Top Stories
New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
Stolen Bike, Not Valor
Koa was riding his new electric bike through the city park not too far from the US Embassy where he served in an Asian country. The ride was a part of his daily evening workout. He didn't really like the idea of an electric bike because he thought it was lazy. Besides, Koa had another good mountain bike he'd bought here used and it gave him a much better workout. But this one was his girlfriend's gift for his 29th birthday that she had taken the trouble to ship to him across the ocean. Koa felt obliged to ride it out at least occasionally, but promised himself not to use the battery. He even took it off the bike, to avoid the temptation.
By Lana V Lynx2 months ago in Serve
The Summoning of the Tree Spirit. Runner-Up in The Ritual of Winter Challenge.
Thank God for Christmas. And Hanukkah. And Yule. And probably a myriad of midwinter gatherings of light, food, and family I’ve never even heard of. Winter is tough, and most of us benefit from something to make it more bearable. Personally, I consider myself lucky to live in an era where frozen earth need not equate to a hungry belly, but even though I can gain eight hundred lumens of light at the flick of a switch, how much more pleasure is there in one hundred little five lumen bursts on a string? Or just fifteen in a candle’s steady glow?
By Hannah Moore2 months ago in Humans
A Winter Devotional. Winner in The Ritual of Winter Challenge.
Large, fluffy white flakes swirl slowly to the ground in a gentle, choreographed waltz. Safe and warm inside my house, wrapped in a cozy blanket on the velvet couch, I watch in silence through the huge front window as everything becomes white. The world, time itself, lessens its pace to match the cadence of the first true snowfall.
By A. J. Schoenfeld2 months ago in Humans
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I pat my brows with a handkerchief I fancy, and I think about the plight we are in today; it makes me squirm. In all my words you seek to find a formula, but your ledgers are filled with trending tabs (ephemeral tallies). You make me feel like I should be held in a box. It is impossible for someone to grow or be better than they were yesterday; simply by choice, they wish to step back and publish a little slower, less frequently.
By Caitlin Charlton2 months ago in Writers
Foxglove Public Library . Runner-Up in Instructions Included Challenge.
First off, congratulations! You have been selected for this position as overnight library security based off your unique qualifications, indomitable spirit, and impressive mental fortitude. We would like to offer you a few instructions and helpful tips to make your first and future shifts here as smooth and easy as possible. Read thoroughly and keep this sheet on you at all times. The last thing you want is for the shadows in the corner of the breakroom to find it. Once again, welcome to the team!
By M. A. Mehan 2 months ago in Fiction
Afternoon Communion
I had a visitor in my classroom the other day. She, unknowingly, flew into a storm of cacophony and swarms of students swatting at her. She found a safe place to land and made her way over to my desk where she climbed onto a note pad and passed the time grooming herself and studying me with quiet curiosity. I was able to release her onto a Texas Sage bush right outside my classroom window.
By Sara Little2 months ago in Poets
The Neighbourhood Christmas Tradition. Content Warning.
This is Part Two of The Neighbourhood Christmas Tradition. If you haven’t read Part One yet, you can find it here. When I get home, there’s an afternoon breeze, so I decide to eat dinner in my backyard. As I’m sitting at the table, I look over at my empty garden bed and remember that I have to do something about it. It almost looks as though the previous tenant's plants were pulled out and new soil was added, ready for a fresh start.
By Sandy Gillman2 months ago in Fiction
