Short Story
Selections from the Grand Bazaar
Five miles from the last line of shacks marking the beginning of Vargos’ city limits marked the beginning of Mama Tex’s world. She’d lived in the city for almost three decades before she learned the hard way how hard it truly was to thrive in a city built to actively exploit those that called it home.
By R.R. Stephenson2 years ago in Fiction
The Maid
“You have got to be kidding!” If it had been a different morning, things might have gone a different way, but here she was, once again, taking a pile of abuse from another driver who did not put enough change into the parking meter before heading in to buy something in what looked like a very upscale store. She noted that the woman staring daggers at her had two very large bags in her hands and was driving an SUV. And was this a zone for only handicapped parking? No, that was not under her jurisdiction. She only covered what the city demanded as payment for the privilege of parking.
By Kendall Defoe 2 years ago in Fiction
Biolyfe 2030
The year is 2030 and Earth’s population has doubled in size. At the time that the government and medical experts noticed the population increase a pathogen of unknown origin coined the End Virus said to be very deadly began infecting individuals across the planet. In response to this new threat of infectious disease the US government and the FDA began running regular medical examinations on people who may potentially be carriers of the disease. The FDA also constructed an anti-virus the administer to those who were possibly infected called Biolyfe 2030. Anyone who scanned for signs of the infection had to report to their local urgent care center to be vaccinated.
By Joe Patterson2 years ago in Fiction
The Guardian of Twilight
The small village of Eldoria had always followed a simple rule: no one should be outside after the last ray of sunlight vanished beyond the hills. For the elders, it was an unbreakable tradition. For the younger ones, just an old superstition.
By A.short stories2 years ago in Fiction
In a Summer Haze
He left the party with a slight haze over his mind but was aware enough that he decided he could drive himself home. All went mostly well, with only a few swerves and over-braking or accelerating. He made sure he went under the speed limit and stopped at all the lights and stop signs because he knew that anything that went wrong would be his fault if he didn't.
By Joshua Lunt2 years ago in Fiction
The Final Dance
The Final Dance He stood at the window of his motel room gazing down at the two kids playing in the parking lot below. They run. They laugh. Jackson Halls cocks his neck down to the right like he always does, releasing the tension that periodically accumulates in his back.
By Larry hart2 years ago in Fiction
Red Song: Part One. Content Warning.
Part One of Two. A tale I wrote many years ago in response to gorging on Angela Carter's work, the great wordsmith and savage poet that she was. I'm very fond of it: a piece entirely written from reactionary feeling, rather than being thought through at all! I was also doing my uni dissertation at the time on fairy tales, skin and identity. A whole host of influences, leading to this.
By Elle Schillereff2 years ago in Fiction
The Distance Between us: A Love Story
In a charming town, nestled among rolling hills and tranquil lakes, there existed a love story that everyone talked about. It was the kind of tale that left an indelible mark on the hearts of those who witnessed it—Arjun and Meera. Their love was a beacon of warmth, radiating pure joy, shared aspirations, and an unspoken bond that felt like destiny.
By daywalker Nyc2 years ago in Fiction
The Last Train Ride. Content Warning.
It was the last train home. The train screeched as it rounded the bend. I tightened my grip around my purse, protecting the little cash I had left from the man in the hood and dark sunglasses staring at me. I promised myself that tonight would be different. No more cowering, no more hiding from my boss. I’d open a bottle of champagne by the fireplace, drink just enough to get buzzed then leave a message on my bosses machine demanding a meeting about a raise. Either I got paid more, or I quit.
By Alex H Mittelman 2 years ago in Fiction
Smoke of Mind
Adam was hit by the smoke the moment he noticed it, thick, wavy strands that slowly were moving between the cracks of his awareness. It was not the foul type that stung the eyes or asphyxiated the lungs. This one was different, not real. It was soft, like it had consciousness, and it glided into his mind, obliterating the true world like an opium haze. As he attempted to concentrate, he blinked. The room's faint light cast long, twisted shadows across the pummeled walls.
By Usman Zafar2 years ago in Fiction
Selections from the Grand Bazaar
Lucky and Nickel walked down the enormous steel hallway leading to the floor boss’ office, a journey they’d never taken before their entire time living in their factory campus. They were ammunition manufacturers in Fountainhead Armory Aerie-9, the place responsible for making most of the drones and weaponized vehicles that blighted Vargos’ skyline at all hours.
By R.R. Stephenson2 years ago in Fiction
