Short Story
Mall Chaos
This is chaotic. Trying my best to focus, I stood to the side. A dude who looked awfully similar to Abe Lincoln ran past me. It caused me to jump out of the way. “Holy shit, did you see that?!” I asked my best friend Jacob. He nodded. It was easy to tell he was overstimulated, like when he had to talk in front of the class. It was crazy. One of my friends waved us down near the skating rink. We passed by some crazy guy going nuts on a set of keyboards. The sound of messed/ up rock filled my ears. My friend covered his ears and yanked at my arm. Probably because I stopped. Rock was my favorite type of music. My parents often put on the classics like Kiss. Still, Jacob pulled me away. I could see my friends waving frantically and laughed. An old guy was on the ice, belly down and sliding. My eyes rolled at the sight. “You guys have better things to do than laugh at someone's grandpa?”
By Crystal Neal2 years ago in Fiction
His Father's Son
Tedros was many things; one of them being that he was his father's son. He was very much stubborn and set in his ways. In his eighteen years, he found there was little he could do to change his destiny. It was a future he grappled with since he could remember. On his desk, he found a torn piece of parchment. Frantically, he read it over a few times. Anger and grief rolled through him heavily, making his stomach twist. Now the throne laid on his shoulders. It was a truth he hoped would not come so soon. Crumpling it angrily, he went to find the one item he knew she couldn't handle. No one could lift it except for him and his father.
By Crystal Neal2 years ago in Fiction
Magnificent Magenta of Time Travel. Top Story - April 2025.
This piece was originally published on Medium almost two years ago. ************** A gargantuan grape-colored glow stick, the FlewChin bisects Glendale, California, and runs alongside the freeway until it disappears into another time.
By Stephen Kramer Avitabile2 years ago in Fiction
"Perfection Is an Illusion"
"Perfection Is an Illusion" As a child, Sarah had always been ideal. That is what her parents expected her to be, anyway. She had received accolades for her academic success, her well-behaved manner, and her capacity to perform exceptionally well in all she attempted throughout her early years. However, Sarah had a weight that no one ever saw beneath the smiles. She feared failing.
By Rajoan Islam2 years ago in Fiction
"The Prison of the Mind"
"The Prison of the Mind" Lena sat by herself in the psychiatric hospital's tiny, sterilized room. She felt as though she was confined to a snow globe, cut off from the outside world, because the walls were so white. The fragrance of antiseptic, which she had been all too accustomed to in recent months, permeated the air. Feeling the rough skin of her palms, the only solace in a world gone awry, she clasped her hands together.
By Rajoan Islam2 years ago in Fiction
"The Doubt Mirror"
"The Doubt Mirror" Routine has always been Lena's style. She ate the same breakfast, dressed in the same clothes, and took the same route every day. Although not remarkable, her life was steady and straightforward. But lately, she had been bothered by something. Like an itch she could not reach, a faint sensation that was initially nearly undetectable had started to creep under her skin. She could not say for sure when the uneasiness started, but it started when she moved into the old, rickety flat on the outskirts of town. She was just aware that it was choking her and growing.
By Rajoan Islam2 years ago in Fiction
"The Final Spark"
"The Final Spark" In the year 2157, humanity had reached the edge of a new age. Humanity has entered a golden age of knowledge as a result of scientific and technological breakthroughs that had revolutionized society. However, every development brought with it a new set of issues, and the energy crisis was one disastrous occurrence that was just around the corner. The globe had been mostly dependent on fossil fuels for decades, and while green energy alternatives had been developed, they were insufficient to fulfill the growing demands of an exponentially growing population. Scientists, businesses, and governments had frantically tried to find a solution, but none appeared to be workable until Dr. Elara Nova entered the picture.
By Rajoan Islam2 years ago in Fiction
"A Trip Toward the Future"
"A Trip Toward the Future" The world has reached a tipping point in 2147. The majority of the mysteries of space, time, and energy have been revealed by humanity, but these discoveries also revealed their darker side. "Advancers," a new breed of scientists, were given the responsibility of further expanding human knowledge and technological capabilities. Although they were the ones who would guide civilization into the future, there were significant risks involved, and failure might have disastrous results.
By Rajoan Islam2 years ago in Fiction
Stone Skipping
|When someone you love dies, the last thing you heal from is guilt. The sense that you shouldn't carry on with your life, that you shouldn't feel joy again because it disrespects that person. That dear, dear someone who will no longer feel joy or walk on a beach or make plans. The thing is, healing is not the same as forgetting. You will never forget, but you will regrow skin. It may not feel like you're making a conscious choice to do so, but eventually you do. A thousand small choices in a thousand small ways.
By Elle Schillereff2 years ago in Fiction
