Mystery
Pugilistic Portrait
"Are you alright, sir?" I felt as if I had been punched by a heavyweight, and one without gloves at that. I tried to focus. I was propped up on a low chair or stool of some sort and was looking up at a middle-aged man who seemed somehow familiar. There was nothing familiar about my surroundings.
By Raymond G Taylor3 months ago in Fiction
The Unknown Chase
Beneath the colony’s artificial dawn, a weary, scruffy-faced man lay with his eyes closed and pretended the alarm was not sounding. Beyond his sealed window, crews in pressure suits crossed a surface no unprotected human could survive. On the nightstand, dim light caught a bottle of brown liquor, a pack of contraband cigarettes, and a metallic semi-automatic pistol. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. It felt far too early, but exhaustion—not the hour—was the problem.
By Jason Morton3 months ago in Fiction
The Flip Phone
Ring… Ring… Ring… I stopped in my tracks. I had never heard that sound before. I looked down and saw some weird device. It was ringing? What is that? I started thinking to myself. I picked it up and put it in my pocket. I’d be fired for this in a heartbeat if anyone ever found out.
By Charlotte Monroe3 months ago in Fiction
Nighthawks
"Last call," the man behind the counter joked as he sat my cup of black coffee down in front of me. I knew it was polite to laugh, or even smile, but I didn't. Couldn't. Not yet. I still had on my slicker and hat. A fedora pulled down low to cover my eyes. To cover what was behind them.
By Raine Fielder3 months ago in Fiction
Whispering Pines. Top Story - July 2026.
Prologue: July 1994 Jennifer Evans could still taste the raspberry shimmer gloss she wore to her first week of summer camp. The smell of damp cedar hung heavy in the humid air. The bandana she had soaked in ice water wrapped tight around her neck as they readied for further instructions. Her mom’s car faded from sight down the dusty gravel road back towards civilization. Gate guard Rick locked the metal doors behind the last gaggle of parents, some of whom had never left a child at camp before. It would be four-weeks until she would see her mom again, promises of letters and care packages had been exchanged.
By K.H. Obergfoll3 months ago in Fiction
A Drunkard's Tale
The man stares at the fire. There weren't always dragons in the valley. The Voice of Death had swamped the moon mountains and killed thousands of livestock. It crossed the Co'bak rivers and spread like a disease until all that was left were dead animals, yoleans (insect dragons with many legs that fed on dead bodies), and migrating fire-breathing dragons.
By Nighttime Storyteller3 months ago in Fiction
The Last Move Counts. AI-Generated.
AI-Generated Content Disclosure: This story was written with the help of Claude (Anthropic) The board game arrived without a return address, and the moment Nora touched the box, every clock in her apartment stopped. She told herself it was a coincidence. She was wrong.
By 10min Stories3 months ago in Fiction
The Final Verse
Today was the beginning. The first man jumped at 8:17 a.m. He was a construction worker eating breakfast on the thirty-second floor of a high-rise. Security footage showed him freeze mid-bite, tilt his head as though someone had whispered his name, smile softly, and walk to the edge. He stepped off without hesitation.
By Kaori Knight 3 months ago in Fiction
Echoes of Forever
The bartender rang the bell once. "Last call." Most people groaned, drained the last of their drinks, and reached for their coats. They still had homes to return to, people waiting, tomorrow stretching out in front of them like another endless road.
By Samara Pollyana 3 months ago in Fiction
Crumpled Paper. Top Story - July 2026.
They say you never see a stranger’s face in your dreams. That every face you see in your dreams is someone stored in your subconscious. The woman at the grocery store sniffing the tomatoes last week, the kindly old man behind the counter who snuck you a free cookie at the bakery when you were five, the guy dancing in the background for three quarters of a second in a minor scene of your favorite movie.
By Amos Glade3 months ago in Fiction
