Short Story

Moonlit Fate. AI-Generated.
The weight of ancient parchment pressed against Soren’s trembling fingers. “The final verse,” he breathed, his voice a rough whisper, “it’s… it’s more than we imagined, Elara.” He traced the faded runes, his eyes wide with a dawning horror. “Shatter the realms… irreparable discord… or unprecedented reconciliation.”
By Carolyn Patton12 months ago in Fiction
Reflections
Maddie checked the calendar and put a reserved sign on the corner booth table. She placed an oval mirror next to it and wiped it down. She’d picked it up at a thrift store so her customer, Kathryn, wouldn’t need to bring her own each time. Maddie checked the time and sat down for a minute, facing the mirror. There was no reflection. There hadn’t been since the Crack. She was looking at the split vinyl of another diner’s booth. Morgan slid into view, smiling and chatting with her fingers. Maddie motioned the young woman to slow down. Why the youth wouldn’t use text screens to talk across the divide was beyond her. Not as intimate, they said, so impersonal. Well, she thought, we’ll see what they say when arthritis gets a grip on their supple fingers.
By Sean A.12 months ago in Fiction
Moonlit Fate. AI-Generated.
The heavy oak doors of the council chamber boomed shut behind Draven, the sound reverberating through the cavernous hall, a stark counterpoint to the nervous thrumming in his own chest. He stood before them, the elders of his coven, their faces carved with the stoic severity of ages, each a monument to a history steeped in blood and suspicion. The air itself felt charged, thick with the unspoken animosity that had festered for generations, a palpable, suffocating blanket.
By Carolyn Patton12 months ago in Fiction
Moonlit Fate. AI-Generated.
"Lilith, my dear," a voice, like dry leaves skittering across stone, rasped from the shadows. It was Elara, the ancient crone of the Coven, her eyes, chips of obsidian, reflecting the blood-red moon. "You feel it, don't you? The shift."
By Carolyn Patton12 months ago in Fiction
The Apparition of Recognition. AI-Generated.
The gilded cage of her existence, though adorned with smiles and nods, had long been transmuted into a prison. Each year refined the artifice, polished the sepulchre, until no trace of her true self was permitted to emerge. The wound—that wound inflicted by that man—bled unseen, festering in silence, its venom consuming marrow, thought, and spirit alike.
By Carolyn Patton12 months ago in Fiction
The Vanished Colony of Roanoke
It began as a dream — the dream of a new world, of English settlers carving out a home in the wilderness of North America. But by the time rescue ships arrived three years later, the dream had turned into one of history’s greatest enigmas. The colony of Roanoke had vanished — every man, woman, and child gone without a trace, leaving behind only a single word carved into a wooden post: CROATOAN.
By Shohel Rana12 months ago in Fiction
The Echo of Broken Promises. AI-Generated.
Aahil never believed in fate until he met Zara on a rainy evening. She stood under a broken streetlamp, her dupatta drenched, eyes searching for shelter. Aahil offered her his umbrella, unaware that this single act of kindness would pull him into a storm far greater than the weather. Zara smiled—soft, hesitant, almost afraid to feel happiness. That night, two strangers walked side by side under one umbrella, and something unspoken began between them.
By Yaseen khan12 months ago in Fiction
The Candle Maker’s Daughter
Note from Author I wrote this story to show readers that light can come from kindness, patience, and courage as well as fire and electricity. I was inspired by the small, unseen people who keep the world glowing quietly, even when their own lives are dim.
By Noor Ul wahab12 months ago in Fiction
Sweet Manipulation
Celeste arrived on a Monday with a Tupperware of lemon bars and a binder labeled LIGHT in gold marker. She wore a sweater the color of robin’s eggs and looked every person in the eye as if rediscovering a friend she’d worried over all weekend.
By Julie O'Hara - Author, Poet and Spiritual Warrior12 months ago in Fiction
Lily's Pond
Every couple of months, Lily got to spend the weekend at her grandma's house. It was her favorite place to be, and she always looked forward to her next visit. The refrigerator and pantry were full of snacks, and there were lots of toys, games, and movies for her to enjoy. It was a cottage on the countryside with a lot of open space to run around. A few of the trees were easy to climb, and a swing hung from a large tree at the edge of the woods.
By Leah Flesher12 months ago in Fiction
🌧️The Night It Finally Rained. AI-Generated.
She stood by the window, arms folded, as the sun dipped behind the grey horizon. Fifty-six evenings had passed without a single drop of rain. Fifty-six evenings since Rayan had walked out of her life—quietly, without an explanation, without a goodbye. The world felt thirsty, and so did she.
By Yaseen khan12 months ago in Fiction
Twilight in Copenhagen: A Stranger’s Tale of Love and Risk
Note: This is a work of fiction. It’s my first story on Vocal, and I hope you enjoy reading it! It was a warm summer evening in Copenhagen, Denmark. The night would have already fallen if not for the sun, which, as is usual in such northern latitudes at this time of year, lingered above the horizon, reluctant to part with the sky. The people, too, seemed unwilling to leave the day behind, enjoying the long twilight despite the clock insisting otherwise.
By Samantha12 months ago in Fiction