Psychological

Anyone, In The Right Light. Runner-Up in The Shape of the Thing Challenge.
The windows of the small coffee shop were clouded with condensation, so that the cars and people passing outside were blurred outlines on the opposite side of the glass.
By Raistlin Allenabout a year ago in Fiction
The weight of luggage
Sophie was sitting on a bench by the seaside. Although the sea was not one she recognised, the fresh breeze on her face felt good. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, exhaling slowly, just like she used to do in yoga class. The waves rolled in, not violent, not calm either, somewhere in between, carrying a rhythm that made her restless. Beside her, a man sat in silence with his hands folded neatly over his lap. It took her a moment to see him fully. Her father.
By Susan Fourtané about a year ago in Fiction
lying awake at night
"are you ready for what's to come, now that he's dead?" "not that he was significant to me, but the hatred he sowed will be reaped by those with the biggest political targets on their backs. his killing, a convenient justification for the elimination of dissent, will catalyze a continued onslaught against the global majority and any framework of liberation. so, no. i'm not ready."
By kpabout a year ago in Fiction
The Whispering Wind . Top Story - September 2025.
Sarcha was a shaman who was to lead her people to find food, water and safety. She was to use her skills, not in the tropical rainforest jungles, but to escape the concrete jungles that had now become one of the harshest environments to live in.
By Katherine D. Grahamabout a year ago in Fiction
The Secrets My Mother Kept
Alexander wasn't confused anymore. He had panicked at first trying to find the surface of the water. He floated in this space between spaces, where the water felt like silk against his skin and breathing came as naturally as it did on land. The darkness had given way to a soft, blue-green glow that seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at once.
By Parsley Rose about a year ago in Fiction
The City that Weighed Nothing
The lanterns of Lumen were said to be the brightest in the world. They burned without smoke, without wick, without heat, and, if you believed the Magistrates, without consequence. At dusk, when the lamplighters made their rounds, the city slipped from gold to pearl, from visible to precise, and every edge gained a clean outline of door frames, cobbles, faces and laws.
By Cadmaabout a year ago in Fiction
The Abyssal Caller. Content Warning.
The ocean is never truly silent. Even in its deepest trenches, there is the groan of shifting tectonic plates, the distant rumble of volcanoes, and the strange choruses of unseen creatures. But when the Calypso II descended into the uncharted stretch beyond the Mariana Trench, all sound vanished.
By E. hasanabout a year ago in Fiction
The Illusion of Impact
Work was done for the day. I hop in my truck; body covered in drywall dust. I am large, standing 6 feet and 6 inches tall. I am covered so much in this white dust that my daughter calls me the abominable snowman. I laugh when she says that. Roll my eyes in gesture. She’s only six and the way she pronounces such a big word makes me laugh even harder. Like when the person’s laugh is funnier than the joke that was just told.
By Amyabout a year ago in Fiction
Looking Ahead
Rain came down so hard and fast that it seemed edible, like noodles steaming fresh from the pot. All she could see were the dark streaks of liquid against the white cones of the Portland streetlights. The water splashed up from the ground as hard as it came down, so she was soaked from her feet on up, despite the protection of her black mac.
By Alison McBainabout a year ago in Fiction
Waiting for Next Time. Runner-Up in The Shape of the Thing Challenge. Content Warning.
The first time was during the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, back in the spring of 2010. One of the largest environmental disasters in history, they said, the equivalent of about 4.9 million barrels spilled. The Deepwater Horizon spill broke records that had previously been set in 1979, with the Ixtoc I oil spill—didn’t just break them, but obliterated them.
By GLabout a year ago in Fiction
Key To The Past. Winner in The Shape of the Thing Challenge. Top Story - September 2025.
When they arrived at 4416 Oak Lane, what they saw was a __shock⚡ to their system. The house... See? The rumors weren't true.Yay.
By Lightning Bolt ⚡about a year ago in Fiction
Palimpsest of You
The alarm, that is to say, your alarm, signifies it's time to start our day. Time to get up, face the day, as you often say.
By Paul Stewartabout a year ago in Fiction