Psychological
A Shadow Eats the Light. Runner-Up in A Knock at the Door Challenge.
You live in a cabin in the woods. You left the world behind on purpose. You lived a good life back in those days but as you grew older and more of your cherished loved ones passed on, you preferred nature to the big city.
By C. Rommial Butler4 months ago in Fiction
One More Round
There was a knock at the door. Three of them, actually. Jax froze with his hand on the arm of the couch, the sound cutting through the air. Nobody knocked on his door anymore, not in a long time, not since everything stopped feeling like a home. It sounded like Misty’s knock. He stood up slowly, his heart pushing against his ribs like it wanted out, and crossed the living room that still smelled faintly of her perfume, no matter how many times he cleaned. The door handle felt cold in his palm. As he turned it and opened the door, there she was, Misty, standing there with her hair pulled back the way she wore it when she was about to spar, eyes bright and wide. Her lips curled into a small smile that hit him right in the chest.
By Joey Raines4 months ago in Fiction
The Cog-Boy of Aethel. AI-Generated.
Master Elara Vance found him three hours later. The workshop that had once been Baron Von Greed's private laboratory was now a scene of controlled chaos. Academy artificers worked alongside city engineers to catalog the Baron's equipment (the man himself had vanished in the confusion following the resonance cascade). Awakened automatons wandered the space, some weeping electronically as they rediscovered their suppressed memories, others simply marveling at the return of choice to their existence.
By Shane D. Spear4 months ago in Fiction
The Envelopes. Winner in A Knock at the Door Challenge.
They gave me a watch before they gave me the keys. "No digital," the day attendant said, digging through the cluttered office drawer. "Here." She dropped a weight into my palm; a worn, old-fashioned wristwatch with a domed glass and a second hand that ticked like a heartbeat.
By Autumn Stew4 months ago in Fiction
Akashic Coffee
Victoria Mendoza pushed the door open to Akashic Coffee, the chime overhead a soft whisper against the hush of coastal morning. The air inside was steeped in espresso and wood smoke, the soundscape a mixture of lo-fi beats and soft laughter from other early risers. It was one of those San Luis Obispo mornings when the fog still hugged the mountains, reluctant to leave.
By Tony Martello4 months ago in Fiction
Heavely Seas Chapter 15
It took at least two hours for Apollo to adjust to his birth name. He responded to both Heath and Apollo, but the latter seemed to have fit. He never wanted to be here in the first place. Nearly every day he resisted the urge to steal a lifeboat and sail away. The only thing that stopped him was where would he go? He could never bring himself to leave his family behind.
By Chloe Gilholy4 months ago in Fiction
Free Me, Please!
To the now-adult children who were read Kolobok in childhood: Greetings from the Fox's underbelly. Literally. I've been ghosting here for as long as parents continue reading my story to their children. Quite frankly, I am fed up. Sorry for the pun but I want out. So hear me out.
By Lana V Lynx4 months ago in Fiction
Behind Bars, Beyond Borders: The Struggle of the Global Sumud Flotilla
Behind Bars, Beyond Borders: The Struggle of the Global Sumud Flotilla The roar of the sea had been replaced by the clang of iron doors. For the activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla, who had set sail with nothing but hope and humanitarian aid, the sudden transition from open waves to concrete cells felt surreal. Yet, even in captivity, their mission refused to die.
By Wings of Time 4 months ago in Fiction
