Short Story
The Spirit of Power
The young chief sits alone in his lodge. It is night and the moon is full in the sky. The air is cool. He hears the odd chirrup of a grasshopper. The stories of his people are carried on the wind. They sit at a fire nearby, laughing with each other. He is grateful they can laugh. He cannot, nor can he hear their stories.
By Devin Konelsen-Loytomaki11 months ago in Fiction
The Keeper of Midnight. AI-Generated.
The town of Ravenhollow was known for two things — its fog that never lifted, and the lighthouse that never went dark. Perched on the cliffs like a guardian angel turned to stone, it had watched over the sea for more than two centuries.
By shakir hamid11 months ago in Fiction
The Price of the Aesthetic
For Elara, Dark Academia wasn’t just a style; it was a religion. She didn’t just design rooms; she curated sanctuaries for the intellectual soul. Her signature was a perfect, brooding blend of mahogany bookshelves, cracked leather armchairs, vintage globes, and the lingering scent of old paper and ambition. Her clients were wealthy professionals who wanted to look like they’d inherited a library from a 19th-century Oxford don.
By Habibullah11 months ago in Fiction
3 4 5 6. Content Warning.
Introduction This is my 3,456th Vocal Story, and I thought a piece about counting may be relevant. We sometimes count to get to sleep, and the creepy somnambulist picture by Jim Harter seemed a perfect inspiration for a tale.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 11 months ago in Fiction
“First Rain, First Love: A Story of Fate and Forever
Rain has a magical way of bringing strangers together, and for Aisha and Haroon, it was fate’s gentle nudge. On a chilly, rainy afternoon outside the university gate, Aisha struggled to keep her books dry, unaware that a simple act of kindness would change her life forever. Haroon, holding a large black umbrella, stepped forward with a smile and a helping hand — a moment so ordinary, yet so extraordinary. That single encounter under the raindrops sparked a connection neither of them could ignore. As friendship blossomed, laughter turned into unspoken feelings, and silent glances grew heavier with meaning. This is the story of how love began quietly, unexpectedly, and beautifully — under the first rain, on the first day they truly saw each other.
By hamad khan11 months ago in Fiction
The Forgotten Letter
The attic smelled of dust and time. Sunlight fell through a cracked window, streaking across forgotten trunks and boxes that had not been touched in decades. My heart pounded in my chest as I stepped carefully over a loose floorboard, every creak echoing in the quiet space. I had come looking for old family photos, nothing more, but something in the air told me I might find much more than I expected.
By Wahdat Rauf11 months ago in Fiction
Vera
Where others had glowing curls, Vera had flames and writhing snakes for hair, usually green, but ever changeable with her moods. Instead of soft, pastel petals and gossamer, she wore a dress of felted cobwebs and papery leaves. Vera was not graceful like her kin. She did not float from one flower to another like a gentle breeze, her voice didn’t sound like sunshine or soft rain, and she couldn’t gently wave a delicate hand to effortlessly command objects to move or repair themselves or do any one of a million other things her fellow fairies did almost without thinking. These being the variety of fae to prefer dancing with butterflies and sweetly singing melodies with the birds, rather than tricking mortals into giving up their first-born children, or other such nefarious things.
By Victoria Rose11 months ago in Fiction
She Found It in the Woods
Margo sighed as she kicked the small pile of leaves in front of her. When her parents told her and her younger siblings a few months ago that they were moving, Margo hadn’t been surprised. Mom had stopped buying many things in bulk at Costco, and Dad had kept dropping praise for Montana. She hadn't been angry either. Because while she wasn’t getting bullied, Margo didn’t have any actual friends either, so it wasn’t like she was leaving anybody behind. She had even hoped that this move would result in some good friendships that would last long into their adulthood.
By Rebecca Patton11 months ago in Fiction
Here Lie Baby Dragons
A bump in the road was enough to wake Pip up. He wasn’t usually a light sleeper, but the City of Dragons filled his dreams and wouldn’t let him rest. The night before, he had booked passage on a merchant’s wagon with his last few coppers. He was reminded of this every time he tucked his hands into his empty pockets for warmth. But the warmth was hard to come by. His clothes were tattered, and they let in the cold wind. This made him long for the fireplace back home, but he couldn’t turn back now. He left that life for a better one. As the sun rose, it warmed him, and his face came alive even though it was caked in dirt. It was going to be okay.
By Melodramatic Maladies of the Mystical Mind11 months ago in Fiction
