Testing The Waters Novels & Stories

And somewhere in twelve territories the ones marked on the routing map and the ones not yet marked people were running deep. Carrying real records in their heads. Waiting to be found. Tomorrow Still Waters would find them. And the day after. And the day after that. Unhurried. Inevitable. The way water moves when the channel is finally clear.

In the center, a pool of dark water—not frozen, perfectly still. "The Pool of Memory," he said. "Step into it. You will relive your worst moment. Not as a dream—as truth." "How long will it last?" "In the waking world, minutes. In the pool, as long as it takes." I stepped into the water. --- The party. I was back in the foyer, clutching the pregnancy test in my pocket. Wolves laughed. Sera's hand was on Dax's arm. You know this, I told myself. You survived it.

“Fine. What’s the first test?” His smile deepened, like my choice was exactly what he wanted. “Good. You’re ready to begin.” He gestured toward a small pond in the center of the hall. Its dark water caught the glow of the fireplace and glistened as if it was breathing. “Your first test is reflection. Look into the water. Tell me what it shows you.” I glanced at the pond, expecting nothing but a simple pool. Yet as I stepped closer, the air around it seemed to hum, brushing against my skin like invisible fingers.

"Just wait. I swear, I’ll make you—" I stepped forward, lowering my voice to a dangerous whisper. "Be careful, Loretta. Before you test my waters, make sure you know how to swim. Her lips parted in shock. Then, without another word, I turned and walked away.

Walking around the office, Queenie talked to the camera and showed her audience the various things no display. “We have here a very vulgar display of the latest toys. Some of these products are newly launched, while others are still in the testing phase. I’m told that I provide valuable feedback, so tonight’s stream would be more than just a product review. We’re going to do some live testing, and you’re all going to help me with it. Trust me, things will get progressively hotter, so prepare the air-conditioning.” Laughing at her cold joke, London showed them some of the equipment still under development.

"It's still too early to tell, we need to do some tests for that. " "Well, let's do the damn tests doctor, don't leave us in this growing anguish! "

-TRISTAN- They teach you to move like water when you’re raised in a world built on knives. Water finds the weakness in stone. Water wears rust away by patience. Water never rushes — it simply never stops. People call me ruthless. I call it persistence. ⸻ The first buzz of my phone comes before sunrise. A text from Eli, my assistant: OLIVIA POSTED SOMETHING. NATE’S NAME POPPED UP. YOU’LL WANT TO SEE.

Against me, it was about as useful as a bubble trying to stab someone to death. "I signed no non-competitive clause with your company. And also, I collected the data and information myself. I surveyed the whole market and conducted countless research on my own. You put no effort into this whatsoever."

I tug on tightly on my paper bag as I took a deep breath in and exhaled heavily. “You told me to test the waters right?!” I hollered as I feel my hands shaking. I hear a shuffling noise and I couldn’t tell if Harry stopped or had left. “Harry, you told me to test the waters.” I repeated but there was just silence and I felt rejected instantly. “Right?” I hollered still trying my hardest, needing the confirmation from him. “Yes.” Harry answers. My tears kept flowing over my cheeks as I inwardly sobbed, “I still want to take a dive.”

You're all here tonight to celebrate Elise's performance, not to stand around gossiping. He glanced at the phone himself, then almost immediately looked away with a scoff. "This is probably another one of Selene's stunts. The thing's so bloated you can't even tell if it's human, and you people have the nerve to bring it up?" Elise stood nearby, her face growing paler by the second. She hesitated before speaking up softly. "Tristan, Callum, something about this doesn't feel right. Maybe we should go verify, just in case. What if it really is..."