If this year was like last year, Julian knew he would soon need some fresh reading material. If the weather turned wintry again and their homes were transformed, he would want to spend lots of time curled up by the fire with a good book and a cup of tea. And so, before it could catch him unawares, he went to the compound to find a good supply of ( Read more... )

Whenever everyone pulled together to do something like this, Dale was reminded just why they had something to celebrate. Tabula Rasa has begun as just a handful of people on an empty beach and everything it now was, was because of its residents pulling together and making something of their mutual situation ( Read more... )

Stacy's hand feels small and cool curled into Mathias's and he grips her tighter, sensing the light breeze that comes upon them more than he feels it. He watches as the vines rustle around them. Or maybe there's no wind at all, maybe they're simply moving, quivering with anticipation of what they're about to say, because then it's happening. ( Read more... )

Alex wasn't having as much fun as he thought he should have been having. The day had started off all right. He'd woken up, freaked out, come to grips with it, fed his dog, then went to find some clothes. That was when the day got really good. It had taken some searching, but he'd actually found an outfit in the box almost exactly like the one ( Read more... )

The end of the rain had come just in time to squeeze in a few long rehearsals before the big day. Cole had been running around like a fool all morning (with the help of Dairine), making sure that costumes were finished, the stage was set, seating was arranged, props were ready, the musicians had everything they needed... and on and on. Back home ( Read more... )

In theory, Tabula Rasa was a beautiful place. It was charming, it was peaceful, no less than one long vacation stretching into eternity, ten times better than Venice, the Mediterranean, the English seaside, lacking the lingering fear of responsibilities to return home to. And what could be better for such an island idyll than a quaint aboriginal ( Read more... )

For whatever reason, most Friday evenings at the Compound were quite slow. Where people went was a mystery to Shari, but after the dinner rush it wasn't the kitchen, that much was sure. She was still quite fastidiously working off her auction hours, and was glad enough to find herself with plenty of elbow room to bake. There wasn't any ( Read more... )

The maelstrom of light and sound was incredible; the screaming thundered in Marion's ears like a lightning spike, so loud that she barely realized she was screaming as well. Whatever was in the Ark was wonderful, wonderful and at the same time terrible, too terrible for human eyes to behold. Indy had told her to shut hers, and she had without a ( Read more... )

There was a machine up in the compound, some sort of strange thing made up of clockwork and little pictures and a wheel, and it took Antoine months to figure it out. But she now knows that the funny wheels with all the little pictures on them go on the funny little machine. The shelf kept giving them to her and she kept putting them back in ( Read more... )

It seems odd, really. To be celebrating a birthday when by all rights, he shouldn't be able to do so. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be alive.But he is. And he's sitting on the beach, flipping slowly through the children's book Donald gave him. It's simple, but it's good to keep up with his vocabulary. Melchior wanted to do something for Moritz ( Read more... )