Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Fiction.
Purposeful Heart
She hovered over the dirty creek, her hands brown from the muck of the shallow stream. The water’s cleanliness didn’t matter... She was just grateful to find an unowned splotch of water, an unlikely occurrence these days. The heart-shaped locket dangled just under her throat, and she was careful not to let it dip into the water. The shape was not that of the cartoonish heart, the symmetrical, romantic image. Her’s was the shape of the very heart operating in the chest of all, but only working in the chest of few. In Amanda’s eyes, the unrealistic symbol served as a prerequisite for the horrors that eventually came, no matter how many years after its creation.
By Carson Russ3 years ago in Fiction
A Dream of Eden
The sea is a cold place to survive, and the pressure is enough to flatten a body to the thinness of a cotton sheet. The lands above the sea are much harsher and far colder. Nothing but ice and darkness can survive the temperatures of a starless world.
By Donald Keller3 years ago in Fiction
Fallax
A slight breeze rustled through the narrow streets, disturbing an old newspaper that had been discarded long ago, the ink so faded that no words could be distinguished on the yellowing paper. There was litter everywhere on the dusty road; syringes, random broken bits of plastic and food wrappers that had been licked clean of any remnants of sustenance. The buildings, which had at one time been cheap but fairly comfortable housing, were mostly dilapidated now, with smashed windows, crumbling brickwork, and some walls that were entirely exposed. There were dusty tarpaulins and bits of canvas hung up to replace the missing walls, where people were still trying to eke out a living in the increasingly dangerous surroundings. The only aspect of the town that was still in perfect condition was the small screens, cased in bullet-proof glass, that were attached to wooden poles in regular intervals along each street. A brightly coloured advert was playing on all of them simultaneously, with attractive, healthy people injecting themselves with some kind of blue liquid, surrounded by their equally healthy, equally attractive family.
By Emelia Elliott3 years ago in Fiction
Life as we know it
The afternoon was hot, her forehead felt damp, unsure if it was from her overheating body or the outside rays of the hot sunlight that beat more and more neutrinos into her body. But she was grateful for the heat, the uncomfortable feelings of barely there nausea in her belly where the slightly stale veggies stirred, they were only a few days old. Just enough to make them edible but also just enough to sit uneasily to cause discomfort
By Elaine Spark3 years ago in Fiction
Johny and Joyce
Little Johny's come back to the ocean today. He never leaves for long, of course. Being from a family of ship-dwellers, he can probably count on his fingers the number of days he's spent out of the ocean since he's met Joyce, his lifelong friend when they were both barely old enough to crawl around the boat.
By Laureline Landry3 years ago in Fiction
Love Among the Ashes
“If you are captured, use this to kill yourself with.” Hiro’s wife handed him the dagger. She loved him unconditionally, but she was a loyal citizen, a woman warrior of Japan and her ultimate allegiance belonged to the Emperor, for it was He, the divine instrument, that had brought Hiro and her together. With a poisonous hiss, the blade slipped from its sheath. She positioned the tip of the curved steel to her stomach, intending to demonstrate where to place the blade before falling onto it, but Hiro knew the custom well; he had witnessed it firsthand during the first world war. With soft, compassionate, embrace of hands he slid the weapon back into its cover and took it from her, placing it into the military issue bag at his feet.
By Scott Chadwick3 years ago in Fiction