I've waited so long for you, soulmate,' He breathed. 'I'm sorry, I'm not your soulmate, dude,' I squinted at him incredulously. However tempting that sounded, there was no way this guy was sane. 'I don't even know you. Is this meant to be a pickup line?' -- This is off the cuff, cliche, mostly unplanned garbage, which should feel faintly familiar given the general level of writing on this site and genre. enjoy, if you can stand the ineptitude of the writing ;)

Evoking the paranoid tension of Rosemary's Baby and the unnerving atmosphere of the cult horror film Jacob's Ladder, The Cracks in the Labyrinth is a disturbing psychological thriller set in present-day Caracas, where the government has devolved into a "democratic dictatorship"-a creepy suspense novel meant to challenge your deeper, subconscious fears of losing control. It consumed the sanity of an entire country... And it was not from this world. It couldn't have been. Whatever caused the incident known as "The Red Christmas" drove Venezuela into madness. Even ten years since it happened, none of the survivors of that night dare to attempt to make sense of it all, including Adam. Living ostracized to hide from the brutal way of life in Caracas, he's working tirelessly as an online writer to help his brother and sister flee the country. Now, as he's about to have enough money to take them to safety, he receives an email from his old girlfriend ... which is remarkable, considering she's been presumed dead for years. Adam tries to think nothing of the email or the broken video file attached to it. He convinces himself that it has to be a computer virus of some kind until he discovers something terrifying: the video might link his sister to the worst night of his life, the night his girlfriend went missing, the night of "The Red Christmas". Then he realizes this could be a threat; his sister's life could be in danger. As he starts to investigate who sent the video, Adam begins to uncover dark truths about his neighbors and finds evidence that there might be a larger conspiracy at play. The problem is that he's starting to suffer from hellish hallucinations that make him question what is real. Soon, the only clear thing to him is that someone doesn't want him to dig up the past. Will Adam be able to stay sane long enough to find out what really happened the night of "The Red Christmas"? Will he succeed in helping his family escape the country?

WATTYS 2021 Historical Fiction winner | Writers Of The Past Series. 4000 years ago, in an empire where women were little more than flowers on the wall, one princess cemented her story in history and changed the art of writing for centuries to come. *** Based on the real-life Akkadian princess and high-priestess Enheduanna, this novel explores the life of history's first author. An outspoken visionary with a talent for writing down her deepest emotions, Enheduanna's life is turned upside-down when the god Nanna chooses her to become the high priestess of Ur. As her power in the city of Ur grows, so does her list of enemies. But her own safety is the least of her worries when thousands depend on her to keep the vengeful gods happy, and their land safe. Either way, Enheduanna is not willing to go down without a fight. One way or another, she will carve her own path, and nobody is going to erase her from the pages of history. - part 1 of the Writers Of The Past Series -

"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in Graham's Magazine in 1841. It has been recognized as the first modern detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination". C. Auguste Dupin is a man in Paris who solves the mystery of the brutal murder of two women. Numerous witnesses heard a suspect, though no one agrees on what language was spoken. At the murder scene, Dupin finds a hair that does not appear to be human. As the first fictional detective, Poe's Dupin displays many traits which became literary conventions in subsequent fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Many later characters, for example, follow Poe's model of the brilliant detective, his personal friend who serves as narrator, and the final revelation being presented before the reasoning that leads up to it. Dupin himself reappears in "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt" and "The Purloined Letter".

And there's - a man. "Uhm," I say, "hello?" His jaw is slack in shock. Something foreign - but strangely familiar - rolls in his eyes. It takes another moment before he speaks, but his voice seems to grab me by the back of my throat, compelling and urgent. "About time," he says, a glowing smile on his face. - After a decade, Jane Avery is reunited with her childhood friend, someone she thought was gone from her life forever. Sparks fly; but when they are separated, Jane doesn't know if they'll ever find each other again. She doesn't know if she'll ever find a lot of things again. //tw: death, gore, violence//

A modern, gay retelling of the star crossed lovers, Romeo & Juliet, about two boys falling in love despite the burden the world and their families put on their shoulders. [Extended synopsis inside]

Everyone at school knows Andrew Jennings. Missing an arm. Openly gay. But when he meets star athlete Ryan Sullivan in therapy, can friendship lead to more? ***** When Andrew 'Jacky' Jennings ends up in therapy after an English assignment gone wrong, he doesn't expect to find his high school's star athlete, Ryan Sullivan, sitting in the same waiting room. After all, he and Ryan couldn't be more different: football captain, future valedictorian, and all-around nice guy, Ryan is the school's golden boy, while Andrew is known for his permanent snarl, being openly gay, and losing his left arm (along with his father and sister) in a car accident. But when Andrew learns they actually have a lot in common, he's surprised to see past the enigma that is Ryan Sullivan and his seemingly perfect life. And as the two boys begin to connect over their shared grief, depression, and teenage angst, they might just discover a little pocket of happiness for themselves -- if they're willing to fight for it. [Word count: 100,000-150,000 words] Cover designed by Lily Taylor Please read the 'Introduction' for a full list of content/trigger warnings

I'm standing in the gateway to the larger ballroom, almost too far away for my weak eyes to see the three figures that glide onto the stage. The King and Queen walk side by side until they come to their thrones, the Prince walking about five feet behind and moving towards the smaller throne to the King's left. The King and Queen sit down on their thrones in unison. The Prince doesn't. Even I can see the way his shoulders are bristling, a sort of confused wonder dawning on his face. And I would swear he is looking directly at me. //// Lee Collins wants to help her sister, Lucy. She has a vision of a future away from their dad, where Lucy could be healthy and they would have some chance of happiness. When Lee's only friend helps her sneak into the royal ball on the minuscule chance that an attending doctor would be willing to help, Lee ends up fleeing the party early, chased by none other than her mate. Lee finds herself locked in from all sides, desperate to escape the suffocating implications of a mate but frantic to fight for a future for her sister that she still believes possible. Working in the Royal Palace to save escape money is a terrible idea when you have a controlling father, but it's an even worse idea when the mate that you're avoiding is the Prince. //Marked Mature just in case for violence. general trigger warning. Some chapters may be triggering for abuse and anxiety//