Lena Gets Plugged Novels & Stories

she requested Denzel. “I’ll ask the doctor later.” Berli smiled happily at Denzel’s supportive response. They continued chatting about Lyyana’s wedding location and the event itself. They talked for quite a while, not realizing it was getting late. Despite the engaging conversation, Lyyana occasionally kept an eye on Garret, who was busy playing with his Legos and Rubik’s Cube. Lyyana wanted to go home, feeling bad for Garret, who hadn’t changed clothes all day, but she also didn’t want to interrupt since Berli was enjoying their conversation.

“I gain freedom. And you… lose everything.” --- Lena closed her eyes, trying to focus. The light within her flickered like a candle in a storm, its warmth faint but persistent. If she could just harness it, even for a moment longer... “We need to trap them,” Lena said, her voice resolute. Lucan frowned. “Trap? How? They’re feeding off the imbalance.” “That’s exactly it,” Lena replied, her mind racing. “If we can restore the balance, they’ll lose their power. But it means… I’ll have to use everything I have left.”

Her two friends, Cassidy and Morgan, were already waist-deep in the pool, drinks in hand, attempting to talk Lena into getting in. “You’ve got legs!” Cassidy called. “Use them!” Lena grinned, but she shook her head. “Give me 10 more minutes of pretending I’m glamorous.” As she closed her eyes and leaned back into her chair. Morgan arched an eyebrow. “You’re always glamorous.” “Bullshit,” Lena said, lifting her strawberry daiquiri to her lips. “But thank you.” Her phone buzzed once against the bedside table. She ignored it. It buzzed again. This time, she glanced. The screen showed one name.

"I can't get to the grocery store, let alone 'West'." Leela looked at Fennigan. He was already tapping on his own phone. "Do you need money?" Leela asked. "Fenn can wire you some." "Who the hell is Fenn?" Ginny asked, her voice sharpening. "That's... something else I need to explain," Leela said. Fennigan held up his phone to show Leela the screen. Transfer Complete. "Check your account, Ginny," Leela said. A pause. Then, a gasp that sounded like all the oxygen leaving the room.

He thought I was standing at a negotiation. I wasn't. I was standing at the beginning of a war. “You brought my family into this,” I said quietly. Vale's smile faded. “Yes.” I took one step forward. “Then you just made this personal.” His expression hardened. Before he could respond, Lena's eyes suddenly flashed silver. She looked past Vale. Toward the control panel beside the glass room. Then she whispered, “Kai…” I followed her gaze. A countdown had appeared on the screen. 00:05:00

From our vantage point, we observed the lively scene unfold before us. Eva's eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and contentment as she surveyed the room, taking in the vibrant atmosphere. I couldn't help but admire her grace and the way she effortlessly carried herself, embodying the spirit of a Luna. Our eyes met, and a smile passed between us, a silent acknowledgment of the incredible journey we had embarked upon together. As the festivities continued, Eva leaned toward me, her voice filled with anticipation. “Nate, I would like to pay my respects to Elder Ken. He holds such wisdom and experience, and his blessing would mean a great deal to us.”

I peek up from my mostly abandoned drawing to find him grinning smugly at Hallee. “It is not a sticker book,” she snaps. Luka sighs again. “No. Not again. If not for me, think of poor Jenna.” I put my stylus to one side and reach for my earbuds. “Do you want to borrow these?” I offer Luka, briefly meeting his gaze in the rearview mirror as I hold them up. His eyes fix on the buds in my hands. “Why didn’t I think of those?” “Anyway, I’d have thought you had plenty to fill your journal, what with all of your mysterious disappearing trips to town when no one can find you for hours,” Nathan says as he turns to buckle his seatbelt on.

Lena read it once, then looked away. Five hundred dollars for an embarrassing photo. Eight hundred for a video. Ten thousand — ten thousand — for whoever made Lena transfer out. "She has a lot of disposable income," Lena said. "This is serious." "I know it's serious." "You need to go to Adrian Hale and stop whatever you both have going on before it gets too dangerous." "I need to not get pushed down a flight of stairs." Lena pulled the note off her locker, folded it, and put it in her bag. "Give me the group chat. I want to see everything."

Tonight the blur became a smudge. Jordan was sprawled on Lena’s bed in bike shorts and an oversized hoodie, legs kicked up against the wall, scrolling through Anki cards on her phone. Lena sat cross-legged on the floor, back against the bed frame, pretending to reread the same paragraph about action potentials for the fifteenth time. “You’re not even turning pages,” Jordan said without looking up. Lena sighed, closed the textbook. “My brain is soup.” Jordan snorted. “Same. Want to take a break? We’ve been at this for four hours.”

"The whole pack is very excited. Someone released actual flower petals into the air Mama. With their hands. Like they had nothing better to do with them." "Lena." "I'm serious. Flower petals. Meanwhile our roof leaks every time it rains but sure. Flower petals." "Lena," she said again. Softer. I stopped talking. She was looking at me with that expression. The one she had been wearing since I was a little girl whenever I used too many words to cover something up. "Did you feel the bond tonight?" she said quietly. The word landed in the room like a stone dropped in still water. I opened my mouth. Then closed it.