Short Story

On The Deck
I'm sat at my small glass table out on the deck. It is stained and dusty, shadows of summer evenings past. It is technically summer now but feels like spring still. The late-morning sun is weaving through the maple leaves and warming my joints. I'm squinting against the reflection off the notebook I am journalling in, inky thoughts cutting through the glare.
By Kevin M Fell4 months ago in Fiction
One Night in Canada
The winter wind howled across the frozen landscape of northern Canada, sweeping snowflakes through the quiet town of Pine Ridge. It was a small place tucked between endless forests and a crystal-clear lake that remained frozen for nearly half the year. Most people knew one another, and life moved slowly, especially during the long winter months.
By Maavia tahir4 months ago in Fiction
YNs–Tattoos. Content Warning.
2013 An ankle connecting a foot in plastic hung under the logo of the tavern The Iron Knee in Wilmington, Delaware. The joke was lost on some, but for those who got it, they were probably too hammered to even comprehend beyond the sardonic piece of witticism. A golden glow seeped through the space and allowed steins to show bubbles floating to the top in a gilded fashion. The din of the place featured a few bursts of laughter amongst the idle chatter. Garr Forsyth, 22, looked around and found his schoolmate from the University of Delaware. They had been on spring break. He was six three and spelled the name “athlete.” With bronze skin and frizzy hair, he noticed the friend coming in the door to the bar.
By Skyler Saunders4 months ago in Fiction
YNs—The Street Spectacle. Content Warning.
1990 Her heels clicked against the Wilmington, Delaware pavement. A trail of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth. Her hair had become matted to her forehead but she appeared immaculate in a business suit. She smiled with blood between her teeth. Her nails had chipped and broken. In her right hand she held a satchel of crisply unmarked bills totalling two million dollars. A strong gait accelerated her pace. She smiled.
By Skyler Saunders4 months ago in Fiction
YNs—Speedster. Content Warning.
1994 Cosmo Millhand’s clothes looked clean. At twenty-four-years-old, he had attained a master’s degree and ensured that he looked and smelled clean. His suit and dress shoes appeared immaculate. He lived in a house that looked like it could take flight. The leaves angled like wings in a dream. He hopped into his yellow Porsche 911 Speedster convertible with the black top. With the flip of a switch a tiny compartment opened and a crackpipe and a lighter issued forth. By reaching into his pocket, he extracted a baggie with ready rock in it. With precision, he added the contents of the small bag to the crackpipe. A flick of the lighter burned at one end of the crackpipe and the product heated. Once he took in the drug, his heart beat quickened and his eyes widened. The charge from the rush of the substance allowed him to continue on his journey to his desk at E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company in Wilmington, Delaware as a senior vice president.
By Skyler Saunders4 months ago in Fiction
YNs—Checking the iPhone for Taps. Content Warning.
2012 Large orange men gathered against a wall. Their height appeared to be about seven to eight feet. They waited for the right time to keep going with their plan. What was their plan? They wished to take out any and all drug dealers in Wilmington, Delaware. Their transparency in the light and complete disappearance in the dark provided them with the notion of being stealth.
By Skyler Saunders4 months ago in Fiction
YNs–Shoulder to Shoulder. Content Warning.
2018 In early December, the Troopers of the state convened together, especially those of New Castle County. All of them wore their pressed blue and gold uniforms and shiny boots. They called the coffee irked water. It flowed like so many brown monsoons in mugs and cups as the other officers huddled around Superintendent Namina Norrey. Some of them armed themselves with pencils, others with styluses to show their ability to take notes. Others just looked on with a keen sense of expectation. Sleeves rolled up on blue uniforms bearing arms of might attached to bodies of brawn and busy minds.
By Skyler Saunders4 months ago in Fiction
YNs–Life Right. Content Warning.
2016 Sun drenched the Wilmington, Delaware streets. It wheeled downward as the darkness seemed to creep as dust settles in water. Clientele for the pushers leaned over and stayed in positions like poor sculptures. Their bodies, feet on the ground, seemed to be frozen in the summer heat. This July saw Superintendent Namina Norrey walk the streets of Southbridge. No gun, just her impeccable uniform with its blue shirt and blue tie and gold colonel eagles stuck out amongst the shadowy alleyways. Most people didn’t even take note or look her way. The hustlers saw her and turned around like hawks guarding their nest.
By Skyler Saunders4 months ago in Fiction
YNs– Block Games. Content Warning.
1988 Balloons lifted towards the sky in full glory. The happiness of the event which grew thousands of athletes to perform at the zenith of their talents enlivened the world. The opening of the Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea pushed capo Hines Dawson, 34, to pick up the phone and dial. On the other line, capo Wayson Goss, 36, picked up the phone. Hines lived on the West Side and Goss resided on the East Side.
By Skyler Saunders4 months ago in Fiction
YNs– Braids. Content Warning.
2003 On Fifth Street in Wilmington, Delaware’s West Side, the unusual warmth from the October day prompted the girls on the corner to chew Herr’s Sour Cream and Onion chips. The boys played basketball with a crate nailed against a post.
By Skyler Saunders4 months ago in Fiction
YNs– Grafitti. Content Warning.
2011 “Hey, this your boy Boss Man Tremaine. And I’m here to let you know about the dangers that lurk in your neighborhood. If something doesn’t seem right, make sure you tell an adult or call the police. If you are an adult, shield your children and others from terrors in your community,” Boss Man Tremaine declared in the PSA. “There I said it,” he announced to the director of the spot.
By Skyler Saunders4 months ago in Fiction
The Girl In The Rain
The rain had been falling over the city for days. Most people were tired of it. The streets were flooded, the sky was gray, and everyone seemed eager for the sun to return. But for Ethan, the rain had become something he secretly looked forward to. Because every time it rained, he saw her. The first time was on a cold Thursday evening. Ethan was walking home after work, lost in thought as he hurried through the rain. Across the street, at an old bus stop, he noticed a girl standing alone. She wasn't carrying an umbrella. She wasn't trying to stay dry. She simply stood there, letting the rain fall around her. Something about her seemed different. Maybe it was the sadness in her eyes, or maybe it was the way she looked as though she were waiting for someone who would never come. Ethan glanced away for only a second to cross the road. When he looked back, she was gone. There was nowhere she could have gone so quickly. The bus stop was empty. He shook his head and convinced himself he had imagined it. But then it happened again. A few days later, another storm rolled in. This time, he saw the same girl standing outside the town library. She wore the same white dress and carried the same distant expression. When Ethan tried to approach her, she disappeared once more. Not walked away. Not hidden. Simply gone. As the weeks passed, seeing her became a strange part of his life. Whenever rain clouds gathered, Ethan found himself searching the streets. And every time it rained, she appeared. Sometimes she stood beside the river. Sometimes near an old church. Sometimes beneath a flickering streetlamp. Always silent. Always watching. Always disappearing before he could reach her. His friends thought the story was ridiculous. "You need more sleep," one joked. "Maybe you've got a secret admirer," another laughed. Ethan laughed too, but deep down, he knew something wasn't right. The girl felt real. Too real to be a dream. One night, a powerful storm swept across the city. Thunder shook the windows and lightning lit up the streets. As Ethan walked home, he saw her again. She was standing by the river. For some reason, this time felt different. Instead of calling out from a distance, he walked straight toward her. His heart pounded as he got closer. To his surprise, she didn't disappear. She slowly turned and looked at him. For the first time, their eyes met. The sadness in her face was impossible to ignore. "Who are you?" Ethan asked quietly. The girl didn't answer. Rain poured down around them. "I've seen you for months," he continued. "Why do you keep appearing?" The girl slowly lifted her hand and pointed toward the river. Confused, Ethan followed her gaze. At first, he saw nothing. Then a flash of lightning illuminated the water. Something metallic reflected beneath the surface. A car. Partially hidden under the riverbank. A chill ran down Ethan's spine. The next morning, he reported what he had seen. Authorities searched the area. Hours later, divers confirmed the discovery. Inside the vehicle were clues connected to a missing-person case that had remained unsolved for nearly ten years. The missing person was a seventeen-year-old girl named Lily Carter. When Ethan saw her photograph on the news, his blood ran cold. It was her. The girl from the rain. The entire city was shocked. For years, Lily's family had searched for answers. Now, after a decade of uncertainty, they finally knew what had happened. The mystery that had haunted them was finally over. But Ethan still couldn't stop thinking about Lily. Why had she appeared to him? Why only in the rain? And why now? A week later, another storm arrived. Without really knowing why, Ethan returned to the river. The rain fell softly as he stood alone in the darkness. Part of him hoped she would return. Part of him feared she might. Then he saw her. Standing exactly where she had stood before. This time, she looked different. The sadness that had once filled her eyes seemed lighter somehow. Ethan slowly walked toward her. For the first time, she spoke. "Thank you." Her voice was barely louder than the rain. Ethan stared at her in disbelief. "You can talk?" A small smile appeared on her face. "Only now." "You wanted people to find you." She nodded. "My family deserved answers." For a moment, neither of them spoke. The rain continued to fall around them. Then Ethan finally asked the question that had been haunting him for months. "Why did you choose me?" Lily looked toward the dark sky. When she answered, her voice was gentle. "Because you were the only one who noticed." The words stayed with him. Hundreds of people had walked past her. Thousands, maybe. But Ethan had stopped. He had paid attention. He had cared enough to look. And somehow, that had made all the difference. Lily smiled one last time. A peaceful smile. The kind that comes when someone has finally found closure. "Goodbye, Ethan." A warm breeze moved through the storm. Slowly, her figure began to fade. Not in a frightening way. Not suddenly. But softly, like a memory slipping into the distance. Within moments, she was gone. The rain stopped shortly afterward. The clouds parted. And for the first time in days, stars appeared in the sky. Years later, Ethan still remembered the girl in the rain. Whenever storms arrived, he found himself looking out the window. Not because he expected to see her again. But because she had taught him something important. Sometimes the people who need to be seen are the ones everyone else overlooks. And sometimes, changing a life begins with something as simple as paying attention. Whenever rain fell, Ethan smiled. Because somewhere, he hoped, Lily had finally found peace.
By M Uzair Khan (UK)4 months ago in Fiction