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Reflection of a Girl Remembering How to Feel Alive
She didn’t need to scan the menu long because a different guy had taken her here just last week. Of course, she couldn’t tell that to her current date. Instead, she said, “I can’t choose. It all sounds so good.”
In Dire Need of Forgetting
Rosalie Evers hated restaurants like this. Everyone knows the type; white tablecloth, red carpet, yellow candles, and a golden chandelier glistening slightly too high for proper appreciation. Sitting at her own uncomfortably crisp table, she sighed and pulled out her phone.
Emily CummingsPublished about 7 hours ago in Humans
Above The Pale Blue Dot
The message came through with its usual exuberant blip. Nothing incessant, just a single, almost celebratory sound before relying on the blinking green light to capture her attention. Robin watched the green light, deciding whether it was smart to listen to the message now or after the evening was over. If she left it, there was plausible deniability: there can’t be an “I told you so” if they hadn’t told her; but then again, Robin was never good at leaving things to the unknown.
The Strength Of A Nation With A Beat
The beating of the drum is the first thing I hear. At first, it starts out slow, like a heartbeat…thump, thump…thump, thump. Then the beat speeds up and my heart tries to find the rhythm. But the beat is much faster, like excitement building. One voice begins the song. There are no words, just a melodic vocal sound, like one eagle calling to another. Then the other voices join in and it sounds like a harmonized war cry. The smell of sage and sweetgrass is in the air and I watch the dancers form a line at the East Gate. Long dark hair blows in the breeze and eagle feathers ruffle. Then the chuffing sound of moccasins gliding over the grass in perfect rhythm with the drum tells me that these are my people and I am where I belong.
Sarah JohnsonPublished about 9 hours ago in Wander- Created with: LELO
The Ultimate Guide to Sexual Freedom
Two truths and a lie: I am a woman, I love sex, and I orgasm every time. Think you know the answer? Sorry, but it’s a trick question; all three are true.
Jules FortmanPublished about 10 hours ago in Filthy 
The Blind Puppy That Saw Right Through Me
Working in a veterinary hospital means either having such a slow day that you’re detailing kennels and reorganizing cabinets, or so busy you skip lunch and suddenly it’s midnight - there’s no in between. On this particular day, when I noticed a persistent whining noise coming from a kennel in the hospitalization area, it was the latter. It’s literally my job to keep track of everything going on with any patients in the hospital, so I quickly investigated the source of this noise and found a tiny culprit was causing the ear-numbing sound.
Anaise MichellePublished about 13 hours ago in Petlife- Created with: Lull
Why I Decided to Buy Yet Another Lull Mattress
Earlier this year, I was in the market for a king sized mattress for my master bedroom. I performed my fair share of research on the internet and amongst friends. All of my research kept leading me to Lull, a premium memory foam bed in a box company.From the moment I started sleeping on my Lull Mattress, I fell in love and had the best night's sleep. My Lull regulates my body temperature and cools me down at night. My husband and I no longer toss and turn in the bed and are actually really comfortable. Find out why we loved our experience with Lull so much, that we had to buy another mattress.
Living with AmandaPublished about 13 hours ago in Lifehack 
The Rise of Ninja Toast
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This piece was written over 10 years ago when I was in high school. I decided to post it here for a) a way to not lose it and b) to see how much my writing has improved since then. I hope anyone who reads this will get a chuckle from it. I plan on re-writing this piece in the near future. Please enjoy!
Jocelyn SailasPublished about 15 hours ago in Feast
How Pretending It's the 1990s is Good for You
Okay, maybe I'm a bit biased. I had my own TV show in the '90s (BZZZ!) and it afforded me some unforgettable times. I was young, wild, and FREEEEEEEE. WEEEEEEEE! But, really, it's not just my own life that I think about when I think about the 1990s. It's yours. Yes, you-you who were maybe just birthed into this world then. Let's pretend then is now.
Annie WoodPublished about 19 hours ago in MotivationWhite Washed
“What language do you speak at home?” “Just English,” I reply apologetically, emphasizing the "just," hoping the topic will change.
Shawn DaringPublished a day ago in Families
Stray to Stay
Tell us how you rescued your beloved pets and share their adoption story.
$2,500 Grand PrizeClosedEat Local
Highlight your favorite local restaurants.
$1,000 Grand PrizeClosedDream Date
Supported By: Bright CellarsCreate a short fiction story about a first date, involving a glass of Merlot.
$5,000 Grand Prize8 minutes left
Creators We’re Loving
Meet the people in your communities creating extraordinary things.
Approaching Re-Entry
Generally speaking, April is a month with a good reputation. It represents the spring holidays, the weather getting nicer, and calculating your tax refund. April is featured in soft ballads evocative of springtime warmth like “April Come She Will” and “April in Paris.” April is even the name of the most hallowed of pop culture figures, a beloved sitcom character.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 4 days ago in Resources
Creator Spotlight: Laquesha Bailey
Laquesha Bailey is an expressive, kind-hearted soul currently based out of Ottawa, Canada. Being nearly 2,600 miles from her birthplace of Trinidad and Tobago, she continues to widen her worldview as she perseveres through undergraduate Global and International studies with a specialization in Latin American and Caribbean studies.
Vocal SpotlightPublished 5 days ago in Resources
If This, Then That Challenge Winners
Together with our partners at Decider, we asked our entire community to get inspired and create stories that shared the perfect formula to help viewers decide what to watch next by taking a show or movie that most people know and love, and making recommendations for fellow fans from there. After much deliberation, our sponsor and our judges have spoken.
Vocal TeamPublished 11 days ago in Resources
Creator Spotlight: Little Black Book Challenge Winner - Jess Sambuco
Jessica Sambuco, a.k.a. the first-place-winning creator of the Vocal+ exclusive Little Black Book Challenge (Created with Moleskine), spoke with admirable humility when we asked her about the largest win in Vocal Challenge history. Not to mention, she did it on her first try. That's right—one submission, one win, $20k in the bank.
Vocal SpotlightPublished 19 days ago in Resources
Listen, Learn, Grow
This edition of Verified finds us on the cusp of April, and in the Greater New York area where we are, Spring has certainly sprung. As much as we would love to take the optimistic tone of the chirping birds, crocus buds, and increased accessibility to the vaccine, that would be disingenuous of us. The fact that a gradual return to "normal life" in the U.S. has lead to the return of mass shootings is impossible to ignore, as is the frighteningly pervasive problem of anti-Asian violence.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 25 days ago in Resources
Creator Spotlight: Bianca Best
Bianca Best is an immensely driven, buoyant, and accomplished author, entrepreneur, and mother of four from the UK. While some adults tend to shy away from self-improvement and fulfillment as their primary responsibilities take shape, Bianca practices and preaches what it takes to rise above complacency and demand achievement in the modern world.
Vocal SpotlightPublished about a month ago in Resources
