Emily Fine
Bio
I'm a writer and psychologist from Western, MA
Achievements (1)
Stories (13)
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How to Raise an Alien
Congratulations, you were selected to care for one alien for the rest of your life! Once your alien arrives you will have zero downtime, so we strongly advise you to take a few weeks to prepare — file your taxes, stock your pantry, and eat at the restaurants you won't visit in a decade. Be assured, you will love your little extraterrestrial fiercely and be willing to sacrifice your last remnants of freedom to raise it, even as you count down the years until you can send it off to college.
By Emily Fine21 days ago in Fiction
Undiminished
“Mable, my Mable” he muttered, voice raspy, palm limp in hers. He willed his eyes open, but like a door shoved by a strong wind, they inevitably slammed shut again. Then his lips quirked up ever so slightly, his eyes fixing on her one last time, red and glassy but holding a glimmer of what they always had—devotion with a hint of jest. His forehead glistened with sweat and for a moment his breath stilled. But then he tugged her arm and pulled her forward, whispering, “The floorboard. The loose one at the back of the closet. Forgive me Mable. Forgive me.”
By Emily Fine11 months ago in History
Stranded
Allie might have laughed at her current situation had she not been worried she might actually freeze to death. She continued slowly down the road despite being unable to see through the sheets of snow. Typical that she would end up stranded with a flat tire on a snowy mountain pass while her best friend was sitting by a fire at the lodge by now, sipping hot toddies with the other wedding guests.
By Emily Fineabout a year ago in Families
Not Every Door. Runner-up in Spooky Micro Challenge. Top Story - October 2024.
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. Tali had participated in dozens of studies to supplement her paltry waitress’s income. But this one was excruciating; hours in a white-walled room with nothing but a door she was not allowed to open.
By Emily Fineabout a year ago in Horror
The Seed
Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. In my dreams his lips form a silent plea again and again until his mouth finally stills. Other times he is quiet, eyes glassy as he watches our ship disappear, a flash of silver gone before his last breath.
By Emily Fine3 years ago in Fiction
Nature’s Candy
The Extrovert Soon after the grays and whites of winter have acquiesced to the vivid greens of spring, in walks the garish strawberry, the perfect opening act for summer. We stow away our winter coats, stepping out unfettered, shoulders and calves exposed for the first time in months. So too, the strawberry emerges uncloaked, the only fruit that dons its seeds on the outside. The extrovert of berries.
By Emily Fine4 years ago in Feast
A Measure of Peace
There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Until fifteen years ago, dragons resided solely in the Southlands. Then, soon after Nola was conceived, a pair took up residence on the cliffs of Loom Mountain, high above the village. Nola could hardly conceive of a time when the skies were home to clouds and birds alone. Her eyes were perpetually trained upwards, searching for the passing shadow of a dragon or the glint of iridescent scales.
By Emily Fine4 years ago in Fiction
A Tough Decision
"We can't give her away," I found myself saying, eyes welling. “Maybe we can convince your parents to take her." My husband and I had never intended to adopt two, let alone one puppy during our nine months in Israel. But here we were, two adorable, rambunctious puppies chasing each other around our apartment.
By Emily Fine5 years ago in Petlife
The Benefits of Failure
All winter I yearned for nights like these—the air thick with humidity, redolent with pine and cut grass. But stepping out of the restaurant, my senses recede behind a single sentence: “We are so proud of you Cassie." The words, meant for my sister, tumbled from my father's mouth as he raised a glass. I am seething with jealousy, then hating myself for it, a surfer betrayed by the wave he meant to ride.
By Emily Fine5 years ago in Humans
