Performance Poetry

Thirty years ago, a progressive rock band called The Yellow Kings began recording what would become their first and final album. Titled “The Final Reconciliation,” the album was expected to usher in a new renaissance of heavy metal, but it was shelved following a tragic concert that left all but one dead. The sole survivor of that horrific incident was the band’s lead guitarist, Aidan Cross, who’s kept silent about the circumstances leading up to that ill-fated performance—until now. For the first time since the tragedy, Aidan has granted an exclusive interview to finally put rumors to rest and address a question that has haunted the music industry for decades: What happened to The Yellow Kings? The answer will terrify you. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

He ran to into her at street theater. She was a force of nature, not a casual first time hire. She bought the house down with her performance, literally pulled the audience to their feet standing ovation. Her performance was too real, unnerving, deeply unsettling to him.

Lillian’s marriage to Alpha Keegan was never built on love, but she never imagined how far she’d be pushed. With a cold, indifferent husband and a manipulative mother demanding constant financial support, Lillian’s life has become a cage. When Sienna, the woman Keegan is clearly in love with, enters the picture, Lillian’s place in her own world crumbles—especially when she learns Sienna is pregnant with Keegan's child. After a minor injury leads to an unexpected hospital visit, Keegan’s sudden concern feels more like a performance for his family than genuine care. But when he demands she donate blood to save Sienna, Lillian’s breaking point arrives. Tired of being a pawn in a game of indifference and manipulation, Lillian decides it's time to leave. But escaping the man who controls her fate and the pack that doesn’t understand her pain will be no easy task. With a shattered heart and no allies, Lillian must find the courage to break free and reclaim her life. Will Lillian rise above the betrayals, or will she remain a shadow of the woman she was meant to be?

"I am not perfect. You aren't either, and the two of us will never be perfect. But if i can make you laugh at least once, cause you to think twice, and if i admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto me and give me the most you can. I am not going to quote poetry, I am not thinking about you every moment, but I will give you a part of me that i know you could break. Don't hurt me, don't change me, and don't expect for more than i can give. Don't analyze. Smile when i make you happy, yell when i make you mad, and miss me when I am not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don't exist, but there's always one guy that is perfect for you” As I held the letter in hand, a single tear fell off my face and I clench my jaw together, I will be doomed if I let him go without a fight.

WARNING: MATURE CONTENT "The bed," she mumbled softly, pointing at the bed. "Whoever said it only happens in bed?" I asked as I ripped the remaining of her naughty dress. "My best friend bought me that dress she'd kill me," she uttered in shock. "Tell her I ruined it," I uttered authoritatively, and she chuckled. I took off my sweatpants and she gasped. Soft, pleasurable noises left her throat, and it felt so beautiful watching her moan to my strokes "Baby... fuck... I... oh goodness." "Wait... no, don't... stop," she stuttered out, and I smiled proudly knowing I was doing the right thing. ************* Laura Ben graduated last year and was lucky to land an assistant job at a prestigious tech company. On her best friend's birthday, her friend treated them to a night at the renowned and exclusive male strip club. The performance was enticing and captivating, but Laura found herself drawn to a stripper wearing a half mask. Possessed by an inexplicable urge, she waited by the stage door, hoping for a glimpse of him. And when she finally saw his face, she was shocked, so much so that she stumbled, catching his attention. The captivating stripper was none other than her boss, Bryan Finch, the CEO of Premium Tech. Now that Laura knows his deepest secret, she uses this knowledge to blackmail him. Unknown to her, Bryan is being forced to strip because he killed his ex-fiancée and someone has been blackmailing him ever since. With the leverage she holds over him, Laura offers a proposal: promote her, or risk his secret being exposed. But will Bryan submit to her demands, or will he fight back? What is he hiding about his involvement in the death, and how long will he be forced to live this double life?

Olivia, a stripper who endured working in hell in order to live, thought that she'd bag some jewels after a VIP client paid thousand dollars just to see her perform privately. However, her supposed "instant jackpot" turned into an unforgettable disaster when a God-like billionaire interrupted her performance, claiming that she was his goddamn wife.Worst, she was taken a way by him, giving her no chance to escape. Now, she needs to find a way to get away from him. But, how could she possibly escape from the ruthless and wild billionaire?

His hand fisted in my hair while the silk tie kept my wrists helpless above my head, his voice dark and thick with lust against my neck. “You’re soaking my fucking pants, Celeste—moaning like a needy little wife who wants to be fucked until she forgets her husband’s name. Is that what you want?” I arched into him, breath hitching as the words tumbled out, “Yes, sir.” ___ Celeste Maddox is the picture-perfect political wife, composed, elegant, and utterly unwanted. Behind closed doors, her marriage to golden boy Ethan is a hollow performance: no affection, no passion, just cold smiles and a carefully curated public image. But everything shatters when she walks in on Ethan tangled in the sheets with her own sister. Heartbroken and reckless, Celeste lets herself unravel for one night in the arms of a commanding stranger—someone who touches her like she matters, who makes her ache and moan like she’s never known pleasure before. She never planned to see him again. But fate has other plans because the stranger? He’s Dr. Rowan Wolfe, the couples therapist Ethan hires to fix their broken marriage. Now, every session is torture. Every glance, a spark.And when Ethan stops showing up, Rowan doesn’t stop seeing her. Talking turns to touching. Therapy turns to sin. And Celeste finds herself tied to the bed of the one man who makes her forget every vow she ever made. She swore she’d never cheat. He swore she was only his plaything. They’re both liars. However, some sins are worth every damn consequence.

Nathan Grey became the Alpha of the Old Woods Pack just a few months ago. Together with his best friends, Beta Kaiden and Gamma Caleb, he is trying to fight off the threat from a large rogue group that settled in the vast forests of North Washington. Between creating an alliance with the biggest pack on the continent and learning how to lead a pack, the last thing on his mind is finding his mate. He doesn't understand everyone's obsession in finding their destined one. That is, until he meets her. Nate gets persuaded by his friends for a night out in Bellforth, where they end up going to a show by a local theatrical group. As the performance begins he realizes that one of the actresses is his mate. Captivated by her voice and beauty, he quickly forgets about his previous views on soulmates. But what if she doesn't know about mates and holds secrets of her own? Caleb just recently became Gamma to one of his best friend. Together with Beta, the three of them had been friends since childhood yet he holds a big secret from them. With a deep desire of having his mate, comes even bigger fear of being rejected. Not only by his possible mate but also his friends.

Vivian Stephen Chen was the epitome of a perfect lady. She was well-educated, driven to her career, knowledgeable, kind, and beautiful. She even had a figure to die for. But there was something missing in her life. She had never dated a man before, to the point that she was being mistaken to like fellow women. And then one day, as if it was a fateful encounter, she met him. Zander Li Martin, a bachelor multibillionaire, suddenly proposed a deal that turned her life around. He was much older than her but he had everything a girl could ask for. Money, power, looks, perhaps; even performance in bed. Vivian was not in dire straits for money. She had her own business and she had more than enough money for herself. But she had greedy vultures feasting on her. Zander’s offer churned something inside her. She had always been a careful woman and had never done anything crazy and unaccounted for in her life. She realized that she was bored with her current life that she was actually longing for a major unexpected change that would arouse her excitement. As if something was pushing her, Vivian accepted the offer. She wanted to do something crazy and dangerous for a change. Likewise, she would be able to satisfy the greed of the vultures that haunted her. All of a sudden, she gained a husband. What will her married life with him entail? Would she get the thrill she was looking for? Join Vivian in her life journey as the wife of a multibillionaire and discover what experiences await her.

Alina Hart, a sharp-tongued high school senior, hides behind sarcasm and wit to mask the pain of fractured family life. Shipped off to a prestigious boarding school by a father who no longer sees her, Alina struggles to find her place in a world of strict rules and academic expectations. Enter Professor Cristiano Wright, a 27-year-old literature teacher whose calm demeanor and sharp intellect make him both an enigma and a fascination. Tasked by Alina’s older brother Ethan to keep an eye on her, Wright finds himself drawn to the complexity beneath her rebellious exterior. In the backdrop of Shakespearean sonnets and Romantic poetry, Alina and Wright navigate an increasingly fraught connection. What begins as reluctant mentorship soon transforms into a tangled web of forbidden emotions, unspoken words, and an undeniable pull that neither can ignore. Set against the bustling corridors of an urban high school and the quiet corners of a library filled with unspoken confessions, Silent Flames, Forbidden Paths explores the fine line between admiration and desire, duty and vulnerability. As Alina and Wright grapple with their feelings, they must confront their moral boundaries and the cost of their choices. Can they maintain the lines they’ve drawn, or will their emotions blur them beyond recognition?