I looked at myself in the big mirror on the back of the door.

Another Country -9-
by Erin Halfelven

Chapter 9 — “Frostspire Departure.”

Scene 1: The Road North

The Carnival of Time
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman
A Legend of Zelda Fanfiction
I am not claiming ownership of the Legend of Zelda

Fado took a deep breath and peered toward me. I could tell she was a little annoyed. Finally though after a few tense moments she started to speak, and when she spoke it was a tone that reminded me of my mother. Indeed mother had used the same tone of voice when she wanted to explain something to me that often flew over my head.

Author's Note: I turn my attention from the happy neon world of Derby City, back to the cold barren fields of Mud Creek. People are a sum of their experiences. Lucy has had some bad ones. I didn't make this up, this really happened.

Chapter 13 December 25th 1994

Lucy was awake in her bed staring at the ceiling. Her radio alarm clock, a Christmas present from last year, glowed on her nightstand. It was 4:30 AM.

Where the Sunflowers Grow
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman

-7-
Fish House Blue's

The inside of the kitchen reminded of a combat zone. Line cooks were shouting orders at the top of their lungs, waitresses were rushing back and forth from the  dining room area to the kitchen, shouting at the top of their lungs, tempers were running high. It was a circus within a circus. It was your average Friday night at “Delta Pride Catfish House” a modest and rustic little seafood and steak house restaurant my uncle Cliff owned and operated.

Chapter 51: Dreamworld Dragons

Chapter 8 — “The Forge Commission.”

Scene 1: The Hidden Room Beneath the Council Hall

The forges of High-Forge roared like the beating heart of the mountain—except much, much louder, and with a tendency to singe eyebrows at twenty paces. Even deep below the council chambers, the air shimmered with heat, the rhythmic pulse of molten metal being poured occasionally interrupted by the echo of a blacksmith’s off-key humming or the comical yelp of an apprentice who discovered that molten boots are not, in fact, the latest fashion.

Where the Sunflowers Grow
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman

-5-
Benton Academy
Benton Academy was a private, mostly white, mostly protestant, Christian school that only allowed the sons and daughters of the bourgeoisie of Benton to become students. The academy had started off as a segregation academy. The academy had started when a group of Benton's leading businessmen decided that they would not send their children to the newly desegregated public schools. Among those businessmen had been my grandfather Sherman Potter.

Authors Note: Hi, it's me again. I'm very aware this book probably doesn't really fit in here. I found Big Closet through Maddy Bell's Gaby stories long ago. I recently created a chapbook from the first 8 chapters and would like to get it out in the world somehow. I've always thought self publishing and zines are cool. If you have any ideas where I could send one let me know. This chapter is pretty intense, stuff happens. As always thanks for reading and I hope that 2026 is our year!

Chapter 12 September 26, 2025

Chapter 10: Auras and Amulets

Where the Sunflowers Grow
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman

-1-
Boulevard of Broken Dreams

The mall was filled with shoppers this rainy afternoon. From where I was sitting, on a wooden bench under a planted palm tree that seemed odd out of place in Mississippi I noticed that every one of them held some kind of bag. Delightful smells drifted down from the food court. The smells caused my stomach to growl, reminding me that I'd skipped breakfast and the hamburger steak I had for supper last night had long since left me.

Chapter 9: Fun at School

Chapter 25 – The After Party

By the time the night cycle began aboard the Queen’s Rage, the mess deck had transformed from a sterile cafeteria into a celebration zone. Fluorescent lights had been dimmed and replaced with soft golden hues, casting a warm glow over the crowd. Streamers and makeshift banners—scavenged from storage and splashed with squad colors—hung between bulkheads, fluttering with each vibration of the ship’s engines.

Author's Note: Happy New Year! This chapter was something that I imagined leading up to from the moment I started the book. It's a very powerful chapter and I'm so excited to share it with you. As of now this is the only place I share this book. I may be suffering illusions of grandeur but I believe that it is good. I may attempt to publish it somehow when it's complete.

Chapter 47: The Queen’s Decree

Chapter 6 — “Return to Silverleaf.”

Scene 1: Feedback

Chapter 9 September 19th 2025

“Here’s your money back dear,” Carla said, handing Lucy some folded bills, which she quickly pocketed. Lucy sat down on her front porch with her Mom, Carla, who lit her cigarette and took a deep pull. She could hear her Dad flipping through TV stations in the house. “Your cousin Elle invited you to her baby shower,” she said.

Chapter 5 — “Descent to the Core.”

Scene 1: The Shifting Halls

The new passage radiated radiant hues, akin to molten glass being elegantly poured through the rugged contours of ancient stone. Waves of warmth undulated through the air, stirring up fine particles of dust and tousling Steph's hair in a gentle dance. With cautious curiosity, she leaned forward to peer into the spiraling shaft, which seemed to descend into an endless abyss, each level shimmering faintly like distant stars before being consumed by encroaching shadows.

Chapter 23 – The Summit War

The flag's light pulsed once—a brilliant flash that surged through the darkness, momentarily dispelling the swirling smoke that clung to the air like a thick veil. Gradually, it steadied into a slow, rhythmic glow, a heartbeat of illumination in the oppressive gloom. Kara gripped the pole tightly, her breath coming in quick, ragged gasps behind the visor, her heart racing in anticipation.

For a few tense heartbeats, the world around her held its breath, suspended in an eerie stillness.

Chapter 5

We sat there with our jaws dropped. Talk about upping the stakes.

“We haven’t been told where the band tour will want to play yet. I expect that Oxford will feature, sometime in September. We usually get six or seven months to organise them, so should get a message soon. If ‘Exarctics’ have lost the singer and drummer, it will take some time before they can play again.”

Chapter 3

Life carried on at its normal pace, but, for me, every hour seemed like two, except when I was with Bertie, and then it felt like twenty minutes. For the first time in a long time, I was thinking about a case, but it was a jigsaw puzzle with only a quarter of the pieces, and not even a picture to look at.

Chapter 45: Back to School

Chapter Six: The Envoy of Lies