Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Fiction.

Oversight
Mel stood in the middle of the wasteland he’d been traversing for…hours? Days? He wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure of anything. He turned to look at the tracks he’d left in the sand and watched as the farthest ones began to disappear on the growing breeze. In the distance there was a mountain range, which had been his compass for as long as he could remember. Despite walking directly away from the range for quite some time, the mountains hadn’t changed in stature. They stood, mocking him, just as large as they had the last four times he’d looked at them. His lips cracked and ached as he opened his mouth to yawn, feeling the dryness of his tongue and grains of sand between his teeth. He patted along his torso until he heard faint crinkling and, from his breast pocket, he pulled a folded piece of paper. It was worn and seamless, it’s texture closer to that of thin cotton, and as he unfolded it he tried to remember why it was there in the first place. He would’ve read the words aloud if he’d had the extra strength.
By Jack Gaul5 years ago in Fiction
Reality Tears & Screams
Gideon stared out the massive window in his 49th floor office. All of Chicago sprawled below. One by one the lights from skyscrapers and street-lamps twinkled on in the approaching dusk to compete with the night sky for supremacy. So far, the city was still winning.
By Chris Low5 years ago in Fiction
Mommy's Boy
Under his mother's thumb from the day, he is born. Mark, a 45-year-old man who still resides at his parent's home. He never knew his father. That man fled when Mark was born. His father was incapable of understanding his wife's mental state, and he could not cope with such a responsibility. She is eight months pregnant and bipolar, and her moods can be very Jekyll and Hyde. One minute nice, the next evil. And, because of the stress, his father dated different women behind Mary's back. When she found out about his additional lovers, she flew at him with a knife. Finally, the family physician, Dr. Brown, admitted Mary into a Mental institution, where she gave birth to Mark. The child's life commenced in foster homes until she is deemed suitable.
By Deborah5 years ago in Fiction
Vertigo
The sweltering heat poured off the writhing form of multiple bodies crashing into each other like a pit of boiling water, their hands waving creating the effect of bubbles popping against the surface. I asked myself once more why I endured the noxious fumes of bodily fluids, burning sensation of physical contact and music so loud the force of it surely changed the pace of my heart beat. I looked towards Bethany, her brown hair loose and waving about her like an image blurred, her crimson nails darting flashes of color against her dark tan skin and black dress, the Jesus that hung from her neck catching the swirling lights and winking as though it was amused by the irony of religion in such a god-forsaken place as this. That was why. I scanned the crowd, fishing for something interesting to do with the next few hours I'd be here.
By I.T.O. Tails5 years ago in Fiction
Keepsakes
Keepsakes, things that we hold dear to us, that are given to us or that we find, something that holds meaning, love and memories, I kept things over the years that I liked or found special, but none compared to the one keepsake that I was given one day when I needed it the most.
By Kristina RICHARDSON5 years ago in Fiction
The Silent Organ
The bells started again. This time closer than they had been before. The intervals were short, evenly paced, and jarringly loud, creating orange rings in the sky like fireworks overhead.
By Eliza Begon5 years ago in Fiction
Shards
The endless asphalt crumbled beneath her feet. She kept moving. The desert wind stirred the hardpan into a maelstrom of grit. Still she kept moving. The sun baked the water from her pores, and her emaciated limbs ached with each step, and the carrion birds marked her passage with their greedy beaks at the ready for the day that finally she fell – but she kept moving. For all the world was a tomb, and it consumed those who sat idle.
By Terrence Hart5 years ago in Fiction
THE LAST WALTZ
Well, that is odd, I thought to myself. Amid the rubble and debris, the remaining shell-shocked population shambling about in despair, there it was, the only thing visible with any real shape, substance, or meaning. I froze momentarily from rummaging thru the debris of a burnt-out house looking for any morsel of food or something resembling it. I brushed the tangled mop of unwashed hair away from my face with my tattered gloved hand. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. And yet it wasn’t the first time, nor the second. For weeks I had noticed it. Recently the occasions seemed to be happening more frequently For an instant, I was awash in memories of another time and place, a happier time, a simpler place. I was jolted back to my current reality by the insistent growling in my stomach and the noisy approach of others on the same search as I was. The crazed look in their eyes as they scrambled over piles of broken concrete and shattered dreams hurried me along with the few unlabeled cans I managed to find.
By Jill Hampton James5 years ago in Fiction
Ravagers and Reapers
Ophelia wanted nothing more than to have the heart of the most eligible bachelor, Dante Hales. He was tall, dirty blond hair, striking blue eyes, and a dazzling smile. In these earth shattering times, he’s one of the only men her age. Ever since the Outbreak, half of humanity is gone. The Outbreak was caused by a horrible biohazardous substance that was added into a soda pop, Shoppa’Pops, everyone thinks it was added on purpose by some lunatic.
By Tahsys Merrill5 years ago in Fiction
Her Final Voyage
There was a time where she remembered looking up to the sky and seeing the world as it used to be. Bright blue pools of wonder dancing with life and imagination, clouds twisting into various shapes while she and her sister lay in a field of green. The days were long and full of hope, everything seemed possible then.
By Cameron Hegler5 years ago in Fiction
Dear Diary.....
Dear Diary………. Its March, the weather here is so unpredictable. Freezing temperatures one minute and then scalding hot the next. We are adjusting though. The artificial gardens are producing fresh vegetables, and we are adjusting to the artificial proteins in our diet. I have not been feeling myself. I have been keeping with the strict sleeping schedule. But the fatigue is slowly wearing on me. I have a slight tickle in the back of my throat. I keep clearing it, but that is about it. Adjusting to this new climate and atmosphere is harder than I thought. I spoke to Ken the other day; he is one of the “elders” here. Nice guy. He has a great sense of humor and makes me laugh. It has been a long time since I have laughed. We have all come so far, and yet still so far to go. Private documentation is not allowed here. Only the “elders” are allowed to supervise documentation for the colony. But with everything going on, I can’t help but feel that an “non-doctored” documentation should exist, somewhere at least. So, I’ll keep this hidden, along with a few things I brought with me. My lucky rabbits foot, a picture of my parents with my sister, and of course most important my heart shaped locket…………..
By Danielle Shoemaker5 years ago in Fiction
Queens and Drones
Once we accepted that virtually all problems throughout history were caused by a necessary evil, we understood that we must maintain the necessary part, but eliminate the evil. That is why men will only be sustained for procreation. After that, they serve no useful purpose and must be eliminated. Only by doing this can we create a society that works together for the good of everyone. --The Book of the First Queens
By Antonella Di Minni5 years ago in Fiction