2nd-glance Novels & Stories

The second he burst through the front door, Vittorio’s heart didn't settle. Instead, it plummeted into a bottomless abyss. The penthouse was terrifyingly empty. It was spotless, sterile, and felt exactly like a high-end property waiting for a new owner. There wasn't a single trace of Isabella left. The photo wall that she used to cherish so much was completely bare.

Three building receptionists sat behind a long black obsidian desk, their fingers moving quietly over their keyboards, completely unaware of the sudden shift in the air. Suddenly, a heavy weight slammed against the exterior glass pane of the main entrance. Adrian Hayes pressed his bleeding knuckles against the rotating glass panel, forcing his way into the pristine lobby with a rough, violent push. The revolving door spun out of control, letting out a loud, painful screech that instantly echoed off the high walls. The receptionists gasped, their hands freezing over their desks as they stared at the giant, disheveled figure who had just crossed their threshold.

She felt like someone was watching her. It was like the biological phenomenon known as “gaze detection”. According to neurological studies, the brain cells that began this response were quite exact, and that humans were sensitive to other people's sight. She felt that that was the thing in her case as the both of them went out together. It had began the moment Raphael picked her up.

‎He lifts his other hand to my cheek, pausing, waiting. ‎I nod. ‎The kiss is nothing like the ones that ruined us. ‎This time it's gentle, it's reverent. ‎It tastes like forgiveness and fear and hope all learning ways to coexist. ‎When we pull apart, I’m trembling. ‎From the corner of my eye, I see Marcus step forward. ‎At first she doesn't utter a word, he just looks between us, his jaw tight. ‎Then he nods. ‎A single, decisive nod.

One was a guy I had been crushing on forever, and the other was my half-sister. 'Even if you didn't love me, could you at least pretend to care about decency?' I stewed internally. However, now, I barely gave them a second glance before I turned away to keep busy. Iris caught my look, especially that brief pause, and quickly pulled Ruby behind him. However, the angry outburst he had been waiting for never came. His smile slowly turned into a grimace, like something was bugging him, and he could not help but throw a jab my way.

The first thought that came into her mind was that she was in Howard's arms last night, she suddenly remembers how he acted cold to her but at the end of the day he was an angel in disguise sent to save her, she wasn't an ingrate to be ungrateful. She was going to stay in today because the previous day had stressed her out. She walks into the kitchen to make herself some coffee and just then she heard a beep from her cell phone. The first thing that came into her mind was she had gotten a job finally and she hears another one, she rushes to her cell phone in excitement.

“I want to do it. Stop being paranoid.” The word hit Nancy like a slap. Was she really being paranoid? She stepped back slowly. Shame crept into her chest. “Alright…” she whispered. “If that’s what happened… I am sorry for over reacting." Melissa smiled triumphantly. Just then a mechanical chime cut through the tension. SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT: “We are entering the second half of Grey Hayes part two. Players may now switch partners. Two willing participants may exchange units. Failure to select within five minutes will result in random reassignment.”

She needed to find the text files of The Billionaire’s Constraint. The browser window opened with a flash but it didn't load her dashboard. The screen instantly turned a brilliant , blinding blue, like the vertical glass pods in the subterranean matrix. The standard mouse cursor vanished, replaced by a horizontal ticker tape of black text. CHRONOS_REWRITE_SYSTEM: RETRIEVING ARCHIVED DATA FOR VANCE_E... WARNING: SUBJECT IS CURRENTLY RETAINING IN EXCEPTION STATE... DELETION UNIT 01 EN ROUTE TO MAINLAND SECTOR...

*** This place was thinner. *** Not broken. *** But closer to the edges of something else. *** ### The First Reach Raven stopped. *** Closed her eyes. *** And reached. *** Not outward across land. Not through the dead. *** Up. *** And out. *** Toward the place where she had felt it watching. *** ### The Answer Comes The world did not distort. *** It paused. *** Then— shifted. *** Not physically. *** Conceptually. *** Raven opened her eyes— and the Glades were gone.

The same sound as last time. I look up and directly in front of me are two glowing eyes, starting maliciously at me. “Oh shit.”