Florida Forest Service duty officer Ray Lumley is in love with a white fringetree. Not an I-read-Walden-in-high-school love; a sweaty, sappy, I-want-to-rub-against-you-'til-I-get-splinters love. It's awkward. So, he's relieved to learn that he's really hot for Trivia, the dreadlocked, radical environmentalist nymph who lives inside the tree. Better yet, she wants to share an eternity of Arcadian delights with him. But first she has to kill the man she holds responsible for a spate of forest fires--Ray's boss, a mid-level bureaucrat (and soccer dad) who she insists is the King of the Woods. -- King of the Woods, or Trivial Pursuit retells the myth of rex Nemorensis as an urban fantasy. Updates every Tuesday.

Kenneth Dekker lives trapped in the hospital undergoing robotic lung treatment. He regularly escapes to the VR world Atlas Quest--his safe haven. There he befriends another player, a girl named Byrd. Over time, he takes comfort in having another human being to talk to as his health takes a turn for the worse. His lungs weaken, but Kenneth knows he can't afford the lung transplant. Still, he refuses to get financial help from his abusive mother. Without anywhere else to turn, he immerses himself in Atlas Quest. He grows close to Byrd and their friendship renews his desire to live life. However, his health issues still loom ahead. No matter what, he can't run from reality forever.