Here are five more of my very short stories! I originally posted them to #vss365 on Twitter.

1. The snake curls around her arm, an old friend. Jen strokes its smooth scales, green and red. She has long been immune to her companion's venom, but it could stop the heart of an assassin in seconds. One reason why she has survived so many attempts on her life.

2. It was a pity to destroy such beauty. He brushed a curl of rosewood off his scraper. He could understand why the new queen wished to replace the veneers of the old queen with her own coat of arms. By why did she demand he destroy the little princess's arms as well?

3. A few extra pills, and she can float in the dreamless void. The voices don't bother her here, and she can't feel the pain anymore. Sometimes she wants to stay forever, but people need her. She just wishes she didn't have to listen to them screaming in her head.

4. Floating the frozen sea is not like drifting in a void, as many people think. Bio-luminescent corals light up the deep sea vents while jelly-flowers and tube-sharks churn the cold waters of the upper layers. They ignore her submersible if she stops the propulsion.

5. "My family starved to death, and you didn't care about them. Do you expect me to cry over one rich brat?" Spit flew from his mouth as the rope tightened on his neck. "You call me a villain? To you, that's just another peasant!" The rope jerked, and his feet dangled.