Top Stories
New stories you'll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
My First Month on Vocal: A Unique Experience. Top Story - September 2025.
It has officially been just over a month since I joined Vocal and I have to say that this experience has been wonderful. I’d love to share my thoughts on these first 30 days as a Vocal creator and my plans going forward.
By Krysha Thorp12 months ago in Writers
Book Review: "Behave" by Robert Sapolsky . Top Story - September 2025.
I read this a while ago and I decided I would give it another go. I had it on my phone and one thing I found is that I was just in a terrible mood when I read it, which means of course that because it is a nonfiction book, I was trying to find holes in everything. Well, now that I'm in a better mood, I'm going to go through this book properly and comment on the things I found particularly intriguing. And yes, I do actually find it intriguing.
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
Reflecting on the End of Our Journey. Top Story - September 2025.
A couple of weeks ago, I made the tough decision to stop breastfeeding. You can read about it here. Afterwards, I decided to keep a 14-day journal to track my moods, energy levels, food cravings and anything else I might notice.
By Sandy Gillman12 months ago in Families
Businesswoman Chapter 257. Top Story - September 2025.
Lisa Conway sipped coffee. The bitter notes danced on her tongue. She peered at the number of subscribers she currently amassed. five million users in nine months. She wondered to herself about whether she would be rich from being famous, or famous for being rich. She banished the thought and went back to business.
By Skyler Saunders12 months ago in Chapters
Blaze. Top Story - September 2025.
“Mom, wake up. Mom! Quick, look! That’s Brandon, right?” “Where?!” Mrs. Lockwood sat upright and groggily looked around at all the passersby. Then she looked in the direction Scarlett was pointing. It indeed was him! It was her Brandon! She quickly got off the pavement and ran towards him, “Brandon! Brandonnn! Brannnndonnnn!” He heard a voice calling his name. It was his former name and it was a voice he hadn’t heard in years. He closed his eyes as he cringed internally. He didn’t want to turn around. He had forgotten she existed. He increased his pace but she caught up to him. “Oh Brandon, it really is you!” Tears were streaming down her face as she pulled him into a tight hug. He just stood there, stunned. Mrs. Lockwood seized that opportunity to drag him to where Scarlett was. She wasn’t as happy as her mom to see her brother. “Scarlett, I can’t believe it’s really Brandon!” “Um, I go by Blaze now”, he said, without meeting their eyes. “Wow. You really don’t want anything to do with us, huh? To the extent that you even changed your name!” Scarlett spat. Blaze let out a hollow laugh, “All of you were the reason I moved out and cut ties completely. I wanted a fresh start, away from all the toxicity, narcissism, and gaslighting. I don’t want to be part of this family anymore and I don’t need any reminders of you either.” Scarlett hadn’t heard a word of what he said as she was looking for more things to blame on him, “You changed your number too! And we don’t even know your new address! Dad died, you know that?!” This news shocked Blaze but he recovered from it fast. Dad was already dead to me when I moved out. “How did he die?” “WHAT DO YOU CARE HOW HE DIED?!” “Scarlett please, we’re not in a position to have a fight now”, Mrs. Lockwood pleaded with Scarlett before turning to Blaze, “Heart attack. It was a few days after we lost our house and started living on the streets.” Blaze looked past his mom and sister. Behind them was a small camping tent with their belongings scattered around. “Brandon, I know—” He glared at her. “—sorry, Blaze it is. Blaze, I know this is too much to ask, especially after everything that we did to you, but could you find a place for your sister and me to stay?” Blaze was dumbfounded by her audacity. After all the psychological, emotional, and mental abuse, his mom still thought he would do this for them? “How would you pay the rent?” He sure as hell wasn’t going to pay for them. “Well, both of us lost our jobs, but…but we do have some savings that we could get by on.” He pretended to look around to buy some time and then shifted his gaze back to his mom. She was looking at him earnestly, hoping he would say yes. He sighed, “I’ll make sure you have a place to stay.” “Oh dear Lord! Thank you, thank you so much!” He didn’t say anything. He turned around and walked away, eager to get away from them. ~~~~~ “But Detective, it wasn’t us! I don’t know what else to say. Is this what you do, try to frame the homeless for crimes that you couldn’t solve?” Mrs. Lockwood looked both indignantly and helplessly at Detective Torres and her lawyer, Ms. Robbins. Ms. Robbins rubbed her temples as everything was against Mrs. Lockwood and Scarlett. Chances of her proving their innocence were very slim. “Mrs. Lockwood, I’ve already showed you, your daughter, and your lawyer all the evidence that places you at the scene of the crime, where the murder took place.” Detective Torres pointed at the case file on the table in between them. “It’s wise you and your daughter come clean.”
By Dharrsheena Raja Segarran12 months ago in Fiction
September 14, 2025. Top Story - September 2025.
The word for today is Perpetuity, and some may call this timeless (Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day Calendar, with other definitions) Perpetuity (noun) the state or quality of lasting forever, or a very long time: a bond or other security with no fixed maturity date. a restriction making an interest in land inalienable perpetually or for a period beyond certain limits fixed by law. Timeless (adjective) not affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion: “Antiques add to the timeless atmosphere of the dining room.”
By Denise E Lindquistabout a year ago in Poets
Taking a Moment for Peace. Top Story - September 2025.
Things have been wild in the world lately. Good news, bad news, news of riots, of shootings, of war, and of other forms of seemingly unending violence. As a person who has chronic depression paired with anxiety, sometimes it all gets to be too much. When these things get overwhelming, I feel myself shutting down, pulling away from the world--which is why I have my dogs and my garden and my goats and all of the little things that get me away from the hustle and bustle of society. The "peace" I give myself in my sheltered patch of ground has nothing to do with the antonym "war." Rather, it has to do with the inner peace that comes from a quiet mind. The peace that allows me to find contentment with "the little things" that make up the bulk of my daily life.
By Kimberly J Egan12 months ago in Psyche
Glass Half Full vs. Glass Half Empty. Top Story - September 2025.
In modern times, the idiom “glass half full” has become a common expression used to describe someone who has an optimistic outlook on life. It is often contrasted with its opposite, “glass half empty,” which describes someone who has a negative or pessimistic attitude.
By Margaret Minnicks12 months ago in FYI
