Mystery

Don't Speak
The sun hung low in the rosy skies, casting its honey glare across two women sitting beneath a barren oak tree. Between the pair, ripped into the meat of the wood, were two messy initials.
By J "Griffin" Rooms2 years ago in Fiction
The Road
Spooky ghosts, evil witches, black cats—I love them all! Halloween is my favorite celebration and writing muse. I want to share a few Halloween stories with you and hope you enjoy the Witching Hour Collection.
By D. A. Ratliff2 years ago in Fiction
The Dark Secrets Within
I had always felt at ease in the world of words and fantasy. My days were devoted to developing stories, delving deeply into the feelings and experiences of the characters. I did, however, have a secret as a writer. I was scared of supernatural forces, which was a phobia that chilled me to the bone and was something I had always kept hidden from the public.
By Sahil Lathwal2 years ago in Fiction
Secrets of the Enchanted Orchard
Jimmy, Frank, John, and Tom found themselves working with hay bales on a beautiful summer evening. Their goal was to stack the bales temporarily until they could be stored in a shed for winter cattle feeding. As the evening sun cast long shadows, they took a break, sipping tea from their flasks and chatting about various topics. Eventually, the conversation veered toward mysterious happenings, piquing their curiosity. Jimmy, always the storyteller, began to recount a tale he had heard. It centered on a nearby orchard rumored to be haunted by a mysterious and otherworldly creature. As the group discussed this, Jimmy proposed that they venture out to investigate the veracity of the claims. The idea didn't exactly excite everyone, but Tom, perhaps seeking adventure, decided to join Jimmy in the quest. Later that night, after Frank and John had returned home, Tom stayed at Jimmy's house as they prepared to explore the haunted orchard. As the clock approached 11 pm, they embarked on their journey, walking for about an hour until they reached the orchard. The orchard was enveloped in darkness, making it challenging to find an entry point. There was no fence, just a wall of overgrown bushes that resembled a hedge. After some searching, they discovered a sizable gap and slipped inside, settling down in a corner to observe the orchard's eerie ambiance. They waited for an hour, exchanging stories, but nothing unusual occurred. Frustrated by the lack of excitement, they contemplated heading home, believing that the story was nothing more than a tall tale. Their exit proved to be more complicated than expected. The gap in the hedge was elusive in the darkness. The bushes seemed to have grown denser, creating an impenetrable barrier. Panic set in as they heard mysterious sounds in the dark – heavy breathing and snorting. They were further alarmed when they discerned the sound of non-human footsteps, like those of an animal. As the source of the noise drew closer, they noticed a peculiar sight: two small red lights glowing in the darkness. Terrified and disoriented, they tried to escape the orchard but found themselves trapped. The hedge, once porous, was now impervious. They circled the orchard in vain, all the while the strange sounds continued. Jimmy and Tom decided to huddle in a corner and wait for daylight. Throughout the night, they were haunted by bizarre noises, as if a bull or some unworldly creature was running about. Finally, with the break of dawn, they found the gap through which they had entered, just a few yards away. It had become apparent that anything could pass through this gap, but finding it in the dark had proved an impossible task. They squeezed through the gap, making their way home while pondering the bizarre events of the night. They wondered what could have been in the orchard and why they couldn't find their way out, despite the multiple gaps in the hedge. When they met Frank and John the next day and shared their tale, they were met with disbelief and skepticism. Others brushed it off as a fabricated, scary story. Jimmy and Tom, however, remained convinced that something otherworldly had occurred in the orchard. They recounted the events exactly as they had happened.
By william M2 years ago in Fiction
The Mysterious Of Darkness In The Night
In the tapestry of the night, where the heavens are adorned with constellations like diamonds scattered across a velvet canvas, lies a realm of infinite mystery — the realm of darkness. The night, veiled in obsidian hues, conceals secrets that the human eye can only fathom, leaving the mind to wander through a labyrinth of imagination and wonder.
By Korey Ebrima2 years ago in Fiction
The Accident Night
The lonely road stretched out in front of me, a winding ribbon that ended at the horizon. It was the ideal location for my getaway, a getaway from the city's commotion and commotion that had for too long stifled my creativity. I was a writer looking for ideas, and I thought the quiet of the open road would give me the spark.
By Sahil Lathwal2 years ago in Fiction
The Haunted Road
Nothing could have prepared me for the terrible adventure I was about to embark on, even if as a writer I frequently find myself following inspiration down some unexpected routes. I had finally finished my most recent novel, and I was mentally spent. I chose to take a road trip down the haunted road since I needed a vacation from the outside world and had heard about it in hushed tones and whispers.
By Sahil Lathwal2 years ago in Fiction
The Human Side of Science 2023
Introduction: The Importance of Character in Science In the world of science, character-oriented approaches are gaining recognition for their potential to enhance research outcomes and foster a more holistic understanding of scientific endeavors. While traditional approaches in science have primarily focused on objective data and quantitative measures, character-oriented science acknowledges the significance of subjective experiences and the role of human character in shaping scientific progress. By embracing character-oriented approaches, scientists can tap into the full potential of their own humanity and cultivate a deeper sense of empathy, curiosity, and creativity within the scientific community.
By STARK2 years ago in Fiction
Calculated Manipulation. Content Warning.
The air felt heavy. Or maybe that was just me. My breath was heavy. My chest filled up quickly, letting out the air much quicker than it was letting inside. God. You just sat on the other end of the couch. Your body slumped over the couch with your feet kicked up on the coffee table. Your hands covering your eyes as if you were afraid to look at me. Why couldn't you look at me? Why couldn't you face what you've done? The television screen was lit, yet no picture was shown. Only were there colors bouncing off the cracks of the screen; the cracks which appeared after you tried to put your fist through the picture. God. Was that what you didn't want to face? Your hands uncovered your face. Your head still remained resting on the back of the couch, while your feet were propped up on the coffee table. I've always hated the way you would prop your feet up on the table but there's no way I'm correcting you now.
By 'Lissa Stufflestreet2 years ago in Fiction
WHAT IF JUPITER AND SATURN COLLIDED??
The two biggest planets in our Solar System in one telescope view. Catastrophe is imminent. If Jupiter and Saturn suddenly were on a collision course, On December 21, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn were closer than they've been in nearly 400 years. This legendary event has an epic name. You could see both planets in the same telescope view. They appeared as a single star in the evening sky. But they were still pretty far from an astronomical collision. If the two gas giants came a little closer, it wouldn't be the first time Jupiter has gone head-to-head with another planet. And you could probably guess who won that battle. Both Jupiter and Saturn are almost entirely gaseous, primarily consisting of hydrogen and helium. And while they may have solid cores, there is no sharp transition between the layers. Jupiter would have some significant advantages. It's about three times as massive as Saturn, with almost double the volume. And it's moving faster too. Jupiter's rotation speed reaches 13 km/s (8.1 mi/s), while Saturn rotates at just below 10 km/s (6 mi/s). But Saturn brings a wild card to the fight. Within its two rings, there are at least 150 moons and moonlets. If the planets drew closer together, Jupiter’s strong gravitational pull would cause these moons, moonlets, rocks, dust and ice to accelerate toward it. Some of them would be torn apart. That's what happened when the comet, Shoemaker-Levy 9, collided with Jupiter in 1994. Originally, the comet was nearly 2 km (1.2 mi) wide. But by the time it crashed, Jupiter’s gravity had torn it to pieces. Those fragments smashed into Jupiter with the force of 300 million atomic bombs. And that heated Jupiter's atmospheric temperature to nearly 40,000 °C (72,000 °F). Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, is over 2,000 times larger than that comet. So the force of it alone colliding with Jupiter would be massive. If Jupiter and Saturn collided, they would begin to merge. Their atmospheres would mix. That would raise the temperatures in the top layers of the gas giants' atmospheres. It would get so hot that Jupiter would experience a chemical reaction, gaining more iron, silicates and even water. Eventually, Jupiter would absorb Saturn. Or most of it. Scientists at Sun Yat-Sen University in China modeled a scenario about what happened when a massive planetary embryo, about ten times the size of Earth, collided with Jupiter 4.5 billion years ago. The impact was so energetic that it destroyed Jupiter’s original compact core. This formed a more diluted core composed of a dense mix of liquid metallic hydrogen and helium. But if Jupiter collided with Saturn, that event would be ten times more massive. Large amounts of material would spread out in space. And then, all that material would come together into a single planetary object. We'd call it New Jupiter or Jupiturnus. And maybe, that new planet would cause more trouble in the Solar System than you might expect. Jupiter is sometimes referred to as a failed star. That's because its size and composition are similar to a brown dwarf. But Jupiturnus would be more massive and have higher internal pressure. If the temperature was high enough, this could cause nuclear fusion in its core. Jupiturnus could become a star. And the impact of having two stars in our planetary neighborhood would be huge. It could even mean the end of life on Earth. Now, don't worry. If these two planets merged, Jupiturnus would have a mass 30% greater than Jupiter. But for nuclear fusion to ignite, the planet would need to reach a mass of 75 Jupiters. So life on Earth would go on. But this would be a spectacular show with tons of gas and debris expelled. Maybe it would all be illuminated by the Sun, giving us a beautiful, glittering end to Saturn as we know it. At least this time, Jupiter didn't go on a rampage and swallow every planet in our Solar System, including Earth. Well, not this time because that would be a story for another WHAT IF.
By Consolata2 years ago in Fiction
Pen & Inktober
11. Wander The ship bobbed and swayed, tostled by the ether as it bounded aimlessly across the stars. With no heading or destination in mind, Xan gazed through the window of their starcruiser as the universe flittered by. The alien creature was often struck with the affliction of wanderlust, taking to the stars at a moment's notice with so much as an Anterian goodbye. He didn't know what he was seeking, he just hoped that one day he would find it, hopefully without crashing.
By Nick Cennamo-Smith2 years ago in Fiction
The Fortune Teller
Madam Hecate poured water into a small old oak beer keg and peered intensely at its surface. After a few minutes, she sneaked a peek at the woman sitting across from her and intoned, “A picture emerges.” With any luck, the old biddy would fall for her line.
By Petra Van Geenen2 years ago in Fiction