Short Story
What the Dark Does First
The porch light had been out for three weeks. Delia had written it on the notepad by the coffeepot — bulb, porch — and then she'd written it again when the first note got buried under Ray's truck-payment reminder and the vet appointment for a dog they'd had to put down in October and a list of things she'd needed from town that she'd eventually just done without. The bulb stayed dark. She stopped writing it down.
By Leslie L. Stevens 7 months ago in Fiction
What We Say at the End of Things
The party for the Black family had been Connie Portillo's idea, and everyone agreed it was the right thing to do. The Black family had ranched the same four thousand acres east of Marfa for a hundred and twelve years, and now they were not going to ranch it anymore, and the least the town could do was send them off properly. Connie had used the phrase send off without appearing to hear herself use it. She'd booked the back room at Mando's, ordered two sheet cakes from Lowe's, and made a sign on poster board that said CONGRATULATIONS BLACK FAMILY — ON TO THE NEXT ADVENTURE.
By Leslie L. Stevens 7 months ago in Fiction
Flower Bloom 369. Top Story - February 2026.
FLOWER Bloom 2/25/26 Wednesday By Mariann Carroll Karen had been with Tony for 7 years. Tony started acting strangely after her surgery. He would mow the lawn in the rain and be on his cellphone. He started pushing Karen away. Tony came clean about seeing someone. Karen moved out two months later. Karen moved in with a friend. She felt betrayed.
By Mariann Carroll7 months ago in Fiction
Pearl. Top Story - February 2026.
1980 something. we all hung out at Pearl and you and i were nothing special, or so i thought. i mean we all danced, drenched in our own sweat, our own saline solution of fear, too many beers, shots, laughter, tears, fucks in the bathroom and i don't know when we began to be afraid. do you?
By ROCK aka Andrea Polla (Simmons)7 months ago in Fiction
Cassian-13. Content Warning.
High Dominion Calendar date: day 106 of the year 237 The night’s humidity stressed every pressure point of Cassian-13’s enhancements, especially his right shoulder. Maybe the clouds would burst. That might help. As would upgrades. But hunters at the end of their lifecycle received standard policy rejections regardless of the requests. Assholes.
By Jean-François Lamothe7 months ago in Fiction
What on Earth is He Doing?!
What On Earth Is He Doing? Or: An Awkward Game of Tag Note from the Author: So this story is actually based on a true one... when I was 12 years old our family went to a camp called Camp Homewood on Quadra Island. Each family had their own indoor room, and the camp lasted for two days (or maybe it was three?). Anyway, while I was there I made friends with two boys, and unfortunately one of them decided they liked me. I say unfortunately because... well, read the story, and then you’ll get it.
By Kariisa Buskell7 months ago in Fiction
The Debt of The Extraordinary . Runner-Up in What the Myth Gets Wrong Challenge.
Thanatos was chained by Sisyphus. A moment of curiosity with a secret aim led to death having no power over humanity. Sisyphus made it so. But this story is what the myth gets wrong.
By Caitlin Charlton7 months ago in Fiction
