When the bell rang, I closed my eyes for a moment to contain my excitement. My bookstore was ancient and well known in the community, yet very few people visit it these days, no thanks to advanced tech. Perhaps it was ennui, I couldn't tell but seeing my next customer, I wanted to play. Or toy with destiny, as my late twin used to tease.

The sight of dark clouds gathering overhead spelled one thing - doom. Megara could no more control the violent shiver that wracked her frail body than the painful decision she must make. Before her sat a cloaked figure on a throne in the temple chamber. She stared intently, hoping to catch a glimpse of the face. The form was corporeal from the shoulder down to the feet while the head and face blurred, rippling in and out between realms.

Every Thursday at 3pm had become a date. A day I looked forward to with much enthusiasm.Ever since the first delivery by this average-height, stunning man about a month ago, I had waited for him. He was never a second late—always right on time.

The ticking hands Are like the magician's wand Stringing every move and thought You're such a pretty marionetteYou would will time to slow down If you could But you miss the very point Of livingThose thin hands may tick and tock Your rapid breathings Equalling rushed actions And ultimately inconvenient choices And worn out lungs

If there was one thing Ah'ana feared most, it was losing her husband, Malo, to the dangers of his work. She stood outside her hut, breathing deeply, as the orange glow of the setting sun bathed her village in warmth and enviable beauty.

“You can't miss it. Just ask anyone around for Miracle Creek.”She was a stranger, a passerby actually, and the way she gave directions with a kind smile and a straight face didn't make me question it. Miracle Creek?I whispered my thanks with a slight smile and continued my walk around Munduk, a mountain village nestled in the heart of Bali.