Short Story

The Bright
When she pressed the locket into my palm on her Last Day, my mother told me to keep it on me, tucked under the stiff, chalky clothing and out of sight. She insisted I only open it in the safety of our quarters, away from the Steward's prying eyes and eager cuffs. I didn’t have to ask why; they hammered that rule into me since before I was old enough to understand. Any unapproved possessions are a frivolity, and are therefore banned. It’s a miracle my mother managed to keep it hidden for so long, and her mother, and all the ones before. I don’t know how many mothers it’s been since we came to The Chasms. If I asked, they’d tell me that the first mother was born in The Chasm, and I would have believed it.
By Alysha5 years ago in Fiction
A Good Way
He had died poorly, whoever it was. Not that there was a good way to die. Dead was dead, after all, and no matter the cause the result was always the same.
By Thomas D WATTS5 years ago in Fiction
Frag Dog
I’ll never forget the tears that were in her jewel blue eyes, how they were already there before I placed the heart-shaped locket in her hand and she closed her fist around it. She had hired me to bring her daughter back, but this is what I returned with instead. I recognized that sandpaper-gut sorrow she was exuding, having been there once, too, and I hesitated to tell her…
By T. J. Ward5 years ago in Fiction
Human Resilience
“John! We’ve found another piece of oldentech, Erica just found it!” a faint voice echoes from somewhere up the mining shaft where John is currently excavating.
By Dominic Dauphinais5 years ago in Fiction
Tooth-Grin Smile
A white-bearded man peers into a deep blue opening inside a large cave, using the light from the entrance a few meters away, and the cascading blue light from said opening in the wall.
By Alejandro Melgar5 years ago in Fiction
Love you, your brother Jack.
January 21, 2059 Dear Jazz, I miss you so much, especially today. Happy 17TH birthday! I can't believe it's been 4 years since I last saw you. How tall are you now? Do you look like mom or dad? Did one of the aunt's make you a cake? If not, I promise I'll make you one when I get back. I'm on my way to another scouting mission. This time we'll be in the Northeast Coastal Region of our territory. I remember dad telling us stories of his childhood in that area and how he and ma meet at the "Mall." Whatever that is. Anyway, it'll be nice to see the ocean finally; he always talked about it, it'll be like seeing them again. I wish I had a camera to take pictures to show you, but I'll draw you one instead. This is the 27th mission I've been on in the three months since I last wrote. I'm sorry my letters have been so infrequent. It's hard to find clean stationery, let alone stamps. The Postman only comes around every few months or so, leading to very lonely months without any news from home. But rereading your anecdotes about everyone back home on the settlement always makes me feel better on my darkest days. BTW, how's the victory garden going? Have you harvested anything yet? Are the chickens still alive? Well, I have to say goodbye, for now. My squadron is about to move out. I hope all is well, give the aunts my love and I'll write to you as soon as I can.
By Maize Scott5 years ago in Fiction
The Second Coming of the Tell-Tale Heart
It was cold. We didn't anticipate how cold it would get. We heard all our lives about how cold a nuclear winter would be. It didn't prepare us, at all.
By Janell Bishop-Stewart5 years ago in Fiction
Edgar The Raven
The crunching of the dried-up leaves under the feet was subtle compared to the hollering, yowling, howling, growling, grunting, snorting, cawing, mooing, clucking, and hooting heard all around the neighborhood. The brisk air of autumn blew through the still-standing suburban neighborhoods. A few of the domesticated human beings were out being walked by their hybrid animal owners. Not all human beings were lucky enough to get adopted by hybrid animals and remnants of the feral human beings are seen around the towns and cities.
By Ash MPW5 years ago in Fiction
One Last Job
“Got a new bounty for you, stalker.” The large bearded man waved me over to the bar as I entered the shipwreck we call home. “Think you’re up to the task?”
By Eric Cheney5 years ago in Fiction
Locket
The men came in the night to kill my father. It was an unceremonious affair. They came with their rifles and their flashlights and their uniforms and they took him downstairs and they shot him in the living room in front of the television that we used to watch the Tigers play the Vietnam Rockets on and they left.
By Craig Storm5 years ago in Fiction
You Have Been Judged
I used to daydream about the end of the world. I longed for it. I almost prayed for it. I would sit at my desk on a slow day, stare out the window and think ‘what would I do if the world ended - right now’. Anything other than another day of insignificant purpose. Because the end of the world would mean the end of office hours, company emails and expensive coffees. I didn’t realize it would mean the end of everything. Now I carry the guilt of wondering, did I make this happen through sheer willingness? Did I end the world with a daydream?
By JAMIE MCCLELLAND5 years ago in Fiction
Chronicles
September 7, 2023 My beautiful wife gifted me this journal last night. I quit journaling years ago, but today seems as good a day as any to begin again. And what a beautiful, glorious day today is!
By MELISSA BAILEY5 years ago in Fiction