Series
Heavenly Seas - Chapter Eleven
“This is your deputy captain speaking. Due to unforeseen incidents involving the disappearance of our Captain, Heavenly Seas will not be calling in Honolulu today. Heavenly Seas would like to assure passengers there are no strange creatures or illegal substances on the boat. But threat not, we will call in tomorrow and have another sea day. All excursions have been rearranged. Thank you for your understanding.”
By Chloe Gilholy6 months ago in Fiction
Hearts against the Storm
Two weeks later, the world had changed — or maybe we had changed enough to see it clearly. The headlines were still buzzing. Investigations were underway. Arrests had been made in the land fraud case tied to my uncle’s death. My father's political allies had started to disappear like shadows under sunlight.
By Mehmood Niaz6 months ago in Fiction
Hearts against the Storm
The night was colder than usual, with a restless wind scraping across the empty roads as I rode toward the old farmhouse. I had no backup. No phone. Just the folded copy of the evidence Hamza had given me, tucked in my inner coat pocket. And a flicker of hope that somehow, this meeting — this trap — might be the end of it all.
By Mehmood Niaz6 months ago in Fiction
Hearts against the Storm
The sun had barely risen over the horizon when I opened my eyes in Hamza’s small apartment. The air was still, heavy with tension. Alya lay beside me on the mattress, curled up, clutching the shawl Hamza had given her the night before. I could see the bruise on her arm — Azeel’s mark. My blood boiled at the sight.
By Mehmood Niaz6 months ago in Fiction
Hearts against the Storm
The SUV disappeared into the dust of the road before I could even take a step. I stood there frozen, the world spinning around me. Alya had been crying. Her eyes had locked with mine. She wanted me to stop him. To save her. But I was too slow.
By Mehmood Niaz6 months ago in Fiction
Hearts Against the Storm
The first time I saw Alya, she was standing beneath the old mulberry tree in our school’s back garden, sunlight tangled in her hair, her scarf fluttering like a silent rebellion against the breeze. She was humming to herself — unaware, I think, that someone was falling in love with her from across the corridor.
By Mehmood Niaz6 months ago in Fiction
Punk Tactics
That night, everyone was in their own world. While Bob considered the new business venture, Louise was searching for a pair of party planners. She decided that like most modern teens, she would search online, scouring social media for any clue as to where they could be working for places they frequented. The search hadn’t gone so well, knowing much about those twins seemed like asking an impossible question. These twins are masters of staying under the radar, they were known for throwing wild parties, it makes sense and yet, they’ve managed to stay out of pictures, not even making it into the background of others’ posts. This search has been nothing but exhausting but mostly because Louise had spent the entire night stalking Tammy’s online accounts from her last year of high school. All the parties she’s weaseled her way in, all the obnoxious duck lips selfies, like, how outdated. Louise almost throws up just thinking about that. The generic teenage exposure felt like it was infecting her ever so slightly. A terrifying though, indeed. Gene sat in his room, sprawled across his bed with his trusted songbook in hand, going over past unfinished works and taking notes on new ideas. With the upcoming event he’s planning for, he found himself very self-conscious about his music, the lyrics, and whether he’s even good enough. Meanwhile Bob sits in the kitchen with Linda, he moans as he ponders all the unlikely scenarios of agreeing to franchise the restaurant.
By Dylan-Quinn Harris6 months ago in Fiction
Episode 14: The Meeting Beneath the Ash
They called it neutral ground, but there’s no such thing anymore. The city library had burned down in the third month—flames and screams and paperback confetti—but the basement was still standing. So that’s where we met. Between the cracked pillars and the sleeping mold, beneath a banner that used to say SUMMER READING IS LIT!
By Paper Lantern6 months ago in Fiction
TESTIMONY OF AN EYE-WITNESS BY VICTOR HUGO. AI-Generated.
In the days leading up to December 1, 1851, France was calm—too calm. Charras, a cautious man by nature, even unloaded his pistols. The idea of a coup seemed ridiculous. People laughed at the thought that Louis Bonaparte, the President, could ever destroy the Republic. After all, who would believe a man like him capable of such a massive betrayal?
By Ahsan ullah6 months ago in Fiction
