Short Story
Time of the Month. Content Warning.
"Elsie, did you hear me?" The young woman's blonde head snapped up with a jolt, blinking at her Life Partner. Frankly, she hadn't been paying attention to a word he'd said. Not since they'd woken up that morning. That awful, long-dreaded morning, which had come far too soon.
By Natalie Gray8 months ago in Fiction
Still Us
She noticed it when she opened the calendar to check a dentist appointment. June was empty. Not unusually so–there were still birthdays marked, a work deadline, a reminder to renew the car registration–but the block that usually took up a week near the end of the month wasn’t there. No highlight. No penciled note in the margin. No question mark hovering beside a place name.
By Rebecca A Hyde Gonzales8 months ago in Fiction
Localized Levitation
It was Monday morning, Charlie wakes up six inches above his mattress. He blinks at the ceiling, waiting for the rest of him to settle. It doesn’t. His blanket floats beneath him like a politely folded cloud. His arms drift when he moves them, slow and syrupy.
By shallon gregerson8 months ago in Fiction
After the Storm. Top Story - February 2026.
After the storm of winter snow there sat a small bear by the name Ted, of course. He loves the snow and likes to roll around in it making all sorts of trails and whatever he has a mind to do. He wondered where all the people are, but in a way, he is hoping that they are all snug in the homes maybe drinking hot chocolate-one of his favorite drinks with mini-marshmallows and eating something homemade for he likes this winter wonderland all to himself to romp and play and maybe even catch some fish down by the river.
By Mark Graham8 months ago in Fiction
The Defender Of The Faith. Honorable Mention in Craft Over Catharsis Challenge.
On the castle green below, the Crown Prince chased a black cat under the ever watchful eye of the King. *** Father Gustavo hated this backwater island; too cold in the winter, too sweltering in the summer. But the murder of the Crown Prince of Feriones demanded immediate attention from the Holy Lateran Inquisition. He dabbed the sweat from his jowls, yearning to be back amongst his estate where the soft breeze off the ocean stirred his grape vines. What he would give to listen to that symphony instead of the babbling knight chained with him.
By Matthew J. Fromm8 months ago in Fiction
In the Midst of Life
It was one of those rare late March days in the Deep South, which came on with a surprising vengeance. Already the roads, houses, and cars were covered with the fine pinkish dust more typical of June or July, after temperatures had climbed into the nineties for the ten days past. A bead of sweat rolled down Caitlyn’s nose as she slowed her car. She stopped at the intersection. A strand of limp gold hair had escaped from her scrunchie. She pushed the strands behind her ear, barely sparing a thought for the motion.
By Kimberly J Egan8 months ago in Fiction
Compound Growth
The first thing Marcus noticed was Derek's skin. It wasn't dramatic—not at first. Just a certain smoothness to his colleague's face during the Monday morning standup, a tightness around the jaw that hadn't been there Friday. Derek had always been soft, doughy in that way of men who'd stopped caring somewhere around their second divorce. But now his cheeks held a new geometry. His neck no longer folded into his collar.
By Destiny S. Harris8 months ago in Fiction
₩hen ₣⬭rbidde₦ ⎣⭗v∑ Drew ⚬n〰 In₹xplicable ✧〰 🔫 ₮∈⊂hη⭔↳⭔ℊγ T⚬⇴Carry ⚬ut the ₮∈☈☈ible ⊅∑structi⚬n ⚬f 🅱isbee, 🅰riΖ⚬na. Winner in Mismatch Challenge.
⚡🌵↯~Located in the Mule Mountains of southern Arizona is the Sonoran desert. In the Year of Our Lord 1880, troves of minerals & metals were discovered in that rocky terrain by a prospector named Judge DeWitt Bisbee.
By Lightning Bolt ⚡8 months ago in Fiction
The Sun Who Envied The Moon
Do you ever wish you were like someone else? Wish you had that dream life, that dream car, that loving family? I wish I was like the moon, she sees the real side of people, when humans are at their most vulnerable they turn to the moon like an old friend. People only talk to me when they’re “happy” but usually they are just faking it.
By Christian Sanchez8 months ago in Fiction
