Bianca J. Cook 
Caleb stood in the middle of the massive, echoing community hall, his heart racing. A guy named Brett had just cornered him, grabbing his arm and pulling him aside with a demand to stop being stupid and just take what he could carry from the donation tables. The room was filled with rows of tables, … Read more
A young man stood in the middle of a bustling, dimly lit marketplace, his brow furrowed with genuine concern. He watched as a man in a lab coat hovered over an elderly woman, rudely mocking her simple basket of greens and demanding she get moving or face the trash. The atmosphere was thick with tension … Read more
A rainy day in the city turned into a scene of pure, cold-hearted arrogance when a sleek red convertible came tearing down the street. The driver, wearing a sharp blue velvet suit, didn’t slow down for the giant puddle sitting right in front of a bus stop. Standing there was a young mother clutching her … Read more
A Struggle Against Entanglement A young deer kicks its back legs against a rusted, jagged section of metal fencing. Its mouth hangs wide open, exposing teeth and tongue, as it pushes against the wire that has ensnared its flank. The animal lunges forward, pulling against the resistance, but the metal mesh holds firm. In the … Read more
An Unexpected Rejection A teller behind the glass partition pulls his tie tight, his fingers fidgeting with the fabric at his collar. He stares at the man standing on the opposite side of the counter, his brow furrowed in a sharp, impatient line. The teller shifts his weight, his eyes scanning the space behind the … Read more
The Unsettling Bark A Golden Retriever stands at the edge of the boat, her front paws gripping the metal railing. She stares intensely into the deep blue swells, her ears pricked and her tail tucked low. She lets out a sharp, persistent bark, turning her head back toward the man on deck. He grabs a … Read more
The diner was dripping with age, smelling faintly of decades-old grease and history. Gary, dressed in a sharp white shirt and tie, stood over the counter like he owned the place, sneering at the elderly woman who had run Della’s for twenty-two years. He told her the place smelled like 1987 and the coffee was … Read more
A man standing in a plush, velvet-lined hotel corridor was stopped cold by a security guard. Dressed in a faded jacket and worn-out sneakers, he looked completely out of place in the high-end venue. The guard, puffed up with self-importance, pointed a gloved finger toward the exit. He sneered that the entrance was for performers … Read more
A Sudden Obstruction in the Market A white duck waddled through the crowded market stalls with its entire head encased in a tight black plastic bag. The creature stumbled over the uneven pavement, unable to see the path ahead or the people moving around it. Tiny yellow ducklings followed closely behind, their high-pitched chirps cutting … Read more
The Midnight Shop Encounter The arc of the welder’s torch flickers, casting a harsh, blue-white strobe across the cluttered floor of the garage. An older man with graying hair sits on a rusted bucket, his heavy leather apron coated in layers of grime and soot. He hunches over a metal cross constructed from thick, industrial … Read more
A Lone Figure Beside The Highway The dog sits in the dust, her gaze fixed steadily on the line of cars rushing past her on the asphalt. A rusted chain pulls tight from her collar to the base of a gnarled, leafless tree. She lowers her head, pressing her nose into the dirt, before curling … Read more
A young blonde girl in a pink hoodie stands on a quiet suburban sidewalk, clutching a glass of milk like it’s a mission-critical device. The sun is shining, the neighborhood is peaceful, and then, without a second of warning, she hurls the glass directly at an oncoming bus. The impact is explosive, shattering the glass … Read more