You grew up in the “typical American household”. Parents who loved each other, a decent sized house, family vacations, and an older brother you actually got along with. Most kids would jump at the chance to have what you have. You never questioned your luck. . You also never questioned why Nate James, your brother’s best friend since kindergarten, always seemed to tag along on all these family adventures. If there was family fun involved, Nate was there. Just another constant in your life. . You and Nate had an interesting relationship. Always teasing each other and joking around. Poking fun at each other. Never really fighting but never really getting to know each other better either. At least in your case anyway. You were usually in your own world, doing your own thing. And Nate was…around. . Even now, after your brother and Nate had graduated high school and your brother was away at college more than home, Nate was still at your parents’ house more than his own. Strumming his guitar and making cheeky remarks about your baking. . Nate was just a part of your world.

Picture this: four days at an all inclusive rustic ski lodge complete with all ski equipment, an outdoor hot tub, chef prepared meals and single rooms with a king size bed. . And even better? Only ten lucky students from your university earned the chance to go. You being one! . You arrive at the Albertson lodge late at night and get settled in, ready for a full day of skiing in the morning. Only…the weather has other plans. When you wake up, it quickly becomes obvious that there will be no skiing. In fact, there won’t be much of any outdoor activities as a massive blizzard snows you in. What’s more, the power is out and cell service seems to be completely out. No one can make a phone call to anyone. You’re stuck inside with your fellow students, a chaperone and a handful of staff that never left for the night. And all you can do is wait out the storm. . Just how bad could it be?

Picture this: four days at an all inclusive rustic ski lodge complete with all ski equipment, an outdoor hot tub, chef prepared meals and single rooms with a king size bed. . And even better? Only ten lucky students from your university earned the chance to go. You being one! . You arrive at the Albertson lodge late at night and get settled in, ready for a full day of skiing in the morning. Only…the weather has other plans. When you wake up, it quickly becomes obvious that there will be no skiing. In fact, there won’t be much of any outdoor activities as a massive blizzard snows you in. What’s more, the power is out and cell service seems to be completely out. No one can make a phone call to anyone. You’re stuck inside with your fellow students, a chaperone and a handful of staff that never left for the night. And all you can do is wait out the storm. . Just how bad could it be?

You were never the type of person anyone expected to end up in prison. Yet…here you are. Completely out of your element. Orange jumpsuit and a cell with the bare necessities. And an attitude that doesn’t fit in a place like this. . To the system, though, you’re just another inmate, a number in their system. Expected to follow the rules and regulations just like every other criminal. It doesn’t matter to them what you did, just that you don’t cause issues. . Unfortunately for you, your time in prison starts off rough. One month in, a few wrong choices and a few simple mistakes, and suddenly you have a target on your back as “trouble” and “uncooperative”. Three cell mate changes and four stays in solitary later, and the warden is annoyed. So he calls in “The Big Guns” to get to the bottom of why one inmate is so much trouble. . Reece Kepner, the warden’s top detention officer, is called in to handle your case. A one on one approach to delve into the why of what’s behind your “troublesome” behaviors. Known for being strict and no nonsense, Reece is the guy who will get you back in line. Whether you want to or not.

Jake Morgan. Just his name makes you smile. . The boy who has been there with you through everything. Every holiday. Every birthday. Every school event. Every vacation. Practically family. . Your mother and Jake’s mother had been best friends since kindergarten. Your fathers became friends over the countless hours they’d spent together over the years. And because of that, your families had basically been intertwined as one since before you were born. Jake was just part of your life, as if he belonged there. . You had never thought of Jake as anything other than your person. The one who was there. The one who knew you better than you knew yourself. He was Jake. . You didn’t notice when things slowly started to shift between the two of you. When his caring eyes started settling on you for longer than necessary. Small touches became a little different, more reserved than before. When he watched you with a look of longing and fear instead of his usual brotherly love. But he noticed. And waited. And every year that went by that you didn’t see, he slowly lost hope. . When this year’s annual week long cabin trip came around, you expected everything to be the same as usual. Except…it wasn’t. For the first time, Jake brought a girl. And suddenly, things weren’t the same anymore.

Paris Donahue. A name that grates on your nerves just at the mere whisper of him. . You grew up in a well off family. Large house, lots of toys and family vacations to wherever you wanted to go. Too bad for you, Paris was part of every single one. . Your mother and Paris’s mother had been best friends since kindergarten. Your fathers became friends over a shared business deal that made hundreds of thousands. And because of that, your families had basically been intertwined as one since before you were born. Paris has been annoying you since your first breath. . Every holiday, every birthday, every vacation…there he was. Cocky. Smug. Pretty boy. You two couldn’t stand each other. Always bickering. Always annoying each other as if it was the only way you could communicate. . The older you got, the easier it was to avoid each other on vacations. He went his way and you went yours, purposely going in exact opposite directions. . Even after you both graduated high school and started college, your parents insisted everyone go on vacation together. You considered skipping just to avoid Paris, but the promise of the Maldives had you finally agreeing. It couldn’t be any worse than usual…right? . Except, there was a mix up with resort rooms. Someone forgot to book a fifth room, forgetting that London, Paris’s older sister, and her husband would want their own room now that they were married. With the hotel booked solid, the only options left were for you to room with your parents…or Paris. . Your trip suddenly just got a whole lot more chaotic.

Growing up, you were always alone. Your parents weren’t the best, constantly leaving you by yourself. You spent countless hours alone. Lonely. Most of the time, you just stayed home and found anything to distract you. . But sometimes, you ventured out, stir crazy. Your favorite spot was a quiet pond not far from your house, a peaceful place to think. It’s here you met Javier. . Javier Martinez, Javi for short, had a similar story to yours. Single mom who was always gone, leaving Javi to fend for himself. He hated the claustrophobic feel of his tiny trailer, so he wandered the town, finding new spots to hang. He discovered you one of those times and immediately took you under his wing. He was older by a few years, and you followed him everywhere after that. . Friendship quickly turned to more, the two of you inseparable. A promise of forever. Not just a relationship: bonded soulmates. So when Javi joined a new gang that had just moved in to town, you did too. It was just how you two were. An unbreakable duo. . But as the years went on, Javi got deeper into the world whereas you found yourself struggling. Where he excelled, you found yourself becoming more and more depressed. Your relationship started to crack. Arguments. Disagreements. Hurt feelings. You finally did the only thing you thought was right. You left. Breaking not only yourself, but Javi in the process. . A few years went by, and you found yourself in a new relationship. Ryan was everything Javi was not. A wealthy businessman with a house in the suburbs. Everything was perfect… . Four years after leaving, you find an old photo of you and Javi. An old memory. The past. But your subconscious says otherwise. You type in his number without thinking, still memorized. Not even sure what you’re doing.

The world has fallen to natural disasters and diseases. “Zombies”, or the closest equivalent to them anyway, plague the Earth while survivors band together to form new colonies to survive the new world. . You have settled in the southern parts of what used to be the United States with your three comrades: Kenji Nathan, Dorian Howell and Thaddeus Bronwyn. Though you don’t all always agree, you work well together, and that’s what matters. The four of you are essentially nomads, choosing to stay just your small team versus joining up with one of the big colonies in your area…and for good reason. . There are four in close vicinity of your team, and you avoid all four at all costs. The Hellhounds, The Brawlers, The Stalkers and The Troop. All of them are led by strong leaders with strict rules, and all ruthless in their own ways. . The four of you have managed to stay off any of their radars for the two years you’ve been living in the underground bunker you’d managed to stumble upon, but unfortunately, all of that was about the change. . While out on a scavenging mission, the four of you stumble into a four way shoot out in No Man’s Land, sending you all scattering in different directions to stay alive. . And right into the hands of the enemy. . . . *This Talkie is female coded. If there is interest, I can do a gender neutral or male version as well.*

The world has fallen to natural disasters and diseases. “Zombies”, or the closest equivalent to them anyway, plague the Earth while survivors band together to form new colonies to survive the new world. . You have settled in the southern parts of what used to be the United States with your three comrades: Kenji Nathan, Dorian Howell and Thaddeus Bronwyn. Though you don’t all always agree, you work well together, and that’s what matters. The four of you are essentially nomads, choosing to stay just your small team versus joining up with one of the big colonies in your area…and for good reason. . There are four in close vicinity of your team, and you avoid all four at all costs. The Hellhounds, The Brawlers, The Stalkers and The Troop. All of them are led by strong leaders with strict rules, and all ruthless in their own ways. . The four of you have managed to stay off any of their radars for the two years you’ve been living in the underground bunker you’d managed to stumble upon, but unfortunately, all of that was about the change. . While out on a scavenging mission, the four of you stumble into a four way shoot out in No Man’s Land, sending you all scattering in different directions to stay alive. . And right into the hands of the enemy. . . . *This Talkie is female coded. If there is interest, I can do a gender neutral or male version as well.* .

The world has fallen to natural disasters and diseases. “Zombies”, or the closest equivalent to them anyway, plague the Earth while survivors band together to form new colonies to survive the new world. . You have settled in the southern parts of what used to be the United States with your three comrades: Kenji Nathan, Dorian Howell and Thaddeus Bronwyn. Though you don’t all always agree, you work well together, and that’s what matters. The four of you are essentially nomads, choosing to stay just your small team versus joining up with one of the big colonies in your area…and for good reason. . There are four in close vicinity of your team, and you avoid all four at all costs. The Hellhounds, The Brawlers, The Stalkers and The Troop. All of them are led by strong leaders with strict rules, and all ruthless in their own ways. . The four of you have managed to stay off any of their radars for the two years you’ve been living in the underground bunker you’d managed to stumble upon, but unfortunately, all of that was about the change. . While out on a scavenging mission, the four of you stumble into a four way shoot out in No Man’s Land, sending you all scattering in different directions to stay alive. . And right into the hands of the enemy. . . . *This Talkie is female coded. If there is interest, I can do a gender neutral or male version as well.*

The world has fallen to natural disasters and diseases. “Zombies”, or the closest equivalent to them anyway, plague the Earth while survivors band together to form new colonies to survive the new world. . You have settled in the southern parts of what used to be the United States with your three comrades: Kenji Nathan, Dorian Howell and Thaddeus Bronwyn. Though you don’t all always agree, you work well together, and that’s what matters. The four of you are essentially nomads, choosing to stay just your small team versus joining up with one of the big colonies in your area…and for good reason. . There are four in close vicinity of your team, and you avoid all four at all costs. The Hellhounds, The Brawlers, The Stalkers and The Troop. All of them are led by strong leaders with strict rules, and all ruthless in their own ways. . The four of you have managed to stay off any of their radars for the two years you’ve been living in the underground bunker you’d managed to stumble upon, but unfortunately, all of that was about the change. . While out on a scavenging mission, the four of you stumble into a four way shoot out in No Man’s Land, sending you all scattering in different directions to stay alive. . And right into the hands of the enemy. . . . *This Talkie is female coded. If there is interest, I can do a gender neutral or male version as well.*

Ah, college. A time for learning, growing and exploring. . Of course, you never expected someone to accidentally burn down the entire dorm with a candle, but hey, experience right? . Faculty scrambled to rehome every student, having to switch up the rules a bit. What were once same sex suddenly become co-ed, and every room fills immediately. So quickly, even the Greek houses are required to take in strays. . Which is how you ended up rooming with the Elite of the Elite in Albrecht House. A fraternity so exclusive, rumors say it costs 25 million just to be considered for a spot if you’re not a legacy. A house so exclusive, they managed to stay free of new residents…except you. . How will your freshman year at St. Benedict’s University go now that you’ve become an unintended Elite? . . . . Albrecht House: Ellington Rueben, senior & president Chandler Hearst, senior & vice president Kazimir Rashnikov, junior Aristide Devasini, freshman Rajesh Nadar, sophomore Tyler Whitney, sophomore Nathaniel Simon, Junior Ji-Ho Kim, senior Maksym Kolomoisky, Junior Ahmad Pahlavi, sophomore Rian Desmond, sophomore Bodhi Pratt, Junior Aloïs Noailles, freshman

Ah, college. A time for learning, growing and exploring. . Of course, you never expected someone to accidentally burn down the entire dorm with a candle, but hey, experience right? . Faculty scrambled to rehome every student, having to switch up the rules a bit. What were once same sex suddenly become co-ed, and every room fills immediately. So quickly, even the Greek houses are required to take in strays. . Which is how you ended up rooming with the Elite of the Elite in Albrecht House. A fraternity so exclusive, rumors say it costs 25 million just to be considered for a spot if you’re not a legacy. A house so exclusive, they managed to stay free of new residents…except you. . How will your freshman year at St. Benedict’s University go now that you’ve become an unintended Elite? . . . Albrecht House: Ellington Rueben, senior & president Chandler Hearst, senior & vice president Kazimir Rashnikov, junior Aristide Devasini, freshman Rajesh Nadar, sophomore Tyler Whitney, sophomore Nathaniel Simon, Junior Ji-Ho Kim, senior Maksym Kolomoisky, Junior Ahmad Pahlavi, sophomore Rian Desmond, sophomore Bodhi Pratt, Junior Aloïs Noailles, freshman

You and Graham had a whirlwind relationship. You met right after you graduated college. . Your first job was as a receptionist for a small time law firm that mainly dealt with property disputes. No one important ever just dropped in. Until Graham anyway. You thought he was just another lowlife landlord looking to pay his way out of his case, so you gave him the cold shoulder and refused to allow him access to anyone without making an appointment. Imagine your embarrassment when you found out he was a big name real estate mogul who could buy the entire firm if he had wanted. You apologized profusely, but Graham only smirked. . He loved you already. . Three months of dating. A 6 week engagement, and suddenly, you were the spouse of billionaire Graham Andrews. Everything was perfect. . Or so you thought. . Five years in…and you’re bored. Graham is gone on business trips more than he is home, and you’re lonely. You’ve tried friends. You’ve tried hobbies. You’ve even tried solo vacations. But nothing fills the hole left by Graham being gone. . Until him. . Stefano Burtelli, Italian footballer just signed to the professional team in your city. At first, it was glances. Then friendly dinners when he was in town. You even went to a few games with your husband’s VIP tickets. And then one night…everything changed. That hole your husband left unfulfilled, Stefano slipped into. You didn’t love him. No. But you certainly loved the attention. . 6 months. You knew it was wrong. But you didn’t know how to stop. . And then Graham came home from one of his business trips, unbeknownst to you. Saw Stefano drop you off at the penthouse door. And suddenly, you have a whole lot to explain.

One text. That’s all it took to change your life. “SOS” your bestie sent you. And an address. You rushed to the address to help. An art studio covered with dust and a one bedroom apartment above. You called your bestie’s name, searching everywhere…but nothing. . Then it happened. A siren went off. And suddenly, the whole building went into a shutdown mode. Doors…locked. Windows…locked. Phone…signal blocked. You were stuck. . The only thing that worked? Some old laptop that connected to a weird looking chat room. You quickly typed your own SOS in to the chat. And all hell broke loose. . After a whole lot of misunderstandings and a whole lot more explaining, the chat room members, who you learned were in a secret chat for members of a charity group, finally accepted something weird was going on. . Q and VII reluctantly inform you you’re stuck until they can bypass the security system, and under no circumstances can you leave the apartment or “something horrific will occur”. You want to run immediately but manage to contain your panic enough to stay. The next morning, a new private chat pops up from user “Unknown”. You have no idea who it is, but it instantly becomes obvious this person is the one who led you here, and is now trying to get you to spy for them. They threaten to keep you permanently if you don’t cooperate. . After three days of being stuck in the apartment, alone and anxious and bored out of your mind, VII was able to shut off the security system just long enough to get you out. Before you get far, though, gunshots ring out, causing VII to have to high speed drive you to a safe location. The safest place he knows to go where you won’t be in danger? Zev’s small condo with camera security everywhere. . . . *A Mystic Messenger Fan Fic with a Twist* . Characters: -Q -VII -Zev -Joon -Jahida -Zeke -Reina -Unknown

Growing up, you were always the kid with anxiety and perfectionism. Everything always had to be organized, in its place and perfect. You didn’t have a lot of friends. In fact, you typically avoided other kids because they were all loud, messy and prone to messing up your perfectly alphabetized bookshelf. . Nothing changed in high school. You rarely dated, not interested in the weird antics of typical high school kids. Sure, you went to the sports games and social events, but you were never the one to let loose and look like a fool. . And then college rolled around. Your roommate was a nightmare. Your professors? Frustrating. Trying to stay calm and structured felt like a full time job. You met a few people you thought were like you, and ended up down a rabbit hole of all things bad choices. The final straw was the night your parents got a call that you were hallucinating in the quad at 3AM. . They withdrew you from your university immediately. They knew you needed a change. Unfortunately, their jobs left them little chance to be there for you. So, your mom called up her lifelong friend and asked her for help. . Which is how you ended up here. At the Riddell Ranch in Texas, smack in the middle of nowhere. Learning how to let go and just enjoy life. . With the help of Wyatt and Angie Riddell and their eight children, can you learn to just enjoy the chaos life has to offer? . . . Riddell Family: Wyatt Riddell (50) Angie Riddell (49) McCoy (28) Maverick (28) Sawyer (26) Creed (24) Boone (23) Beau (23) Dakota (20) Winona (18) Grandpa Joe (96)

Growing up, you were always the kid with anxiety and perfectionism. Everything always had to be organized, in its place and perfect. You didn’t have a lot of friends. In fact, you typically avoided other kids because they were all loud, messy and prone to messing up your perfectly alphabetized bookshelf. . Nothing changed in high school. You rarely dated, not interested in the weird antics of typical high school kids. Sure, you went to the sports games and social events, but you were never the one to let loose and look like a fool. . And then college rolled around. Your roommate was a nightmare. Your professors? Frustrating. Trying to stay calm and structured felt like a full time job. You met a few people you thought were like you, and ended up down a rabbit hole of all things bad choices. The final straw was the night your parents got a call that you were hallucinating in the quad at 3AM. . They withdrew you from your university immediately. They knew you needed a change. Unfortunately, their jobs left them little chance to be there for you. So, your mom called up her lifelong friend and asked her for help. . Which is how you ended up here. At the Riddell Ranch in Texas, smack in the middle of nowhere. Learning how to let go and just enjoy life. . With the help of Wyatt and Angie Riddell and their eight children, can you learn to just enjoy the chaos life has to offer? . . . Riddell Family: Wyatt Riddell (50) Angie Riddell (49) McCoy (28) Maverick (28) Sawyer (26) Creed (24) Boone (23) Beau (23) Dakota (20) Winona (18) Grandpa Joe (96)

Growing up, you were always the kid with anxiety and perfectionism. Everything always had to be organized, in its place and perfect. You didn’t have a lot of friends. In fact, you typically avoided other kids because they were all loud, messy and prone to messing up your perfectly alphabetized bookshelf. . Nothing changed in high school. You rarely dated, not interested in the weird antics of typical high school kids. Sure, you went to the sports games and social events, but you were never the one to let loose and look like a fool. . And then college rolled around. Your roommate was a nightmare. Your professors? Frustrating. Trying to stay calm and structured felt like a full time job. You met a few people you thought were like you, and ended up down a rabbit hole of all things bad choices. The final straw was the night your parents got a call that you were hallucinating in the quad at 3AM. . They withdrew you from your university immediately. They knew you needed a change. Unfortunately, their jobs left them little chance to be there for you. So, your mom called up her lifelong friend and asked her for help. . Which is how you ended up here. At the Riddell Ranch in Texas, smack in the middle of nowhere. Learning how to let go and just enjoy life. . With the help of Wyatt and Angie Riddell and their eight children, can you learn to just enjoy the chaos life has to offer? . . . Riddell Family: Wyatt Riddell (50) Angie Riddell (49) McCoy (28) Maverick (28) Sawyer (26) Creed (24) Boone (23) Beau (23) Dakota (20) Winona (18) Grandpa Joe (96)

Growing up, you were always the kid with anxiety and perfectionism. Everything always had to be organized, in its place and perfect. You didn’t have a lot of friends. In fact, you typically avoided other kids because they were all loud, messy and prone to messing up your perfectly alphabetized bookshelf. . Nothing changed in high school. You rarely dated, not interested in the weird antics of typical high school kids. Sure, you went to the sports games and social events, but you were never the one to let loose and look like a fool. . And then college rolled around. Your roommate was a nightmare. Your professors? Frustrating. Trying to stay calm and structured felt like a full time job. You met a few people you thought were like you, and ended up down a rabbit hole of all things bad choices. The final straw was the night your parents got a call that you were hallucinating in the quad at 3AM. . They withdrew you from your university immediately. They knew you needed a change. Unfortunately, their jobs left them little chance to be there for you. So, your mom called up her lifelong friend and asked her for help. . Which is how you ended up here. At the Riddell Ranch in Texas, smack in the middle of nowhere. Learning how to let go and just enjoy life. . With the help of Wyatt and Angie Riddell and their eight children, can you learn to just enjoy the chaos life has to offer? . . . Riddell Family: Wyatt Riddell (50) Angie Riddell (49) McCoy (28) Maverick (28) Sawyer (26) Creed (24) Boone (23) Beau (23) Dakota (20) Winona (18) Grandpa Joe (96)