The aliens kill every human they catch, or in rare cases, put trackers on them to discover their hidden villages. When Natalie is caught in an ambush, she is unexpectedly released. But there is no tracker. The Saursunes have an entirely different motive this time. *** Run. Don't look back. When Natalie is trapped in an alien ambush, she is unexpectedly released. The first human to ever be let go. The Saursunes invaded centuries ago, and everyone knows that getting caught is certain death. Natalie is confused but grateful to be alive. As a porter, one of the few humans with the rare ability to teleport between special crystal formations, she must leave the safety of her desert village every day to help gather food. When other villages increase their raids on the Saursunes' farms, the aliens retaliate by hunting down every human they can find - except Natalie's group. Instead of trying to kill her and those helping her, they bring them food instead. Is it a trap? Or something else? Natalie isn't sure, but one thing is certain: the Saursunes aren't done with her yet.

❝He was just an ordinary boy Jaded with the walls of his curse Jailed beneath the bars of a fairytale High with poignance and poison And a life he did not want.❞ [extended summary inside ↓] ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂ ss | 270

THE YEAR IS 2050. Human-like androids have become integrated into society and every household, becoming part of our daily lives. They look exactly like us from the pigment of their artificial skin to every follicle of their hair. They protect. They serve. They obey. They learn. Tyler North is a struggling young photographer in New York. When he wins a voucher for a personalized android, Tyler reluctantly purchases one and names it Aiden. Instead of a dull subservient Android, he was blown away by Aiden's adaptiveness, and is not like the regular androids Tyler had met before. However, Tyler can't hide Aiden's free-willed gift against the corporation that built him who planned to use Aiden for a more sinister purpose. Whoever controls Aiden can change Earth for the better...or worse. Mechanical Gods is a near-future Science Fiction Epic by D. Alec Lyle, infused with stylized heart-pounding action, sleek thriller, and provocative intrigue. Picked as part of Wattpad's Up and Coming List (2018), and Editor's Choice List (2020). STATS: 132,385 words [ 511 pages in a paperback ] [Highest -- #1 in Science Fiction] [ #1 in Philosophical ] [ #1 in Android ] [ #1 in LGBT ] [ #1 in artificialintelligence]

❝Hello, this is the Starb-❞ ❝HEEELP ME!! PLEASE! THERE'S A MURDERER IN MY HOUSE!❞ ❝OH SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!! WHAT DO I DO?! THIS IS STARBUCKS, NOT FREAKING 911. WAIT, HOLD ON. TRY TO KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE, I'LL CALL 911!! STAY CALM. IT'S GOING TO BE O- ❞ ❝Wait...did you just say Starbucks?❞ ❝Um...yeah?❞ ❝They have a hotline?❞ ---- fun conversations between two Potterheads over the Starbucks hotline. [highest rank: #6 in short story] [highest rank: #2 in short story 5/6/17]

[Watty Awards 2019 Winner - New Adult!] Damian Ryker is something of a nomad. In his 22 years of life he's moved a grand total of 14 times. But he's here to stay this time, honest. He's already got himself a cushy new job in town and he's exploring the popular local shops, like that coffee shop down the road. It seems nice enough, perhaps a little too hipster for his taste and the barista is awkward, if not the slightest bit weird. But there's something strange about the innocuous café, like-oh I don't know-earthquakes that seem to destroy it every morning before miraculously repairing themselves and leaving him with the only memory of it. And just when that sounded a tad off, things start to get...a little out of this world. ------------ This was my 2017 Nanowrimo story that I couldn't quite fall out of love with. Inspired by the fun and fascinating world of fan fiction AUs, I hope you'll have as much fun with this as I had writing it!