Love
The GoldFinch. Top Story - October 2024.
A/N: The following story was created for the second round of NYC Midnight’s 500-Word Short Fiction Challenge. The prompts were A Fairy Tale/Fantasy, Forgiving, and A Pet Bird. The top 4 from each group moved on to the finals. I received 5th place and an honorable mention, just missing the cut-off.
By Kenny Penn2 years ago in Fiction
The Dragon & the Moon. AI-Generated.
The village of Eldermoor sat nestled between two mountain ranges, where the sky hung heavy with stars each night, and the air shimmered with the whispers of old legends. The people believed that dragons were nothing more than myth, tales told to children to keep them in bed, a remnant of a forgotten past.
By Dr Humaira Yousaf Mughal2 years ago in Fiction
Swag and Sassy: Round 1
The metallic clang of the chain echoed as Trey "Swag" Williams rained hit after hit upon the heavy punching bag making it swing with every blow. Sweat glistened on his ebony skin, tracing the contours of his muscular frame like liquid bronze.
By theodore amos2 years ago in Fiction
A Love Story in Halloween Town
The moon hung low over Halloweentown, casting an eerie glow over the twisted rooftops and crooked tombstones. Jack Skellington wandered the foggy streets, the crisp night air rustling through his pinstriped suit. As the Pumpkin King, he had long found solace in the shadows, yet tonight, a strange feeling clawed at him. It was not dread or fear, but an unsettling restlessness that made the chill cut deeper into his bones.
By The Kind Quill2 years ago in Fiction
The Girl who survived
The weather is breath taking it is windy dark outside not letting sun to rise. Alina is lying in her bed thinking, what she should do next as she is done everything to live her life. But life is not doing fair. The thoughts are hitting her continuously.
By Parveen Baloch 2 years ago in Fiction
Clouds; The Boy That Flew
In a tiny village lodged in the mountains sprouted a boy named Clouds. Even as a baby he would gaze upward to the passing clouds, his eyes filled with wonder. Extending his hands and naively trying to grab the clouds, he would giggle, in his father's arms.
By YonathanJ - Writer2 years ago in Fiction
A Shift in Perspective: How Queer Representation Opened My Eyes to a Broader World
A Shift in Perspective: How Queer Representation Opened My Eyes to a Broader World Exploring the transformative power of queer representation in media and how it deepened my understanding of empathy, identity, and the shared human experience.
By Md Obydur Rahman2 years ago in Fiction
The Space Between Us
How did I fucking get here? This is what I’ve been repeatedly asking myself for the last 10 minutes in my wine-clogged brain as I try not to stare at an unseemly piece of spinach lodged between Derek’s teeth. Or did he say his name was Eric? God, does it even matter? He’s cute, in a rugged frat-boy type of way—pale blue eyes that come off as flat and uninviting, sandy blonde hair that could use a little less gel. I like to run my fingers through a man’s locks, thank you very much. He’s got what looks like a swimmer’s lean and toned body under that boring blazer and khakis. He might be nice enough underneath it all, but I’ve lost the energy to pay attention to whatever he’s talking about—his “very big” and “very important” promotion to something or other. If I have to listen to another man drone on and on about himself and his accomplishments, I might just run away screaming.
By Erin Perez2 years ago in Fiction
A Window into Love: How Queer Representation Opened My Heart and Mind
A Window into Love: How Queer Representation Opened My Heart and Mind Growing up, my openness to eccentric encounters was restricted, best case scenario, and slanted even from a pessimistic standpoint. In the humble community where I resided, discussions about sexuality and orientation were either met with uneasiness or excused out and out. The LGBTQ+ people group was a theoretical idea, something that existed "elsewhere," yet never in my nearby world. It wasn't so much that I held onto any plain biases; it was more that I didn't have the foggiest idea. I wasn't educated to understand the encounters of individuals who were not quite the same as me along these lines, thus I had never truly pondered what it intended to carry on with a daily existence as somebody outside the parallel and hetero standards.
By Md Obydur Rahman2 years ago in Fiction
Assessing the Damages
The next few hours and the day after the day after the storm were mostly spent making calls, watching the news, and trying to support each other and the community. Helen was pleased that her trailer survived the storm, but she was completely without power. Still, she was glad to go home. She made some Amish life jokes before I left her there to clean up and figure out her next move. Fig hadn't called yet and I was trying not to panic about that.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman2 years ago in Fiction
