Fiction
First Day of School
School registration day was around the corner, and Billy signed up to be an actor. “An actor,” his father said, “was one that could take on any job in the world and be successful for they had more confidence than the President and more perseverance than the Army soldier down the road to not give up in the face of rejection.” Billy thought his Dad to be like an actor, though truth, he didn’t really know what he did for a living, but he thought the same of him.
By Wesley C. Martin2 years ago in Chapters
These Foods May Help Reduce Your Risk of Cognitive Decline, New Study Suggests
Mental capability, basically, is the psychological cycle that permits you to complete undertakings like reasoning, getting the hang of, recollecting and deciding. After some time, mental capability can begin to decline, because of maturing, stress, unfortunate rest or even an eating regimen that isn't quite so adjusted as your dietitian would like it to be.1 Supporting mental capability isn't just about saving your memory sharp for random data evenings — it's tied in with remaining intellectually nimble so you can work freely and keep a specific personal satisfaction. New information distributed in Supplements proposes that a few cell reinforcements found in organic products, vegetables and other plant-based food varieties, called polyphenols, may assist with safeguarding the mind and further develop its function.2 (While there are loads of good wellsprings of polyphenols out there, scrumptious choices incorporate almonds, mangos, blueberries, strawberries, apples and olive oil, among others.) We should separate more insights regarding what this new information found, and, eventually, how it affects you, so you can all the more likely comprehend how these discoveries add to mental wellbeing in commonsense, ordinary ways.
By Kajal Devi2 years ago in Chapters
The Last Letter. AI-Generated.
Christopher stared out the window of his small apartment in New York City, watching the stream of yellow taxis and hurried pedestrians below. The city pulsed with its usual chaotic rhythm, but he felt disconnected, like he was watching it all through a pane of glass. He should have been happy. His work project—a high-profile marketing campaign for a major tech company—was going well. He was working with top-tier clients, making connections, proving himself. But none of it felt like enough.
By C. A. Elizabeth2 years ago in Chapters
Drifting Between Worlds. AI-Generated.
Ethan Carter woke up gasping for air. His eyes shot open, his body jerking upright as if he had just been yanked from the depths of a nightmare. Cold sweat clung to his skin. He blinked rapidly, trying to ground himself, but the room around him was foreign. Again. The ceiling above him was not the smooth white of the Barcelona hotel. This one was lower, painted a dull beige, with a ceiling fan creaking overhead. The air smelled different—humid, musty, with a faint trace of something metallic. He turned his head toward the window. A narrow street below bustled with people carrying baskets, their voices a blend of different accents. A sign hanging outside the building read: Brixton, London. Ethan's stomach twisted. Yesterday—Barcelona. Today—London. His hands clenched the bedsheets, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts. He needed to stay calm. Panicking wouldn’t help him. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his movements stiff, unfamiliar, as if his body wasn’t fully his own. Is this going to keep happening? He forced himself to stand, bracing against the nightstand. His legs wobbled slightly, but he steadied himself. The small hotel room was dim, a weak morning light filtering through the sheer curtains. His clothes—dark jeans, a navy sweater—were neatly folded on the chair beside the bed. Not the ones he had worn yesterday. His heart pounded as he grabbed his phone from the nightstand. The screen lit up. March 15th, 7:08 AM. The date was right. The time felt right. But there was no Wi-Fi signal. No data. No notifications. He opened his notes app and scrolled to the last entry. March 14th. Woke up in Barcelona. No idea how. His hands shook as he typed: March 15th. Woke up in London. Still no idea how. He swallowed hard, staring at the words on the screen. This wasn’t a coincidence. It wasn’t a prank. It wasn’t some weird dream he could wake up from. This was happening. A sharp knock at the door made him jump. His pulse hammered against his ribs. He turned toward the sound, frozen. Just like in Barcelona. A voice, muffled through the wooden door. “Mr. Carter?” His stomach twisted. He took slow, cautious steps toward the door. His fingers hovered over the handle, but he hesitated. “Who is it?” His voice came out hoarse. A pause. Then, “Room service.” Ethan didn’t believe that for a second. He pulled the door open. Standing in the hallway was a man in his mid-thirties, dressed in a brown coat and holding a folded newspaper. He had a calm, knowing expression, as if he had expected Ethan to open the door. The man studied him for a moment before speaking. “You’re awake.” Ethan’s throat tightened. “Who the hell are you?” The man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he handed Ethan the newspaper. Confused, Ethan unfolded it and scanned the front page. Then his breath caught. His own face stared back at him. The headline read: "Ethan Carter: Missing for Three Weeks. Last Seen in Chicago." Ethan stumbled back, gripping the doorframe. “This—this isn’t real.” But the photo was unmistakable. It was him. His same dark hair, his same sharp jawline. It looked like a security camera still, grainy but clear enough to recognize. His heart pounded in his chest. “This is a mistake. I’ve only been gone for a day. Two, maybe.” The man shook his head slowly. “Not from the world’s perspective.” Ethan’s skin went cold. “No,” he muttered, flipping through the pages. “This isn’t possible.” “Isn’t it?” The man’s voice was steady. “You woke up here without knowing how. The same thing happened yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. Time doesn’t move the way you think it does.” Ethan’s head snapped up. “You know what’s happening to me?” The man exhaled, tilting his head. “I know enough.” Ethan clenched his jaw. “Then tell me.” The man studied him for a moment before asking, “Have you noticed it yet?” Ethan narrowed his eyes. “Noticed what?” The man’s gaze was unwavering. “It’s not just the places that change, Ethan. It’s you.” A slow dread curled in Ethan’s stomach. He didn’t understand what that meant. He looked down at himself—his hands, his clothes. Everything seemed normal. But then, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window. And his blood ran cold. His face. His hair was slightly longer than it should have been. His beard had grown out, even though he had shaved yesterday. And his eyes— They looked older. Worn. As if he had lived through years he couldn’t remember. A deep, gnawing terror gripped his chest. The man watched him carefully. “Now you see it.” Ethan’s breathing turned ragged. He took a step back, gripping the doorframe to keep himself steady. “What’s happening to me?” His voice was barely a whisper. The man sighed. “You’re being shown something. The question is—are you ready to see it?” Silence stretched between them. Ethan wanted to say no. He wanted to pretend none of this was real, to wake up in his apartment in Chicago, to erase every unsettling detail of the last two days. But deep inside him, something whispered: You already know the answer. This wasn’t just about waking up in new places. This was about who he was. And why he couldn’t remember the life he had already lived.
By Sandra Amiedor2 years ago in Chapters
Drifting Between Worlds
The First Awakening Ethan Carter woke up with a start. The ceiling above him was smooth and white, far too pristine to be his own. Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden streaks across a sleek wooden floor. The sheets beneath him were crisp, cool, and smelled faintly of citrus and lavender. His heart pounded as he turned his head, scanning the unfamiliar room. It was a minimalist hotel suite, modern yet oddly impersonal. A glass desk sat against the wall, an untouched coffee tray beside it. A large painting of a city skyline, illuminated by sunset hues, hung above the bed. Something was wrong. His body felt sluggish, as if he had been asleep for too long. He rubbed his eyes, inhaling deeply to steady his breath. The last thing he remembered was going to bed in his small apartment in Chicago. It had been an ordinary night—he’d worked a late shift at the bar, grabbed a slice of pizza on his way home, and crashed onto his bed without a second thought. But now, he was somewhere else. He sat up quickly, throwing the covers off. His legs were stiff, his movements slightly uncoordinated. His clothes—gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt—were his, but the bed, the room, the air—none of it was familiar. Panic crept up his spine. He reached for his phone on the nightstand, his fingers trembling slightly. As he tapped the screen, the date and time popped up. March 14th, 7:12 AM. That seemed right. But the location… His stomach dropped. Barcelona, Spain. Ethan stared at the screen, unblinking. No. That had to be a mistake. He tapped the GPS app, refreshing it, waiting for the little blue dot to correct itself. But there it was, blinking confidently over Barcelona’s bustling streets. His breath quickened. This was impossible. He hadn’t booked a flight. He hadn’t blacked out from drinking. He had been in Chicago last night, had fallen asleep in his own bed. There was no way he could be here. Unless— His mind grasped for logical explanations. Sleepwalking? Drugged? A prank? None of it made sense. He checked his phone again, scrolling through his call log, his messages. No missed calls, no texts, no notifications at all. That wasn’t normal. His best friend, Caleb, usually sent him stupid memes before bed. His sister, Hannah, always texted him in the mornings. But there was nothing. It was as if no one had even noticed he was gone. A knock at the door made him jump. His pulse hammered in his ears. He turned his head toward the sound, frozen. “Señor Carter?” A woman’s voice. Soft, professional. “Your breakfast is ready.” Ethan didn’t respond. His last name. She knew his last name. How? He stood slowly, moving toward the door with measured steps. His hand hovered over the doorknob, but he didn’t open it. Instead, he leaned in, listening. No movement. After a few seconds, he heard footsteps retreating down the hall. Ethan exhaled sharply, stepping back. His mind raced. There had to be an explanation. He turned back to the desk and spotted a notepad and pen. He grabbed the pen, flipped open the notepad, and wrote in quick, frantic strokes: March 14th. Woke up in Barcelona. No idea how. His fingers trembled as he underlined it twice. Get answers. Find out who brought me here. Get back to Chicago. He needed to move. Rushing to the small closet, he yanked it open. Inside, a leather jacket hung neatly next to a pair of jeans and sneakers. His size. His style. He hesitated before touching them. Were they really his? Or had someone dressed him, prepared this for him? He put them on anyway. He needed to blend in. Once dressed, he grabbed his phone again and checked for his passport. It was in the nightstand drawer, exactly where he’d expect it to be. He flipped to the first page, his own face staring back at him. Ethan Carter. His hands clenched around the booklet. It was his. The stamps inside even looked normal—until he saw the last one. Barcelona. Stamped yesterday. His breath hitched. He didn’t remember boarding a plane. He didn’t remember any of this. A cold wave of fear washed over him. He needed to get out of here. Escape Attempt Pushing aside his growing dread, he stuffed his passport into his jacket pocket and stepped out into the hallway. It was eerily quiet, lined with elegant sconces casting warm light against the cream-colored walls. The scent of fresh coffee and baked bread lingered in the air. He kept his head down as he walked toward the elevator. A bellhop passed him, nodding politely. Ethan forced a tight-lipped smile and stepped inside the elevator, pressing the button for the lobby. The doors slid shut. He exhaled sharply, gripping the rail. When the doors opened again, he stepped out into a bright, airy lobby. Chandeliers sparkled overhead, and large windows revealed the bustling city outside. People moved in and out of the building, speaking in different languages, carrying suitcases, hailing taxis. He didn’t stop to look around. He needed to get outside, get his bearings, figure out what the hell was happening. As soon as he stepped onto the sidewalk, the warm Mediterranean air wrapped around him. The sounds of Barcelona hit him all at once—car horns, laughter, the distant strumming of a street musician’s guitar. For a moment, the city felt almost normal. Almost real. But Ethan knew better. He pulled out his phone and opened a rideshare app. Nearest airport: El Prat. Good. He tapped to request a car. Within seconds, a driver was on the way. His chest tightened. Would it even matter? Would he even make it back to Chicago? Or would he fall asleep again and wake up somewhere else? The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He checked his notepad again, rereading his frantic handwriting. His only proof that this was real. That he was real. Then, just as his car pulled up to the curb, his phone screen flickered. The battery icon showed 100%, but the screen glitched again, the GPS blinking erratically. Then, a message appeared across the screen. "You are not ready to leave." Ethan’s blood ran cold. The phone slipped from his fingers. And the moment it hit the ground, the world around him blurred— Everything tilted— And Ethan Carter fell into darkness.
By Sandra Amiedor2 years ago in Chapters
Businesswoman Chapter 48
“We’re here on Delaware’s Public Radio Control with Businesswoman and Businessgirl. They have been fighting for what they call the most envied sector of our economy, the businesspeople. Thank you both for coming here this morning,” Susan Convent chimed.
By Skyler Saunders2 years ago in Chapters
