fact or fiction
Is it a fact or is it merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores relationship myths and truths to get your head out of the clouds and back into romantic reality.
(Mis)adventures In Time
What would you do if you received a mysterious gift of $20,000 and a little black notebook filled with schematics for a Time Machine? Would you build it? Would you toss the notebook and keep the money? Would you gamble the money away? Would you give it away? If you have the time, I’ll tell you what I did when a mysterious package appeared, out of nowhere, on my kitchen table.
By Ryan Rothrock6 years ago in Humans
The Bonus
The Bonus By Justin Neumann Keira Jensen sat motionless at her kitchen table; a once-hot cup of coffee sat forgotten about her fingers lightly clutching the cup’s handle. Outside it had been raining, lost somewhere between a light mist and a steady drizzle, with an occasional faint rumble of far-off thunder. Her long strawberry blonde hair hung over her face, obscuring the dazed-blank look in her eyes. Her entire body felt numb and incredibly dense, as if she were sitting in a vat of sludge. It was as if her arms had been replaced with thick slabs of concrete, her fingers frozen, and a hundred-pound weight attached to her chest. Every breath was taxing as if she could not quite take a full inhalation. The knowledge pressed against her as a physical weight relentlessly constricting around her, immobilizing her and numbing her brain. She stared at the little black book with both disgust and foreboding disbelief. It couldn’t be right; because to believe had terrible and irrevocable implications. Her mind drifted back to the beginning, the beginning of that nightmare because it seemed to be the only thing she could do.
By Justin Neumann6 years ago in Humans
The Daunting Tasks
Malachi was sitting in his favorite café. He pushed his glasses up from the brim of his nose, sat straight up, and took a deep breath. On the exhale, he closed his eyes for the couple seconds, but it felt like an eternity. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked around the busy café. 13 people inside including employees and none of them knew what he was about to do. Malachi has never been the one to draw attention to himself, he was shy and normally kept to himself. At the same time, he has never had more than $500 in his name, much less $20,000! He opened the little black book, read the contents on the first page one more time to make sure he understood the directions for the tasks given. He then shut the book, put it in his backpack, and stood up.
By Nathan Martinez6 years ago in Humans
The Adventures of Junior
I first met Junior in 1971. About 8 years old at the time, I was amused by, and scared of this fella selling us a watermelon from his truck on the side of the road. Daddy said he really was kinda dodgy, but he wouldn’t hurt anybody. He was just a poor man of about 35, who was prone to wearing overalls every day of the week.
By Andrew Nelson6 years ago in Humans
Hot Tubs, Slides, and Gangs, Oh My!
“Our brother loves water rides!” One of the girls says, smiling. I turn as a guy next to them is standing up. He has a ratio of skin to tattoos of about fifty-fifty, is well over six and a half feet tall, and looks muscular enough to be able to defeat Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris, and Bruce Lee in a fight in under two minutes. He towers over 15-year-old, 130-140 pound me. “I love water rides! Want to go on one?” He says, smiling. I smile awkwardly, I glance, scared, at the two girls nearby. I had asked the two girls because I wanted someone to go with on water slides. Preferably one of them and not having my plus one look like they eat puppies for breakfast. Then I feel bad, just because he looks like he could rip me in half like a piece of paper doesn’t mean he will. I don’t want to seem rude. It’s only one water slide, what could go wrong? Even in the most family-friendly places, dark and dangerous people may be lurking around.
By Matthew Kube6 years ago in Humans
Tales From The Breakroom
It was my second double shift of the week. Rent was due in three days and I hadn't quite made enough to cover it. Unfortunately, working doubles was a necessary evil and yet still barely equal to one full shift from before covid-times. I sat in the windowless breakroom picking calcified gum out of the crevices of my non-slip shoes, trying to forget I still had over an hour to kill between shifts.
By Chanin Kaye6 years ago in Humans
Diary of a Homeless Woman, Name Abigail
As I was walking along K Street and Connecticut Avenue, in Washington, D.C., near Farragut North Metro, I noticed a woman sitting on the cold cement sidewalk. It was extremely cold with a freezing temperature of 32°. I am not sure what made me look in that direction, but I am glad I did. For a brief 10 seconds, I could not take my eyes off this woman. So, I walked across the street in her direction, just to see if this homeless woman needed help.
By Antoinette Davis6 years ago in Humans
Daddy's Duck
Jamillah James meandered up and down the rows of the bookstore. She walked as if in a ritualized trance, seeking a sign from her father. But he had been dead for three weeks now and memorialized three days ago. She had played the role of the dutiful first born and managed the business of burying the dead and tying up a life that spanned seventy-seven years.
By Queena Hall6 years ago in Humans
A Second Chance
It’s just another day for Roger Blake. The 46-year-old storage hunter hops into his truck, looking for bolt cutters to pop the lock of the storage unit he won at an auction. Just another day. Another family out of their stuff. Half the time he finds nothing of value. The other half he finds an item or two of value and throws away what’s worthless to him but probably meant the world to the poor schmuck who lost it. Photo albums. Baby clothes. Junk.
By Michael Andersen 6 years ago in Humans
