Alchemy of Secrets

by Stephanie Garber

It made her feel foolish. She also felt sad, which made her angry because she was supposed to feel terrified. But the problem with feelings is sometimes you don’t get to choose them.

“When you tell a dark story, it’s important to make sure the people watching never lose hope. You need to give them something bright to hold on to, even if it’s just a color on a screen, reminding them that there is still light in the world. The dark night might get its time every day, but the sun will always rise and put it out.”

Her heart raced and she wondered how the world would be different if time was kept by heartbeats instead of minutes.