Psychological

The Illusion of Impact
Work was done for the day. I hop in my truck; body covered in drywall dust. I am large, standing 6 feet and 6 inches tall. I am covered so much in this white dust that my daughter calls me the abominable snowman. I laugh when she says that. Roll my eyes in gesture. She’s only six and the way she pronounces such a big word makes me laugh even harder. Like when the person’s laugh is funnier than the joke that was just told.
By Amy5 months ago in Fiction
Looking Ahead
Rain came down so hard and fast that it seemed edible, like noodles steaming fresh from the pot. All she could see were the dark streaks of liquid against the white cones of the Portland streetlights. The water splashed up from the ground as hard as it came down, so she was soaked from her feet on up, despite the protection of her black mac.
By Alison McBain5 months ago in Fiction
Waiting for Next Time. Runner-Up in The Shape of the Thing Challenge. Content Warning.
The first time was during the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, back in the spring of 2010. One of the largest environmental disasters in history, they said, the equivalent of about 4.9 million barrels spilled. The Deepwater Horizon spill broke records that had previously been set in 1979, with the Ixtoc I oil spill—didn’t just break them, but obliterated them.
By GL5 months ago in Fiction
Key To The Past. Winner in The Shape of the Thing Challenge. Top Story - September 2025.
When they arrived at 4416 Oak Lane, what they saw was a __shock⚡ to their system. The house... See? The rumors weren't true. Yay.
By Lightning Bolt ⚡5 months ago in Fiction
Palimpsest of You
The alarm, that is to say, your alarm, signifies it's time to start our day. Time to get up, face the day, as you often say.
By Paul Stewart5 months ago in Fiction
Give. Honorable Mention in The Shape of the Thing Challenge. Content Warning.
The words he said to everyone he approached: "Give me what I have asked for. If you don't, I have friends who will come and we will take everything from you. Not only that, we may take other liberties with you, your family and neighbours. You have a choice. Give me what I want or suffer the consequences, and you don't want to suffer the consequences, do you? Would you like to see what might happen? Here are some properties that my friends have applied their talents to; yours could be the same if you do not give me what I am due"
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 5 months ago in Fiction
The Last Sunset: A Tale of Love and Loss
The sun hung low over the horizon, spilling gold and crimson across the quiet seaside town. On the weathered pier, Eleanor stood, her fingers tracing the cracks in the wood as if searching for answers hidden in its grain. She hadn’t expected him to be here. Not today. Not after all the years of silence and absence.
By Kamran Zeb5 months ago in Fiction
Echoes Without a Voice
The house was never silent. It breathed. Even after the last tenant left, after the realtor locked the door and taped a faded for Sale sign to the iron gate, the old house exhaled at night. Wooden ribs in the staircase flexed. The walls ticked like a heartbeat beneath paint the color of forgotten lilies.
By Farhan5 months ago in Fiction
I dreamt of flying away to Neverland - A story on how escapism became survival. Content Warning.
I was a lonely child. A child who felt lost. So, when the 1988 Peter Pan animation was played in front of me, suddenly, a world where I felt entirely alone turned vibrant and hopeful. I had something to wish for, something to believe in... and that gave me purpose.
By J.M5 months ago in Fiction
The Mimic At The Edge
City folks exhausted by routine. Figures moving through streets and parks, half-forgotten. Shadows hover strangely when no one watches.
By Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin5 months ago in Fiction
When Trust Breaks
Trust. Such a fragile word, yet it holds the power to build or break entire lives. I learned this not through books or wise sayings but through the scars life left on me—scars that still ache when the nights get too quiet.
By Nadeem Shah 5 months ago in Fiction
The Letter I Was Never Meant to Read
It was a quiet evening when I stumbled upon the letter. The house was unusually still, the kind of silence that presses on your chest and makes you feel like something is about to change. I hadn’t been looking for secrets; I was simply searching for an old notebook in the wooden chest my mother kept locked in her room. But fate has a strange way of revealing truths when we least expect them.
By Nadeem Shah 5 months ago in Fiction