Short Story
A Dance at Midnight
By Royal Decree every seventy years to celebrate the aligning of the planets there was to be a grand festival; this festival was free and open to all: young and old, rich and poor, healthy and ill, and people of all races. While the festival itself was only one day, creatures came from all over the Quadrants for the event, so the local shopkeeps displayed their best and most colourful wares and offered special deals for days before. The inns and food vendors offered live music for their patrons and a wide variety of local and foreign foods were cooked, their aromas mixing in the streets. Throughout the city there were private parties for three days leading to the festival and for the next day after.
By Dionearia Redabout 2 hours ago in Fiction
Mirror on the Wall
GillVille Drive was a quiet neighbourhood with recently paved roads, manicured lawns, a playground and soccer field, and houses much too large and extravagant for the average person to afford. Some houses had two garages, third floor balconies, backyard ponds, and one even had solar lights in the shape of owls and pinecones lining the walkway to its massive oak front door. This such house was the left half of a duplex. The other half was unoccupied, but balloons of yellow, white, and blue brushed against each other softly in the wind. On each balloon was written the words “open house” with too many exclamation marks. The balloons looked cheap and informal. They stood out for that reason. Two of the yellow ones had already popped. They dangled limply on their string.
By Gillian Corsiattoabout 10 hours ago in Fiction
Field of the Fallen
Sunlight danced softly across the frost-crusted fields, making the little blades of grass sparkle like emeralds. The faraway chirrup of a songbird was the only disruption to the quiet of the morning. An icy chill, the last vestige of the dying winter, clung to the air, settling in a thick white mist at the far side of the open field. The heavy stench of decay hung in that mist, punctuation by the sharp tang of freshly spilled blood.
By A. J. Schoenfeldabout 12 hours ago in Fiction
The Throne Room
The smoke hung heavy in the air, overtaking the sweet and savory smells that permeated the festival. The wooden poles that held the steel grates over the roaring flames were overturned, and the meats were ravaged by the beasts that hunted with the red-eyed shifter.
By KA Stefana about 13 hours ago in Fiction
TCoE: Climb
A scoff erupted from above. "You'll never make it," a man's ragged voice sneered. A twelve-year-old boy with messy dark hair and tan skin pulled his brown eyes from the parchment in his shaking hands. The sharp, resentful words cut his heart, leaving it frozen and gradually draining. The skinny lad was a bit taken aback by the stranger's harshness, but he mentally fought hard to brush it off. After a few moments, the bitter man who taunted the boy removed the hood of his cloak to reveal a scarred face. The man had wrinkly, tanned skin and long, dark hair.
By Mel E. Furnishabout 14 hours ago in Fiction
Calamity "Callie" Shortfuse. Content Warning.
So, Miss Shortfuse... Neat name. Very nice to meet you. May I call you Calamity? Callie, if it's all the same to ya. You only call me "Calamity," when you're beggin' for your life. So Callie is just fine.
By Madison "Maddy" Newtonabout 15 hours ago in Fiction
Paradise Acres
Thank you for participating in our tour. To help you settle in, we are offering an instructional class that will help guide you through the final stages of the application process. Contracts must be signed and turned in before entering. We look forward to meeting you. And remember: Paradise is only an acre away.
By April Singletaryabout 17 hours ago in Fiction
