Microfiction
Winter Peaches
The crunch of the snow underfoot always reminded her of childhood. Even in this place. The middle of a crowded street. Walking swiftly to nowhere in particular. She saw the determination on the faces of those she passed. Desperate to get somewhere warm. She felt that same desperation but had no hope of finding solace. There was no warmth waiting for her at home. Because there was no home.
By Raine Fielder2 months ago in Fiction
Bloodberry
Bloodberry The red berries remain on the black brier, the villagers do not need them anymore. They wear tiny four-leaved yellow blossoms in their hair instead. You watch your skin stretch thin, and turn translucent over your collarbone. A wet, yellow bud tears through your flesh with a sickening pop. You pull the stem, but your lung lining peels upward with the root; fibrous yellow threads are already braiding themselves through your pectoral muscles. Green shoots force their way up your oesophagus. You cannot scream; your throat is packed with wet, writhing tendrils. Pale sap leaks from your tear ducts as your eyeballs swell under the pressure, golden petals erupt through your ear canals, deafening you with the sound of tearing cartilage.
By Alyson Smith 2 months ago in Fiction
Stitch: The October Vortex. Content Warning.
Dreams are doorways, and tonight one opens in the middle of Beaver Pond. October shouldn’t have sounded like this. Beaver Pond buzzed with cicadas — that thick, electric hum that only happened on the hottest days of summer. Crickets layered beneath them, frantic and constant, like the forest was vibrating. The air hung heavy, wet, pressing against Sara’s skin like a fever.
By Syl De'Vil2 months ago in Fiction
Bibbity, Bobbity, Boundaries
After careful consideration, I have declined the traditional Disney Princess career path of magically induced eternal youth, opting instead to trade in my glass heels, plunging necklines, and magic potion requirements to instead age gracefully, naturally and ride out the occasional bout of hormonal instability in the company of my dear woodland friends until I am eligible for my Fairy Godmother status. As they say, "Bibbity, Bobbity, Boundaries!".
By Jacqui Brown2 months ago in Fiction
Silken Inheritance
Stood on the steps, I pushed my leather-gloved hand to lightly knock on the door but as the cowhide met the hard grain surface, the dark of a hallway revealed itself to me. As the light behind me tried in vain to illuminate the path ahead, I could see little else aside from a shadowy couple of doors and a staircase. Dust danced and swayed in the breeze as the autumn morning sun caught it.
By Paul Stewart2 months ago in Fiction
Bye, Barry!
You can find out about Lana's challenge here: With a heart as heavy as the workload Barry was always keen to share, it's time to say "Adieu" and to wish him well as he finally heads out permanently on a day, I think we'll all agree, is long overdue. May your remaining years be full of sweet things, like the crumbs in the biscuit tin after one of your legendary tea breaks. I know you know where the door is and to see you leaving to head to an eagerly awaited retirement eases the burden we've felt at knowing it's been a long time coming.
By Rachel Deeming2 months ago in Fiction
