Latest Stories
Most recently published stories on Vocal.
Everyone Thought I Was Doing Fine
Everyone thought I was doing fine. I smiled when people expected me to. I replied to messages with enough enthusiasm to seem present. I showed up to work, family gatherings, and conversations without causing concern. From the outside, my life looked stable—boringly normal, even.
By TariqShinwari23 days ago in Humans
Beneath the Frost: A Winter Ritual
The first hints showed up when everything got quiet. Not just silence after wind died down, yet something heavier - like the whole valley paused mid-breath. Each autumn, once trees dropped their final leaves while water crept slow below ice-coated surface, quiet slipped into Irsen. Old folks claimed earth waited then, tuned in close, hunting one lone phrase.
By ZoHaib Khn23 days ago in Fiction
THE HOUSE THAT NEVER LET GO
On the southeastern shore of Loch Ness, where the water looks black even on bright days and the hills seem to lean inward, stands a white house that was never meant to be ordinary. Boleskine House does not announce itself with screams or shattered windows. It sits quietly, almost politely, as if nothing has ever gone wrong there.
By The Insight Ledger 23 days ago in History
Our Kindled Hearts
Pondering on the life span of a flame leaves one in an existential conundrum. Fire, as strong and intense and boastful as it appears is the most frail thing. The juxtaposition between its intensity and longevity is cruel beyond belief. The fragility of its life, how it’s at the mercy of all other elements, I find endlessly and heartbreakingly fascinating
By Victoria Cabrera23 days ago in Poets
