Short Story
The Day I Decided the Universe Was Listening
For most of my life, I thought positive thinking was a polite way of denying reality. People who said “you attract what you believe” seemed to live in a fantasy world. Meanwhile, I was stuck in mine — overworked, underpaid, and constantly anxious. I wasn’t unhappy because I lacked things; I was unhappy because I believed I didn’t deserve more.
By Atif khurshaid12 months ago in Fiction
A Boy Who Sent Wishes to the Moon
Leo was a boy who lived in a world that was often too loud and too fast. His parents were busy, his classmates were noisy, and the constant hum of the city was a blanket that smothered quiet thoughts. But Leo had a secret: he was friends with the Moon.
By Habibullah12 months ago in Fiction
The Painting. Runner-Up in Parallel Lives Challenge. Top Story - October 2025.
I used to paint. I used to have hobbies, friends. A life. But I knew he wouldn’t stop hitting me, so I left. I could put up with the rages. It was kinda comforting, in a way. Just like my dad all over again, so I mostly ignored it. But I told him after the first hit that it was his once. He’ll never get another. Well, that promise lasted exactly till the next paycheck, and the bender that came with it.
By Meredith Harmon12 months ago in Fiction
Black Scales. Top Story - October 2025.
Every evening, the small children were sent to the shore to collect the dragon scales. When the pink warmth and light of the evening had finally faded, mothers kissed chubby cheeks and held back tears. Some shot fearful glances towards the lake, and others were steadfast in avoiding looking in that direction.
By L.C. Schäfer12 months ago in Fiction
Specimen Pair 37
Audio Version Oz peered through the one-way mirror, studying the latest specimens. This will be his thirty-seventh and final attempt to get them to mate in captivity. If unsuccessful, the species will be classified as unfit for survival and left to face extinction on its dying planet.
By Steve Lance12 months ago in Fiction
DON'T BLINK
I don’t know when it started. Maybe it was the rain from that afternoon. Heavy, rhythmic, drumming a cold insistence against the office windows. Maybe it was that blink I didn’t notice until afterward, when the world had quietly shifted a fraction of a second ahead of me.
By Pamela Dirr12 months ago in Fiction
The Star That Disappeared — A Story About Choices and Redemption. AI-Generated.
The Star That Disappeared — A Story About Choices and Redemption There was once a boy whose laughter could light up even the darkest nights. His name was Adam, and among his friends, he was known as the star. Not because he was perfect, but because his spirit shone brighter than anyone else’s. He dreamed big, helped everyone, and believed that every choice could shape a better future.
By Sultan Alkhyeli12 months ago in Fiction
In My Mind, I Let Go First
I sat in my car, crying. Not just because visiting James’ grave was always hard for me, but because of the way Eric acted while at the gravesite. How cold and distant he was the whole time. How his tone lacked any empathy even though he said all the “right” things in the moment.
By Jaye Ruggiero-Cash12 months ago in Fiction
What Charlie Said
Standing before the entry point to the past, I knew Charlie was right. She always was. Staring at the plain white door at the end of the long doorway, there was a sense of eerie foreboding in the air, that I could taste like acridity on my tongue. It felt as I imagine it felt for Danny in The Shining when he sees blood flow down the corridor of the Overlook towards him. There was no blood. My overactive imagination was firmly kept in check.
By Paul Stewart12 months ago in Fiction
The Last Library on EarthThe Last Library on Earth
The year was 2197, and the world no longer read books. Words no longer lived on paper, bound between covers that smelled faintly of dust and time. They lived in data streams cold, sterile, and owned by one corporation: Infinitum. Every idea, every story, every scrap of recorded knowledge flowed through its servers. What people read, what they learned, even what they remembered all filtered, approved, and sold back to them in digital form.
By Farooq Hashmi12 months ago in Fiction
