Sample: The necromancer sputtered with rage, unable to respond coherently. Finally controlling himself, he held up a finger angrily. "One month, Alexi! I’ll give you one month to finish making your abomination! If you are not done with it then, I will throw you to the tender mercy of our leaders!" With that, he turned and stormed out of the lab, leaving Alexi alone once again.

Alexi chuckled and went back to his work. "Poor Edvard," he said quietly, "your temper will be the death of you one day." He patted the stitched monstrosity on the table, feeling the cold, leathery texture of the creature’s skin. "You will be a masterpiece," he whispered, "no matter what anyone else says."

Sample: "At least tell me where you are," Ness implored.

"I can’t do that, Ness. I won’t." Paula paused for a moment, then hardened her voice. "You need help, Ness. If only you’d go to counseling, or church—"

"I am NOT going to church," Ness stated crossly.

"How can you not have faith, after everything that’s happened to us?" asked Paula accusingly.

"We don’t KNOW that it happened," Ness argued. "Memories aren’t good enough for me. I NEED to know it’s real!"

Sample: The family had not recovered the next morning; if anything, they were worse. Moreover, the farmer’s youngest son was nowhere to be found, though no one had noticed his disappearance. I treated them as best I could, but since I was not a doctor I could do little. I searched the farmstead for the missing child, but of him there was no sign. The blight had expanded again, and I could not bring myself to approach the stone. In all likelihood, the fear and loathing I saw as irrational was all that saved me from suffering the same fate as the farmer.

Sample: "I’m so sorry, child," he said wearily, "but one of your Sisterhood has fallen in battle, and...it is your turn to—"

"—to do my duty," she replied despondently. "I know, Father. I will do my duty, like those before me and those who will follow after." She looked back at the small room where she had spent so much of her time. Her favorite books, the plants she lovingly cared for, everything that made her unique and special. She would miss that – the knowing that she was different.

Sample: Yuki reaches into a small pocket on her dress and pulls out a small wallet. Sparkles of reflected light reveal that she has pieces of glass in her hair. Reaching into the wallet, she pulls out a handful of bills and puts them on the counter.

YUKI: How far will this get me?

The attendant hesitates, then picks up and counts the money. After thinking for a moment, he looks up at Yuki.

ATTENDANT: You could get to New York with this. Is that where you want to go?

YUKI: I don’t have any more money.

ATTENDANT: This is all the money you have? Are you sure you want to do this?

Sample: "But I need those pills to live!" stammered the man impotently, struggling to keep up with the invader.

"Yeah, well, Vinnie at the item shop gives me 25 bucks a bottle for them," said Jasper as he stomped into the kitchen and began searching the cupboards.

The homeowner stared at Jasper with shock. "Vinnie doesn’t run an item shop – he’s the local fence!"

Sample: Luckily for Frank, who could barely lift his sword, Demetrios seemed more interested in talking than fighting. Resting his back against the sarcophagus, the adventurer gestured about the room. "Why the hell do you have TWELVE liches guarding this tiny crypt?" he asked angrily. "There isn't even anything in here! And why do they only cast THREE spells?!"

Chuckling, Demetrios leaned against a nearby wall. "Well, it was like this..."

Sample: Although the citizens wished to reward their noble elven savior with a great victory feast, he had mysteriously vanished once again. No doubt he was simply too modest to accept the praise and gratitude of the people he saved. Time passed and the city eventually returned to its former glory. However, the citizens never forgot that they owed their lives to the mysterious elven swordsman who single-handedly defeated the monstrous horde that once threatened them. He became an integral part of the city's legends, and even now they have not forgotten the name Sergei von Zarovich.

"Dad, are you still writing that cheap adventure novel?"

Sample: A group of professors at the University of Natal designed an adventure game that focused on the material covered in the Environmental Biology 1 class, and had students taking the class play the game. They tested the students on their knowledge of the material before and after playing, and asked them what their motivation was to play the game. Overall, students performed better on the test after playing the game, and 80% felt intrinsically motivated to play the game; in other words, they wanted to play the game because it was fun and they were interested in the topic, not just because it was a course requirement.