Latest Stories
Most recently published stories on Vocal.
'I Have no Mouth, And I Must Scream' by Harlan Ellison Has a New Meaning Depending on When You Read it
I read this story twice, the first time as a 14 year-old, and the second time yesterday. And I believe that depending on your circumstance, and where you are in life, you will extract different meanings from this story at the end.
By Hassan Alfarra19 days ago in BookClub
Losing weight for good is tricky, I think. People always wonder what the real secret
is to keeping it off over time. Its not like you can just drop pounds overnight or something. And yeah, life as an adult makes it tougher than when we were kids, where everything felt easier. You know, no more just wishing to go back and fix things. Weight loss takes real commitment, the kind that lasts, because starting over after you hit your goal sounds awful. So if you have made some progress, thats great. Now the focus shifts to holding onto that healthier you for years.
By hamse hamse19 days ago in Lifehack
The Lost People of Angikuni Lake
November 1930. The wind screamed across the frozen plains of what was then the Northwest Territories of Canada — a desolate and unforgiving landscape that would later become part of Nunavut. A lone fur trapper named Joe Labelle was making his way through deep snow toward an Inuit settlement he’d visited before, seeking shelter from the harsh cold. What he found there stopped him dead.
By Strange Enough To Be True19 days ago in Horror
Addiction and Grief: A Complex Dance
Addiction and grief are woven together like threads in an intricate fabric, shaping lives with their mutual influence on each other. Grief can drive people to self-medicate with substances, often leading to dependency, which in turn activates profound sorrow for both the individual and their loved ones. This profound connection between the diverse forms of grief, and the development and exacerbation of addictive behaviors, results in a painful cycle that can be difficult to break.
By Deborah Kourgelis19 days ago in Psyche
How to Prepare for a Successful TV Guest Appearance on CNN, NewsNation, and Bloomberg With Confidence
A television interview on a major news network can shape how the public sees you. These appearances move fast and leave little room for error. That is why learning how to prepare for a successful TV guest appearance is essential before stepping in front of the camera. CNN, NewsNation, and Bloomberg expect guests who are informed, calm, and unambiguous. With the proper preparation, you can deliver your message with confidence and make a strong impression.
By Spencer Hakimian19 days ago in Photography
The Last Customer. AI-Generated.
The bookstore had survived longer than most promises. Tucked between two modern buildings that constantly changed owners, the shop remained unchanged—dusty wooden shelves, warm yellow lights, and a bell above the door that rang like it had something important to announce. Sameer believed the shop existed outside of time. Everything else moved forward. The bookstore waited.
By shakir hamid19 days ago in Criminal
The Story Needed a Villain. So It Chose Me.
I don’t remember the first time someone looked at me like I was dangerous. That’s the problem with stories. They don’t start where we think they do. They start quietly, invisibly, when a thought forms in someone else’s mind and finds a place to stay.
By Aarsh Malik19 days ago in Fiction
When the Quiet Finally spoke
Chapter One: The Shape of Silence Elena Marais learned, early on, how to make herself small without disappearing entirely.It was a delicate balance—existing without inviting attention, breathing without being heard. She had mastered it the way some people mastered languages or instruments. Quiet became her second skin.The café opened at six every morning, but Elena arrived at half past five, when the town still slept and the ocean breathed slowly in the distance. She liked those thirty minutes of solitude. The smell of ground coffee. The soft hum of the refrigerator. The predictable comfort of setting cups in neat rows, handles aligned, ready for hands that would soon wrap around them.
By Alice Van Heerden19 days ago in Fiction
