family

ELIAS!
At eighty, Elias discovered that silence weighs heavily sometimes. It weighs on the chest. It fills every room. It lingers long after footsteps should have come back. Silence, he realized too late, isn’t just the absence of sound. It is everything that never returned.
By Lori A. A.6 days ago in Fiction
Where the Ocean Keeps Secrets
The brochure showed smiling couples, crystal-blue water, and dolphins jumping beside the boat. Nothing about fear. Nothing about disappearances. Nothing about how silence feels when the ocean decides to keep someone.
By Salman Writes6 days ago in Fiction
The Year We Waited for the Fireworks
On the last working day before Chinese New Year, Shanghai felt like it was holding its breath. Offices emptied early. Elevators filled with suitcases instead of laptops. Even the air seemed lighter, as if the city itself was preparing to be left behind.
By Zidane7 days ago in Fiction
Blood on the Carpet
“Your blood is getting on the carpet,” she said. “Oh, I’ll clean that up,” I said. I went and got the mop and started to clean it up. I could hardly stand but the handle helped hold me up. I cleaned it up and put a new bandage on the wound.
By Raine Fielder7 days ago in Fiction
When the City Forgot the Stars
The city never truly slept. It only pretended to rest between waves of noise and light. Neon signs pulsed like artificial heartbeats, flooding every street with color. Giant billboards promised happiness in bold fonts and perfect smiles. Cars rushed past like they were late for something important. And above it all, the sky stood silent, empty, stripped of its stars.
By Salman Writes7 days ago in Fiction
Born To Run
He watched the embers waltz skyward with the campfire tendrils, mixing and twisting until they all faded to black. Despite the warmth of the evening, he felt a shiver run through his shoulders that felt so much older than the candles at last weekend's birthday party indicated. While he appreciated everyone’s attendance, he stole every glance at the clock, counting down the moments until they left and he could depart.
By Matthew J. Fromm8 days ago in Fiction
The Shelf Between Us
Every year, a mother writes a birthday card she never sends. When the letters begin to answer back, forgiveness arrives too easily—and hope becomes something she’s no longer sure she should keep.
By Erica Roberts 8 days ago in Fiction
Tea Time
Like every morning, Ester watched as trembling hands lifted the robin’s egg blue teapot and poured the amber liquid into a matching teacup. Louis’ hands were wrinkled, weathered, calloused from years of work. She still loved holding those hands across the small kitchen table as they talked. She remembered doing it for fifty years, the hands had changed but they felt the same. It was a good day when she could think back over the years. It was better in the mornings. The fog of sleep when she woke up lifted and she remembered his name, but in a couple hours it wasn’t guaranteed.
By Raine Fielder8 days ago in Fiction
Colored Shoes
I was once a guy who loved bright color shoes. Give me the lime greens, and the cherry reds and the hot pinks. I'd wear them outside, I'd wear them to sleep, I'd wear them to play sports and even in my dreams.
By Christian Sanchez9 days ago in Fiction
Ma's Handy Work
Pa used to spend the mornings out in the field, hiding his flask under his thick mustache, and his evenings reaping the consequences as he’d stumble about, crushing the budding sprouts.
By Kera Hollow9 days ago in Fiction
Two Stories About Family And Life. AI-Generated.
The article is AI-generated by ChatGPT. I learned how to measure time in smaller pieces after the divorce. Minutes until the school bus arrived.
By Jenny 9 days ago in Fiction
Vision of Amaya. Content Warning.
Amaya woke suddenly, the ice cold grip of early morning air ripping her out of a nightmare. All was quiet. The sun had not yet bathed the hills in its light. The birds were silent, waiting for the sunlight to reach across the world and warm their feathers. Dawn was still a couple hours away.
By Madison "Maddy" Newton10 days ago in Fiction