Browse Active Stories
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Meet, Greet, GTFO (Day 61)
“Next!” Boomed the man at the front of the line. With his white uniform, beardless face, and soft hands he seemed more administrator than soldier. Bryan shuffled forward as best he could with shackles around his legs. Barely glancing up fro...
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The Price of Living (Day 60)
The pill that sat in Doc’s hand was as two sided as a coin. The top was a heavy blue dome, the curving underbelly was yellow. They were separated from each other by a thin red line. My eyes flicked from the pill to Doc’s eyes. “How mu...
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3 Word Prompt: Interwrit1 Student: lively remember weekend
That was the last weekend of my life. Of course I remember it. Like it was yesterday. I had spent the week cramming; it was finals week. It was hell. I passed three OK, got lousy passing grades on four. But the one that I’d worried about—I ...
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Confusion
It seemed to dawn on her why I was staying across the table from her, nearer the door. She stood up, and walked over to the door, unlocked it, and threw it open, then returned to her chair. I remained immobile. Why? I don’t know. “This is k...
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Is she a Monster?
Cindy continued. "When I swallowed Todd, he was my first real serious boyfriend. We were 19, and been dating for a year. We were both shocked at what I did, him way more than me, and I was scared when I did it. We were both sexually active, so sex...
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Ashes (Day 56)
Gerome stared at the monster he’d created, entranced by the dancing colors. Voracious and bottomless, the bonfire would continue to exist as long as he fed it. Reaching down, he picked up a book without looking at it and chucked it into the heart...
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Running Out of Options (Day 55)
Shrieking howls and curses filled the air behind me. I quickened my pace, not daring to look back. I knew I’d see my footprints trailing after me, marking where I’d been, and making it impossible to hide. I was so tired of running. The pebb...
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Ouroboros
In the instant there was nothing. A void could not even begin to describe it. What is darkness when there is no light with which to understand it? This instant, it became lonely and said one day, “Let there be light.” This nothingness insta...
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Relieving Pressure by Applying Pressure (Day 54)
“Marc, come help me.” Strain tightened Jimbo’s voice, making two inconsistencies- Jimbo asking me for help and him cracking under the pressure. “Why? You expecting trouble?” I leveled a monument and checked his position. H...
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Forced to Flee (Day 50)
Bahula looked at her hands in confusion. They didn’t look any different to her. No sign of smoke or flame marked her deep brown skin. Charlotte grabbed her by the upper arm. “Come on, let’s go firestarter. We don’t want to be ar...
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True Impotence
I was dead and very irritated. Standing at the door to the Church of the Queen of the World, I listened to the sobbing coming from inside and shook my head. This was not how it was supposed to be. I had given very clear instructions. My death was to be...
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Henry's Last Stand (Day 44)
Henry paced back and forth in front of the opaque double doors. He clenched and unclenched his hands trying to stop their shaking. Maya should be coming through those doors any minute. She always took lunch around this time, though he had been ready fo...
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A Day Out
“I like it now that it isn’t foggy! I could see birds.” My sister’s tiny boots were still too much for her to manage by herself, and so at the end of the day we sat at the foot of the stairs while I unlaced them far enough for h...
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An Old Form of Protection (Day 38)
Matt passed a hand over his eyes. In part to shield them from the coastal wind that carried grit and salt. In part it was to force himself to look away from the false beauty of the coast. He had once loved swimming in those dark waters but now they onl...
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The Day The Music Died
I was young and reckless and selfish. He was mysterious, dangerous, and sinister. I stood bravely before him, ready to seal my fate. “What do you wish?” “I need to find my sister.” “Ah, yes. Separated at birth. Birth paren...
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On Patrol: Catching Up
The bridge was empty and dark with only two candles burning. The tiller was locked into place, which still bothered me. It never seemed safe despite Firus’ assurances. The room was clean, much cleaner than I’d expected after such a rough co...
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Nom IV
“…And it was in this area that a couple out on a midnight hike through the woods stumbled across the body of what may have been a man in his 40’s, a victim of an apparent animal attack. If you’re of a nervous disposition you may...
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An Uncompromising Solution (Day 30)
With a heavy heart, I gently closed the faded yellow cover of the book. It was hard to breathe, hard to think. I felt sad— no, I felt more than sad, I felt sorrowful as if my heart had turned to stone. Impossible! Unfeeling stone never hurt this ...
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(Day 13) Philosophy Through Breakfast
He stood in the kitchen, propped up against the counter to eat his breakfast (he rarely ever sat down to eat) and stared at his bowl of cereal. The little hoops of compressed multi-grain were floating in the milk, the rest of their wholesome compatriot...
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Accidental p-Zombies
Neural implants? Sure: molecular electronics; NEMS extruding CNT fibers like feelers right into the midst of synapses; sniffing at neurotransmitters and emitting their own. Whatever sort of mental boost you wanted, there was a plug-in for it. We wanted...
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Don't Fight Alone (Day 25)
“You just don’t understand!” Eli said as he slammed his door. “Honey, don’t bother him. It’s just a phase. John! John got up, visibly frustrated, and went to Eli’s room. There sat Eli in the corner of his room....
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By the Light of the Distant Sun (Day 24)
I twisted my heel pushing hard pushing against the sand. Swinging my other leg around slowly, I brought it straight up over my head. My muscles screamed in agony but I had to continue. The dance must continue. Faster now, I pivoted swinging my hips rou...
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Another Chart (Day 17)
Dr. Sephiroth scanned over the charts and reports, briefly stopping on the Notable Entries page. She glanced up, “Are you sure that the Potentials all came from the employees that were first-timers?” “Yes.” Was all that Dr. Hayl...
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It All Adds Up to Trouble (Day 19)
“Stop pretending you’re asleep.” Agnes’ voice penetrated the thick comforter I had pulled over my head easier than any knife. I didn’t move. If I could just get back to sleep, she would go away. Even a witch wouldn’t...
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A Taste of Garlic (Day 18)
Angeline couldn’t help herself. She was nervous and there was so much food in front of her. She grabbed a warm roll and took a big bite to calm her nerves. It was dryer than it looked and she washed it down with another mouthful of the sweet wine...
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Ember
It is the faintest glimmering of a spark. It floats in suspension in a bottle, the field it generates holding it equidistant from the surfaces that enclose it. It is an Ember, and it pulses gently, hungrily. It has memories, of a sort, quantum states t...
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The Reluctant Assassin
His face disgusted me! I wouldn’t waste one glance in the direction of that wretch were it not for the startling contrast of beauty beside him. She held my gaze like a lover’s first love. I had to meet her. “What a delight to see you...
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The First Day
A million people surrounded me on the First Day, faces lit with terror, their eyes burning with the fever of zealotry. “Lifegiver!” one screamed, weeping openly. “Why is this happening?” These were my people, my creation. I craf...
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Perfect Timing
A lone bead of sweat wound its way down the side of Jon’s cheek, but that was the only sign of discomfort. His face betrayed no emotion. The entirety of his life was spent in training simulations which culminated in the simplest of tasks – ...
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life
imagine hanging above skyscrapers, your toes so near you could almost knock one over. - the dead man is atop the entire world. in his dying moments, he will, at some point think about the world. he will remember cities and towns and the crowds and the...
