junie Bennett's birthdays from the ages of ten to twenty one.

WARNING! Please be advised that this is not a bedtime story about sparkly fairies and pink unicorns. This book may contain graphic descriptions of poisoned apples and witches' ovens. It is not appropriate for supernatural beings under the age of 377 (excluding vampires and werewolves). DISCLAIMER: Wicked Witches Inc. and Evil Stepmother Enterprises are not responsible for any maiming, mass murder or permanent insanity resulting from the reading of this book.

Madi's slumber party is suddenly terrorized by a harmless dare.

She's alone, pregnant, and being pursued by creatures that want her baby. Nosocomephobia (fear of hospitals) and tokophobia (fear of child birth) are two major themes in this short, heart-pumping thriller. Taylor is a mother-to-be for the first time. When she goes into labor, she goes to the hospital and unwittingly steps into a trap. Newborns are the food of choice for this race of creatures, and they want Taylor's. Are you afraid of hospitals or child birth? You will be after you read this.