EXCERPT: Where Do I Go When I’m Not Here
By Harper Kingsley
Dedicated to any fans of evil!Darkstar

I go back to Earth sometimes. And even if its not real — there’s been SO much mindfucking going on — it is better than the horror story of reality.

I imagine grass and stars, of mindbending purple light coming from his eyes. Not touching me, but passing so close I could feel SOMETHING from it. A feathery brush of heat that almost felt like gravity; god, he was so heavy to be around. The air was always so THICK; I could never get enough of it.

I became his in a moment. My power became his power.

I was wrapped up in him — my god, my everything — and he had no idea of the great joy and fulfillment he brought me. Because I was just another minion. One more Darkster kneeling before the throne.

It should bother me to remember, but it doesn’t. Because I love him that much. Because he DESERVED a million billion faithful kissing his ring every day, vowing forever fealty.

Some said he was immortal. I have to believe it.

He always looks the same. Beauty and brilliance; it burns to look directly at him, but its impossible to look away. I weep some times for the memory of his face and the possibility that I’ll never see him again.

One freak portal, and here I am: trapped in hell. Hurtling through space aboard a sci-fi freighter with a blown actuator and a cracked FTL drive.

/EXCERPT

Title: The World Changes Quickly
Author: Harper Kingsley

“Run!”

I woke to the sounds of shouts and screams; boots thundered in the hallway. It was with a sense of confusion that I stumbled to the apartment door and peered out the peephole.

Soldiers in full tactical gear were herding my neighbors out of their apartments. I saw Mrs. Hernandez struggling with all the strength of her aging body. She was brutally backhanded and her limp body was carried toward the elevator.

Everyone else was being rounded up and shackled into lines of five people. The first two lines were prodded until they began walking toward the stairs.

My view was abruptly blocked by a broad chest. The man had to be a giant. There was a patch across his left breast that had what looked like a shooting star stitched out of red and gold.

I backed away from the door and looked around my small apartment. I didn’t know what was going on, but I needed a weapon. Something to protect myself from these invaders.

There was a whirring sound and a low Pop!

The lock fell out of the door and the door swung wide open.

The soldier tromped in–it was like something out of a nightmare. Heavy boots thumped against carpeting worn thin by use. The red glow of optics focused on me out of the featureless round helmet.

/EXCERPT

Into the drowny deep they’d gone, far past the places other men had dared to travel. Past arching cities and seemingly endless green jungle, they’d set sail from the farthest edge of the Last Isle of Men, intent on seeing all the world had to offer.

They reached the edge of the world after two years of sailing. As the sun was setting, they finally reached the place where the world ended and the curving blackness of space began.

They traveled along the invisible barrier until they found the Door. Then they left the world behind and traveled the multiverse, experiencing things they’d only ever dreamed of seeing.

Title: Ishmael
Author: Harper Kingsley
Genre: murder mystery, suspense, different era
Characters: Major Ishmael Dupres, Captain Etienne Barnard

“I don’t know how my life got to this point. It must be some phobia of success.”

Looking at the words printed on the paper, Ishmael wasn’t sure what to think. He looked from the words to his lieutenant, then back down at the words again.

“And this was written on the body?” he asked. He was relieved his voice didn’t shake.

“Carved into the flesh.” Captain Barnard’s voice never shook. He was the steady firmament that upheld Ishmael’s command.

“That is most disquieting,” Ishmael said. “How many victims has it been? 10? 12?”

“10, sir. And he’s been getting creative with his knife. It’s a frightening turn of events. Women are scared to walk the streets alone as of late.” Barnard frowned. “The merchants are upset. It’s costing them quite a bit of business that most shopping is ending so early.”

“Ah,” Ishmael said. He stared down at the paper, the words written in an oddly elegant scrawl. “We’re going to catch you, you bastard.”

“We’ll get him for you, sir. I promise,” Barnard said.

Ishmael nodded. “I know you will. You are remarkably skilled at your job, and your squad are the best on the street. Get your kids out there and find this guy. I will reward each and every one of you.”

“Sir, you know that’s not necessary.” There was a tinge of pink high on Barnard’s cheeks. It was an oddly charming sight.

“I know I don’t have to make the offer,” Ishmael said, “but I have quite a large amount of money at my disposal. I would feel better using it to reward a job well done than on simple pleasures.”

“Still sir, you’re … Read the rest “Ishmael”

I make wishes on the stars all the time. It doesn't seem like a waste to me. Because in the forming of a wish--an idea--a concept of what can be is created. And until a wish is formulated, it's nothing but stardust and fantasy.