Short Story

DECODING THE MAN FROM A NON-EXISTENT COUNTRY
On a summer day in Oia in 1954, at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, passengers streamed through passport control. Everything seemed normal until a middle-aged, well-dressed man approached the immigration counter. Customs officers examined his thick passport, and suddenly, an eerie silence fell. The passport appeared valid, containing visa stamps from numerous countries, but there was one inconsistency. It was issued by a country called Taured, a nation that didn't exist on Earth.
By HieuDinhabout a month ago in Fiction
When the Day Met the Night
In the beginning, before Earth’s creatures invaded space, there were only the celestial bodies, orbiting around each other. The moons lovingly orbited their planets, the planets orbited the sun, and the sun orbited nothing because the sun was the ruler of the Milky Way. The Earth’s young moon caught glimpses of the sun as she endlessly circled her planet. She smiled at the sun, and they always smiled back. As the months wore on, they grew closer and closer, until one day, the moon stood directly in front of the sun. They were breathtaking up close. Their golden hair flowed freely down to their waist. Sunspots dotted their sharp, angular face and they radiated a heat strong enough to scorch the Earth, but gentle enough to warm a weary traveler. And the moon felt drab and inadequate in their presence.
By Morey Guntzabout a month ago in Fiction
Four Ways to It
“Who’s next?” “Me, sir.” “Good. You have all the forms?” “Yes. All complete.” “Okay. Let me see… Right, so it is not a machine or…?”
By Kendall Defoe about a month ago in Fiction
The Bloop Man
“Wanna hear the one about the bloop man?” “No.” “Oh, come on! Why not? What the hell’s the matter with you?” “Dude, you already told it to me!”
By Canute Limariderabout a month ago in Fiction
Sweet Pumpkin Soup. Content Warning.
The taste of sweet pumpkin soup spread warmth through her body. She couldn’t help but smile as she gazed into the eyes of her saviour. He lifted the spoon, steady and patient, as if each mouthful mattered. He had learned the recipe just for her. His creamy, homemade pumpkin soup reminded her of childhood—of being looked after when illness took over. This was how he showed his endless care for her.
By Sharna Halliwellabout a month ago in Fiction
Santa Needs to Diet
Santa Needs to Diet Santa pulls on his red snowsuit and wrestles his boots into place. He waddles toward the ski lift at the North Pole’s only mountain resort, Frosty Peaks. The elf running the lift, Pip, watches him coming and looks worried.
By Marie381Uk about a month ago in Fiction
A Breath of Air and Light. Content Warning.
“Here, piggy piggy…” The Mokum stood eerily still, crouching near a vent and cycling through its memories from the previous compact. It attempted to locate the source of the whisper. The Mokum turned in all directions, flashing a floodlight on the now-illuminated room around it, but to no avail. The whisper did not repeat.
By Roman Haleabout a month ago in Fiction
Red Heels in the Quiet
Dan noticed it before Arturo said anything—the way his voice hesitated, the way his hands fidgeted like he was deciding whether or not to open a door he’d kept locked for years.
By Taslim Ullahabout a month ago in Fiction
Hiding Secrets
Step One: Name It Do not call it what it is. Names have power. Names have edges. Call it something else. Say it softly until you believe it.
By Emilie Turnerabout a month ago in Fiction
The Fairy Oak
Introduction I saw this image shared on Facebook by The Light Gathering Lens here. The music is "The Fairy Woods" by Tim Janis
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred about a month ago in Fiction
Day 7: Flood...a what? . Content Warning.
Assesment: Not being volunteer number one feels slightly desspointingly promising. When Cornman Ron asked what happened to the last ones, of course only learning that after, while I took hold of the approved recorder, he was shrugged off with a pat on his back. I folded a notebook in half to keep in my cargo pants for the experience journal Wolfman Patrick called necessary. That’s where it stayed, whether I gave a damn about what was happening here or not. I used previous recordings to get to where the last guy left off, sounding familiar as hell, to get a sense of what I was expecting. What curse would get me, what sacrifice would do me in? I don't know any more, and I used to like that.
By Willem Indigoabout a month ago in Fiction
Time
5:55am I toss my head back, savoring the cool air against my sweaty skin. The sky blossoms into a beautiful array of hues over my head. Birds sing as they stir in their nests, getting ready to take to the air. My legs tremble beneath me. I tap the screen on my watch to stop the timer. Seven minutes, ten seconds. So close. I wanted to break seven minutes so badly–I had since high school. I stumble forward, reaching for my bike and unhooking my water bottle from the metal bar. I take several deep gulps of cold water as I watch the surface of the river rush by, the falls thundering over the dam a few hundred yards away. The flowing water catches the earliest morning light, erupting in a treasure trove of glitter and sparkles.
By Phoenixica24about a month ago in Fiction