Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Fiction.
Buzz
BUZZ No one knew what had happened. First, whole households were found dead and no cause of death could be found. That quickly escalated to whole villages, towns, cities. No one was safe. The world’s human population was decimated in a matter of months. Something was ravaging the human race. Young and old, male or female, all were susceptible to whatever was killing them and now, survivors lived in fear. Anarchy reigned. Riots and looting happened everywhere. You could be killed for a loaf of bread and no-one would bat an eye. Survivors fled the cities and headed for the countryside in the hopes that they would be safer there. Strangers met strangers and stayed together for there is safety in numbers, and soon new communities grew.
By Penelope Edwards5 years ago in Fiction
The next few months
Same as every other day Tom frantically waves his hand over the brewing coffee to prevent the smoke from giving away his position, granted it does nothing about the smell but after months waiting for the sky to fall one learns how to make compromises on what constitutes proper, necessary life preserving measures and what is just a hassle. All the other undesirables ask him to brew the coffee far away from the church since they don't trust Tom's risk assessment skills and are perfectly aware that he smokes a cigarette right afterwards. They don't resent him, nobody resents anybody anymore, people slowly started to let go of any moral imperative once the imminent doom was undeniable. “In 32 years I’ve never drank coffee without sugar, and now I don't even know if I would use it if I had it" reflected Tom as he lit up the second half of yesterday's cigarette and took that first hit. "damn that feels good" he thought as he waved his hand again this time over the cigarette smoke. Tom was convinced that today was it for him and regretted a little that he won't get to see the pretty lights, but he had to try and see her, ideally to see the big event by her side or just to say goodbye as a worst case scenario. Worst case scenario? who was he kidding there was no guarantee that Gaby was even alive, after all Faunatia is notoriously filled with crazy people who ride alligators for fun. Once his shrine to the vices was covered with dirt Tom fitted his backpack and started to make his way to the Church.
By Marcel Carrero5 years ago in Fiction
The Survivalist
DAY 784 I was up before the sun. Chopped firewood. Hoping to get another ten cords stored up before the winter. Tended to the garden. Tomatoes are starting to ripen. Might make have enough to make mom’s sauce in a week or two. Haven’t seen a plane in a couple of days and it’s making me itch. I feel like I’m being watched, even up here on the mountain. Some days it feels like the trees are closing in. I might spend the night in the bunker again.
By Clay Malone5 years ago in Fiction
Escape
Escape By Todd Chesterman Gunter stared miserably through the barbed wire at the still-smoldering wreck of the Panzer. It had been hit two days ago by an English Typhoon as he’d lain right at this spot, praying with a religious fervor that had surprised him. The screams of the crew as they roasted inside their steel coffin had horribly amplified their agonies like some monstrous Brazen Bull performing for the God of War himself.
By Todd Chesterman5 years ago in Fiction
Small Thoughts
Lim x-> ∞ = 3 Lim x-> -∞ = -6 in a straight line. A short line of possibilities, nothing extremely good, nothing extremely bad, which is a good thing on the bad part. Although even then, the negative is slightly worse than the positive, allows a bit more possibility that way than the other. It renders a simple question; Is it better to have something substantially bad yet interesting, or nothing noteworthy good or bad, yet boring? Although my mindset alters from time to time, I most often, including the moment of my writing this, believe that the latter be worse. Who would want to live the same boring life day in and day out? Maybe Joe and Pam had a baby, you get to go to their baby shower the day after tomorrow, interesting right? Maybe to the people who live monotonous lives.
By Noah Baldwin5 years ago in Fiction
Margaret
The baby’s stomach rose and fell as he slept in Margaret’s arms. Despite the howls of the city—the sirens, the squealing of rubber, the screams—despite all these attacks on the silence clinging to the grimy walls of her apartment, the child did not wake, nor did the involuntary rise and fall change its rhythm. We know what you did, the walls seemed to whisper in a voice only Margaret could hear. We couldn’t see. But we know. Yet, for all their whispers, Margaret was smiling. Deep in the comfort of sleep, the baby gurgled, and she giggled at the sound, her laugh an incongruous brilliance that crackled and smashed itself bloody against the dark stillness of the walls. And as every inch of the beautiful boy etched itself into the back of her skull, Margaret’s fingers, as they often did, fiddled with the heart-shaped locket whose metal chain hung cool around her neck.
By Patrick Burton5 years ago in Fiction
The Frog Pond
Don't all stories start with Once Upon a Time? We always point to fairy tales, or fantastical stories, or outright bald-faced lies as Once Upon a Time. But all of our lives are one whole story, broken into readable bits by time. We think fairy tales should have a parable, or even a proverb, at the middle. Like it's some kind of speakable pearl.
By Meredith Harmon5 years ago in Fiction
The Girl with the Locket
The smell of burning sage surrounds the room, I feel the tightening in my chest. I reach for the remote to turn off the news. There’s more deaths from the virus, the threats of safety are too deepl. We live in a state where we can no longer see each other, it’s safer to be home to diminish the spread. My worst fear has happened, I’m alone.
By AGirlFromSF5 years ago in Fiction
Butterfly Effect
(Prologue) I don't know where they came from, or why they appeared on Earth. I don't know why they chose Earth. He say they aren't aliens, he say they've been here from the start. They call themselves Zeylites They were ahead of our time, far ahead. They were advanced.
By Kennya Hall5 years ago in Fiction
