A book of all your favorite bedtime stories with a twist

"Oh my, you've really grown to be a handsome man from the few months that we haven't seen each other"
"Yesh Miss"
An old black haired woman is currently standing in front of him and pinching both of his cheeks which made the other volunteers and the kids laugh at his silly expression.
Michael is also feeling bitter inside, because he had almost forgotten about the quirks of this old lady!
While Michael and the old lady is busy catching up with each other, Tina is busy playing with the little kids while Dylan went over to the kitchen and started helping them prepare for lunch.
"Come" the old director called Melissa, pulled Michael's hand and brought him to a nearby sofa where they both sat together.
"Tell me, how have you been lately?"
"I think I'm doing great, I recently started playing a game called Fate Online"
"Fate Online!? You're playing Fate Online!?"
Suddenly, a cute chubby little boy around eight years old suddenly yelled in excitement from behind him, Michael looked back and smiled, as he knew that this kid is a big fan of virtual games.
"Wahh! Awesome!" the kid exclaimed, and looked at Michael with shining eyes as he slowly sat down on the floor and kept looking at him.
Michael gave a helpless look at the director, and started narrating his adventures inside the game, which the kid listened carefully, and would nod his head from time to time.
And other kids also started joining them, and started listening to Michael, all of them had looks of fascination in their faces as they imagined that they were the ones fighting the monsters inside the game instead of Michael.
The old director and some of the volunteers were also intrigued alongside Tina as they also listened to Micheal telling his stories and experience playing Fate Online, but of course, he told a fake in game name, and the only people who knew about his name in the game is the two siblings, Dylan and Athena.
"Then I met a pack of large wolves that wanted to eat me but I…"
Michael felt that he's really a great story teller when he saw how attentive his audience is, and he even had an impulse thought that he should become a writer or author, instead of playing a virtual game.
Half an hour later, Michael was finally done with his story, of course, some of them got a little bit...exaggerated.
"Can you we also play the game? I want to become a great warrior too!" the kids yelled in excitement..and yes, Michael told them that he was a warrior instead of an assassin.
After all, kids would certainly love to become brave heroes, instead of being a person that lives in the shadows of darkness.
"Mister, can you bring me out to play the game?" the chubby little kid earlier, called Anton, tugged on one of Michael's arms while blinking cutely.
"Me too!""Me too!""Me too!"
When they heard Anton, the other younger kids started surrounding Michael while those older kids just watch on, and some of the older girls even rolled their eyes towards the scene in front of them.
Michael didn't know what to do with the kids as the old director just watched on with a huge smile on her face, and he had just realized that the orphanage that only had seven kids before, now have a total of fifteen of them, and with most of them around seven to nine years old, and the oldest being only fourteen years old.
"Alright, alright. I'll see what I can do, okay?" Michael raised his hands helplessly in the air.
"Yeey~!" The kids started celebrating and started running around the place when they heard Michael.
"Alright, don't bother him anymore. Go out and play with yourselves" the old directly said while clapping her hands.
""Yes!""
The kids immediately scattered, some of them went outside to play while the other stayed indoors, and those older kids then went around the house and started looking for things to do.
"Don't take their words seriously, okay? They're just kids, I'm sure they will forget it the next day" the old director said to Michael, knowing how expensive the virtual helmets are.
Michael just smiled at her comment, because Michael knows that kids never forgets, they just forgive and act like they don't remember it.
Actually, it wasn't a problem for Michael to do it, and he could also ask Jenny about donating to the orphanage as she still owes him, but the only problem for the kids is that they would need to be supervised by adults, and can't get out of the city where they would spawn.
Yes, the game has a special place where kids between eight years old to twelve can play the game, but the catch is that they are restricted from going out, and would need an adult's supervision.
Michael, and probably everyone knows about it as its been all over the news lately, and if it doesn't work with Jenny, then he could just ask those old coots back at the mansion to sponsor the orphanage.
After all, with how many missions they have completed so far, they are as rich as those multi millionaires, they're just not as extravagant as them.
You could say that those Five Blade rankers could earn up to five to ten million every year, and that increases per every promotion, because the higher they are in rank, the more people would ask for their services.
After all, there are at least over a hundred requests everyday that's being sent to the organization, which varies from assassinations to being bodyguards of influential people, and payments differ based on their ranks.
And Michael back then would only take requests with a payment of over one hundred million dollars, and anything below that is unacceptable.
He experienced a lot, from being a presidential bodyguard, to assassinating one, and even being a bodyguard to an annoying princess brat, he had already experienced all kinds of difficulties on every job, and he even annihilated a group of powerful rebels back in the Land of Sands before, and in that place, there's five countries or kingdoms founded on that vast desert, but it's more known as the Land of Sands or the Sharahan Desert.
After that, Michael and the others started talking with each other about various things, but most of them talked about Michael as he was only one of the few who had lived here before that would visit the orphanage from time to time, while the others who grew up with Michael when they were kids seem to have forgotten where they have come from as they never visit anymore, which made the old director really sad about it, but at least she is really happy about Michael as he still hasn't forgotten about them.
In actuality, Michael is only familiar with the old director and Jessica who was a former nun, because those people who took care of him and the others when they were still children already have a life of their own.
Michael had even already forgotten their names and faces due to how long they haven't seen each other.
Michael then started helping around, as he took a bowl of chopped meats and went outside with some kids following behind him.
He started grilling the meat on the grill, as the scent of barbecued meat wafted through the air which made the stomach of the kids grumble in hunger.
*****
Michael and the others had a great time at the orphanage, they ate, laughed and shared stories with each other, and being surrounded by cute kids made Athena laughed happily
They spent the entire morning at the orphanage before they finally decided to head back.
"Mister, please don't forget your promise! We will be waiting for it!".
"Bye misters and sis Athena!"
"Bye!" Athena laughed as she gave the little kids a kiss on their cheeks before boarding the car.
"We'll get going now director"
"Yes, make sure to visit anytime"
Then Michael started the car, and finally left for the road while the kids wave them goodbye with faces filled with anticipation.
He dropped Dyland and Tina at their house before making his way over towards the direction of the mansion where the others are, Michael is really satisfied with their progress, as all of them are already around Level 9 -10 in just a few days of levelling up, and all of them went with their codename as their in game names, which would certainly make people who had worked with them think if it was them or not, or it was just a coincidence.
Arriving at the mansion.
Swoosh~!
Michael had just opened the front door, and was just about to step inside when something suddenly came flying towards his head, and Michael's left hand immediately flashed in front of his face and caught the thing in between his fingers.
He narrowed his eyes and looked at the long nail in between his fingers, and then he quickly threw it back to where it came from!
Swoosh!
Genesis, who was on the second floor balcony immediately caught and looked at Michael with a huge grin on his face, and Viper who is standing behind him was amazed, as he knew that not anyone could just catch it when thrown by Genesis.
After all, Genesis' weapons throws are almost as fast as an arrow flying towards its target, but dodging it is easy for Viper, but catching it? 
He would be putting his life at risk if he does something as stupid as that!
And among them, probably old Monk is the only one capable of catching it, and now, there's also a second one, and that's Michael.
"You're good kid" Genesis said, with an approving look on his face.
"Hmmp!"
Michael just snorted at the old guy, before making his way over them.


Tags: Power Couple, Action, Adventure, Romance, R-18, Virtual Reality, Comedy, Secret Identity, Overpowered MC, Male Protagonist and Female Lead.

The most feared Assassin in the world died because of vengeance. 

What he didn't expect was instead of being sent to the nether world, he instead woke up on his younger self all before the time he became an Assassin. 

Instead of going back to the life of living in the shadows. He instead decided to lead a new normal life this time and play the newly released Virtual Game, Fate Online! 

Let's watch as he change the things that isn't supposed to happen while changing his fate along with it and watch him, on the road to becoming a top professional player.

Note: The Female Lead would have its own narration along in the story.

[Artwork: ptitvinc]

Release Update: 7 Chapters /week

Want to add an addition to the story? Then check out my Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/apocalypseII

P.S - If you're gonna leave a low end review. Make sure its a constructive criticism, because I would certainly get it deleted, if it doesn't help me in improving my story. 
I don't except hate reviews just to lower its rating because the story is premium.

Discord - https://discord.gg/XPeAkE

Dara spends her alone time for house chores. Cleaning up here and there, organizing things, doing some preparation for lunch, but not yet cooking, setting up her breakfast and putting it aside. Then when she's finished with around half of the maid's duties, she sits on the rugs on the floor with a short table, that Beth usually uses as her study desk, in front of her. It's brown furniture in the middle of the living room and quite large for a laptop with two bowls of food, and some books to be put on there.

She has around a couple of hours before she has to leave and fetch the kids from school. She stares at her empty sketchbook. Her mind still wanders around about what to draw. She just feels so, so empty. She takes a sip of her coffee, always the boost, the inspiration, the mate for her soul. But it just feels way too bland this time.

Dara sighs and leans her back onto the couch behind her, staring at the bulb above her. "Hmm…," she hums and rests her head down. Thinking.

Dara suddenly sees a tall shadow passing  through the room, gliding fast to the kitchen and she startles, panting for air, "oh my God, who's there?" Dara tries to lift her feet but she can't move. She's so afraid. And she realizes that she is in her dream. "DARA WAKE UP!!! DARA!!! WAKE UP PLEASE I'M SCARED, WAKE UP!!!" Her dream tries to wake her up but she can't. 

Dara gasps after some while that felt like hours of fear for her and raises her head from the couch. She grabs her water bottle next to her leg and gulps nearly to the bottom of it, trying to manage herself and breathe. "Okay, okay, just a dream, Dara, just a dream, " Dara keeps on panting for some while. She gazes at the kitchen and breathes sharply, "ugh, just a dream, okay." She places her hand on her chest and gives a gentle pressure to give herself ease.

***

Dara is a young Indonesian mom who lives in Singapore with an Indonesian husband named Eric and two children named Christian and Bethany. She is a… err, happy mom? 
Anyway, she is always happy with her children. 

She is an online author, she writes short stories, mostly light romances. She is essentially an Indonesian and mostly does Indonesian work.  Two or three of her creations have been published as short stories in Indonesian tv programs in the last year.

But lately, she feels tired and uninspired to compose stories so she's been taking her hiatus from short stories and shifting to comics. She's not a bad artist though, her first comic reached 1.6k viewers in the first 24 hours. And she just completed it last weekend and needs new and fresh ideas for the next one whether it's going to be a story or a comic. 

But her short dream annoyed her just now.

***

"I think I need another break, a day or two will be great though, I need that 'me time'…. Yeah right!" Dara sighs at her ridiculous thought and rolls her eyes, mocking herself. "Hookaay, see what we can do now, hmm…," Dara scrolls some random social media on her phone screen, randomly reading some cake recipes and funny stories or videos.

There is a post that attracted her attention, it's from Kayla, a friend from a group of people who are into revealing fake accounts or scammers and such. She has never had any certain intentions to be in the group, it was just something fun for her, she always thought so. And the group is organized by women from all around the world.

So the post contains a gallery of screenshots of a dating app that shows a chat room of Kayla and a guy where the guy was harassing her in an extremely rude way. Dara gets a bit shocked reading that guy's messages and gets curious, so she keeps on reading. The screenshots, the captions, and the comments. 

It's a post from a day before, she sees 4 screenshots and more than a hundred comments in total. "Wow! She's just suddenly famous! Haha," Dara chuckles a bit.

Dara and Kayla don't know each other personally in real life. Kayla lives in the Philippines and they only talk through the online room, and she is quite popular there. She often shares funny and cute stuff that is quite entertaining. And she sounds like a fun and friendly person too. She's around 3 years younger than Dara, single and works as a makeup artist, it's been more than a year since Kayla doing it persistently. 

So then Dara contacts Kayla, because of her curiosity. They chat for a while, letting Dara learn about the chatting app that Kayla posted earlier. And how Kayla fell into that kind of abusive conversation with the guy.

Dara often laughs lightly while she's chatting with Kayla. Kayla shares funny experiences she had through the chatting apps, not only the bad one with the rude guy. Dara feels quite enlightened with the laughter but her face suddenly flattens when she reads Kayla's last message, "try it yourself, install one or two."

Dara stops replying to her and gazes away, thinking…, "hmm… should I?" She taps her fingernail on the desk.

***

Dara switches her laptop off and leaves her phone on the desk while she is preparing herself to leave the house, fetching kids from school. Getting herself up from the rugs, she takes her sketchbooks and her coffee that is barely drank yet and takes a gulp or two, walking to the kitchen area. She leaves the glass and picks a pair of jeans and a sling bag

She takes a glance at the phone screen while she walks back, zipping up her jeans. "Ah, that one has done installing. What's this?" Dara puts the handle of her sling bag between her teeth, biting it, and grasps her phone reading the registration page of the Tinkle app. She grins and accidentally drops her sling bag onto her foot, "ugh, ouch!"

Dara quickly fills the registration page. And based on what Kayla told her earlier, "only a simple suggestion, but do not put your real name there," she writes 'Catwoman' as her username. And, based on Kayla's another warning, "and you better not putting your face there as well," she puts her face there, but from the side. 

***

Dara walks out and locks the door. She hears a different notification from her phone and opens it while walking to the elevator. She surprised at what she sees on the screen when she's inside the elevator and widens her eyes, "holy pepperoni…!" But she is in a bit of a rush for kids though, so she puts it back in her bag when the elevator opens and sends her to the ground floor. 

"I have never known what efforts were;
I have never known what submission referred to;
I have never known what my passion was;
I have never known what I, myself really was;
Until there was… You"
.
.
.
.
Rewritten version
21+ alert!!!
.
Dara is indeed a great submissive catch for a cold-hearted Dominant man like him, she's an innocent, a pure one to be taught, wrapped in a beautiful, petite, almost flawless appearance.
For Dara herself, this is her very first time to get into this kind of darker side.
.
Being a slave means being strong. 
More than what she has become all along. 
The circumstance that Dara has never thought would be extremely challenging. 
But, by being his slave...
She finds herself.
She finds her deepest, hidden passion that she has never realized herself, before.
She finds a way to overcome.
She finally learns how to share a man, like a harem.
.
.
Getting into the BDSM world virtually, was never her intention at all, but here she is sharing a man with girls from all over the world, in a virtual room of harems.
Jealousy, humility, degrading, among friendly, sympathetic, cooperation, partnerships, and even knowledge shared there. All of the mixing emotions of ups and downs flutter her heart and sanity. 
.
Will she grow stronger and earn him?
Will she survive with all of the emotional occurrences? 

Dear readers, author here!
I am a 14 year old girl who wants to inspire people from her work, I love to write stories and poems and also read them. So coming to the main point, I am not doing this for money, My parents feed me well, OH! that was a joke. My updates probably won't be regular because all of you know we poor kids have online classes. My grammar wouldn't be that good and I will obviously have typo errors sometimes. Bear with me please [staring with puppy eyes]
Are you ready for an ADVENTURE!
Guess it was too much.....

Ember Brown a rich sharp-tongued 12-year-old girl's life changes when she gets to know she has supernatural powers. Also, it doesn't stop here she is invited to a school that teaches how to use these supernatural powers, Is she the villain or the always praised 'HERO'
The cover is mine, 


The second part of Ember Brown's adventure.
Ember Brown and the Vampire of East.
Happy reading fellas!

after they got home from their shopping trip they were in the living room,
 packing the storage boxes sienna had bought with the goods for the kid's families 
that were now all over the living room since being delivered  
the entire band was helping  
excited about the new ship that was arriving tomorrow, the possibilities of owning a ship was now in heavy discussion,
they would be able to travel easier and do shows they could pack up their instruments  
and within a few days be on another nearby planet doing shows
they could also fly around Prylea and do street shows on the upper levels  
but it was not so simple if they wanted to have proper big concerts with performers and such like at the award shows
without the labels support they couldn't get big venus with lots of people Daisuke argued while  
Zane argued for an unofficial intimate free street tour
they just do it for fun when the band had time in between official schedules  
pack up the ship for two weeks and make random free appearances somewhere and meet their fans on the streets  
the more melody listened to this debate she was liking the idea of it too
 "imagine the videos we could do on the star streams with this idea, we are street kids, after all, I think this kind of thing fits us perfectly, rock it out with the youth on the streets"
"how about you test it out?" Yongjae suggested  
"How so?" Sienna asked
"well how about the next time you kids get a break, you do just that, I'll fly you guys somewhere and you do a street show and see how it works?"
"It sounds like it could be fun," Kaleb said  
"I mean it makes no sense having a ship and you kids don't get some use out of it"
Sienna smiled nodding in agreement her uncle grinned back at her  
"I'm no expert but theres all kinds of ways you can become famous but the one thing I know  
is that fame doesnt come, from just having your name up there,
the fans have to feel like they can connect with you they can meet you like a friend
and be able to talk with you right now you kids are just a shiny new thing on the star streams"
"you need to build a foundation to secure your fans, but if there is a way you can sincerely be closer to them, you should try meeting them, whatever the experience is,  
"it will be a memory they won't forget, even if you bump into them on the street and buy them a drink and say few words to them,
 they will have a story to tell that they got to meet you once people like that kind of thing"  
"It shouldn't matter how many people they are but that whoever was there got the chance to meet you"
"uncle youre really smart," Sienna said "thats actually good marketing"  
he shrugged
"I have seen all kinds of things, theres no telling what will work for you kids, don't consider any idea too out of the box, you guys are just starting out, in the old days, bands used to play around the streets until they got big"
"It is still like that on some planets right now" Zane replied "the home grown home town support, where everyone knows you personally in some way and supports the band can be very powerful, unfortunately we don't have anything like that, we come from everywhere"
"thats not true" Yongjae said "if you have a ship you can kindle those bases by going around some of the neighborhoods you used to hang out in"
"ah it's this going home tour thing again," Kaleb said "we talked about this before about something like a galactic tour with stops on all our home planets"
"That sounds a great idea," Yongjae said "but how do you know if people will come if they don't know you? or feel like they, have a connection with you?" he asked
"for a tour like that, you will need to lay a groundwork, see what it's like on your homeworlds first, see what the struggle is, what the vibe of the streets is like,"
"During my travels, I haven't met any one who would go out of their way to attend an idol concert if they have something more important to do,"
"the way the industry is, it's geared at teenagers and young people, but the grown people, will not pay that much attention"
"though the entertainment industry is this big and makes so much money, it's an amusement it's not that important when you have to pay bills and support a household,"
"if you have kids who are into it, then it might be an expense to your family to be able to afford albums, merch, and concert tickets "
"but most people will just casually hear the songs here and there on the radio and what not and maybe hear of you on the news,"
"so if you want to move people, you have to somehow be a part of their lives, you have to be important enough for them to pay attention to you
even when they are living busy lives, you need to have a role that matters to their lives somehow  
a personal connection, thats how you become a proper household name,
kids can remember their mom or dad telling them stories about you thats what's the Rocket Cowboys had that made them so popular during that turbulent early interstellar era,"
"so much so was going on in the galactic then but here come the cowboys with their music that was relatable to everyone's lives in some way
they sang about the things that everyone was going through at that time that pulls everyone together"
"do you guys know one of their songs was legendary during a war on a planet back then?
the soldiers on that planet would blast the enemy's camp with music all night to prevent their troops from resting wearing them down,"
"The lyrics of the song was an anthem to the people back then, but you won't hear about things like that from the music history books",
"only the people who lived through that time could tell you those kinds of stories,"
"and how did you know this story?" Sienna asked
"I met an old skipper once"
Yongjae replied "he had been young back then had a lot of amazing stories to tell about what the first interstellar era was like"
"I really like old folks like that, I could just spend hours sitting listening to his stories tall or not
  there is something almost romantic about that era,
a part of me almost wishes a time machine could take me back just to see what it was like"
"when you could get into a ship and go claim a planet if you could get there, or so we silly earthlings thought,
until discovering that most of those planets were already inhabited and had thriving cities filled  
with people and advanced technology and a galactic government that was already centuries of years old"
he chuckled and shook his head "it must have been unforgettable to live through that"
Sienna was listening and then suddenly started typing away on her phone  
sienna started a topic on the forum asking about old stories from the first interstellar era
"was it possible to get a nostalgic snapshot of the first interstellar era?"  
"what was life like back then? was it different for each planet?"
her curiosity got a flurry of responses from fans,
some asking her if she felt in a nostalgic mood
she confirmed "it was because her uncle had come to visit her he was a space traveler  
with many interesting stories from meeting other old travelers as well, hearing his stories made her nostalgic and curious please share your stories with me"
many people began to leave responses some people left her links to videos she could watch,  
but many fans
had elder family members who had stories of those times they loved to tell and suddenly the post got bigger and bigger with more responses it started trending and more stories
were added they were coming from all kinds of people many people posted photos of themselves or family members from back then  
  fashions, hairstyles and places and things that were cool back then  
it was hard to read all of them but what Sienna loved as she scrolled through,  
that it was beginning to paint her a picture of that time,  
sienna decided to keep the post open since fans were enjoying the content,
many people were drawn to the collection of stories it contained that they had never  
heard of before, everyone was sharing their stories,
  many fans thanked sienna for starting her post asking her to make it a permanent thing on the forum
  where fans could leave old stories she agreed and permanently pinned it as a new additional section in the forum, 
the fans could use it to leave their stories she could also refer back to it as she named it Home town stories and used old fashion retro emojis to decorate the page  
fans loved the nostalgic feeling and decorating it was very suitable to match with the contents  
siennas new board was like a kaleidoscope made of various colorful snapshots in time of how people in the galaxy lived back then,
 and it was filled with many bits of important history, as each story came from  
various places across the galaxy,
 but they all had the common thread of being the first interstellar era on each world despite happening at different times for each planet as they developed the ability to travel into space  
the process was different and affected their cultures in various ways as if every planet and its people went through it like a phase coming out on the other end of it 
but the process still held many similarities to what happened on other planets for many people  
and it was those similarities that pulled everyone together collectively 
so it seemed as if everyone experienced the first interstellar era at the same time  
it was very interesting to see it all online in one place where everyone could read the stories and learn from them  
or just be a place where one could look back and reminisce a became a new intellectual topic  
for some people
 it was nice something like this had been started by the band, fans were also happily  
getting to know each other better, and sienna was learning more about her fans their cultures  
and where they came from,  
  on the other hand, the board was also a memorial to that time, remembering the struggles
  that was also a big part of the process,
 the turbulence that most planets experienced as they transitioned advancing into the interstellar age also revealed through the stories 
it was a beautiful era but it was also colored by ugly and dreadful events that would change the lives of everyone on the planet as they entered a new age 
on some planets wars had been fought the political landscapes on the various planets were thrown into chaos there were various many things all of them were appearing in the stories on the board  
Sienna found herself starting to write a new song  


what do you get when you bring together a bunch of musically talented kids from all across the galaxy? with no parents on a planet that offers dreams of stardom to all as the number 1 entertainment planet in the galaxy think Hollywood a place filled with movie stars singers celebrities  boy bands rock stars but bigger as in an entire planet PRYLEA The Entertainment world a planet solely dedicated to providing all forms of entertainment to the planets and worlds that are within its surrounding galaxy enter Silver Shadows a rebellious rock band formed by a bunch of misfit  orphaned youth who are growing up in this galaxy on their own and their dreams of dominating the galaxy with their music  and becoming galactic superstars

"So how old are your kids?" Tom asks me from across the table. We're sitting at Texas Roadhouse, a high energy, loud steakhouse chain that can be found all over Houston. It's the only place I've ever been that gives you buckets of peanuts to eat before your meal and actually wants you to throw the shells on the floor. It's messy, but fun. And their rolls are to die for so when Tom suggested it, I knew I was game.
"Five, three, and one," I say, as I glance over the menu. It's been so long since I've been here, it's hard to decide what to eat. 
"Wow. You have your hands full." Tom puts his menu down and leans forward on the table. His clear green eyes are really kind. He has dark hair with a little gray mixed in. Not a lot, but enough to make him look distinguished. "I remember when my kids were that age. They ran me ragged every day, and I was only home for a few hours because of work."
I smile at him. In person, he is almost exactly like he is on line. Kind and inquisitive. Asks lots of questions, but doesn't shy away from answering them. For my first on-line date, I call this a win so far.
"Yeah, they keep me busy. I'm not sure how working moms do it, especially when they're single. It seems like it's never-ending work."
"Who is watching them tonight?"
"My next-door neighbor. He and I have become great friends since we moved in."
"That's nice. Having someone you can count on live next door."
"Yeah. It is. And my husband's captain lives a few doors down, so I'm kind of surrounded by people to take care of us in the event of an emergency."
He stiffens. "Your husband."
I feel myself blush. "I'm sorry. I mean my ex. I'm not really used to calling him that yet."
His face softens into a friendly smile. "I understand. It took me close to a year to not call my ex ‘my wife.' It's a habit that's been in place for years, so it takes a little while to break."
"Well, thanks for understanding. How old are your kids?"
"Nine and twelve." We relax into an easy conversation, although it's so loud in here I feel like we're yelling part of the time. He tells me about his children, a boy and a girl, and the Disney trip he took them on early this year. I tell him about the latest books I've been reading and my thoughts about starting a blog, just for something to do. We talk about our travels and our bucket lists. We touch on our extended families and our job goals. And we laugh when I tell him the story of how Marcus and I met.
Tom is very easy to talk to, and I find myself enjoying the conversation even more than the food. I wasn't expecting that. I envisioned a stilted conversation and the overwhelming desire to go home, but that hasn't happened at all. It feels good to know I can enjoy myself and meet new people again.
"So how long have you been doing the Bumble thing?" he asks, as the waiter drops off the check. He quickly snatches it up and puts a credit card in the top before I can even think about looking at it.
"Not that long," I admit. "Actually, you were the first person I contacted. I thought for sure I'd never hear back. Or you'd send me inappropriate pictures."
He barks a laugh. "Why would you think that?"
"Marcus is the one who convinced me to sign up. Of course, as soon as I did, he had to tell me all about his own horror stories. It made me a bit skeptical about the whole thing."
He passes the check back to the waiter as he walks by. "It's good to be skeptical. Even if you have wonderful online conversations, it's still online. It's easy to fake your personality over the internet."
"It's easy to fake your personality in person," I mutter.
"What?" he asks, the space between his eyebrows crinkling.
"Nothing," I say with a smile. I like that he understands my hesitation. You just can't be too careful these days.
We finish up inside, and Tom walks me to my car.
"Thank you for a wonderful dinner," I say when we stop next to the driver's side door.
"I could say the same to you."
We pause for an uncomfortable few seconds before he speaks again.
"Mariana, as much as I think I would like to kiss you goodnight, I'm not going to."
I look at him quizzically. "Why not?"
"I know we've been chatting for a while, but this is still our first time meeting in person. I enjoyed talking to you and would love to see you again, but I don't think either of us knows for sure yet if this is a love match."
I smile again. It seems he's been making me do that all night. "I don't think you know how much I appreciate that. I haven't kissed anyone besides my hus… er, my ex in over ten years. For me, I think I need to take it slow."
"I agree. So, I'm just going to kiss you on the cheek," he leans in and does just that, "and wait for you to drive away before heading back to my car. And then, of course, waiting the appropriate amount of time to talk to you online again without appearing desperate."
I laugh. "I think the appropriate amount of time would be tomorrow."
He grins back at me, and I turn to get in my car. "Thank you for a lovely evening and a wonderful meal."
He closes the door behind me and stands to watch as I get situated. I put my key in the ignition, turn it and…. nothing. Not even the sound of an engine that won't turn over.
I look over at Tom who has a frown on his face. I try again, and still nothing. Suddenly, my car door opens.

Goalie: a player in the goal whose duty is to prevent the ball from entering or crossing it

See Santos and Mariana DeGuajarado

As goalie of the Texas Mutiny, Santos is damn good at protecting that net. But he never bothered to protect his marriage. 

Letting the fame and notoriety go to his head, he lost the things he loved the most… his wife and kids. Now he has one shot to make it right before losing at this relationship game and he’s determined not to miss this time.

Mariana has been scarred so deeply by Santos’s betrayals, she will carry the wounds forever. After almost ten years of marriage though, she knows him well, and she knows he won’t let go without a fight. Still, she refuses to be a push over. 

Because love is never enough…

Contains explicits scenes and is recommended for ages 18+.
Goalie is created by M.E. Carter, an eGlobal Creative
Publishing Signed Author.

Juked: Volume 1 - When team captain Daniel Zavarro and new single mom Quincy Watson begin to cross paths often, an unlikely friendship evolves. Feelings change. Lines get crossed. Before they know it, they’ve been Juked.

Groupie: Volume 2- My body is no one’s business. So why is Rowen Flanigan making me re-think how I live my life? He’s only a rookie.

Goalie: Volume 3 - Letting the fame and notoriety go to his head, Santo DeGuajarado lost the things he loved the most- his family. Now he has one shot to make it right before losing at this relationship game and he’s determined not to miss this time.

Deflected: Volume 4 - When a new and unexpected development suddenly arises, Tiffany and Rowen realize all their plans are about to become irrelevant. Things will never be the same when their lives are deflected.

These books contain sexual explicit scenes and are recommended for ages 18+.
Texas Mutiny is created by M.E. Carter, an eGlobal Creative
Publishing Signed Author.

I saw two empty seats on the aisle near the back of the bus. I plopped down into one of them and shoved my backpack under the seat in front of me.
Some kids near the driver were tossing a
. blue Nerf football back and forth. Two girls
were singing a camp song I knew from my
old camp.
The bus made a roaring sound - and lurched
forward before Heather sat down. She fell on me,
and her elbow jammed right into my gut.
"Oof.'
Did that hurt? Three guesses, and they're
all yes.
My sister didn't apologize, of course. Instead,
she pulled herself up and yelled at the bus driver,
"Give me a ding-dong break!"
That made some kids laugh. Heather didnt
care. She sat down and started talking instantly
to the girl next to her.
I turned  at the kid next to me. He was
staring through big black-frame eyeglasses at a
manga book in his lap. He was moving his lips as
he read it. He didn't look up.
Why didnt he say hi or something? I guessed
maybe he was shy.
He as about my age . He had white-blond
hair cut really short and pale blue eyes behind
the glasses. He was maybe the palest guy I
ever Saw.
You know what flashed into my mind? A zombie in a movie I watched over at my friend's
house a couple nights before.
The dude wasn't a freak or anything. It's just
that with that white-blond hair, everything
blended into everything.
And he was wearing a white T-shirt and baggy
white cargo shorts.
And what was he squeezing in the hand
that didn't hold the manga book? Was that a rab-
bit's foot? your backpack?"
did raise his eyes from the comic, though.
"Where's the rest of the rabbit?" I asked. 
I know it was a lame joke. But Ithought it was
a little funny. He smiled. But he didn't laugh. He held up the rabbit's foot. "It's kind of a good - luck thing," he said. I took it from his hand. Yucko. It was wet from his sweat.
Im Boone Dixon," I said. "That's my sister,
Heather." I pointed.
I'm Ronny McDonald I thought he said. A
car horn honked. I couldn't really hear him.
he shook his head. "Roddy McDonald."
think you're gonna need good luck?" I asked.
I handed him back his rabbit's foot. "You really
 his shrugged his narrow shoulders. " I heard
out this camp" he said softly.
Like what?" I asked.
Scary things.
Weird....
He shrugged again. He glanced out the windows.
 I dont think he wanted to talk about it.
snakes.' he said finally.
I waited for him to say more.
* Farms and flat green fields passed by outside the bus window*.
Somekids at school said stuff about snakes in
the lake. Roddy said, 
turning to me. Behind his glasses, his eyes were wide. The kid really looked frightened.
"These kids read about it online. They said the counselors make you swim with the Snakes,"
 Roddy said. He twirled his damp rabbit's foot in his hand, "You have to swim
across the lake. And the Snakes...the Snakes will..."
I felt sorry for the dude. Some kids at his
school told him a bunch of baloney, and he
believed it.
"I tried to tell my parents," Roddy said. "But
they thought I was making it up so I wouldn't
have to go to camp."
"You're a first-timer, right?" I said. "Don't you
know kids always tell scary camp stories to
frighten new campers? It's just what kids do.
You know. It's a tradition."
"Not this time," Roddy said. "They didn't
make it up."
The manga book fell out of his lap. He leaned
down to get it. When he sat back up, his face was
still filled with fear.
"Know what they call this camp?" he asked.
"Sure," I said. "Camp Hither."
No, he said, shaking his head. "Everyone
who goes there calls it Camp Slither. Because of
all the snakes.
I laughed. He looked so serious, I just couldn't
help it. "Roddy," I said, " I've been to two different wilderness camps. Camps are fun. I had an
awesome time. So will you."
He swallowed hard. Those kids told me other snake stories.
"They made them up!" I cried. "They were
He stared at me.
""Tell you what,"_ I said. "Lets ask some kids
who were at Camp Hither last summer. They'll
tell you the truth."
 I stood up. The bus was filled with Campers. Every seat. Kids were laughing and talking.
cupped  hands around my mouth and Shouted, 
"Hey, everyone! Everyone! Who was at this camp last year? I need to tallk to you-"
Some kids turned around to stare at me. No
"How many?" I asked. "Dont all raise your at one time
No one. Not one raised
I gazed down the long aisle. "All new camp-
rs?" I asked.
Some kids nodded their heads. Others turned
around and went back to what they were doing.
I dropped back onto my seat. "Weird" I
muttered. SEE I AM RIGHT BOONE. 
no one ever goes back to this camp."
because no one survives" he stammered.
"See? T'm right, Boone," Roddy said. "No one
His whole body shuddered. "M-maybe its
Roddy that's impossible, " I Said, "This is
the bus for new kids, that's all. They probably
sent another bus for old campers. There will be
lots of- I stopped short and gasped. I heard a sharp
rattling sound. Right next to me. "
"SNAKE" Roddy sereamed. "It's a SNAKE!"
                    *   The End of Chapter *
 Is it really a snake ? Is Roddy going to die before he reaches at picnic spot? Many Questions remain 
            !! Watch Next time on Nightmares !!

Comment down below what do you think of above
questions . Give us a power stone to show that you support us Next chapter comming soon .
*!!!++₹(*("!*(₹((??;;+₹+?₹₹-₹+#(*+";!++"+#(("++)
Plz give me power stone if you liked it . also leave a suggestion in comment also do not forget to rate this chapter and tell me if it was better than the chapter before plz tell me if you liked it in comment section even review if you have time I will not let your suggestions and time and feedbacks be wasted and will implement it as soon as possible .
                        *Thank you everyone*

The next day

Jonas was whistling sometimes in the proper song tune or sometimes making weird noises.

"Whee whee wheee"

It was morning time , he had changed in his school uniform and was eating his breakfast.

He was happy because he don't have to take anymore medicinal drink as hewas fully fit as a 6 year old kid.

Martha and Silvos had decided to keep his parent's homecoming a surprise.

He looked eager as an child as he finished his breakfast waiting for the bus.

The bus stopped as he got into the bus sitting with his friends.

"Hi guys" he greeted them.

The five people Rich , Frieda, Tim , Robin , Annie and Leon had taken seats together and were chatting in somewhat low voice when they heard the greet.

"Did you had Fever too" Tim came directly with his question not caring to greet him.

"How do you know , wait you had fever too" Jonas asked curiously taking a seat beside them.

"Sshh" Robin indicated with a finger covering his mouth.

"You know we talked and found out everyone had a fever" Rich just stated the fact calmly.

"Haha , we all got wet you know" said Jonas stating another fact.

"Why so mysterious" Jonas asked as they were acting like they were hiding a secret.

"You know Howell grandpa" Frieda pointed to a clue related to the crux of the matter.

"He had so cool superpowers ,maybe it was related to the pain" Leon was quite excited by old man's superpowers , so he was looking forward to the test the old man had given.

Jonas and everyone present there had mixed feelings toward him. They were sad by the fact that the grandpa that had watched upon their every game , told them stories was no longer going to be present with them.

"No one will tell us delicious stories again" Tim said as his face was down.

They were pretty excited by the gifts that he had given them. The power had had showed them was phenomenal. Summoning Clouds and Lightening and vanishing on the spot. They had never watched anyone do that.

Even Jonas who sometimes used his parents power to play , had not seen something to that extent.

All kids eyes twinkled by his power. 

The last the pain that he bestowed them. They literally got goosebumps and chill on their back just thinking about the pain they had to experience.

The kid comes calling upon their father and mother name after getting bumped on a wall.

'I will never forget it' the kids thought as their eyes got sharp unknowingly

They held the grudge.

The student near them noticed the glare they had directed unknowingly making them scared. The first student got scared and started crying as more and more followed him.

"What happened" The teacher said as she got toward the back of the bus finding more cries filling in the bus.

Every bus had a guardian in the form of Teacher that maintained the order of the bus.

Jonas and his friends got scared by the ruckus caused by them.

"How it happened" Jonas started to panic.

"Wha-what , how"Robin said something incomprehensible for him too.

The teacher was reaching to their sit.

They didn't wanted to face punishment for something they didn't know how the hell happened.

The panic was reaching them. Bounding them with threads upon threads.

They were at their last leg when Jonas got an idea.

So he started crying... with fake tears.

Tim and others too joined him in a timely manner.

The teacher got confused reaching till the last sit of the bus. She couldn't find the culprit , so she joined with the bus conductor in quieting down the kids.

The bus reached the destination as kids got to their respective classes.

Something happened at that bus that didn't go noticed like the culprits.

Robin was crying... with real tears.

***

*ringgggz*

The alarm rang indicating the start of the classes.

Period after period passed with teacher teaching , the kids doing mischievous things and the kids fighting at some point or another.

Nothing much happened till the bell indicating the end of the classes came.

Jonas and his group came out from the main entrance. As the group continued chatting with one and another , laughing and yelling at each other during the conversation. Till Robin voice sounded.

"I will not come to park today" Robin continued in his usual low voice.

Jonas was quite surprised by him and asked "Why".

The group had entered the bus.

"Me too , my mom is quite upset by my fever" said Rich.

"Not come , not come" said Leon the most spirited one among the group. He singed.

Frieda , Annie too said their reasons. When Tim chimed in

"I am hungry" Tim said while touching his belly.

"Ok" Jonas as he was feeling low.

Seeing him in a low mood , Tim suggested.

"We can play online game"

Hearing his voice Jonas self finally relaxed. Some others too voiced their opinion. They will be playing with him too.

The kids needed some time to get through their trauma. So they will need a break from their usual routine for a few days.

There was something else that the old man had bestowed them.

'THE LOST CONTINENT' The kids thought at some point or another.

They were looking forward toward their first goal. An ambition they could strive for.

***

The bus stopped as Jonas got down on his destination.

He was thinking about something and going toward the main door of the villa while a humming a tune. When he heard a voice.

"Hey champ" Arnas sounded through the door.

"Hi baby" Nasha said in her usual soft voice.

They had gotten around 12:00 clock. The were eagerly waiting for their son to come back from the school. They had made their mind to give him a shock.

"Mom , Dad" Jonas said hoarsely as he couldn't say anymore. His voice chocked in his throat and eyes wetted as he ran toward his parents hugging them.

They supported him with each arm hugging toward their respective necks. They ruffled his hair but didn't said anything else.

They let him pour his grievances and sadness. In the form of tears and snot.

After calming down a bit his father his father said in an annoyed tone.

"Eww ,get of your stinky nose" As much he sounded irritated , he was happy.

"Gwaahaha" Jonas laughed as he got into a wrestle with his father.

Nasha smiled but didn't said anything. After fighting his father for a bit he ran toward his mother and hugged her.

"Mom , grawy ~ I ~los - - pai ~ jawaaa" Jonas cried as he tries to till his encounters in the past 2 weeks in a single sentence.

"Ok ok , tell me later , first let's eat the chocolate" Nasha could only divert his attention to the chocolate.

"Yes" he said as his mother wiped his tears.

This world has never been calm. The Humans , The Monsters and The beast has been in a race to show their supremacy to the world.

They are the creatures who can call upon winds , rip open the skies or bring Tsunami all over the continent.

There are also some people who try to veil open the secrets of the world.

Join in the adventures of our protagonist as he tries to do something greater in between the struggle of the three species.

When Fang Zhao surfaced and returned to the boat safely, one of the professional divers asked him: "What were you up to just now?"
"Seeking inspiration," Fang Zhao responded.
The diver paused briefly before having an epiphany.
When these artist types "go crazy," they're not going crazy, they're seeking inspiration!
Tan Min was curious. "Weren't you listening for something?" Why else would he have left his ears uncovered?
"I did indeed hear a few things."
Fang Zhao was in a decent mood. His head was filled with inspiration. After shedding his scuba gear, he said bye to everyone and took off with his notebook. As curious as he was, Tan Min didn't intrude.
One of the divers shook his head as he watched Fang Zhao leave. What could he possibly have heard underwater?
Had he gone dumb from a lack of oxygen?
Then he remembered Fang Zhao's nickname. Even though it seemed far-fetched, maybe Fang Zhao could hear things that normal people couldn't. After all, his ears were dubbed "diting," "God's ears," and so on.
Another diver slapped himself on the thigh. "I forgot to ask him where he learned to dive."
"Is that kid a good diver?"
"I think he's pretty kick-ass. We ran into a strong current that gushed from above and below, and the kid wasn't swayed. He was exceptionally calm, no sign of panic whatsoever. He performed just as well as we did. I want to know where he learned how to dive."
"His name sounds familiar. Didn't the kid serve in the military too, in addition to acting and composing? I think I remember hearing his name in the military headlines once."
"Now that you mention it, I think I've heard his name before too. It's been so long, so I didn't make the connection. Let me do a quick online search."
Fang Zhao was oblivious to the discussion on the boat. He was busy recording down in his notebook all that had flashed through his head. The new song would make its debut in his second solo concert.
The Period of Destruction had seen the extinction of certain types of marine wildlife and the birth of new species, but overall, the damage had been tremendous. There hadn't been much beauty left to speak of.
What Fang Zhao had seen in the ocean had left a deeper impression than what he had seen at the aquarium. He had gotten a stronger sense that life was indeed on the rebound. That was also partly why he was willing to back Tan Min's new project. Setting aside his concerns about the script, Fang Zhao could tell that Tan Min was genuinely passionate about these waters.
Folks who grew up in the New Era didn't feel the change in fortune as acutely, but Fang Zhao was different. If Tan Min could spread his passion for these waters and his interest in protecting its marine ecosystem, what was a few more dollars?
Fang Zhao didn't stay on the research vessel. There was limited space on board. The researchers couldn't possibly give him his own room, so Fang Zhao moved onto a floating square.
This was a square anchored in the waters. Apart from concessions stands, it was also equipped with fishing sections and a swimming pool. It drew quite a few fishing enthusiasts every year.
Because of the film festival, the visitor traffic was concentrated on the main island. Fewer folks ventured out to the outlying islands. There were only a handful of people on the floating square, mostly young men and women.
"It's just a bunch of rich kids who have nothing to worry about. It's their third trip this year. Stay away from them. These kids like to stir up trouble when they run into celebrities," one of the divers told Fang Zhao.
Having read up on Fang Zhao, the folks on board the research vessel had a better understanding of his current situation. Many asked him for his autograph before he left, while others eagerly recommended prime fishing spots.
Tan Min also joined Fang Zhao. After all, he had to keep an eye on Fang Zhao, who was his biggest financial backer right now.
As a local, Tan Min knew the ins and outs of the maritime square well. He instructed Fang Zhao to wait while he dealt with the paperwork. Tan Min's paperwork was straightforward, but Fang Zhao's was slightly more complicated because it was his first visit. Authorities imposed strict protocols on first-time visitors.
Fang Zhao was about to sit down when he heard his name called.
"Hey, is that Fang Zhao?"
"It really is! Fang Zhao! Come join us!"
"Tell us how you managed to compose the four movements of the 'Period of Destruction' series."
Tan Min took notice of the growing commotion and frowned. He was wondering whether or not to step in when Fang Zhao gestured to him.
Fang Zhao told Tan Min to stay put and deal with the paperwork. He approached the group of young men and women who had spotted him.
"Hey, Fang Zhao, I saw the news reports about the Hull virus a while back. I just want to know why that 'Period of Destruction' series was able to cure the disease," a young man in shades shouted.
"I'm not sure either. You'd have to ask the medical researchers," Fang Zhao said with a smile.
He wasn't one to quibble with these kids over decorum.
No one would have dared speak to Fang Zhao this way during the Period of Destruction. But there was one set of rules for years of chaos and another set for prosperous times. Naturally, Fang Zhao didn't thrust the standards of the Period of Destruction on these young men and women.
These kids struck Tan Min and company as typical rich kids, but drawing from his own brief observation, Fang Zhao realized they meant no harm, even if they spoke a bit too casually and in bad taste.
"What were you just talking about? I think I heard someone mention a great white?" Fang Zhao asked.
"Yeah, we were wondering if you might run into a great white in these abouts," a kid sucking on a straw said as he adjusted his cap. "Word has it there was a sighting, but not in these exact waters. It's just a rumor. Some say it's pure fabrication, that the great white is already extinct apart from artificially bred ones and thus can't be spotted in the wild anymore."
"It's true. Someone captured it on camera!" an older boy retorted while swinging his fishing rod.
"Many species that have been categorized as extinct have been caught on camera in recent years."
"In any case, I don't want to come across a great white. It's the tyrant of the sea!"
"Bullsh*t! You've watched too many movies. The great white is just wee big. It's nothing in terms of size. I can knock one out with a single punch."
"Boy, you certainly know how to bullsh*t."
"Fang Zhao, I hear you're quite the historian. So was the great white the most brutal sea animal during the Old Era?"
Fang Zhao had just settled into his role as a jovial onlooker when he heard the question. "I'm not sure which species was the most brutal, but let me tell you a story. It's a story I read while researching the Old Era a while ago."
Meanwhile, Tan Min was a bit worried. After rushing the maritime square staff through the paperwork, he returned to Fang Zhao only to discover that the group of youngsters, who were quite boisterous, were now staring blankly at his new partner. He had no idea what Fang Zhao had told them. The boy who was fishing hadn't even noticed that he had dropped his fishing rod into the water.
"For real?" a waiter whispered.
"What's the commotion?" Tan Min asked the waiter.
"He's telling a story."
"What story?"
"The story of two orcas who ran into a great white, how they toppled the shark, took a few bites and didn't like the taste, then tossed it around."
Tan Min: "What about now?"
"Now he's telling the story of a wandering orca that ran into a great white. The great white was too strong and the orca was no match, so the orca summoned other orcas in the area and surrounded the great white."
Tan Min: "Can you move over? I'm going to listen in too."
——
While Fang Zhao was telling stories, quite a few folks were doing online searches of him.
The daily entertainment news cycle never strayed from affairs or breakdowns. It was quite boring. The film festival was going on, but fans were treated to a steady stream of the standard celebrity selfies by the beach or on the red carpet. Only a few of the better-known entertainment journalists filed interesting material. Even so, after a few days, readers got bored again and started looking for new stimulation. 
"Where's Fang Zhao? Fang Zhao's at the Corale Film Festival too. Where is he? Have all the entertainment journalists fallen asleep?"
"The entertainment journalists covering the film festival this year aren't that good. I haven't seen anything about the celebrities I'm interested in."
Wang Tie scanned the online comments from a hotel room in Corale. He skipped the comments about Fang Zhao, pretending they didn't exist.
Wang Tie's bracelet rang and he answered the call.
"Old Wang, you're not in a very generous mood these days, huh? You've hogged too many scoops." The man on the call was quite pissed off. Other journalists had been on the verge of exclusives quite a few times, but Wang Tie always beat them to the punch. So the late stories always struck outsiders as matching reports, Wang Tie's leftovers. The reporters were very disgruntled.
The tone softened, the caller looking for a compromise. "I know you're Yanzhou's king of paparazzi, but can't you spare a few scoops for your old friends?" 
Wang Tie organized his notes from the day and responded at the same time. "I have. I said at the outset I wouldn't be tracking Fang Zhao. He's quite a popular figure these days. If you land a scoop on him, you'll make a fortune."
"Fang Zhao is too hard to tail. Plus, he isn't on the main island."
"Then there's nothing I can do. I've given you the opportunity." The mere mention of Fang Zhao also annoyed Wang Tie. He didn't want to discuss the matter further.
"Hehe."
"Don't 'hehe' me. This mofo hates that word! Hehe my ass! If you have something to say, just say it!" Wang Tie wanted to punch someone.
"Just consider this as you doing us a favor, Old Wang. We are classmates, after all. Just leak us something, something big, not peanuts. Or tell us where Fang Zhao is. I just got off the phone with the man I sent to the outlying islands. He didn't see Fang Zhao today. He has no idea where Fang Zhao is. This guy's too good at dodging paparazzi."
"Don't ask me about Fang Zhao. Track him down yourself!"


"Every time background music plays in my head, I feel like there is nothing to be afraid of." —Fang Zhao
Toward the end of the apocalyptic period, Fang Zhao lost his life. However, instead of dying, he found himself 500 years later in the body of a young and aspiring composer who shared the same name. Having received a second chance at life, Fang Zhao sets out to achieve the previous owner's dreams.
Armed with the experience of living through an apocalyptic age and his profession as a composer before that period, Fang Zhao uses his talent, wits, and knowledge to make his mark in the entertainment industry of the future.

online stories for kids novel

Dark & Disturbing Bedtime Stories for Kids

Fate Online: Shadow

The Dancing Captive

EMBER BROWN AND HER ADVENTURES PART-1

SILVER SHADOWS RISE

Goalie

The Texas Mutiny Series

Deadly Nightmares

Dominion March

Superstars of Tomorrow

People search online stories for kids also like: