°°° Sacrifice °°° It was dark outside. It was one of those deceitful longer nights and shorter day periods. A red BMW convertible pulled up right in front of Kate’s place. The music was quiet and calming. It was a great atmosphere for romance. "You really should consider getting into a serious relationship," one of the passengers in the car, Kate, said, chuckling as the music came to an end. She was dressed in the beige dress she’d worn that morning, only she had her white lab coat over it. "If you know a store where they sell any such thing, hit your girl," her companion laughed. "Come on, Sarah. "I'll quickly whip something up for you before you leave," Kate got out of the car. "I know your lazy ass ain’t going to be cooking any healthy meals tonight." "You know me so well, baby," Sarah was already out of the car. "I am the goddess of takeout," she added, striking a pose as though she were a role model trying to show off her curves. "You better hope my son didn’t see any

°°° Flowers at Work °°° • Crest Care Hospital • The staffroom was the only place, other than a few doctors' offices, that didn’t smell like antiseptic mixed with a metallic tang from stainless steel in the open air or bleach wafting from bedding. It was also one place where the scent of get-well flowers and questionable food smells from room trays had yet to corrupt. Even the doctors sometimes came up with excuses to take a breather here. A gray double-door fridge stood to the left of the doorless entrance. The wall it was backing had a sink and cupboards stretching across the entire wall's length. Just before the glass walls with a sliding door that led to a balcony, a microwave oven built into the walls was on. The sudden beeping sound drew the attention of the three ladies and the only man in the room, who were taking their break. The short, blonde-haired nurse with forest green eyes quickly walked over to the microwave and took out its contents. She w

°°° Pessimist °°° • Louisville, Kentucky• -May William’s Residence- The television in the living room was turned on, but as usual, no one was watching whatever was on. May William, Karen’s aunt, only ever watched videos related to her band and their music style. Karen, on the other hand, was subscribed to every reality TV show she wanted on her phone, so each time May brought home a new television set, Karen would just look away. After all, it wasn’t her money, nor was it May’s. It was a yearly gift from her grandfather, Colonel William. The basement was stacked with appliances he’d sent over that they didn’t need. Another room was now being used to store incoming appliances, and May was happy to let the Colonel keep wasting his money in an attempt to buy her over. Karen ran down the stairs in a short black leather jacket with golden diamond-shaped studs at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and waistline. She wore a black shirt with a silver skull design and a pair o

°°° Job Seeker °°° The rays of the afternoon sun shone into Sean’s room through the windows. The blue-eyed lad sat at his desk, seriously going through the registration process for the Domain of Warriors tournament. Mr. Melvin had later called to inform him that the hosts of the competition had set up a venue in Pittsburgh, seeing as one of Sean’s reasons for hesitation was distance. After considering the pros and cons, as well as a half-hour video call with Jason and Karen to try to decide, Sean decided to go for it. After reading virtually everything the site offered, from the terms and conditions of the site to the rewards and means of advancing in the tournament, It was weird. a tournament with such benefits, but it was like something planned by amateurs. He felt there should have been stages: regional, state, and national. After three years of existence, he was shocked that they hadn’t matured. Sean suddenly froze as he noticed something else. "The registration

°°° The Initiation °°° • Carl’s Automotive Repairs and Accessories • Sean alighted the cab he’d boarded and walked to the shop’s entrance. It was only seven twenty-five in the morning. The auto shop didn’t officially open until nine o’clock daily, but seeing as he needed a complete job briefing and needed to familiarize himself with the faculties and equipment, Carlos asked him to be at the shop an hour before the shop was to be opened for the workers to perform the routine cleanup and arrangements before the commencement of the day. "Wish me good luck, babe," Sean spoke into his phone, looking at the name of the company placed at the top of the building. Carl’s Automotive Repairs and Accessories suddenly had more weight than ever before. He cut the call after telling Karen he loved her, took a long, deep breath, and walked forward to the half-open building. "Hey yo, migo," Malone waved at him upon seeing him. "Good morning, Malone," Sean felt a bit relieved by the fact th