Short Story

In Her Eyes. AI-Generated.
Where did it all go wrong.The woman who loved freely turning into shell of her past self In her eyes, I could see the pain that she had been carrying since the day we lost our precious child. Lina had always been a strong and resilient woman, but the loss of our little one had taken a toll on her like nothing I had ever seen before. It was as if a dark cloud had settled over her, casting a shadow on everything she touched.
By Selma Ewoenam2 years ago in Fiction
The Chosen Exile
Is there really a utopia? - Michelle Liew ************************************************************** Aristol was an unseen shadow in the city of Urelia. He had once been part of the gilded aristocracy, the ruling class of the utopian city, where magic guided technology, and citizens lived in perfect harmony.
By Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin2 years ago in Fiction
Coordinated Effort. Content Warning.
-"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Capitan speaking" - his voice was serene, but it was easy to figure out the situation inside the cabin - "As you are aware, we have some 'guests' pushing us to deviate from the planned route, and we have no other option than comply" - He was trying hard to sound calm, but the tremors on his voice were telling a different story - "I'm still controlling the plane, but we will have to follow specific instructions shortly. Please stay calm and fasten your seatbelts. Thank you".
By Alex Torres2 years ago in Fiction
Blood and Obsidian
The stone court reeked of sweat and blood, its high walls etched with the ghosts of a thousand lost souls. Tonight, the moon watched like a silver eye, unblinking, as the game began.
By Byron Loderick2 years ago in Fiction
The Six Hundred. Content Warning.
Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. Everyone knows these words, and they are pertinent to every battle in every war. The men and women on the field are cannon fodder, and those that direct them, the politicians, the generals, and the bankers reap the rewards, kudos and benefits.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 2 years ago in Fiction
Fulfillment
A lot was on the mind of Rebecca Chambers as she sat in front of her laptop inside her secluded cabin. She had been at her place of privacy in the last six weeks that passed since her husband of 16 years, Daniel Oswald, was taken from her, and regarding Rebecca, she had been taking the time to herself following her loss. On that night, Rebecca was doing what she has done every day since then: write in her journal.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Fiction
The Shock
I wake in a room I wouldn’t have chosen to sleep in. Curtains the colour of excrement block out the sun, and the carpet is a nauseating kaleidoscope of blue and orange swirls. I guess it’s cheap. Earning money from writing in Paris is like milking a dead cow. Laurent hints there are plenty of waitress jobs for pretty girls, but there are plenty of waiter jobs for boys who look like him, too.
By Bridget Appleby2 years ago in Fiction
The Shadow of Elias Thorn
The small town of Black Hollow had always been a quiet place, nestled between dense forests and misty mountains. Its inhabitants were simple folk, content with their routines and unchanging lives. But everything changed on the night Elias Thorn arrived.
By Mosap Homa2 years ago in Fiction
Bar Love
Every Saturday, Elise and her mother, Marianne, attended the same traveling event. It was a grand spectacle—a massive venue pulsing with lights, live music, and a sprawling outdoor fairground. But before the gates opened, guests had to wait.
By Digi Dragon 05 (Or Digi or Revely)2 years ago in Fiction
The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter
The rugged cliffs of Cornwall stood tall against the relentless waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Perched on the edge of these cliffs was a lonely lighthouse, its beam cutting through the darkness, guiding ships safely to shore. It was the year 1892, and the lighthouse was tended by a reclusive man named Thomas Grayson and his daughter, Eliza. Eliza, now nineteen, had spent her entire life within the walls of the lighthouse, her world limited to the crashing waves, the cries of seagulls, and the endless horizon. But her life was about to change forever.
By Word Weaver2 years ago in Fiction
Eternal Journey
The rain drummed gently against the windowpane as Alex sat at the old oak desk, a half-written letter before him. The dim glow of the study lamp cast soft shadows on the pages, its flickering light reflecting the uncertainty in his heart.
By Niranjon Chandra Roy2 years ago in Fiction
The Last Train
Eleanor stood on the cracked concrete platform of the train station, the wind tugging at the hem of her coat, the evening air nipping through the material. Her suitcase, a battered leather affair that had seen too many years, rested firmly on the ground beside her feet. It contained all she had left, all she could carry away.Everything else was gone—thrown away like memories that no longer had a place in the life she had left behind.The city itself was a remote, stifling presence now. Its sound, its heartbeat, the constant hum of cars and people—it had assaulted her for too long. There was no room for her anymore in its narrow streets and smog-filled air. Every place had some memory of the past she was trying to get away from, but it was always there, lurking in the recesses of her mind.She looked up when the distant train whistle cut through the air and gave her a shiver. She didn't know where the train was headed and didn't even bother to try to learn. She only knew the train was in motion, and that was just as good for her. Her hand clenched around the suitcase handle, and she stepped closer to the tracks. The platform was deserted at this hour of the night, the dim orange lights creating long, solitary shadows. The city was closing down for the night, but Eleanor's world had ended.The train's roar grew louder, the thrumming vibrations making the ground tremble hard beneath her.The headlights of the approaching train sparkled through the smog haze, shining with an otherworldly glow in the dense, dirty air. It was a dream—distant and unreal—but it was happening. It had to be. There was no going back now. The train glided into the station in a shrieking halt, the wheels complaining on the tracks, and the doors slid open.There was a vortex of sound and activity as they streamed out, their faces vague and dark in the bad light. Eleanor stepped forward, breathing in the metallic scent of the train and the subtle smell of used leather.The cold of the air nipped at her skin as she got to the conductor, who was waiting at the door.Ticket?" he asked, his tone crisp and businesslike.Eleanor pulled the creased, half-creased ticket out of her coat pocket, her hands trembling a little. She passed it over in silence, and the conductor took a brief look at it before nodding.Final destination, he announced, his voice totally devoid of feeling. "Get out when we arrive.".She didn't respond, merely nodded in appreciation as she got on board. The interior of the train was dimly lit, and the seats groaned, were worn out, and hard. There was dust and leather in the air, a faint reminder of the years that the train had been running. Eleanor spotted an empty seat by the window and sat down, pulling her suitcase in close to her feet. She gazed out of the window as the station, and then the city, gradually disappeared into the evening darkness. The train jolted forward, the engine coming to life, and Eleanor felt a slight, almost imperceptible release. It was as though the city had been holding her captive for far too long, and now, as the train started to carry her away from it, she felt the strain inside her start to dissipate.She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so liberated, so unencumbered. Her fingers traced the ripped seams of her jacket, and she couldn't help but think about how it had all come to this. The arguments. The deceptions. The times she'd been invisible, suffocated beneath the weight of expectations and hollow promises of a life she didn't want. The life she'd been meant to accept. When did things go so awry? She recalled the day she'd packed her bags—how she'd stood before the mirror, gazing at the reflection of the woman she once was, the woman she'd worked so tirelessly to become. She'd gazed at a total stranger. It was then that she realized she needed to escape. The train swayed back and forth, and Eleanor's eyes closed, her forehead resting against the cold glass of the window. Her mind wandered back to what she had left—her small apartment with the shattered windows, the unspoken words between her and her family. There was no place for her there now. No home. Not in the sense that she understood. She opened her eyes once more and looked out into the distance in front of her. The city was behind her now, a blur on the horizon of the rearview mirror of her life. In front of her lay the emptiness. The conductor's words echoed in her ears: Last stop. Eleanor had no idea where this train was headed, but she was not worried about that. She wasn't fleeing; she was going forward, train ride by train ride. She would meet whatever was in front of her head-on. She wasn't looking for a new place to live. She was looking for herself. The train rumbled onward into the darkness, its wheels softly clacking along the tracks, and Eleanor, for the first time in years, allowed herself to believe that she was headed somewhere where she could finally breathe.
By Pen to Publish2 years ago in Fiction