Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Fiction.

Instructions for Remaining Serious in a Courtroom
Below is a practical guide for when you absolutely should not find something funny: You do not plan to laugh. You are not trying to be disrespectful; you are not cruel. Still, there are moments when something is funny in the worst possible way, and your body reacts before your brain can stop it. This guide exists because laughing at the wrong time can cost you more than embarrassment. It can turn you into the problem instead of the situation.
By Diani Alvarenga4 days ago in Fiction
An Instruction Manual for Keeping Your Child Alive:. Content Warning.
Author’s Note This story contains references to childhood trauma and a parent’s experience supporting a child through recovery, including moments of emotional crisis. The focus is not on graphic detail, but on a family’s survival, vigilance, and the quiet, ongoing work of caregiving.
By Stacey Mataxis Whitlow (SMW)4 days ago in Fiction
How to Care for the Thing Growing in the Basement
Introduction: If you are reading this, the thing has already begun. This guide exists because no one told you what to do the first time. Because you were handed keys and a warning that sounded like a joke. Because someone said, It’s nothing, really, and then changed the subject.
By Aspen Noble4 days ago in Fiction
In the Woods
"Pick it up!" "Ew, no you pick it up!" "I said it first" "No way. It's slimy." "How do you know if you won't even try? "Because look at all the leaves stuck to it. It's gross."
By Faith M Adam4 days ago in Fiction
The Last Chair by the Window
I always chose the chair by the window, even when there were better seats. It wasn’t about comfort. It was about watching people leave.
By Salman Writes4 days ago in Fiction
Instructions I Never Received
Not the polite kind people give you. The ones that say things like take your time or stay strong. I mean real instructions. Step by step. Like the ones that come with furniture, except no parts are missing and nothing ends up crooked.
By Salman Writes4 days ago in Fiction
What Walter Never Reads
If you are reading this, it means Walter trusted you enough to let you step inside the broom closet. Or maybe he did not notice at all. Either way, welcome. My name is Holly, and this notebook is not meant for me anymore. It is meant for you.
By Salman Writes4 days ago in Fiction
The House That Loved Us Back
A soft knock inside the walls, just once, like someone testing if the sound would travel. Old houses make noises. That’s what people say when they don’t want to be afraid.
By abualyaanart4 days ago in Fiction
For the Next Girl. Top Story - January 2026.
Hey, Next Girl, I’m Holly. You and I will probably never meet, but for some reason life has brought you here – to Walter’s broom closet. I know when I started working here, I could’ve done with some instructions... anything at all.
By Cristal S.4 days ago in Fiction
My Baby Laughs at the Corner of the Room Every Night at 3 A.M.
The pediatrician says it’s normal—my mother says it’s not By Anees Ul Ameen My son learned how to laugh before he learned how to crawl.
By anees4 days ago in Fiction
Instructions for the Safe Removal of Godhead from the Human Psyche
INTRODUCTION These instructions were developed after it became clear that godhead is not a belief but a habit.
By Iris Obscura4 days ago in Fiction
Ron's had too much acid. Content Warning.
"Uuh, that bass is good." "For real. Straight to the heart. Damn it, I feel alive again! Didn't even know how much I needed this. Good plan. God's plan."
By Paul Fingl4 days ago in Fiction