So waking up in the apartment above the old diner had been a bit of a surprise, but the most it got out of Eliot was grumbling over what a dump his partners used to live in ( Read more... )

Anders got to the shop a little later than he did on most Sundays, and more haphazardly groomed. It was hard to think about things like jobs and toothbrushes and combing your hair when everything you ever dreamed of was held so neatly in the palm of your hand. It took a lot of mental struggle to make himself leave his dorm room and go to work; ( Read more... )

Leland Gaunt could have retired years ago. Millenia ago. But he hadn't, for one very important reason.

Leland Gaunt loved his work. That quote about loving one's job and never working a day in one's life? It was so very, very true.

NEEDFUL THINGS
A DIFFERENT KIND OF STORE

You Won't Believe Your EyesHe couldn't wait to see what new delights this ( Read more... )

Leland Gaunt's plans were proceeding ever so nicely. Far better than he had hoped. There were tendrils out in the ether; there were possibilities branching off from one another. He'd known this island was a good choice.

The sign in the window still read:

NEEDFUL THINGS
A DIFFERENT KIND OF STORE

You Won't Believe Your Eyesand Leland Gaunt waited ( Read more... )

After baking class, Hanna went out on her run, but took a different path through the Preserve this time, away from the beach. It wasn't too long before she started to notice that the trees were looking -- different. Sick. Greyer bark; fewer leaves, and some barren spaces that looked dead ( Read more... )

Okay, so Sparkle hadn't actually come in to work at the clothing store in a while. Could he be blamed for that? Who wanted to work over the winter break, anyway?

Or... any other time that was even remotely inconvenient by a teenager's standards, apparently?

But he was here today, which was what was important, because with new folks on the ( Read more... )