Read stories written by talented authors from around the globe.

In the mystical realm of Aquacora, where the sea met the sky, Cora's enchanting voice echoed through the waves. A gentle Siren with wings as delicate as a butterfly's, she sang to guide ships safely to shore. One fateful night, her melody lured Captain Bone's pirate vessel to a hidden cove. Captain Bone, a rugged pirate with a heart heavy from past losses, was initially wary of Cora's ethereal beauty. His violin, his sole...

In the heart of a quaint little town, there stood a charming library with tall shelves filled with books of all genres, attracting book lovers from near and far. Every afternoon, the library was a sanctuary for James Carson and Mary Jane, two young souls who found solace among the rows of books. The scent of aged paper and polished wood filled the air, and the soft rustle of turning pages created a comforting hush. It was...

I remember the joy of your laughter as we escaped to our meadow. Up there amongst the trees and those grass-covered hills, we giggled and danced in the dappled sunlight. With those mischievous eyes you would dare me, and I would strip off my dress and, laughing with delight, we would wade into the stream, splashing and yelling as we immersed ourselves in the icy water. Afterwards, we lay on that tattered old blanket as we...

I sit with my coffee watching for the morning light Waiting for a new day to begin It is as if you touch my hand and I am not alone As the light begins to peak over the mountain I feel energy build within Strength is coming back and a new spark of life Is building Darkness does not scare me like before Many things I still can not do alone But as long as the light comes over the mountain I will continue To believe To hope...

In the small, rundown jail on the outskirts of the city, the atmosphere was always tense. The prisoners, locked up in their cells, waited for the darkness to come. For them, it was a time of rest, a time to escape the harsh reality of their confinement. But for the guards, it was a time of vigilance, a time to ensure that no one tried to escape or cause trouble. On one particular night, a new guard, Jimmy Carson, made his...

Johnny Carson was a cop in the city, patrolling the streets every day with his trusty police car and his colleague, Mitchell Barsto. They were an unstoppable duo, always ready to take on any challenge that came their way. One evening, they parked their vehicle under a tree, taking a moment to enjoy the cool breeze. Suddenly, their walkie-talkie was blaring with a call about a murder on Lincoln Street. A man had been kille...

Henry was trotting along in the twilight looking for food. It was always twilight in the Arctic in Winter – except when it was completely dark. But since Henry was a trickster, he was looking for both food and fun. He loved laughing – especially at other people's expense. Suddenly he stopped, completely still, because he knew that movement could make the ptarmigan up ahead notice him. Henry’s fur was completely white in t...

Pete was five years younger than me and just got his degree. He was 2" taller, skinny, and probably the same weight. He had just got out of a relationship, and wanted relaxed fun which was good for me. My only concern was that he wasn't into exercise at all. I really wanted a guy that could keep physical and intellectual pace with me even as a friend. While I wasn't particularly fit by my standards due to work, I was stil...

I'm Kate, Sam's flatmate, and close friend since childhood. Sam and I became close friends in our first year at Area School. By the time we moved to secondary school, we could run down a hogget as well as any boy could. As most kids in our school, we both enjoyed going out hunting: if anything, more so than the boys as we really enjoyed the money from Possums, but the boys could carry and skin a Wallaby better than us. Bu...

This is a beautiful illustration from nature of how love and support work for the benefit of two. The thinner tree was cut years ago and the big one has been holding and feeding it since then. They "wake up" together in the spring and "go to sleep" together in the autumn. Inosculation is a natural phenomenon in which parts of two different trees, commonly but not exclusively the same species, grow together, self-grafting...

I know a quiet girl so shy, Head down, she rarely speaks. She fears the world around her— Anxiety's technique. ♡♡♡ Her salty tears shroud bright blue eyes, But no one sees her cry. The corner is her friend for now; She prays pain says, “Goodbye.” ♡♡♡ No hope in sight, her eyes snap shut; She dreams a little dream. Creating worlds where she'll belong— A rainbow-colored scheme. ♡♡♡ She'll dance on clouds and find her voice;...

Victor's first act of survival was completed out of sight of his forever family. It must have happened sometime during the year or so he had been alive. But that history was lost in the mists of time. Puppy time is mistier than people's time. In any case, he was a stray. And he had been sent to the shelter to wonder what the whole thing was about. It was in the colorful days of October when he got lucky. His Boss-to-be ha...

She did this every year, so the call came as no surprise. In fact, I had been expecting it for the last few days. The only surprise was that it took so long. I was sitting with my wife having our coffee after dinner when the phone rang. As I got up to answer, my wife gave me a knowing glance but did not say a word. It was as if we both knew instinctively. “Hello.” I started into the phone, “Oh, hi Mom. Yeah, I’d been expe...

They say that war is hell, it is. It’s a hell I unwittingly chose. I was fifteen at the time. I lived in a little known northern town in England. Not much happened in my town. The men went to work down the mines, the women stayed at home. It was all quite simple really; I could tell you all about it on a single page. Then the war came and everything changed. I watched as the men went off to war, my father included. They t...

Dear AuthorAs you may be aware from my earlier letters, I am one of your biggest fans. I loved your last book — and I don't just mean I liked it a lot. I mean I loved it the way a man loves his wife, his children, his parents. The way a drowning man loves a life jacket, or the stranger who dives into the water to rescue him, heedless of the danger; the way that stranger loves others more than himself. I really, really lov...

Break this down  Particle by particle Compare the matter To the grand scheme And blow it away To wherever dust twirls In a snowglobe of memories Like how my mouth brushed Your rough cheek, Or the satin of your lips, My fingers running through That crop of soft hair And over your smooth skin Blink. See the moments  Where the sun Caught the stars Burning in your eyes, Licking gold over The flip of your lashes As your crooke...

True Illumination There was once a lush and beautiful forest teeming with life, and any who passed through it felt refreshed and cheerful. Its borders stretched all the way from the village of Terrapacia, on the west, to the great waters of Undalar, on the East, and every time the people of the village held a wedding, or a feast, or a celebration of any kind, they held it in the forest. Now to the North, in the craggy wil...

FragmentedThat title — what on Earth could it mean?Has another heart been torn asunder?No, it refers to phrases trimmed too lean,Sentences lacking substance and thunder.Fragments, as they are commonly known;Lines missing at least one vital part.Though unable to stand on their own,They oft appear in literary art.These snippets bear just part of the blame —What a minefield writers must traverse!Run-ons to wrangle, tense shi...