Midnight Poppy Land Novels & Stories

*Poppy* As I entered the dense and eerie forest at night, the darkness enveloped me like a heavy cloak. The trees loomed overhead, casting long, shadowy shapes that seemed to shift and dance in the faint moonlight. Twigs cracked beneath my feet, and the rustling of leaves in the breeze sounded like whispers in the darkness. Each step felt heavy with the weight of the unknown, and every distant hoot of an owl or rustle in the underbrush sent shivers down my spine. Despite the creepiness, there was a strange allure to the mysterious atmosphere of the forest, which drew me deeper and deeper into its depths.

“I don't care. I do want you. I’m yours, Midnight. Do whatever you want with me.” He smiled against her mouth, and for a split second, his eyes glowed with a faint, predatory light. “Then come for your owner, little one. Come for me again and again. We have all night.” As the first orgasm tore through her under the open sky, Lila felt the last of her old life fall away. The graphic designer, the successful professional, the woman who lived alone in a high-rise—they were all gone. In their place was something new, something raw and honest.

We were ready. The ball would start when daylight faded and twilight emerged. I peered in the mirror my ice blue eyes were alert and ready for trouble my hair ribboned down my back resting at my waist. Tonight would be my last in the pack. Vivian was slipping on cleanly polished boots before double checking her silver moon necklace around her neck. Out of habit I played with my own matching necklace my fingers looping around the intricate chain. Matching. A gift from our mother. “Well let’s do the best job we can and then skedaddle.” Vivian joked running a brush through her hair once more.

I grab the box and dart outside. “Now what” I asked. “Inside there should be a potion” she said “give it to him.” I look through the contents of the box, crystals, a rabbit leg and finally a vile with a purple liquid inside. “That’s the one” she said. I pop the lid off and pour it in Liam’s mouth; he starts to cough. The wounds on his body begin to heal and Liam opens his eyes. “Oh thank god you’re alright” I hugged him. “Ouch” he groaned.

I stand barefoot, watching her, arms folded before me, the night air thick with incense and pine. Shawn is right beside me, his shoulder almost brushing mine, the flames dancing in his silver eyes as he watches them too. Alice flanks my other side, arms crossed, her stance, solid as always, but her jaw is tight. She keeps glancing at me when she thinks I'm not watching, but I feel it. Ophelia lifts a bowl of moonwater, tilts it until a single drop falls onto the black stone at the center of the circle. The drop hisses, steam rising in the shape of a wolf’s jaw.

The air cooled, dimmed, thickened with sounds Charlie couldn't translate—branches murmuring, something pacing just out of view, leaves crunching like whispered warnings. Rivener moved with confidence, steps silent, back straight. Charlie... tripped over a log. "I'm fine," she announced, popping back up. "Graceful as ever. Don't mind me." He offered her a hand. She took it before she could overthink, his palm warm, steadying. He didn't let go right away. Neither did she. When the trees parted into a wide clearing, moonlight pooled in the center like silver water. The air hummed with the same energy from her dream—thick, electric, expectant.

The villain will surely go mad seeing her body. [This blind date of hers is quite good-looking, too. No wonder the villain's been jealous for so long.] [Why are there so many people siding with the villain? How disgusting! She deserves her death! I really want to see the hero taking the villain down!] When I woke up once more, it was back to midnight again. The moonlight shone dimly into the lounge as my hand was on the window latch, about to open the window. [Don't open the window! There's no cat outside! It's a serial killer!]

One broken. Inside was a single card. Midnight — Tower Spire 32. That was all. She stared at the note. Then reached for her lighter. The paper caught flame immediately—but the wax seal refused to melt. It hissed instead, searing into her palm before falling to the floor, unburned. She watched it. Then, low and dangerous, she whispered: “Then come and take me.” ⟅━━━━━⟆ ⚜ ⟅━━━━━⟆ Next: Will she climb the tower… or be pulled in?

I didn’t get into college, so I took a job driving a city bus. Once I finished training, I started working the night shift with Uncle Tim. He had always been the kind of guy who followed every rule. But that night, he wouldn’t let me pick up a single passenger. He even made me keep the bus dark the entire route. Uncle Tim died shortly after that incident. A few days later, someone told me something that made my blood run cold. Uncle Tim had actually been dead for quite some time. So who the hell had been riding with me that night?

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ A MONTH LATER POPPY’s 18th BIRTHDAY The day had come quicker than we expected. The decision felt spontaneous, yet right. Poppy and I found ourselves in a small, sunlit room at the courthouse, the air thick with excitement and anticipation. Our hearts beat in unison, a comforting rhythm in the midst of the whirlwind we found ourselves in.