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    77 Results in the "Burned Cover" category


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      17 – i – The Stalker

      17 – i – The Stalker Cover
      by Tower Curator The Stalker pulled a dress from her closet and looked it over. Black and lacy, transparent in all the right places to be enticing. Was it too much? She held it up to her chest as she turned to her mirror. It would certainly accentuate her curves, but… It was too flirty. This was a business meeting. She wasn’t sneaking off to meet The Hanged Man again. The Stalker tossed the dress aside, lumping it in the pile with all the other clothes. Why was everything she had so slutty? It was The Hanged…
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      17 – Another Brick in the Wall

      17 – Another Brick in the Wall Cover
      by Tower Curator “This feels weirder than normal,” Erika said as they blazed down the streets of Chicago. Carter bending time wasn’t usually all that apparent. The effect gradually fell off as physical distance increased, leaving a rather large bubble around him where people could get more time per time, thus accomplish more, move faster, or otherwise just experience time a little faster than normal. From her perspective, nothing normally felt different either. She could drive the speed limit from her relative…
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      17 – A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

      17 – A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed Cover
      by Tower Curator Erika half expected a second meeting with The Warrior to take place in that same laundromat as the first time around. It seemed like an alright place, having a nondescript and unassuming exterior, with nothing pointing it out as anything special, while the interior had been operational enough. She doubted it was anything like Varn’s, where people spent great deals of time, but it was clear some work had been put into maintaining it. It seemed like a suitable meeting place for anyone unaligned with…
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      16 – Communication is the Foundation of Advancement

      16 – Communication is the Foundation of Advancement Cover
      by Tower Curator Erika wasn’t exactly sure how to broach the topic of the cursed sword with Rick. She wanted to break the curse as a little good deed, as a nice little thank you for giving her a place to lie low and, since then, a place to hang out—a little return for them helping her out when she needed it. She needed to figure out something for Anna as well, for putting Leah back together after the museum, if nothing else, but breaking a curse on a sword seemed like a good starting place and a good use of her…
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      16 – A Night of Games to Pass the Time

      16 – A Night of Games to Pass the Time Cover
      by Tower Curator Erika slipped between clusters of laughing kids and the glow of arcade cabinets, the air thick with the scent of popcorn and sweaty teenagers. She paused beside a pinball table, watching the silver ball ricochet under neon lights, then caught sight of Rick hunched over a malfunctioning cabinet, screwdriver in hand and cardboard tube on his back. “Need some help?” she called, raising her voice over the thumping bass music that she had picked out—royalty free, despite her doubts that any big music…
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      15 – Repaying Debts and Owing Favors

      15 – Repaying Debts and Owing Favors Cover
      by Tower Curator “So, about your parents—” Erika stopped Leslie before he could begin, holding up her hand. “The Fixer said they knew what they were doing, that they had escaped these kinds of situations before, and that they didn’t have time to elaborate. It’s been three days. I have seen no sign of them or Leah, and I don’t know what to do beyond trust that they’ll show up again, eventually.” As far as Erika was concerned, there was nothing more to say on the subject. Leaving like she had pissed…
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      15 – i – The Warrior

      15 – i – The Warrior Cover
      by Tower Curator Jasmine Vasila looked around the old laundromat. It was a dingy, depressing little hovel. Boarded up, barred windows were covered in a thin layer of paint: spray-painted symbols, tags, and other graffiti—all related to mundane gangs. An aged For Sale sign hung from the door, peeking out from under several other posters advertising everything from garage sales to fruit stands. Hardly a respectable meeting place. One day, Jasmine reminded herself. One day and we’ll be in charge. When that day came,…
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      14 – The Hunters Reconvene

      14 – The Hunters Reconvene Cover
      by Tower Curator The atmosphere within Varn’s suffocated Erika, making her feel like she was walking on eggshells. Not everyone was present. The Fixer still hadn’t made a peep since ordering Erika away from the motel; Erika tried sending texts, emails, and even tried calling up The Church to see if they had any idea what might have happened—in all three cases, she got no responses. Anna was the other glaring absence. Although The Castle had released her, she was at home with her mother. Erika approved, having…
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      14 – Focus on What Can be Done

      14 – Focus on What Can be Done Cover
      by Tower Curator Two days into Erika’s second research project at the H. Finch Bibliotheca, and Erika felt like she was getting the hang of using antiquated methods of information retrieval. She hadn’t wanted to admit it to Anna, but she wasn’t just unfamiliar with the card catalog, the Bibliotheca was the first real library she had ever set foot in. Her school had a library, but she honestly couldn’t recall if she had ever been inside. Books just weren’t her scene. Why go dig through physical books when all…
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      13 – Taking Responsibility Takes Integrity

      13 – Taking Responsibility Takes Integrity Cover
      by Tower Curator The first Wednesday of December was a particularly cold and unpleasant day. Winter in Chicago was never pleasant, but a moist, westward wind dragged down what should have been a relatively mild day as it swept over the top of the lake. Cold air wasn’t supposed to carry much moisture, and yet, Erika still felt like she was being lightly glazed over with a layer of ice. Driving her pickup in these circumstances was among her least favorite activities. It was an old junker with rear-wheel drive and next…
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