The Emperor’s Mirror | Alex Zhao

"The seeds of my prison were sown in the third century when a drunk calligrapher scrawled an impromptu poem. On a spring afternoon beside a stream, the calligrapher Xizhi composed the Orchid Pavilion Preface, an ode to life’s brevity..."

For Your Self-Defense | Shanti Chandrasekhar

"Within a nanosecond, we are alert, guarded, equipped. We multiply into a huge army, ready for action. Not for nothing, we’re called your first line of defense. We charge with one goal. To protect you..."

A Brief History of the University on the Plains | Don Zancanella

"...they went looking for a place that was as far away from their error in judgement, their blunder, their mortification, as they could find. A place to hide out. With luck, a place to make a new start..."

Tie | Johanna Ziegler

"Today, you have your sport in common. You’re teammates. But in the future, it’s her you’ll have in common. One of you will be her best friend. One of you will be her boyfriend. And one of you will hurt her enough to be arrested for it."

Spruce Traps | Jordan Marzka

"Buried in a pit of snow was the place to begin, so it began. The weight pressed downward on the body, as the body yielded to the mind. The mind pressed itself against the narrative of it all..."

Sweet Cherries | Zdravka Evtimova

"Theo watched the thin, long thread of a woman. The more he studied her face, the more he suspected she was not all there. The most amazing thing about her was her appetite. She constantly ate..."