Cannery Row Novels & Stories

In the end, I had eaten both boxes of nuggets and nearly all of the fries. "I'm going to be sick," I told him, holding a hand on my stomach like I was pregnant. "I think you might have eaten a little too fast." I looked at him incredulously. "Well duh." He laughed before pulling onto the narrow path that led up to the castle I observed Cain's home as we drove up to it, remembering that it had only been about two weeks since I'd last been there. Although, it felt like a lifetime ago. I was yanked out of my reminiscing as the narrow and winding roads that Cain drove up the mountain began to make me feel like I was going to hurl.

“It’s not much, but it’s safe.” I hesitated at the threshold, glancing over my shoulder at the storm-torn wilderness. The cabin’s door creaked as he pushed it open, and a faint smell of wood smoke and old herbs greeted me—a stark contrast to the biting chill outside. Inside, a small oil lamp flickered on a rickety table, casting long shadows that danced along the rough-hewn walls. Rowan led me to a rough-hewn bench by the hearth and motioned for me to sit. “Rest here for a bit,” he said kindly. “I’ll get you some dry clothes and bandages.”

The day before the college entrance exam, the class belle everyone adored stepped onto the podium. "I wasn't going to tell anyone, but I couldn't bear to let you all miss this opportunity. There's a hidden rule in this year's college entrance exam system. If you soak your answer sheet, it'll be transferred for a special manual review by top universities." I froze, staring at her for a long while before finally blinking dumbly. In my previous life, those exact words had been enough to make someone as dull as me lose my composure for the first time in my life. I ran to get the teacher and stopped the entire class from soaking their answer sheets. In the end, the class belle failed the exam

The second held a healer's shop that made Kael's heart leap for one wild moment, until the old woman running it confirmed she'd never had a young pregnant stranger through her doors. By the time they reached the third town — Millhaven, according to the faded sign at its edge — it was well past dark again, the third night since they'd left, and Kael's exhaustion had turned into something closer to a live wire running under his skin, every nerve strung tight with a fear he couldn't fully name. "There's a diner," Rowan said, pointing toward a lit window further down the main street, the only place still open at this hour. "Let's start there."

"Probably kicked back on some beach somewhere. Living easier than us." Then I raise my glass. Whiskey goes down like pouring into a well—just echoes at the bottom. From here on out, it's mountains and miles between us. I don't ask. I don't want to know.

And yet, my mind kept drifting to one thought, one presence that had not yet arrived. Diego. My heart betrayed me, racing with every passing minute, with every arrival that was not him. I told myself I was being foolish, that it was dangerous to even hope for his presence. But the truth was undeniable: I wanted to see him. The drums began to play softly, their rhythm steady like the heartbeat of the forest, as twilight deepened into night. Lanterns blazed to life, illuminating the woods in warm, golden hues. Wolves laughed, embraced, exchanged old stories of battles and hunts long past. The gathering had officially begun.

And if the headache was this bad while she was unconscious, what would it be like when she surfaced? Fighting through the ache, she dragged herself upright, bracing for the unsteady pitch and roll of her stomach. When she thought she could manage it, she stumbled toward the window to look out at her farm, at the home she'd been forced to vacate so many years ago. Except this wasn't her farm. Her farm had never looked all green and lush and gorgeous like this. But still, she recognized the barn, painted a cheery red, with crisp, white trim. Beyond it she could just see the first rows of the apple orchard where she'd spent hours climbing trees and reading. A wave of homesickness, stronger even

I muttered as I turned and left the prison, heading back to camp. You are such an idiot Nerine, how could you let him bite you? You knew better and now, just like before, you will pay for your mistakes. I thought to myself. “Are the other Valkyries back?” I asked Sáta as I walked toward the fire, where she and Thana were drinking mead. Thana nodded with a laugh, “They are out cold sleeping off their hangovers.” I sat next to Thana as she poured me a horn of mead and handed it to me. I chugged it and held it out as she poured another.

We bought a house on Long Island, overlooking the ocean. Every morning, I would paint on the balcony. Darrel would make me coffee and sit beside me, reading a book. "Mrs. Marchetti," he would murmur, "what are we painting today?" He always called me that, his voice so gentle it could melt your heart. "The sunrise over the ocean," I'd reply with a smile. "Then I'll go make breakfast." "Toast with jam?" "Your favorite." This was our daily ritual. Simple, but it filled me with a sense of peace I had never known.

---------- ------------------ Several hours later . ---------- ------------------ Red found herself in the worst part of Springfield, an area simply called the Row. She had left the slaughterhouse and just kept walking for hours. Anyone who saw the stunningly beautiful redhead walking through that area with the sun having set would say that she was just asking for trouble. They would've been right.