Short Story

Tunnels
Sometimes I'd hear voices. When I was small, I thought it was evidence of fairies. I'd squat down near the skirting for ages at a time, listening for them. I tried leaving little bits of food, but Mum cleared it away.
By L.C. Schäfer2 years ago in Fiction
Test to Use
"I'm gonna need to see your drug qualification card if you are gonna buy those kid." said the heavyset, very tired looking clerk behind the counter as Sam approached the checkout. "Of course my man." Sam replied, grinning ear to ear, as he quickly reached into his back pocket and pulled out his overstuffed brown wallet. He slid the card out from its slot in the wallet and handed it over proudly to the clerk. "A1 rating brother. They don't get any higher than that." The clerk looked at the card skeptically, then raised both eyebrows and whistled out loud as he said, "Damn kid. You aren't lying. What'd you do, cheat or something? Highest score I ever saw in here was a B0 and I only saw that one time. Most people comin in here are lucky to see a C2 max or have flat out failed. I'd say at least half have failed three times and are now banned for life from ever using drugs again. Well, the good kind of drugs anyways." Sam wasn't surprised. The store wasn't in the greatest neighborhood and the clientele were not exactly the most mentally stable around. He was however more than a little offended at the accusation of cheating and looked at the clerk incredulously as he answered. "Hell no, I didn't cheat. You know as well as anyone the modern computers running the testing program can't be fooled. At least no one yet has figured out how to, so they say. And the accuracy of their psychological classifications has been proven in experiment after experiment. If they say I am an A1, then I am an A1. No doubt at all about that." The clerk was a bit confused "Modern computers? You mean them AI?" "Yeah, man. Most people call 'em AI but I never will. Not until one of them proves to me personally that it is actually intelligent. And so far, none I have challenged have been able to beat my test and prove they are to my satisfaction. So I call 'em modern computers."
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Fiction
The Movie Reviewer
This story was originally published on Medium. ************** “All in all, War Dogs was a great movie. I would give it an A minus. I could’ve given it a straight up A, had it not been for the 57 uses of the word “bro” which felt like about 52 too many.” Avery explained, deep in thought, on a roll. “I’m, of course, allowing for two uses of “bro” which actually made for big laughs, and another three uses of “bro” which lent themselves to character development. But still, for a movie just under two hours, that’s about a “bro” every other minute. Too many “bros.”
By Stephen Kramer Avitabile2 years ago in Fiction
Circle Six. Content Warning.
Circle six, beat in four, then thrust to his opponent’s neck. The lieutenant parried, made a riposte to the dirty brigand's seven, which the dirty brigand easily parried. Then the dirty brigand's cell phone rang, so he continue dto fence while pulling it from his pocket. All around them the queen's soldier's and pirates continued to battle, as the brigand answered his phone, without bothering to check the caller ID.
By Jason Edwards2 years ago in Fiction
The Thing Behind the Fourth Wall. Top Story - September 2024.
It was a bright early morning in Joseph's house. Unexpectedly bright, as a matter of fact, as he had forgot to close his curtains the night before.
By Ian Read2 years ago in Fiction
I Wore My Grief. Content Warning.
I need a bigger word than Unfair. It was the most surreal, unfair and painful thing I think a person could ever experience. Imagine it: imagine having a postpartum body but no baby. Swollen. Shrinking. Empty.
By L.C. Schäfer2 years ago in Fiction
The Double Blind
Notes: This story takes place in the same universe as the following: Long Stories: Phase I 1. Dragonfly: The Devil’s Deception
By Apurba Deb2 years ago in Fiction
This is not my room. Runner-up in Unreliable Challenge. Top Story - September 2024.
Date Unknown – Nobody will tell me This is not my room. There is sun outside The red trousers came to see me today. He held my… It is all… My fingers they are different. They have painted nails and notches and you can follow the grain of them to my wrist. He held my wrist once. His shy eyes darted to the ceiling.
By Rachel Robbins2 years ago in Fiction
Different Paths: A Journey of Perspectives
This is the story of a young man who once experienced an unexpected incident. He was travelling by an AC bus, which had a higher fare than a regular bus. He chose this bus hoping to reach his destination on time, as he had heard these buses were faster.
By VK2 years ago in Fiction
One More Shovelful. Top Story - September 2024.
I can’t recall how many boilers I’ve done. Or how long this shift has gone on. Certainly longer than usual, but that is to be expected with the decidedly unusual circumstances.
By Stephen A. Roddewig2 years ago in Fiction
So Long Astoria
Lucas is in his bedroom packing up his belongings getting ready for his big move to his new house. His best friend Jimmy is with him giving him a hand. “So this is it, eh Lu?” Jimmy asked. “Yep, this really is it” Lucas responded. “I had a lot of times here in this old place. A lot of good times and a lot of bad. Lucas looked around the bedroom reflecting on all of his memories.
By Joe Patterson2 years ago in Fiction
The Encounter
It was an ordinary afternoon when Ruth first saw Daniel. The sun had dipped low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue over the city streets. Ruth had just finished work and was making her usual walk through the park, her scarf wrapped tightly around her neck to fight off the crisp chill in the air. The leaves crunched under her boots, and the air smelled of cinnamon and faint traces of burning wood from nearby chimneys.
By Chiamaka Jennifer2 years ago in Fiction