Short stories, flash fiction, social network for writers and story lovers

2

vote

anthonychansa

Backwards (Part 1)

Adjusting the clock backwards

3

vote

Paperboy

Weinland Research Institute; Level 4, Lab Center 6 “‘Specimen Delta-Alpha 8102.60.9’, ” Magnusson read aloud from the container label. He drew a sample from it and applied it to a glass disc. “Specimen Delta-Alpha...” Samuels repeated, pausing to yawn, “... 8102.60.9.” He took the glass and placed it under the microscope. A sigh wheezed from his lungs before he blinked through...Read On

9

vote

Survivor

The Crawlspaces of Life

Who's going down there... it's you

There're crawly things down there. Damp and dusty and moldy. Has to be done. Maybe a drain needs to be snaked out. Costs a lot. Maybe you're the only one can crawl through. Someone has to do it. Once, long ago, your dad was too old and you did the job. The last time you were older than your dad had been. But, still, you're doing the work. Doing dirty jobs that need to be done. ...Read On

7

vote

maryruth

Magic around you

When the wind blows A chill in the air Gentle rain falls Or a hard thunderstorm Stars that shine bright Or clouds hide the light Hot summers days And cold winter nights The magic around With each sign will tell Your never alone I'll always be near ...Read On

5

vote

AnnaMayZing

The Long Road Home. Chapter 5.

“You taught me a lesson I will not forget, Matron. I am not a soldier, I am a doctor..."

Rome. May 19 th 1943 Maria had been right. The camp, a compound comprising of ten, makeshift wooden huts arranged in two rows, was situated adjacent to Ciampino aerodrome for the very purpose of repatriating the more seriously wounded. It transpired that their presence there was no accident. They had been sent there because of their experience in Libya and their training in...Read On

3

vote

MikeStone

A Riddle for Shabbat

Did you know that Israel is known for having the most interesting anthills in the whole wide world?

A Riddle for Shabbat Tommy was carrying his grandfather's pale blue silk pouch with the prayer shawl inside. His grandfather was carrying Tommy on his shoulders. Tommy's other job was to make sure that the breeze didn't blow the kippa off his grandfather's head. After a while, the older man sat down on a wooden bench under the fragrant bougainvillea and carefully lifted his grandson off...Read On

7

vote

fuzzy1954

Tale of Howankan

When we were young children, our grandfather would takes us to camp. As we sat cross-legged around the evening fire, he started his tale of our past. Slowly he poked the fire, sending embers floating into the sky. We waited for Grandfather to continue, restless on our colourful native blankets. He started again, telling one of my favorite stories: how we gained our family totem. The tale...Read On

3

vote

MikeStone

The Café

From where she sat ... a wave of quiet rippled outwards languidly in the heavy heat of ... afternoon

From where she sat at a small round table in the center of the otherwise empty café a wave of quiet rippled outwards languidly in the heavy heat of the midsummer afternoon. I didn’t want to disturb the spell by entering the radius of that quiet, sitting down at a table not too near, and opening my notebook as was my wont in such places to write my own predilections. The book she read...Read On

2

vote

MikeStone

The Jungle

The jungle slept fitfully at night.

The jungle slept fitfully at night. It dreamt dreams of hunger and satiation, crawling around on its belly, running swiftly on its bare feet, and flying through the moist warm air blindly with only its sensitive hearing to guide it. Under the gibbous moon, the jungle hooted and cawed in its sleep. Ever so little by little the dome of sky would lighten over the sleeping jungle until the sun...Read On

10

vote

rune

Pandemonium

That time, feeling lost with the pain ...

Panic starts to cripple my mind as the realization sinks into my consciousness. A merry song is softly playing somewhere from a piped in speaker, as if laughing at my expense. My feet carry me to a sacred place, looking for sanctuary. My eyes remain tightly shut as tears fall, both my hands clasped tightly together on bended knees in a corner. My heart and my soul are breaking,...Read On

5

vote

Wordpusher715

I Ruminate on My Mediocrity

My mediocrity overwhelms me as I ruminate on my life. Were my expectations too high? Work, sleep, succeed, marry, parent, mentor, and prevail. Seven words in everyone’s life. If you know their meaning, you’re living your life backward. Fewer memories to make and more to forget ahead. The road in front of me is shorter than the one behind. I have more regrets than a thousand Frank Sinatras. ...Read On

9

vote

rune

Once Upon A Time

How do you know if it is love ... a love story.

The world where I live in is my imagination. Ever since I was a teenager, I always liked being alone lying on our house's rooftop covered by the tree branches. The swaying leaves gave me shade from the harsh burning rays of the sun while talking to my favorite tree and eating my manzanitas with the birds, or sleeping after all of my house chores was done. Hiding at the rooftop,...Read On

5

vote

Lev821

King Kyruss

A building site worker enjoys fantasy board gaming. What are the consequences of completing the game

He had a weakness. One which he guessed may be quite embarrassing should his workmates discover it. However, he was not ashamed of it, because he saw no reason to be. It was perhaps quite a contraction in regards to who he was and to his profession that he should indulge himself in such fantasies, and fantasy, was exactly what it was. Bill Simmons was 36, worked on a building site, and lived...Read On

6

vote

Wordpusher715

In The Presence of Angels

As real as it gets...

How do I begin this memoir without sounding mentally unfit? It's probably best to simply tell you about it and you can be the judge of my competency. I spent the early part of my career repairing medical equipment in hospitals and clinics around the United States. Primarily in Ultrasound Departments but also Nuclear Medicine and X-Ray Departments. I spent my early career in a rush. I...Read On

1

vote

Ansaryon

The Trip

A trip of a lifetime with a friend...

“Who wants to go with me to Israel next year?” Margaret threw the question in the middle of the group of friends who were enjoying themselves around the fire. No one said much and on a whim, I decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to spend time with my best friend who has fought cancer the past eighteen months. “I will,” Margaret looked surprised, but then a big smile formed...Read On

5

vote

rune

Writing

A fiber of connection from miles away...

Our places on this earth are divided by oceans setting us apart from one continent to another. Several countries speaking several languages to understand each other. People with several cultures and beliefs. Different personalities and opinions. In this chaotic world we live in called real life we search for a place to escape from that reality. To be accepted as who or what we are. We...Read On

10

vote

Elliotlacey31

The Proof

Everyone breaks

They all lie, you see, every last one of them. Sometimes you got to change tactics, it's all psychology at first. Some you finesse, go soft and quiet and sweet. Make them feel safe. Some you close in on, really loud and hard, scream if you have to, never break eye contact. And some, well, you have to go even harder on. Grab their elbow or neck. Slap them, hit quick while that fear is fresh,...Read On

4

vote

AnnaMayZing

The Warrior Princess Chapter 4.

"I do not think we are alone. I don't think our movements have passed unnoticed..."

I placed my left foot into the stirrup then, taking hold of Fleet-Foot's snow white mane and with my other hand on the saddle, bent my knee and pushed up, swinging my leg easily over his back, the loose material of my dress spreading out over the saddle. I took a moment to settle myself and adjust my cloak over my horse's back, then looked across at Astrid. She was already mounted and...Read On

11

vote

rune

Choices

One of many...

My sister once asked me, in one of my vulnerable, a bottle of wine, state of mind. "Who will you choose, the one you love dearly or the one who loves you so much?" "The one who loves me so much." "Why?" "Because, if he already loves me. He will love me more when the times I have learned to love him too." "Are you sure?" "Yes, why? Who will you choose?" "Me? I will choose,...Read On

1

vote

The_Count

At The Restaurant.

A true story my brother tells.

Now the story goes that my middle brother Tom was treating our youngest one, Fred to lunch at our favourite twenty-four restaurant. He had heard us talk about it and was excited to visit the place that we frequented. Now despite it being the end of the lunch rush, it was still crowded when they arrived, but a booth was located and cleaned as they waited. As they were escorted to their...Read On

7

vote

Ping

Something About Some Things

One boy's education is another man's lesson not ever learned...

With loathing and contempt, I leered at him, not truly believing that he’d done what we’d just witnessed. It was a selfish act of entitlement and overcompensation; an action which I could not teach, condone, or subscribe. He saw us watching, stopped, and glared back at us, almost daring me to engage his irreverence. I dearly wanted to. My blood boiled and my trigger finger itched. It was...Read On

7

vote

fuzzy1954

The Letter Epilogue

On that cloudy day, she watched as a black sedan pulled into her driveway. Her heart dropped as two dressed soldiers walked up to her front door. Little Jake all but a year old on her hip, she knew to good would come from this visit. Both soldiers polite and talked in a soft low voice. Giving her the news she had always feared. With a wail, she slumped to the floor. Even at a young...Read On

0

vote

MikeStone

The Mountains Are My Friends

I left feeling that everything was well planned and under control ...

" The mountains are my friends. " (an Iraqi-Kurdish saying) Up until the point of writing this journal, I would have characterized my life as not being particularly interesting, unless you happened to be in the computer programming profession like me. Don’t get me wrong. I have no complaints about my life. It is just that I have had a certain degree of difficulty in persuading other people...Read On

3

vote

MikeStone

A Journal of My First Experiences in the Israeli Army

How easy boredom dissipates and fear becomes naked.

Basic Training: 13 June to 7 July 1983 Monday, 13 June 1983 The bus took us from Tel HaShomer Hospital to the induction center. There we received our yellow cards, were photographed (front and profile), had our mouths x-rayed (deep throat), were vaccinated (both arms), issued uniforms, fed, and got dental checkups. We waited around for several hours until we were told to board a...Read On

1

vote

MikeStone

The Chocolate Shop

"What? You don't like chocolate anymore?" he asked them.

"What? You don't like chocolate anymore?" he asked them. "No, Saba," Tommy was pulling away. "I still like chocolate. It's just that I don't want to go here." The older man looked inside at the tables and chairs, the shelves of light and dark chocolates, the cloudy displays of ice creams and sherbets, and the nice looking young girl holding the menus standing in the open doorway smiling...Read On

7

vote

AnnaMayZing

Stowaway

Outside, a thick fog had rolled in from the sea...

“No! Get off me!” Bessie screamed as she ducked and wriggled her way free of her abusive husband's clutches. The bar-room was in an uproar, a myriad of drunken sailors guffawed as Tobias Nelson dragged his wife from the room. “If I've told yer once, I've told yer a thousand times about spillin' good beer when yer clearin' the damned tables!” Bessie Nelson's eyes flashed wildly in the...Read On

1

vote

MikeStone

Who Weeps for Cadmus? (Part 2 - final part)

Sometimes a walk in the park is not really a walk in the park.

Chapter 7: A Walk in the Park The flashing arrows turned left, as expected, and when Cadmus and Lonesome turned the corner and saw the door of the hyper-vator flashing exactly where he expected it to be, he didn’t know whether to be amused or irritated. “They must think we’re half-blind fools or clueless children with these flashing arrows and doors,” he thought. He tapped “0” on the...Read On

11

vote

Rebellious_Soul

Late night thoughts

Do you ever miss us?

Hey, it's been quiet, and the time since I messaged last, I don't quite remember if it's been half a year or a year and a half. It's been a long time in perspective but in hindsight, it isn't as long as it feels. Not to ramble too long, how have you been? I ask that blatantly no matter what, I know. Sometimes I don't care to know and other times I do want to know you're okay and alive and...Read On

5

vote

DaughterSarah

The Last World - Part One

Two people, one life

To be or not to be that is the question, that ran through my brain. Could it be vaguely obvious killing myself because of this hell land? What I was implying was that Mother Nature decided to throw a tantrum which was primarily to cause an unavoidable death to the whole human race. My helpless legs trembled uncontrollably, making me collapse onto the dead, neglected...Read On

1

vote

MikeStone

Who Weeps for Cadmus? (Part 1)

Sapiens to the left, Rationals to the right, and robots straight ahead...

Chapter 1: Voyage Cadmus preferred flying this old fashioned solar sail ship, to one of the more modern hyper-drive ships, from his native moon’s orbit to Draco.763.3a, the only habitable moon orbiting Draco.763.3. He was well aware he could have made the trip in a couple of hours instead of the two hundred and seventy days, give or take, that this trip would take him, but he didn’t...Read On

Categories

Top Authors

Story Picks

Popular Tags

Latest Stories

Backwards (Part 1)

That Orange Feeling

The Crawlspaces of Life

Magic around you

The Long Road Home. Chapter 5.

A Riddle for Shabbat

Tale of Howankan

The Café

The Jungle

Pandemonium

I Ruminate on My Mediocrity

Once Upon A Time

King Kyruss

In The Presence of Angels

The Trip

Writing

The Proof

The Warrior Princess Chapter 4.

Choices

At The Restaurant.

Something About Some Things

The Letter Epilogue

The Mountains Are My Friends

A Journal of My First Experiences in the Israeli Army

The Chocolate Shop

Stowaway

Who Weeps for Cadmus? (Part 2 - final part)

Late night thoughts

The Last World - Part One

Who Weeps for Cadmus? (Part 1)