Part 1
The Archive: Part One
Above the hearth, the greatest treasure ever pulled from the Archive hung in pride of place over the mantle piece. With intricate golden scrollwork running up the edges, its silver face gleamed in the semi-darkness of the empty bar room. On either side, despite their cost and history, the twin sabers from the Peninsula War paled in comparison.
By Alexander McEvoy2 years ago in Chapters
Truth be told
What's most important to me as a boy mom of three is keeping a honest, healthy, and emotionally connected bridge between each child. As someone who grew up without supportive and healthy emotional connections to parents and siblings because I was too emotional and sensitive, that is a personal mission. It has been quite uncomfortable and challenging for me with my children, oldest specifically because he is me (emotional and sensitive). You're probably wondering well shouldn't it be easy to give what I didn't receive and I have been wondering the same, but no it has not been that easy unfortunately. Has it gotten better? Yes! Does it wither? Yes! Am I giving up? Hell no!!
By Azrie'l Johnson2 years ago in Chapters
Short Reads
Dear Vocal readers, What follows is a short compendium of my works that are four minutes or less for your reading pleasure. For all those times that you want to read something, but are short on time. Please be sure to check back, as the list grows. And thank you for following me on this journey.
By Atomic Historian2 years ago in Chapters
UNWAVERING TRUST
My journey starts in the humble settings of Edenvale. A small dusty town with closely woven houses and no back yards. Kids running on the street to create their own versions of childhood, and brothers discovering newfound urgency in highly risky experiments. Not the kind that motivate for empowerment and development but the kind that differentiate between making it out of Edenvale and being trapped in the Ferris wheel.
By WaterFlows2 years ago in Chapters
A Different League. Top Story - January 2024.
I am a Newcastle United fan, through and through. I’ve never supported any other team, but there was a period in my life when I didn’t support any team, to be honest. I think as a kid the older I got I just lost interest when I realised I wasn’t actually very good at football (or any team sports, to be honest), and this just led to me to move away from watching it as well. I didn’t get back into it until about 2011/12ish, so you can’t accuse me of being a fan who suddenly regained interest post-takeover (mind I do remember some of those Pardew days quite fondly). No, I just started going to games again and it made me realise what football is really all about, especially in this city of Newcastle, which I also identify with very strongly despite not being your stereotypical Geordie. On the day my grandad offered me a spare ticket to my first game for years, it took about 5 seconds to remember everything beautiful about this game.
By Matty Long2 years ago in Chapters
SPIRITS INSIDE
A few days ago, I visited the Facebook page of some obscure magician or sorcerer. Sparse likes, hearts, and laughs were sprinkled amongst his fifty-nine posts, twelve of which had zero likes or reactions. Forty-six of the posts had obscene, grotesque, and insulting comments...
By ANTICHRIST SUPERSTAR2 years ago in Chapters
Blood Bath - Chapter 1. Content Warning.
The boy turned off the high beams, the fresh fog engulfing the car. Neither he nor his girlfriend could see anything ten feet ahead of the vehicle. The car nestled comfortably into the dirt on the side of the road, the engine still running. It shouldn't be long, hopefully, before the two are back on the road.
By Nathan Powell2 years ago in Chapters
