Holiday
The Last Rain in Bulawayo. AI-Generated.
Bulawayo, 1998 — a city of sunburned streets and restless winds, where the scent of dust and diesel hung heavy in the air. In the township of Mzilikazi, two brothers grew up chasing the same dream but running from different ghosts.
By shakir hamid3 months ago in Fiction
The Lantern Beyond the Dust
The old village slept beneath a veil of dust and silence. Houses made of clay stood shoulder to shoulder, breathing out the weight of years. The scent of earth and forgotten dreams floated in the still air. Every evening, as the sun sank behind the hills and shadows stretched across the narrow road, a single lantern came alive — hanging by the door of a small, crumbling house.
By Riaz Hamkar3 months ago in Fiction
The Last Human
The coffee maker still worked. That was something. Lorna stood in the kitchen of a house that wasn't hers—hadn't been anyone's for three years now—and watched the dark liquid drip into a chipped mug. Outside, vines crawled up the sides of skyscrapers. A deer grazed in what used to be Times Square. The planet was healing, they would have said, back when there was a "they."
By Parsley Rose 3 months ago in Fiction
The Double Echo of the Douglas
The Pivot: 03:07 A.M. The city slept beneath a heavy blanket of November. Alexandru leaned over his desk, surrounded by sketches, old books, and the faint hum of his computer. He was a young man of 28, with tired eyes but a feverish spark of genius. The object of his passion, his five-year obsession, was The Architect’s Hourglass—an urban legend among those passionate about space and time theory, which claimed to hold the key not only to perfect perspective but also to the understanding of all choices, made or unmade.Alexandru’s project, a predictive modeling algorithm for urban density, was ready. In six minutes, he was due to submit the application to a prestigious global competition that could change his life, offering him unlimited funding for research.The phone, resting on the edge of the desk, vibrated. A call from an unknown number, at 03:07.Alexandru looked up. Six minutes. If he answered, he would break his absolute state of flow, risking the loss of concentration on the final details. If he ignored it, he would miss a potential essential contact.
By alin butuc3 months ago in Fiction
The Halloween Table 4
Starting to think better to get more place settings on the table. Didn't think anyone would come but maybe one. The doorbell bonged once again, and I went to check. Yes, it is Francine and Monty. One I was expecting, but not with a guest but the more the merrier scarier. Come on into this unexpected party of five, I believe. We gathered in the dining room, and we set the table for four more. The buffet offered several favorites that all enjoyed and with that we sat and ate and shared a Halloween meal of friends and ghouls galore.
By Mark Graham3 months ago in Fiction
The Halloween Table 3
The doorbell began bonging again. I went to the door and checked. It was my friend Wolfy. You are a tad early there Wolfy but remember no changing tonight. I do have your favorite meal preparing for you can stay normal. The bonging began once more. I went to the door and looked out and there she was Vivian. Welcome, Miss Viv. How did the dentist visit and those two teeth you were worried about? Your favorite drink in in the cooler over there in the corner. Wolfy stop that and let her past. What did I do just smelling.
By Mark Graham4 months ago in Fiction










