Top Stories
New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
The Ridiculously Cute Squirrels of the Taj Mahal
There are a lot of rules about what you can and can't do and bring in to the Taj Mahal, but nature won't be governed. While there, I saw a cat (a surprisingly rare sight in Agra, compared to Mumbai - but maybe I just wasn't there long enough), a dog, several pink-bummed monkeys and hundreds of these tiny, pretty squirrels.
By TheSpinstress 11 months ago in Wander
Abandoned Wishes Ep2
Dear Archivist, Bold move taking both pills. We won’t know how the nanobots will interact with each other, but you appear to still be alive and employed. You’ll find a list of regular daily duties stuck to the fridge with a banana magnet. That being said, it is time to start your first inbound neutralization and transcript. Along with this letter you will find a parcel. Listen to the voice recording prior to opening and handle with care.
By Amos Glade11 months ago in Fiction
1 Article Could Change Your Whole Life
Yesterday, I spent two hours watching YouTube videos on creativity, and I stumbled upon a video featuring singer/songwriter/producer/composer, Marshia Ambrosius. If you don’t know who Marshia is; she’s one of the most successful British songwriters. She’s also written songs for Michael Jackson and many others.
By Edina Jackson-Yussif 11 months ago in Art
The Rebellious Spirit of a Brown Girl
I belong to India where a lot of expectations are placed on brown girls. It entails carrying the burden of the "good girl" stereotype all the time. Society expects me to prioritize other people's viewpoints over my own, frequently at the expense of my goals and ambitions. It is rebellion to defend myself. Even if it costs me to respect people who are trying to destroy my life, I must keep quiet and listen. A girl already had so much pressure the day she was born. But what about the boys? Brown girls are always instructed to sit properly, not laugh loudly, not talk to boys and always be docile and soft. Why is a girl's gender the requirement to clean the house or be in the kitchen?
By Hridya Sharma11 months ago in Confessions
Pathogen, Ch. 3. Content Warning.
Marnie walked around in a kind of trance the rest of the day, unable to process what she'd learned in first period. Trevor Kennedy couldn't be dead. There was no way. Based on everything she knew about him - which admittedly wasn't much - he was healthier than a horse; tall, funny, good-natured, and captain of the varsity basketball team. Captains of high school basketball teams did not just drop dead like fruit flies.
By Natalie Gray12 months ago in Horror
One Husband Too Many
In Chapter 4: Jake has interviewed staff at the bar where Greg was seen leaving, and learns he’d made or received a call just prior to that. He has pieced together information about Elise which will need to be confirmed. He ends the day at his favorite watering hole.
By Marie McGrath12 months ago in Chapters
Before It Ends. Content Warning.
I sat there for several moments trying to process everything that Aunt Mina had said. A curse put on the family by my Aunt Renee? This "shadow" that would try to drag my mom under the bed? It definitely sounded like something that could be induced by too much drinking. Maybe Aunt Mina was right? Maybe it was just my mom freaking out over old memories and hallucinations brought on by drinking too much? But... when mom was screaming and freaking out at me... she was sober. She hadn't drank any alcohol that night before bed... something was not adding up.
By Luna Verity11 months ago in Chapters
Fate/Choice
Swarmed by the crazed horde, Murphy and I were both taken prisoner before we had the chance to blink. I tried to fight, but my arms were being held down with so much force I feared they would break if I strained them. It was useless. They were too strong, too mean, and too many.
By Kale Sinclair12 months ago in Fiction
Glass Dolls
Spoiler Alert: There aren't any here. One of the best things about writing on Vocal is the support that comes from brilliant creators. Then, of course, there's the privilege of reading their work. I've been a huge fan of L.C. Shäfer's writing since I was fortunate enough to find it here. Given that, it should come as no surprise that Glass Dolls was the first book in print by a fellow Vocal author I purchased.
By Dana Crandell11 months ago in BookClub
Let Him Give You Rest
Matthew 11:28–30 NIV “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
By Michelle Renee Kidwell12 months ago in Journal
Stop Killing Us.. Content Warning.
In 2024, approximately 350 trans and gender non-conforming people were murdered in hate attacks around the world. Nine out of ten of these attacks were on trans people of colour: specifically Black trans women. And each year, the figures increase. As of February 20, 2025, eight new anti-trans bills have been passed in seven states. It's aggravating, isn't it? In 2024, there were nearly five hundred mass shootings in the United States. People are dying because they cannot afford medications that will save their lives. Climate change is heating up the Arctic twice as fast as anywhere else on Earth. Yet, all anyone cares about is taking away the rights of trans people.
By Antiquity Anecdotes11 months ago in Humans
