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The Orc and the Quill | It was a cold and lonely night in the city of Albion. The cobblestone streets were filled with people from all walks of life. The bazaar was a bright array of shades of amber and violet, and the air was filled with sweet exotic scents from lands far away. Godwin sat alone on his balcony. He saw the entire city for mile... | o2m88l |
No Man's Land | It is incredibly taxing to recount all of the pertinent events of our history, let alone the full account of mine without mentioning some horrific details I had only discovered this month. My memory has been rather hazy due to severe shock and trauma throughout the past few months. I suppose I should begin there while ... | 77j0q5 |
Jian | Jian The world was in turmoil and leaderless without the benefit of a king. Hundreds of warriors gathered support of farming communities and other warriors and some veterans of war, all in a bid to claim the throne.
Sir Robert of the Lowlands, a burly man that could swing his axe so hard that it would fell a tree in o... | z6wuvc |
Lady Nimmo and the Cursed Belt | Oakaford strategically positioned stumpers to capture the shadow elves who were shooting arrows into Lady Nimmo's house. Oakaford and the stumpers took this very personally. She brought them to life, and because of this connection, they become extremely upset when someone tries to harm her. "Okay, everyone," Oakaford w... | b77us7 |
The Locket | I look over at Noah. His face is tight and focused as he backs into a difficult parking spot. Everything blurs around me, and my body trembles. When we leave the truck, Noah rests his palm between my shoulder blades, guiding me to the elevator.
What happened? I wonder to myself. He was fine a couple of hours ago. Oliv... | 4dsysf |
Dreamweaver's Nightmare | Dreamweaver's Nightmare
The morning sun filtered through the windows of Dreamspire, casting long beams across the polished stone floors. The high, rounded towers of the grand castle stretched toward the sky, their walls lined with books, tomes, and cascading streams of magic sand, each one flowing in different colors... | 09ttwt |
The Mask of Sammy: A Tale of the Arts Department | 1937 New York City Sammy flung a precise complement of steaming chestnuts into a paper bag - an impressive feat given the enormity of his signature scoop and his signature over-the-shoulder tossing arc. Whistling his slightly manic but jaunty signature tune, Sammy proudly conferred his toasty treasure to the Dapper Dan... | a662fy |
Magic Carpet Ride | He wasn’t yet a grandfather, but nonetheless Scott was the oldest student in all of his classes at San Diego State University. In grade school, he had had no interest in the obligatory hour of Spanish lessons on Friday afternoons, so it was a little out of character for him to have chosen to pursue a major in that same... | 4qfvp7 |
Oh, Well | Denise was just leaving the band room when the siren went off. Because she was alone, she didn’t realize that no one else heard it. Looking around, she saw nothing that seemed out of place; she couldn’t identify where the sound came from. She threw her drumsticks into her backpack and headed outside. There she saw her ... | 096n0f |
Avifauna | Hard hot earth pressed into Nuavas palms. Flecks of obsidian speckled the dry ground. Sweat poured down her dark skin. Her arms and legs were stiff from crouching so long.
A couple of feet away from her a pile of the most shiny stuff she could find was collected in a heap. She had purposely set it a couple of feet fro... | 4fasno |
The King of Stones | Finn stricken the flint against the fire-steel until a small sparkle landed in the fire pit, starting the bonfire. As soon as the tiny ember hit the bunch of straws it lit up, roaring to life. When some warmth reached his face, he leaned back against the tree behind him, stretching his sore legs from the long journey. ... | bf2std |
The Magic Feathers of the Caburé | Tajñí Lelé is a forest elf from the world of the Wichi-Mataco indigenous people, the most well-known and powerful, famous for his magical powers. He was called “Cabeza de Sajasta” (Sajasta Head) because of his curly, tangled hair, similar to the lichen that grows on the leaves of trees. He wore a green hat with two hol... | 3v4hr5 |
The Legend Me | The things of legends don’t feel mystical. Legends and myths are the jobs of bards and poets. To take the horrors of battle and romanticize them into stories for the masses. They make the putrid copper scent of death and the rotten taste of festering meat palatable as one drinks ale at an inn. Legends are stories craft... | pudpbu |
The Choice | Star listened to the hum of the force field that held her prisoner, the soft blue light the only illumination in the cold, dark room. She let the tears she held back so tightly when the guard came around flow freely down her face. The tears the Special Forces commander shed were not of regret – she would have done it ... | wp0mlz |
Magical Object | The breath saws in and out of my lungs as I watch my foot step over the red rocks. The burn in my legs is pleasant, lowkey. My lungs feel strong, my body limber. God, I love hiking. The humid, sweet smelling wind gently washes over my sweaty forehead, bringing some blessed cooling relief. “Ellie! Did you want a pictur... | ivkjul |
Remember | She couldn’t remember how she got there. All she knew was that she was sore and hungry and tired. She closed her eyes for a moment to try and remember. It didn’t seem to help. When she opened them, she looked around hoping to find some clue as to what might have happened. She was sitting in the sand on a beach. The win... | vbq3ws |
Jack Lost It | BREAKING NEWS: Martha Clayborne, head of the NIAID, has extended the stay at home order. Today marks the third straight year of nationwide lockdowns. Ms. Clayborne is under fire recently for her involvement in the KEL Clinics scandal. Experts say… It’s been three months and Jack was still unable to find the remote cont... | xm8rfq |
Fear the Crimson Tear | In the dimly lit corner of a bustling New York City tavern, a young man named Henry Gilbert nursed a pint of ale with a look of quiet resignation etched into his gaunt features. His eyes, once lively with the excitement of academic discovery, now bore the weight of defeat and despair. His frayed shirt and disheveled ha... | 9u45gp |
Power of Hope | The Sun reflected from the waterlogged sandy coast of a deserted island embedded in a faraway broad ocean and shined the edges of burbling waves splashing against the flat ground and driving off sea creatures back underneath the subterranean where they hide from the sharp light of the Star’s glare. Surrounding the myst... | mntrv0 |
Mirror of the Enchantress | Of all the things my Grandmother owned, her mirror was the only thing I ever wanted. I had been drawn to it since I was a child. It was as if it called to me, like a siren song, begging for just a gentle tap on its pristine, reflective surface. Grandmother never would let me touch it, but now here it sits on my thrifte... | pu8vh7 |
The Thief's Lucky Charm | I didn't mean to steal Mrs. Abernathy's cat. Honest. But when you're known as the neighborhood's most nimble-fingered "collector of misplaced items," sometimes things just... happen. And Mr. Whiskers happened to be wearing a very shiny, very pawnable collar.
"Ruby!" Mrs. Abernathy's shrill voice cut through the humid ... | 1ajgou |
Nick Palma, Once and Future King | A black limo with tinted windows pulled up on Washington Street in Hempstead. Two burly men, dressed in black shirts and slacks, got out of the vehicle and headed for the front door of a small run-down house. Their arrival was observed by two Englishmen crammed inside a Mini Cooper, parked further along the road. The b... | 9wrb5z |
Greed to Redemption | As the dull evening sun shot beams of light through poorly made attic window Sean continued to run through his late grandfather’s old boxes of stuff. Sean’s life had become almost as miserable as their poorly maintained residence in Louisiana, sagged under the weight of neglect, passers by on the street in front of it ... | i545d6 |
The Golden Pocket Watch of Elias Cobb | The Golden Pocket Watch of Elias Cobb The Yukon heaven stretched out, vast and indifferent. Yet that morning it was pleasantly blue and pristine—a shining cupola of cloudless, northern sky. Spruce and pine, chalked and contorted by wind, stood silent. Their boughs were dusted with a light snow from the previous night’... | 1fl955 |
I'll Never Do That Again | I’ll Never Do That Again by Burt Sage “You want my most embarrassing moment?” I ask. “Yeah,” Fred says. “I thought it would be a good way to get us going tonight.” Our next door neighbors, Fred and Susan, are over for our regular Saturday night get together. Every other Saturday night they come over here; on alternatin... | wxwwr4 |
Where Magic was understood | Where Magic was understood. Oriel stood on the slope. He was dressed is his favorite undergarments and cloak. There was thunder and lightning as the air pressure dropped and the winds from the highlands brought in the rain on strong gusts with more lightning. He returned to the garret where he was wont to spend his day... | lf6gn8 |
Passages of Patagonia on the Ship Destiny's Dreams | In the attic of a lighthouse keeper's house built in the 1800s on the Mystical Coast, someone opened a weatherbeaten old wooden box in the corner. It contained the ship's logs and journals from the 1800s for a vessel called Destiny's Dreams. There was also a colorful, textured woven cape. It must have been treasured by... | ox74ot |
Quest for Tears | Coughing and groans came from Seth as he was nearly motionless in his bed. Serena was making him soup to try and get him to eat. It’s been years since the magical diseases began covering their land and when her twin brother became ill months ago, she knew it was up to her to stop the sickness from taking him like it di... | y7tvg7 |
Operation: Snowball | “Agent Bass, come in. Bass, can you hear me?” Special Agent Hinkle barked at me. “Loud and clear, boss. I can also smell your tuna sub.” I reply with bitterness. This is the third wild goose chase in three weeks. Stakeouts, no sleep, smelly hotels, fast food, and stuck in a 2008 Caprice Classic with Agent Tuna, is push... | 4g3f19 |
Price to Pay | The cave was quiet, except for the soft drip of water. Callum McGrath stood in the center, his flashlight casting long shadows on the rough walls. His heart pounded—not from fear, but from the thrill of discovery. He'd found it at last. The golden box.
He knelt down, brushing away dust and dirt that had gathered on th... | 1d3vaf |
A Kaper of Kobolds | Strix and Squirt stood at the entrance of their cavern at the base of the Tengar Hills, the misshapen clay jugs they used as an alarm hanging a foot over their heads. The once narrow forest trail, now beaten by armored feet and burned by torches, stretched wide before them. Their red scales glinted in the morning light... | zrwzh9 |
The Treasure of the Mille-Louise | Ben held the model ship close to his chest as he made his way through his grandfather’s home. To him it was magical, full of things he recognized the importance of mixed in with things that seemed outlandish and exotic: Paintings of old starships, alien masks on the walls, trinkets from worlds lightyears away... It was... | 2tzi0h |
The Fetch Quest: A Tale of Three Dogs | The Great Fetch Quest: A Tale of Three Dogs The afternoon sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden hue over the sprawling backyard. It was the kind of day that felt endless, where the air buzzed with possibility, and the smell of freshly cut grass beckoned adventure. For three determined dogs, this day would be one o... | gub3l5 |
The Pit | Port placed his foot down on the narrow stone ridge, expecting it to hold firm. The scattering of grit beneath it had the opposite idea, shifting viciously under his weight. His sturdy boot shot away, his leg following as if they had both conspired to abandon him. His heart raced, and every muscle in his body screamed ... | dow6w3 |
Payback in the Zamborini Desert | Payback in the Zamborini Desert “We have all the supplies we need,” said Jonas. “Let’s get going.” He zipped up his spacesuit. “Let’s see the inventories,” said Dr. Grant. Dr. Evelyn Grant led the group. She was a
renowned archaeologist known for her unending pursuit of historical truths, and she took her responsibili... | 1jphfa |
Saved by a Laughing Parrot on the Ship Destiny's Dreams | The books waited on their shelves to tell their stories to the next person. They were in the Biblioteca in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Guanabara Bay, the western coast of South America, in the 1800s. Ten year old Marco walked the aisles and set the returned books back on their home shelves.
It was another serene day wi... | dt3bwb |
For the rest of my life | As Vipsanius opened the locket, the voice from inside rang loud and clear.
„Please, please, remember me when I’m gone“
The feminine voice sounded breathless, teary, and almost desperate. After a second came a response.
„Of course I will. For the rest of my life“
This one was well known to everyone gathered around ... | p7napf |
An Unexpected Meeting | Evangeline stood in the corner of the dimly lit inn, her back against the wall. The leather-bound hilt of her silver sword stuck out over her shoulder, glinting in the candlelight; a sturdy fur wrapped quiver rested just below the double-edged sword. Silently she took in her surroundings: one elderly (and frail) bar we... | 7mluru |
Faith in a Storm | Alice hunkered closer to the rocky overhang, grimacing as a fresh torrent of rain washed down her back. She checked her cartridge belt again- wet ammo wouldn't stop this storm. The hair on the back of her neck rose, tingling, and she dropped into the gravelly mud, slamming her hands over her ears as a furious streak of... | lw8h2d |
Searching for Sasquatch | Living just outside of Portland, Oregon, Connor Deschutes and his family had always enjoyed the great outdoors.
Connor had spent three years in the Boy Scouts earning a dozen merit badges in that time.
His father, Oliver, was an avid fisherman, spending the weekends in his motorboat out on Lost or Bull Run Lake hop... | ee77m5 |
The Sailor & The Sea | The woman in the mist, will sing your name to thee, you’ll follow and be gone, if you find the Mirror-Sea. Her voice will call you in, but home, you’ll never be, if you follow the Siren’s Song, into the Mirror-Sea. If you go with her below, you will never be free, because you were already lost, when you found the Mirro... | hl14dg |
The Repeat | The rain was falling harder now as the sheep went about their business. He was no sheep he was a wolf, a soulless killer. One on whom time had no effect nor would it bring forgiveness. Kane lent back on the rough exterior of the bank. A tall grey colossus which matched his view on the world. Rain dribbled from his worn... | 8gisag |
Pioneering My Personality | PIONEERING MY PERSONALITY Or … The Tale Of Jacqueline And Heidi My life always had a peculiar slant to it. I grew up playing games, especially dress up, keeping secrets, being mysterious and elusive. Deviating from the norm, pretending. No, I didn’t have a psychological problem. I was just as norm... | gdbmur |
Echoes | The sky tore open and poured out all its anger onto the town and those in it. It seemed as though their world would end in that very moment with water rushing down the streets eating anything that comes in its way. The winds, stronger than they ever had seen, howled and echoed across the city. Two men fought their way ... | ljc7db |
In Search of a Shell | The Muses had struck Aldora as she meandered along the coast. Her feet left footprints in the sand, and the waves soon washed them away. The wind cut capers around her shoulders, lifting her hair from her lowered head. A camera bounced around on her neck. In the sky the sun was at its pinnacle, partially covered by clo... | re9ywr |
A Rusty Summer. | In the quaint town of Willowbrook, where the rhythm of life was as predictable as the changing of the seasons, there was an object so common it was overlooked by nearly everyone—a battered old bicycle named Rusty. Rusty had been left to lean against an oak tree in the backyard of the Alden family for as long as anyone ... | k1iw6z |
Panthera's Princess | Panthera’s Princess Aurora finally evaded Seamus, her elderly, very strict tutor, as she made her way out of the kingdom’s giant iron doors. She was almost one hundred percent sure that no one saw her face as she dashed away with a gray hooded cloak around her shoulders.
She had been trying to sneak away from Seamus f... | ckpkdk |
The Magic in the Music Box | I just started kindergarten this year and I love it. I live with my mom had dad in a three bedroom two bath house. I attend Forest City Elementary school and I really love it. Mom and Dad both work at the hospital so after school I ride the bus to my Grandma Irene's house. Grandma Irene is so much fun to be with. She h... | ql0l4l |
They’ll Call Me the Villain | CW : Swearing and some overall dark themes It was overcast that day. I’d taken the long way home from school through the forest to see the leaves changing, a path I’d walked for the past eleven years of my school career. The only thing on my mind was the homework I needed to finish that night for film class, the career... | 25rx69 |
Message in a Bottle | John gazed out of the kitchen window in a fantastical trance. The world outside this window was a carefully crafted fantasy. The garden was overgrown now, but still it described a form of order that he could not exert on the aspects of his life that really counted. Life was wayward and chaotic. It presented a pretence ... | wurltj |
The stone | He lay there, his fear crippling him much more than his mangled legs that were currently soaking the dirt with his blood. His life was seeping out of him by the second; his fall was too great to survive without assistance, and that assistance was what he feared. The person closest to him when he had been attacked was a... | j54dnn |
The message from my inner child | I woke up agitated. My heart was pounding fast. The image from the dream stayed intact, refusing to fade away. A barefoot girl stood in the middle of a completely dark path, raising her hand and telling me, _ STOP, DON'T GO FURTHER! I approached her slowly and saw her little face bathed in tears. To my surprise, I re... | cn6juk |
The Book and the Shade | The lights have just gone out in the restaurant I was passing by. The last waiter left and locked the door. The chairs, taken to the tops of the tables resembled antlers of baby deers. I was almost past the dark window when a long shadow stepped out into the street. It crawled higher and higher, and I had to lift my he... | 7oq88g |
The Owl's Nest | Doctor Antigone ‘Alti’ Foxglove had left the last package delivered to her small but well-appointed manor for last. On the walls hung long-lost antiquities and pieces of puzzles and long-lost languages that she was currently deciphering. She had received several relics from her last trip to Iran wrapped specially for h... | e5oapl |
Splish, Splash, Crash | Splish, splash. Splish, splash, crash. Splish, splash. Splish, splash, crash…. The continuous rhythm and roar of the ocean waves, the tropical light burning through the morning clouds, and the seagulls’ lonely cry, awakened Sandy Harris lying on a desolate beach. Her fingers grasped the wet sand, her feet and legs soak... | ieqesp |
The Ruby | The Congolian jungle: Untouched by civilization for millions of years. One of the most dangerous places in the world. And dead in the center of it, lie the most dangerous creatures of them all.
poisonous lizards and exotic birds scamper through the larger-than-life trees. Giant spiders the size of dinner plates set t... | p7i08j |
Lions In The Woods | “I think there’s lions in these woods,” Ko said.
“Lions, Ko?” Robinson nervously scanned the line of trees. He was sitting on the left tire of their overturned vehicle; desolated in a meadow of tall grass. “What do you mean lions ?” The sun was beginning to set, darkening Ko’s face.
It was impossible to read his eye... | 52hh19 |
Death Of A Dream | Rose always wanted to be a musician. She always found herself fascinated by VMA and MTV awards. She’d spend hours envisioning herself with a shiny and polished grammy award. If Rose can travel to the underworld and fight to the death for this dream, maybe it will be hers in waking life. So Rose takes the bait and trave... | cbkhut |
The Black Cat and His Book | The cat, with fur black as the night sky wandered aimlessly down an overgrown path. His lean body winding like a river through the brightly coloured moss and shrubbery, his eyes alight with purpose, and behind him was a girl. Her bottom lip sticking out in the most displeasing way as she used a stick to abuse the shrub... | pehzbj |
The Unforgettable Quest for the Lost Relic | The Unforgettable Quest for the Lost Relic The sun had barely risen over the ancient land of Ardariel, casting a golden hue across the rugged mountains and dense forests. A cool breeze rustled through the trees as Renna adjusted her leather pack, eyes scanning the horizon. She had come a long way, but her journey was f... | yc4zs5 |
Rock Bottom | What compels a human to pursue dangerous adventures – to pursue the unknown and risk mutilation and disability and to die tragic, horrific deaths – all in search of an adrenaline high? Alcohol, surely, would have been the safer option and the man who wedged himself between limestone would agree. He’d go back and tell h... | mv9j3p |
The Bank | It must have been at least five minutes now that I had been waiting in the queue, there are seven people in front of me. There are five teller desks, but there are only three tellers. Why do they have five desks but only three tellers? It's not lunchtime, nor morning tea time. Perhaps two tellers are away sick, or on h... | uhwtp6 |
Path of the Nomad | The wind swept across the wastelands, carrying with it a thick layer of dust that clung to Kai’s skin. He wiped the grit from his brow and crouched lower beneath the rusted-out skeleton of a vehicle, his focus on the mess of wires in front of him. The transmitter wasn’t anything special—just a jumbled heap of tech—but ... | dbcpne |
Show No Fear | The air was heavy and smelled of iron.
Edward took a deep breath to steady his hands. Henry’s words drifted into his mind, as clear as when he first heard them. A good captain never shows fear. The men see fear as weakness. The shaking continued, and he tucked his hands deep into his coat pockets. Emily’s handkerchief... | 1jwn7f |
Of Doomsday and fortunate despair | Life on Earth ended on a Thursday. Deities met not long after to discuss the Doomsday properly, choosing a crater of the Earth's only moon - The Moon. From over here they could still see the burning planet, blown up, in hundreds of pieces, floating in space and disturbing the otherwise peaceful area. Their vantage poin... | tbahqq |
Minong's Call: A Journey of Transformation | Chapter 1: The Call of the Wild The tranquil morning in Grand Marais was a symphony of natural beauty, a stark contrast to the impending danger Kai was about to face. The air was perfumed with the scent of pine, the invigorating chill of Lake Superior, and the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked donuts from the nearby b... | r089j0 |
Second Draft | “Jake? Is that you Jake?” The weathered bartender of Kill Your Darlings, s aid through squinted eyes as he welcomed who he thought was his regular Jake Mathist, into the bar.
“Onix. Onix Rock Harden, now my friend.” “I’ll get you a tall one. Maybe two,” “Sounds great,” Onix said, because it was the only thing to say. ... | 2449su |
Mysteries in Starry Skies Above the Ship Destiny's Dreams | The Querida, whose name meant “dear," struggled where she was caught on the ocean reef. Her square, clipper ship sails were ragged. Her three masts leaned to the side. Nearby, the jagged shore threatened her. A mile away, high above the sea. sixteen-year-old Maria Bibiana walked over the rocks near the rim of the dorma... | 07c1u9 |
Myrrh, Earth, and Red Wine | In some forgotten corner of the world, squeezed between bakeries, bookshops, and premium cafes, lies Bill’s auto mechanic shop. Across the cobblestone road from Bill’s is a peculiar floral shop owned by Leena. Her dark licorice hair and wine-colored lips demand a second glance. Leena’s voice is melancholy when she spea... | qhywox |
Detour | Feeling free, Winston jumped into his new Ferrari and barely pausing at the guard gate, revved out of the studio lot. He’d always been free. But today, the first time ever, he had no responsibilities, no restrictions, and no demands on his time. He could go anywhere, answering to no one. ‘From now on, only doing what I... | a5c6tj |
Riders of the Storms | Riders of the Storms “Now another urgent warning for the communities on the Frisian North Sea coast line: the storm front approaching is still increasing in strength. The coast watch team and all emergency teams urge everybody to keep away from the coast line and the beaches from now until the storm has passed and subs... | m777b1 |
The Desert Takes | You shake the waterskin. Only a sip or two left. You pass it to Mel. She shakes it, passes it back to you. Your mouth is sandpaper, your throat like you’ve swallowed shards of glass. You shake the waterskin, pass it back to her. You make a game of it, sisters stumbling through the desert. Heat boils your insides. Sand ... | rnh4ac |
PEN POWER | The strange phenomenon started for Karley one day as she sat in her favorite spot in her garden with her journal in her lap contemplating what to write or draw. She loved this garden and cottage which she had called home for ten years now since her retirement decision to leave the city and move to a much more bucolic e... | 9uixr3 |
The Man in the Ocean | The man stood trembling on a pale bank. A good twenty yards from where the tide lapped upon a steep wasted shore. He shook and shivered in a steady rhythm, squinting at the breakers beneath the grey overcast. Specks rained sideways, cutting at his forehead like needles. A light mist settled in. His stomach contorted an... | gy1bcy |
Coffee riot cafe | Out side the most quiet street as once had been a few years back.ànd night time walking was safe . especially for homeless begging make in that now suburb turned gang members violence eruption of loud people who have al preferences to sitting around a cafe first in morning and let them know that police are on the looko... | bte0lr |
The short cut | The Short Cut. A small crowd gathered on the bridge to watch the scene develop below. I wandered over, pretending not to care. KBC News, a local Television studio, were giving live updates, "Looks like a walker found something earlier today... a body down there, in the trash. Seems like the Victim had been dead for ... | lv9xwx |
Lofty Adventure | Pale light flashed beyond the clouded windows. One... two... three... four... The crack that followed echoed across the roof line and faded into the trees surrounding the property. Lilah tightened her fingers around the corded rope and pulled. The attic stairs swung down with a metallic chorus as the ancient springs wo... | s8apka |
Turbulent Truths | Nothing was ever simple. Not for me. Maybe it was some extra quirk in my DNA, something to make me different from everyone else. My Air Talent, as Pyron had frequently told me, was your run of the mill, everyday Talent. His Fire Talent was unique. A rarity he frequently boasted. Human evolution, driven by old-world pol... | 9giko9 |
Racing the Storm | There was absolutely no need for me to go, I would be of no help, but I was invited, and glad for the excuse to have a few days off work. It was Memorial Day weekend, Dad and I drove the seven hours to Kansas, with Grandma and Grandpa, to help them on the farm, removing brush out of the waterways in the corn fields. Ho... | wf8cdb |
Ardent Cosmonaut | I distinctly remember mining for gold on Mars at the young age of 8 when an uproar blasted throughout the cave walls. Or maybe I was cleaning the toilets at Grand Central Space Station… No, I was definitely mining for silver. Gold, I mean. The year was 2256. Somebody shouted, “It’s happening! It’s happening!” The next ... | crgmsf |
A Light in the Night | I collapse to my knees soggily in the mud on a steep incline in the middle of a dark and expansive forest. I can’t see much in front of me due to how dark it’s gotten, and as water rushes down the incline around me, my knees sink further into the mud with a squelch. The short dark hair atop my head drapes itself across... | ub46is |
This Face | You’re stuck. The baby cliff face has a few steady holds, but you don’t know where to go from there. You look up. Picture perfect blue. Then straight ahead, centimeters from your nose. Brown, gray, pink rock blurs in front of you. Your breath is shaky, fragile against the rough earth. Gray clouds hang low nearby, and i... | t5lsef |
Sinew and Silence | I drop the pen, its tip scraping across the paper as I step back, paralyzed by a vast nothingness that grips my being. The emptiness is turbulent and numbing. It takes my breath away while keeping it flowing through my mouth and nose. I must break free. I must find the muse who waits for me on the mountain. She must ca... | rxkxq7 |
Deja Vu | This story is set in a war zone. There's some swearing and a brief episode of gore. I crouch low behind a pile of rubble barely big enough to protect my ass, let alone the rest of me. I aim to get all the vital bits tucked in and lay low—trying to make it damn near impossible for the sniper to get me with a one-and-don... | 5nufdd |
Alone with Ian | Being a competent woman in a high-powered corporation where men dismissed her expertise had drained Elizabeth. She had been consumed with snide remarks and sarcasm to the point that self-doubt was creeping inside her. In need of a getaway to clear her mind, Elizabeth rented a beautiful four-bedroom home on an inlet of ... | 34u24c |
Hero's Mission | You know that old mop that sits in the corner of a small ass supply closet in every restaurant or school? Yeah, well that's me right now. I am the mop and my supply closet is actually a cardboard box. I know on a regular day I don't exactly smell like roses but when it rains, I start smelling like a load of clothes lef... | uabqfb |
I wanted a rom-com but life gave me just half of it | It was a chilly Saturday in January. Hong Kong was in its most brutal wintertime. The temperature was around 50 degrees with no snow. But the wind would sneak into the slightest gap between layers of clothes and the skin. I rushed to the theatre after getting out of bed and ready to leave my place before 10 in the morn... | hwwum0 |
Make Up Your Mind | “Young man, destiny has chosen you for greatness!” Llwyd looked up from his mug to see an old man with the longest beard and the bushiest eyebrows he had ever seen was looking at him. “Are…are you talking to me?” Llwyd asked hesitantly, looking around the tavern. There must be a mistake. Why would anyone talk to him? ... | gtd1vu |
The Chase | The Chase Sadness had always aspired to be as content as his brother - Happiness - so much so, in fact, that he envied the brutal severance rifting them apart. Alas, as with most aspirations, Sadness befell the usual disappointment of our meandering pursuit for something grander than what we have abreast. From when daw... | iwji7b |
Tortle Mon | My column in the local magazine, Islands Chronicle, stirred controversy and by some was thought to be demeaning to those who had lost their lives in deep blue seas to bring home the bread in the many ways the oceans provided. It was one of those columns that quoted locals and generally went- they went out to do a littl... | 52ipw7 |
I Don't Know | Dan woke up to the first rays of sunshine poking through the cheep blinds in his bedroom. He stared at the kinked, worn plastic blinds and let his mind wander over his plans for the day. Maybe he would start by going out and challenging the Gym Leader in the neighboring town. But the lines of his blinds reminded him of... | e3tvys |
Seeking the Wild Muse | My legs are sorer than I ever recall them having been and my skin is marred with no less than nine mosquito bites. I counted them last night while trying to fall asleep under a scratchy quilt in a cabin without adequate air conditioning. If I had been in a rational state of mind, I might have asked myself why I would p... | 913ayh |
Building A Dream Upon Words | I was exhausted that first night. You know, the kind of tired that’s almost painful? Your body screaming for you to close your eyes and your mind begging you for silence, yet still you fight to your last breath for that extra minute of consciousness. I was hanging on by a desperate thread because I needed to erupt my t... | tua488 |
The Phantom Storyteller of the Ship Destiny's Dreams | Below the clipper ship's deck, deep in the darkness of the steerage, Ana turned up the flame on the wick of her lantern. Light shined through the blue etched glass. In the indigo glow, Ana felt the ancient stories begin to awaken within her. Characters seemed to waver and dance in the shadows. Patterns flickered on the... | dvvg6n |
The Unrequired Summoning | Life is short - you know how I know? Been twice on the cold metal table of surgeries.
Been open up straight like a body for autopsy, not in Y but in a straight line, by a cold scalpel pressed down the skin, so sharp that it can cut your muscles just like a sharp knife would cut down easily a cheese.
Lesson learned, y... | ft6tp1 |
Skunk Train | I was supposed to go on this mini vacation with my husband. Now my ex-husband. I am going anyway. I deserve a vacation after the last month. In fact, I deserve a months’ vacation! Who would have thought I would be riding a train; one called the Skunk Train. I had to travel six hours to get here just so I can ride it fo... | g4eb4l |
Anticosti Antagonist | “Gosselin rose again. It was more of a struggle now. His feet would have felt like blocks of ice if he could feel them at all. His legs as heavy as tree trunks. Those thick wool pants nearly froze through. Still, he soldiered on, lifting one leg from the slush, then the other, then plunging ahead. Plunging to the shore... | n08iin |
Vinny's Way | Vinny stood with his back to the door of his small apartment building. He had his cane in hand, his lucky hat on, and a small suitcase containing his essentials by his side. At eighty-five, a small suitcase was all he could manage. Eventually, the taxi he was waiting on pulled up, and Vinny settled into the back seat. ... | do15bp |
The Photographer's Lens | Emma adjusted her camera, framing the dilapidated barn against the setting sun. The golden hour cast long shadows across the overgrown field, creating the perfect ambiance for her rural decay photo series. As she clicked the shutter, a twig snapped behind her. She whirled around, heart racing. A man stood at the edge o... | c6skit |
The Prometheum Enigma | Beatriz and Tonel met during a press conference, both determined to uncover the truth about the pyramid. While Tonel was focused on the scientific implications, Beatriz was driven by her journalism. She was curious about how such an object could appear without warning and what it meant for humankind, by which she meant... | ikyjx1 |
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