Young Adult
Galilea
“Shhhh…” my mother warns me, pressing one long finger against her lips. I curl myself into a tighter ball inside of my hiding place, not daring to breathe until the whirring sirens of the sentinels are long gone. Once the coast is clear, I emerge from the damp closet beneath the stairs, and allow myself a little exhale of relief. But even though I’m safe for now, I can never truly enjoy a worry-free breath. There is always the fear of being captured lurking in the back of my mind.
Kora GreenwoodPublished 3 years ago in FictionSubfloor Six
Jocelyn opened her eyes, awoken from her afternoon nap by the chirping of an alert over the intercom. “Attention all Age 13-15 Apprentices: You are to report to Subfloor Six. Be prepared for inspection.” The metallic voice clicked off, leaving her in a silence that could only be achieved within the thick, stone walls. They eat echoes.
Emily McGuffPublished 3 years ago in FictionThe First Born
Lena watched the fall colors pour in through the window and dance on the paint-chipped walls. The sun was coming up already, but she hadn’t slept at all. How could she? Today was October 1, 2035, her fourteenth birthday and the day they would come for her.
Gelena Nicole BrownPublished 3 years ago in FictionThe Farm
I remember the last time that I saw her alive. I was standing on the observation deck, trailing behind my father and his colleagues; they were talking business. Business that was also my business, yet I didn’t care for it. I didn’t so much care for the logistics of the farm, or where they found the stock; I cared about how they were treated, or more so, how they deserved to be treated. To my father and his peers, the humans on the farm were nothing more than cattle, but to me, they were people. Just like us, minus the fangs. They were stronger than us, fighting the effects of the vaccine, yet we deemed ourselves superior in order to harvest their blood.
Inheritance
From inside the lavish penthouse of their Ocean Drive condo, the family was treated to a glorious view of a perfect summer’s afternoon. On one side, the waves exhaled deeply onto South Beach, licking it smooth and leaving behind trails of white foam as they retreated shyly into the Atlantic. Bright, rainbow-colored parasols dotted the sand like pinwheels, under which one might lie back and waste an hour, or an eternity, if one just had the time. Only a single distant cloud and the faraway silhouettes of three birds interrupted the open expanse of the sky.
Eric FreedmanPublished 3 years ago in FictionAdapt or Die
It’s the year 2070, it’s been 20 years since the melting of the Arctic and Antarctic. Earthquakes, tsunamis, sand storms, and hurricanes wiped out billions of people, as did many other natural disasters. It was too late for the government to help us, but people continued to petition in hopes that the government would help them, but when they realized there was nothing they could do, they went dark. They abandoned us. They left us to fend for ourselves. We haven’t heard from them since.
Grace GaebelPublished 3 years ago in FictionGreyscale
The World was grey. Though it was better to call it monochrome as the grey varied from place to place but was empty and flat all the same. Even the sky never shifts from dark grey even as the clouds scroll by though I’m told it once used to be bright and blue. I could not picture it for I did not know what blue is.
Anastasia J CleveringaPublished 3 years ago in FictionThe Varnd Experience
The process should have been over in two minutes—but he didn’t stop screaming… Tynan didn’t believe me when I told him to hold it back, to pretend not to feel the pain, pretend your skin didn’t feel as if it were being peeled off of you, pretend not to hear the lies as they seeped deep into your soul, taking hold on the gentlest parts of you…
Mycheille NorvellPublished 3 years ago in FictionHunter Oak
I walk down the street previously known as Hunter Oak. No one remains in the emptied-out houses. One of them has burned down, whether from an electrical fire before the power grid failed or looters or just plain arson for giggles, I don't know.
Jen MearnsPublished 3 years ago in FictionRed Dawn
A loud blare made Andrea jolt in her spot as she climbed the rusty fire escape of a five story apartment block in what used to be called Brooklyn. She knew there was no point in looking over to see the Guard patrolling the streets, with their stone-cold expressions and guns, their faces eerily human. Yet she couldn’t help herself from peering over her shoulder as she tightened her grip on the ramp, her heart still racing from the sudden blare of the curfew alarm. It reminded everyone there was only an hour left before they started taking everyone who dared to walk outside past curfew into custody.
Yordanka YordanovaPublished 3 years ago in FictionInto the Wastelands
Start writing..... Zander It’s so hard to breathe. I’ve felt pain before but nothing like this. It’s like someone has stuck a white hot iron rod down my throat. I haven’t had food in three days and I just finished the last bit of my water yesterday, it was windy and one of the hottest days yet. I try focusing on sitting up but I’m so disoriented it takes me forever just to get my hands under my shoulders to push myself up off the red dirt. As my head stops spinning I notice I’m inside of a culvert.
Hailey BaylissPublished 3 years ago in FictionThe Last Undrowned City
The ocean, people say, is one of life's greatest mysteries. Dark waters beneath the line of waves are where nightmares are born. There are creatures with six arms and twenty rows of teeth; fish with eyes the size of small fishing boats, and the water is so dark, people swear you go blind just swimming too deep. But the ocean was also beautiful. When the sun hits the horizon it turns the water yellow and orange, like a sea of gold. Sailors say it was then when you were most likely to be rewarded with good fortune.
Makenzie FoxPublished 3 years ago in Fiction