Short Story

Introduction
Life isn’t always a straight line. Sometimes, we sprint ahead only to realize we need a moment to catch our breath, reassess, and rethink. That pause, often seen as a setback, can actually be the most powerful catalyst for growth. Stepping back doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you’re preparing to leap further than before.
By olxia10 28 days ago in Fiction
I’ll Explain This Later
I’ll explain this later—why I kept my coat on inside the house, why the room felt colder after you left than it ever did in winter. There was a reason, I tell myself, something orderly and sensible, but all I can remember now is the sound of the door closing and how the air seemed to rearrange itself afterward.
By Jhon smith29 days ago in Fiction
Syncope
The clinic looked like nothing. It had no windows, no signage, and no presence except the faint antiseptic tang that clung to your skin even after leaving. The walls inside glowed with a colorless intensity that didn’t register as light so much as pressure.
By Fatal Serendipity29 days ago in Fiction
The Birthday Party That Broke the Pattern
Introduction Some children collect toys or stickers. Sarah Peterson collects patterns. Numbers, letters, names, dates — if it fits, she notices it. If it matches, she loves it. And when her tenth birthday lands on the tenth day of the tenth month, she decides her celebration should be as perfectly arranged as the world she treasures. But even the most carefully planned day has room for surprise, and sometimes the unexpected guest is the one who changes everything.
By Margaret Minnicks29 days ago in Fiction
To Serve and Reign
Her truck took the sharp turns of the mountain road with ease. She had driven these switchbacks barefoot for most of her life, back when her father could still lift a fence post and her mother still came back from the store.
By Fatal Serendipity29 days ago in Fiction
The 13th Floor Meeting
The building directory says twelve floors. It’s printed in brushed steel in the lobby. I’ve traced it with my finger while waiting for elevators more times than I can count. Floors 1 through 12. No skipped numbers. No maintenance levels. No penthouse.
By V-Ink Stories29 days ago in Fiction
After-Hours HR
The email came in at 1:32 a.m. No subject line. Just a calendar invite and a single sentence in the body: Mandatory check-in. 1:45 a.m. HR Office.
By V-Ink Stories29 days ago in Fiction
The Art of Burning
"Beautiful, isn't it?" "Beautiful? Are you blind? That is Blackwood Manor, Elias. This place is hell. We gotta go. Now." "Don't look at the smoke. Look at the color. See that blue streak right in the middle of the flame? Right by the window frame."
By Fathi Jalil29 days ago in Fiction
Thriller Red
It’s dark. Zarodie couldn’t see anything. She gingerly moved forward extending her arms as barriers so her body wouldn’t hit anything.
By Devond Devoe29 days ago in Fiction
Bakhashic World
It may have been gloomy and slippery outside, but that didn’t stop Lysenius from walking in the house with a big smile upon his face.
By Devond Devoe29 days ago in Fiction
Vessel Control Part III
Vapor trails issued from the stick. Gunnar Mayser walked the passageways. His gummy footwear never made a sound. He puffed on his vape stick. More of the smoke-like stuff puffed out and swirled about him like a morning mist.
By Skyler Saunders29 days ago in Fiction
The Director. Content Warning.
“Don’t tighten it.” “It’s slipping.” “It’s cutting.” “Good.” “Don’t say good.” “Breathe.” “Don’t tell me to breathe like you’re helping.”
By Richard Patrick Gage29 days ago in Fiction