Setting: Modern
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The Shadow Club #1: A Boring Life
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Genre: ActionSetting: ModernNew Vocabulary: At some point, Claw, Duck (movement), Ignore, Priority, Punch, Roman, Stare, Volcano, Way moreWord Count: 1754Original Author: Ariel GoodbodyJemima started hissing. ‘I agree, Jemima. He’s being a real—whoa!’ I turned around and saw why Jemima was so angry. Next to her, there was something. It was big and had lots of black hair, sharp teeth and claws. They made Jemima look like a mouse. The monster was moving slowly towards Max, and it looked hungry.
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The Tooth Fairy
‘Can you replace it this time?’ said Alex. ‘I know you did it last time, but I’m so tired.’ ‘I didn’t do it last time,’ said Kayla. ‘Huh?’ said Alex. ‘You did! Last time, I went and looked under the pillow, but the tooth had already been replaced.’ ‘I’m telling you, I didn’t do it!’ said Kayla. ‘I don’t understand,’ said Alex. ‘If I didn’t do it, and you didn’t do it, then who did?…
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The Monsters Inside Us
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Genre: Coming of AgeSetting: ModernNew Vocabulary: A figment of your imagination, Arse, Cowboy, Dissertation, Dread, Guardian angel, Medication, Psychosis, Skinny jeans, Student counsellingWord Count: 4520Original Author: Ariel GoodbodyEveryone thinks I’m crazy, and they don’t even know about the voices inside my head. Well, it’s just one voice, really. He’s called Cam, and he’s been with me all my life. He’s the little voice that tells me what I should be doing with my life. He tells me to stop being lazy, to go to bed early, to stop judging people.
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Beelzebuddy, the Cleaning Demon Chapter 2
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Genre: ComedySetting: ModernNew Vocabulary: Door frame, Ex-lover, Hateful/joyful, High hopes, Lovebirds, Move on with your life, Pop over, WrinkleWord Count: 2286Original Author: Ariel GoodbodyThere was a knock at the door, and Rhiana slowly climbed down the stairs. She didn’t have high hopes for Beelzebuddy’s success, but she certainly wasn’t expecting to open the door and find her ex-lover standing there. Panic seized her stomach. She felt like she was going to be sick. ‘Go away!’ she spat, slamming the door shut before Evelyn could say a word.
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Beelzebuddy, the Cleaning Demon Chapter 1
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Genre: ComedySetting: ModernNew Vocabulary: Outside of my remit, Overgrown, Set something on fire, Shrug, Stray animal, Summon a demon, The offer still stands, Trampoline, WitchWord Count: 2157Original Author: Ariel Goodbody‘Why, hello there! I’m Beelzebuddy, or “Buddy” for short! And I am very short… At your service. No spill, no stain, no mess is too much for me to clean! Just give me a cloth and a bucket and I’ll get right to work!’ ‘What are you talking about?’ said Rhiana. ‘I don’t need you to clean. I need you to get rid of some nasty people—and a dog—from my life.’
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Dear Heart Chapter 5
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Genre: RomanceSetting: ModernNew Vocabulary: App, Best man, Burst into applause, Comfort (verb), Corridor, Land (verb), Seek, Shove, Straight (sexuality), Swear (bad language), Undo (clothes), Voice catchWord Count: 3814Original Author: Ariel Goodbody‘Fergus.’ She took my chin and pulled my face towards hers. ‘There’s a simple way to get around all this. I don’t want to fire Cassandra, of course.’ She was moving closer. Her breath smelt of whisky and cigarettes. My heart screamed at me to get out. ‘So just do what I say…’ ‘No.’ She froze, inches away from kissing me. ‘No?’ ‘No.’
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Dear Heart Chapter 4
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Genre: RomanceSetting: ModernNew Vocabulary: Beat up, Dump (relationships), Dwell on, Eyebrow, Idiot, Needle, Pretend, Reflection, Smash, Squish, Steering wheel, Tear through/apart/off, Threaten, WaistcoatWord Count: 3237Original Author: Ariel GoodbodyOur classes are over. Clearly, you’re doing fine without me, and I’ll just break your ‘nice pen’ if you try to help me. We’re colleagues, anyway. Let’s keep it that way. The handwriting was completely different, back to being a drunken spider, and it only got messier as my tears fell on the page.
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Dear Heart Chapter 3
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Genre: RomanceSetting: ModernNew Vocabulary: Bully, Delicate, Gender Binary, Grin, Masculine/masculinity, Melt, Non-binary, Prompt, Rusty, Spiel, Suffocate, Take control of, Transgender, TypewriterWord Count: 2734Original Author: Ariel Goodbody‘Now,’ she said, pulling off her gloves. ‘You still have to teach me about poetry. I really don’t know very much. Do we write with a pen, or our bodies?’ I grinned. ‘We can use both.’ And we did.
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Dear Heart Chapter 2
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Genre: RomanceSetting: ModernNew Vocabulary: Basically, Clear up, Drunk, Flirt/flirtation/flirty, Lean, Make it up to someone, Rhyme, Shut up, Slam, Take a deep breath, WinkWord Count: 2651Original Author: Ariel Goodbody‘You have such soft hands,’ she said. ‘You like that?’ ‘Yes.’ She moved her thumb over the back of my hand, but she continued to look in my eyes. ‘And your lips are, too…’ I leant forward, ready to kiss her. And then the door to her apartment flew open.
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Dear Heart Chapter 1
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Genre: RomanceSetting: ModernNew Vocabulary: Assume, Attracted to someone, Bowtie, Chopsticks, Crafts, Cross out, Fire (job), Freak, Glitter, Tell off, Unicorn, WeightsWord Count: 2553Original Author: Ariel GoodbodyAnd there it was: PING! Attraction. Here’s the thing. When I told you that I don’t wear makeup and lift weights, you probably assumed I only liked women. And you wouldn’t be wrong, 99% of the time. But that 1% of the time, I see men who just have something in their eyes. Like a frightened animal. And for some reason, the IT part of my brain says, ‘Well, let’s fix that.’