The Creation Connection

The Creation Connection Young man sits on top of a mountain silently glazing upon the midnight stars. Deep in thought the young man is suddenly disrupted by a nearby voice…[...]

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Perfect Fit

Echo awakened with a start. Another dream! It was so real. How can this be? I haven’t seen Harris in a year. And now all I can do is dream…[...]

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The Accident

The Accident Arguably and obviously, it was no real way to live... An Italian author, Cesar Pavese, once said: "We do not remember days, we remember moments." The protagonist of…[...]

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A Text to Sam

SAMTuesday, June 6 2012 5:15 pm Hey, what is for din tonight? We were going to stop by Chester’s and get the cheese pizza, hadn’t had it in a while…[...]

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The Price of a Sister

The first warning came from a man Yaa barely knew."Be careful of Adwoa."Yaa laughed when he said it.If there was one person in Accra she trusted completely, it was Adwoa.The…[...]

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Ashes of Fruit

The sweet aroma of bubbling berries filled the air and it felt like home, but the chilling breeze of the forest reminded everyone where they were. “They say you can…[...]

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Ruhe

October 12, 1823 Samuel Ruhe had spent the morning sorting through his mother's belongings. Outside, the maples had turned brilliant shades of crimson and gold, their leaves drifting lazily across…[...]

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The Other Side

Paul could see it in the woman’s eyes—they’d all heard about the digging. He ditched his basket at the self-checkout machine and made for the exit. He was outside and…[...]

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The Banner Above the Gym

[TRIGGER WARNING: Substance abuse, fatal car accident, and emotional trauma] The banner still hung above the east wall of the gym when I returned fourteen years later. CIF League Champion.…[...]

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Betrayal

Sam went to work and labored even harder now that he had a family to support. Many nights, he came home to two screaming infants; at other times, everyone was…[...]

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Ben’s Karma

Ben couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Rose only carved out a long weekend for him when it had been almost eight months since they were together. He accepted that art was…[...]

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The Closest Snake

The Closest SnakeThe first person Lena called when she finished her novel was Sarah.Not her husband.Not her mother.Not the literary agent she'd spent years dreaming about.Sarah.Always Sarah.For twenty years, Sarah…[...]

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Naiad

Clink.Ah, yes. There he is. Daubing firkins on farl. Offal. That'd be sompin. He luvs da nutty gizzards, hencod roes. Kidney. Purr. Adventure.The coals are reddening. I don't like tea.…[...]

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The Quiet War

Stephen Walters had lived alone for so long that silence had become a kind of weather system inside him; a low, unbroken pressure that settled in the bones. His flat…[...]

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The Road Back To Freindship

The Road Back To FriendshipA Story By Anna PopoviciChapter 1: Best Friends ForeverEthan Carter and Lucas Reed had been best friends for as long as either of them could remember.…[...]

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The Letters We Keep

On the first anniversary of Ruth’s death, Daniel Webb found her handwriting on the mat.He stood there with the milk in one hand and the letter in the other, not…[...]

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Betrayal

Betrayal No matter the time, place, culture, or people, betrayal looks and feels the same. There may be a new cast of characters with different names and faces, playing various…[...]

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The Silence of Trust

Content Note: This story contains themes of emotional abandonment, marital breakdown, and psychological distress. Jonas stood in the doorway, watching Elara fold the last of her clothes. She moved with…[...]

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Crooked Charlie

I saw him standing on the corner of 5th Avenue that day, the scum of the Earth. The smirk he wore was a smirk I had seen many times before.…[...]

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Piltdown

Charles Dawson found me in London. I had a study across from the Natural History Museum, where I could work without the disturbances of the larger building. I only gave…[...]

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Life of a Second Banana

My name is George Nicolson and while you may not know my name, you might remember the show I was in, The Stig Miller Show. The show ran for five…[...]

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The Human She Called Dad

Content warning: Animal death, betrayal by a parental figure, and themes of emotional manipulation. Story is told from the innocent, childlike perspective of the victim.The Human She Called DadMe and…[...]

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The Breakup

The breakup took less time than the drive. Which is good I guess. I like driving. Breaking up not so much. Maybe it would be better if I got to…[...]

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Chafing Lycra

“Maybe if we dim the lights a little it might help?” said Wendy, her cheeks flushed. “If we dim the lights, Wendy, I won’t be able to see the pictures.…[...]

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Rosie

Rosie Angels in song and prayer watch over the small patch of earth under which she lies. In meditation, I could not help but compare the broken wing on the…[...]

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Dear Micah,

Dear Micah, From a name in my Notes app to two lines on a test, I have always loved you. Now you are real! I can hardly believe it. I…[...]

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The Ribbon

I watched her smile as they placed the prize in her hands once more, and in that instant felt something dark and silken stir awake within me, slow as smoke…[...]

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The Hourglass.

TRIGGER WARNING- this short story contains Some Strong Language, Brief Sexuality, and Substance Abuse. The Hourglass. Part One- Showtime. It was showtime, and I could not blink. Hyperaware, and manic…[...]

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Accumulation

He's sleeping again. He's always sleeping. Even when he's not, he's not really here. Not anymore. Not the way he used to be. When I first moved in things were…[...]

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Betrayed by Love

The flickering light of a single candle danced over my creme kitchen walls. It's melted wax lay on the table. A bottle of champagne, lay in an aluminum bucket of…[...]

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Et Tu

The tremor began in the tip of his index finger, which pressed dangerously hard against the starched tablecloth. Beneath the spotless white linen, his nail left a pale crescent mark.…[...]

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The Loose End

Bob Healey awoke to emptiness. The tranquility of being alone in the home was something he had always longed for, even if it was for just a fleeting moment, especially…[...]

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Good Boy

And it is three nights now, and the boy in the house is wrong.I am Zeus. Fourteen years old, and most of me has quit. My hips have all but…[...]

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A Page Too Late

A Page Too Lateby Spartacus Lawrence “Oh, I can’t believe how poor the writing of college students is,” I say to myself, as I sit to review essays from the…[...]

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Second Fiddle

Milo looked up when his assistant, Cam, knocked on his office door.Cam looked worried. “Joel wants you in his office. And I quote, ‘Now.’”“I’m sitting by my phone. He could…[...]

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Professional Hugger

Cathulhu stretched his paws forward, leaning his chest toward the floor. His mouth opened widely as he began eyeing one of the humans, Darby. The human grinned and bent his…[...]

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Forks

Trigger Warning: Discussion of a school shooting. .......................................................................................... It didn’t feel real. Suddenly time was this very present animal. Even the pretty voice on the car radio knew it. The…[...]

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AIRI

It used to be common practice to ridicule early robots. Network evening newscasts routinely ended with viral clips of falling, stumbling, clumsy androids “stupidly” unable to complete the simplest human…[...]

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The Long Walk

The patrol had been unforgiving. Out in front, Petros Kyriades led his platoon toward the meeting point. Like his men, he was exhausted, filthy, and dreaming of a hot shower…[...]

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You Can’t Kill A Myth

Dr. Oberle avoids Queen Malea’s penetrating stare. “…We’ve done all we can…” “That’s it? You bandage his ribs, take his temperature, and the next step is last rites? He fell…[...]

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Day of the Dupes

On November 10, 1630, the Kingdom of France was ruled by Louis XIII. As king of the powerful nation, Louis the Just found himself head-deep in both a political and…[...]

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Stay

*****This story contains elements of animal abuse and death. She’ll come. That’s one of the things I love about Becca. She always comes back for me. Loyal, steady — my…[...]

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Pete The Sneak

The magnificent socks, fully marinated in fresh, salty sweat from Mom’s afternoon pickle ball match in the Florida summer, prevented Pete from being able to fully close his muzzle. Still,…[...]

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Fracture

FractureCody slowly opened his eyes and saw nothing but darkness. Where am I? Why does everything hurt? A faint light was coming from under a door next to his bed.…[...]

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Crisis on the Ridge

The grease on my hands smelled like diesel and dirt. I had been tinkering with the broken tractor by the barn for a few hours now, mostly to pass the…[...]

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Memories of Cinnabar

Memories of Cinnabar I saw you today, floating, singing, gliding on the breeze by the window. They found me and put me in a jail with concrete floors and the…[...]

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The Check-In

“Watters, you gotta convince him, man.” “I know,” I say, slipping into my worn-out running shoes. “If you don’t, we’re all fucked.” “I know, Tim.” “And he has to make…[...]

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Vote for Gaia

“I’m glad you came,” Ernyl said. She was toying with the display of a neighboring valley that her new projector was casting onto the top of her overlarge desk. “Ready…[...]

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The Moose Versus the Cowboy

Cornelius approached his rented Plymouth Voyager van, stuffed with suitcases and duffle bags. Two men occupied the middle and back rows, each contorted in compliance with the narrow benched. The…[...]

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The Final Goodbye

Have you ever been betrayed in the most unexpected way? It is so painful because you refuse to believe that it is actually happening. Last year, I broke up with…[...]

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I Did Everything Right

“Eeeeeeeeeeek! It’s finally happening! OMG! OMG! OMG!” Stacy squealed as she tossed around on her bed, phone in hand, completely absorbed in her screen.Purple confetti burst across the display as…[...]

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Close the door

The inside of a bedroom door is a strange place to grow a second spine. Mine started with a blue pen cap. You came home from school, your backpack was…[...]

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Smells and Signals

This is the best. Natalie always gives the best head pets.I love Natalie.If she were a smell, she would be honeysuckle and warm blankets.I let out a massive sigh as…[...]

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She Promised

Content Warning: Mentions of Domestic Violence. Alcohol Abuse. Bullying. Kayla sat in the school’s front office, her hands clutching the side of the chair while the sounds of phones going…[...]

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In the Red

She had a love/hate relationship with Black and White. Her contrast against their extremes was a blessing and a curse. But this was worse. This was Grey, neither one nor…[...]

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Split

I was reading Chris’s last message — Don’t leave before I speak — when the room went quiet.I looked up and froze.What’s my face doing on the big screen?Shut your…[...]

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Bulletproof

"When you have money, the world becomes your jukebox. You choose the names on the billboards. The prices at the market. Whom the anger is directed at on the news.…[...]

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The Girl and the Lighthouse

Trigger warning: emotional and family-related themes. The car moved slowly along the coastline. The sea appeared and disappeared between bends in the road. I have always particularly liked that stretch,…[...]

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The Yellow Ball

I had been in the shelter for longer than I could remember. I hated it there. The other dogs barked and whined all day and night. I understood why, none…[...]

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The Solution

It was late afternoon, the lobby bar of the Hotel Chelsea on West 23rd Street was starting to fill. The much-celebrated space that had seen so many of the famous…[...]

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Hidden Burdens

I haven’t slept properly in weeks. Three in the morning finds me staring at my phone, scrolling through unanswered texts to Eloise. The last one I sent was two days…[...]

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IT’S ALWAYS THE SHY ONES

July 2018 Kelly was in a hurry to get to the only store in the neighbourhood that was open on a Sunday evening. She had just got off the plane…[...]

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PLAIN JANEY AND THE GOLDEN BOY

Janey Hansen believed some people were born to shine while others were born to stand in the shadows. She had made her peace with being the latter. Shadows were quiet,…[...]

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The First Two Seconds

Warning- This Story Contains sensetive Themes, including:Acute Trauma/Survivors GuiltOff Page DeathGrief and LossLoss of Child Live in survival mode for two hours.Live in it for two days.Live in it for…[...]

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Glucose Gladiator

“Nobody believed in me. That was their first mistake,” read the sticker slapped diagonally across the top of her computer. It was sandwiched between the neon comic-sticker “Only good vibes”…[...]

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Never Quit

Nobody believed in me. That was their first mistake. Knowing of my Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI), crippled foot, and being blind in one eye, they thought I had no serious…[...]

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A Life Well Lived

The words were difficult for her to hear. She tightened her grip on her husband’s hand, using it to steady herself as her thoughts scattered in every direction. The doctor’s…[...]

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Success at Last

Nobody believed in me. That was their first mistake. I was a nobody, so who could blame them. My parents raised me to be nobody. They didn’t like attention, and…[...]

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No other options

"My daughter, Cory the dancer!" I tried forcing a smile paired with excitement, but it felt so hard to say I nearly choked. "Ugh! What will my friends think when…[...]

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The Road that Keeps Us

The recorder button engaged with a metallic click. The cassette reel began to spin, pulling the magnetic tape beneath the device’s red light. Road dust drifted through the window cracks…[...]

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Macarena 2.0

On the morning of my fiftieth birthday, I woke up believing I was about to change the world.Not the whole world.I am not insane.Just the world of group dancing.Which, depending…[...]

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Fifty Minutes

Fifty MinutesSpartacus Lawrence Nobody believed in me. That was their first mistake. I remember that day as if it happened just yesterday. I was in the eighth grade and the…[...]

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Eyre Rose

I've never been the kind of person to look at anything and think it's automatically insignificant. Everything has value. I study things. Whether what I'm studying happens to be surrounding…[...]

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Balance

I should have hated Nick Mercer. Standing beside his grave, I tried. The rain tapped softly against the black umbrellas gathered around the cemetery. Pastor Mercer stood at the head…[...]

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The Repair

The violin had survived three countries, two oceans, and twenty years. It did not survive falling off a chair. Mateo stood very still and looked at the two pieces of…[...]

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The Lines of War

The chill of the March air wrapped around me. The rain lightly tapped the shelter I was going to call home until the war came to an end. The rain…[...]

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CONFUSION

CONFUSIONI woke up with a start lying face down not being able to breathe properly. Rolling over on to my back, I stared at the blue sky above me. ‘’Where…[...]

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After the Party

Adam was dead, lying on the large table in the private party room. I lay on his chest and sobbed. The ambulance people came and tried to move me. “No,…[...]

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Cat’s in the Cradle

“Nobody believed in me. That was their first mistake,” Zach told his wife Michelle, retelling the story about setting up a command bunker in Baghdad Iraq during the war.She smiled…[...]

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ERNIE, YOU ARE NO MURDERER

ERNIE, YOU ARE NO MURDERER! Nobody believed in me. Was that their first mistake? It isn’t like what I proposed was rocket science or brain surgery exactly, but it might…[...]

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Dance Or Weep On My grave

TW: Mental health, suicide, substance abuseNobody believed in me, that was their first mistake.I was born within the walls of the Cook County Department of Corrections with my mother cuffed…[...]

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The Victory No One Will Ever Know About

The Victory No One Will Ever Know AboutSome victories arrive with applause.They are announced from stages, displayed in photographs, recorded in certificates, and celebrated by people who witnessed the struggle.…[...]

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Of Monsters and Men

“I’m telling you, Marsha!” the old man spluttered, pushing his walker across the hardwood floors. “I’ve dedicated my life to searching for answers and they all point me in the…[...]

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quiet night

The clock on the concrete wall of Pump Station 4 read 3:14 AM. Harvey sat in the flickering fluorescent glow, nursing a lukewarm cup of black coffee, when the telemetry…[...]

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You lucky- “no unlucky” soul

“My eyesight was bombarded, with puffs of black smoke, and the aroma would slither inside, and it would ‘make- me’ choke”! Cordite was the smell, that came from an explosion…[...]

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Let Them See

Nobody believed in me. That was their first mistake. If you'd met me ten years ago, you probably wouldn't remember me. I was the woman with mousy hair and unremarkable…[...]

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Clarity

“Nobody believed in me. That was their first mistake.” I leaned back in my chair as I spoke, examining the man in front of me. He looked about twenty years…[...]

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TRUE MURDER

True Murder. From my angle of the room, I can just make out the last rays of light as the disappearing sun slides over the horizon. On the bunk below,…[...]

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What Stars Know

It’s a clear and quiet night when Margaret steps onto the deck in her slippers. Quiet is, of course, the modus operandi of Pleasant Ridge Neighbourhood Development and Conservation Area,…[...]

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The Canary

I could still hear their screams at night. The screams of grown men being buried alive by tons of rock, soot, ash, wood, and whatever the fuck all was in…[...]

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Such a Weak Boy

He was always a soft-hearted boy, and it showed in his features too – his big, round eyes and dark lush hair were the making of a beautiful young man.…[...]

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Leaving It All Behind

I made it out, but at what cost? When I was growing up, as the oldest of four, I should have been playing outside. I was actually counting the drinks…[...]

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Build-a-Bot

The phalanx of robots marched up the middle of the street in silence. Some carried signs reading, ‘Robots are people too,’ and ‘AI is real.’Screaming human counter-protesters lined the sidewalks.…[...]

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THE BRAVE SON

THE BRAVE SON.IN THE HOSPITAL“Your son is suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, it is a deadly disease, it is very rare currently and all I can say it will be…[...]

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Pas de la Mort

Author's NoteThere are two performances in this story.One is witnessed by the audience.The other is remembered by the dancer.Pay attention to both. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nobody believed in me. That was their…[...]

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The Only Way Out

The only way out is to stay in.That was one of the many slogans which featured on the Latino man’s collection of t-shirts. He also smelt of bergamot. But crucially…[...]

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Like a Robin

Sensitive Content: domestic abuse “You know you don’t have to keep doing this.” The officer says to me after they’ve searched the duplex for the man who’d threatened my life.…[...]

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CHARLIE’S NUMBERS

PART 1 - CHARLIE “Nobody believed in me. That was their first mistake.” Charlie carried those words since he was a kid. It was how his father had started every…[...]

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The City He Kept | A Millhaven Story

The City He KeptThe ribbon hadn't even been cut yet and J.W. Burnside was already running behind.At fifty-nine, J.W. still looked like the kind of man people moved aside for…[...]

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The Assembly of None

The acid didn’t kill me because it couldn’t decide which part of me to dissolve first. I was dropped into the Decomposition Silo at 0300, marked as Unspecified Composition. The…[...]

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