G. M. T. Schuilling

“Malachite eyes sparkled, pale green in the light of the setting sun.”

“The vibrant matte amethyst dial made the gleaming hour and minute markers seem to come alive. The long, thick hands were fragile, yet ceaselessly ticking by, like life itself. Countless hour...”

“Death can’t be cheated, but there are endless ways that life can be lived.”

“And so, Anaya's story begins with her last thought. Would I have done this if I had any option but the grave?”

“And that was the thing, wasn’t it? When life rode on its highs, you wanted it to go on forever. But in the depths of the invariable dives, you’d be happy to be put out of your misery, becaus...”

“Karma’s not a bitch. She’s a whore, acting like I’ve stolen her pimp.”

“She watched him from afar and gave him the time and space to travel the emotional rollercoaster, commencing at stunned, progressing to upset and lurking at angry. Then he brooded and grieved...”

“But what if, after one small change, her life would become much worse than it was? Or unthinkable disasters result from a single step off her path?”

“And then they came upon it. It was painted in the most cat-retch shade of beige you ever beheld.”

“A red carpet and red rope stanchion sets demarcated a runway and seating areas. Silhouettes of prominent action heroes posing on silver and gold LED blocks illuminated the whole area. Black...”

“Anaya inhaled the rich scent of soil, along with the sharp, citric smell of thriving vegetation and the sweetness of fresh dew. Her eyes drifted shut and she pricked up her ears, the gushing...”

“Abstract white cirrus clouds streaked across the sky. The cool breeze rustled the leaves in the trees and disturbed the ones settled on the ground. Anaya couldn’t help but see a metaphor in...”

“The stained-glass window on the front door shatters into tiny pieces behind her as it slams shut when he gets to it at last. It sounds like a musical cadence, heightening some eerie psycho m...”

“Her regularly squared and french-tipped nails were dangerously chipped and jagged, and she touched her platinum hair so often that it had started to look like the kinked bristles of an overu...”

“Abuse could be a slope as slick as ice after a shower of freezing rain.”

“As still and clear as glass, the water seemed to exist solely to mirror the sunset. The wind changed course in the sky, causing wave-like ripples up there. The whole world seemed covered in...”

“Fueled by rage at God, or whoever else came up with the preposterous concept of free will, Anaya turned more corners. My challenges were cruel to the core. With so many choices to make in li...”

“He was a sharpshooter like that. Bullet straight to the heart.”

“They gobbled the shrimp dumplings. From the first time they’d seen the sheer size of the meat through the translucent wrapper, they’d taken vows to be regulars. The pork sui mai was the next...”

“How readily we crush our dreams, without even turning over the first stone, so willing to be the victims of circumstance! She felt utterly miserable on behalf of all the teenagers the world...”