Romance Short Stories

I Remember the Wallet

I Remember the Wallet When my brother Jake and I were kids—twelve and eight, respectively—we lived in one of Montreal’s poor immigrant sectors. We’d been ice-skating at Beaver Lake at…[...]

Late Bloomer

Out of the blue, in April, eight Flamingo colored orchids decided to blossom. Strange that they would, considering I am terrible with plants. They haven’t done so since my ...…[...]

your go-to café

have you travelled far far away and need to find your way back home, darling? this would be listed among the most humane situations, no need to be coy about…[...]

Félicette

Despite the electrodes, despite the microphone, despite the spinning and the pain in my head, it was wondrous, for just a second. The sky– I think it was the sky–…[...]

The Girl Who Carried Stars

Everyone in the village knew Mira could not let things go. Not grief.Not memories.Not people. Especially not people. The first time she realized something was different about her was after…[...]

Still Waiting

The therapist’s office smelled faintly of coffee and lavender, and somewhere behind me, a clock ticked steadily against the silence, each second feeling louder than my own breathing. “When was…[...]

The Day After Amen

The funeral home was quiet when we left. People hugged us. Said things like “he’s in a better place,” “at least he’s not suffering,” and “at least you have plenty…[...]

FRAGMENTS OF GABRIELLE Notes from a Dying Town

FRAGMENTS OF GABRIELLENotes from a Dying TownBy Faith RosePART I — THE RED COAT SEASONFRAGMENT I — RED COAT, GRAY MORNING Trigger Warning: This story explores themes of loneliness, isolation,…[...]

When Gratitude Arrives Before Sadness

The hardest people to lose are not the ones who leave loudly. Not the ones who slam doors, throw accusations into the air, or make sure the ending scars itself…[...]

The word nobody warned me about

The Word Nobody Warned Me AboutPeople talk about grief like it is the monster.They say it gently, with soft eyes and careful voices.“You’re grieving.”“You’re still grieving.”“Grief takes time.”And they are…[...]

Flying Home

Sitting at the local Barnes and Noble just outside my mom’s house before heading to the airport after a wonderful Mother’s Day, I am looking out the window just in…[...]

Home

My arms were sore and aching from carrying boxes from the storage room to my old jeep that waited in the yard, the once shiny black paint more like a…[...]

Lola

The June sun beat down on the two exhausted bodies resting in the lush grass beside the pond. The water had been refreshing as the two of them frolicked in…[...]

Luna’s Lunar Breakdown

Loneliness. It waxes and it wanes. I look around at all that I have. All of the moon is mine now. I had friends, but they turned into aliens. Since…[...]

A Perfect Mother

I remember when my five-year-old daughter crossed a balance beam in gymnastics on the day Haiti suffered a catastrophic earthquake. It felt peculiar to be proud of my daughter in…[...]

First Contact

Beep. Beep. Beep. B- Groaning, I waved my hand through the glowing hologram. It hovered in front of my face for a few more seconds before blipping into oblivion. “Jesus,”…[...]

Grief Makes People Strange

Grief Makes People StrangeThe church fellowship hall smelled like burnt coffee, carnations, and emotional repression.Nora Whitaker stood beside the dessert table with a paper cup of lemonade she had not…[...]

Lauren Peters versus Peter Lawrence

“Check this out, Dylan!” Mary Lucas carried her laptop into the kitchen, where her husband was sitting at the table, hunched over some receipts. Her footsteps faltered when she met…[...]

Best Served Cold

Diana got to the restaurant early. She looked into the bright, clean dining room. But not too bright…Most of the tables remained empty.Why did Jenny want to meet? She sounded…[...]

The Good In All of Us

The Good Inside All of Us“The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”-Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn It is only natural that we see ourselves as the…[...]

Where Do I Begin?

I don't want to start. I truly don’t want to.So I delay this task by playing WORDS on my phone. Then move onto Elevate. Nobody sees you. Nobody judges you.…[...]

The First Night of Her Life

Everything in the small mountain town is soaking wet and cold. Despite being in the height of summer, typically warm and sunny, the sky, low and gray, exhausted from its…[...]

Destination to Somewhere

Destination to Somewhereby Spartacus Lawrence— — — It’s Friday evening, and there’s a holiday on Monday. I’m in my car in bumper to bumper traffic — my old blue Buick,…[...]

A Reckoning of Chaos and Mercy

Her breath comes in slow gasps as she pushes through the maze of tangled branches. Her control is ripping apart, and she uses what little strength she has left to…[...]

Winter Flowers

TW: Mention of death Early sunshine seared through the window, giving the woman a glowy look even though she was dead. Her body was lying stiffly under the covers of…[...]

Mom’s Locket

Charlotte walked through the snow. February in the bible belt still bit a bit. That is to say, it was cold, still. But she wouldn’t be out here long. Just…[...]

The Greater Sacrifice

People often say with their words that grief cannot be measured… and yet, they say otherwise with the words they dare not speak aloud, except, sometimes, while in company of…[...]

Beneath the layer

Beneath the layer They told her the lake was dangerous. People said it was too deep, too cold, too silent. They warned that anyone who stared into it for too…[...]

The Air We Share

I pushed open the door, its hinges announcing my arrival with a squeak that echoed through the stone stairwell. Carlos, the hostel host, had sent a poorly transcribed text message…[...]

The Love Note Café

The Silver Twilight Refrain The tone of each note rose and fell perfectly imperfect, as the dancer was accustomed to at such concerts.The cool hard floor against her bare feet.…[...]

Wishing Well

Maisy peeked over the splintered kitchen island and spotted her target. Grumbleberry extract, sitting unattended by the servants as they prepare their lord's supper. She would need to get past…[...]

The House That Held

This contains mention of gunshots: Mara learned that sacrifice did not always announce itself as a grand, shining thing.Sometimes it looked like a woman standing barefoot in a dark kitchen…[...]

Rhubarb Custard Pie

Solitude.That’s the dream, at least.Three uninterrupted months alone at my grandmother’s lakeside cottage. No meetings. No deadlines. No waking up already anxious before my feet even touch the floor.Three months…[...]

The Rooting

Roots E.A. Adams Dear Sarah, I've started this letter seven times. Seven different openings, seven different ways to say "I've been thinking about home", and none of them feel right.…[...]

Before The Applause

Eliza ran through blades of dry grass that cut lightly at her bare feet. The hot late autumn sun beat down on her with no clouds to offer relief. A…[...]

Lost, Then Found

I sat down to have lunch at a cafe with bacon toast. Summer will start soon. Above me is the huge sail of an umbrella; it looks like ancient frescoes:…[...]

Robert Louis Stevenson and Others

#356 Prompt (1,950 words)Tell a story through messages in any form, such as snail mail, email, voicemail, text, diary entry, interview, newspaper classified ad, or carrier pigeon. Robert Louis Stevenson…[...]

A Song of Peach Blossoms

Warmly tucked beneath the soft comforter of her bed, Táo Huā slept soundlessly. Beyond the quiet walls of her home, only the faint chirping of crickets carried through the air.…[...]

Convergence

As the morning sun broke through the bedroom window and found the sliver where the curtains succumbed to its piercing rays, its fingers poked into her sleeping eyes. She knew…[...]

The Inheritance Car

Rain pattered on the midnight blue hood of the 1967 Cadillac DeVille. Eliza Thorne sat behind the wheel, key hovering near the ignition, as water streamed down the windshield in…[...]

The SSC

My heart was broken and I needed an egg. Partly because I’d run out, but mostly because I needed something to break so that, for once, I could be the…[...]

Moral Bankruptcy

The Li Lu Law Library at Columbia was nearly empty, the way it only ever was when winter break had sent the sane people home and the rest stopped pretending…[...]

Vegan Hamburgers

Vegan Hamburgers February 1st 11:11pm WOW. I cannot believe that just happened. I went to AJ’s studio and almost walked out with a record deal. I was sober, too. He…[...]

The Left Shoe First

I wake to the ghost of the track: sweat, turf, the echo my muscles still expect to chase. Rain works the window , patient and deliberate. The alarm shivers until…[...]

Eleven Years of Hope

When the doctors asked him if he wanted to hop into a frying pan, Alexander of Severe Level III, long acquainted with doctor tongue, knew they meant they wanted to…[...]

The Summer of Nine

It was the hottest day of the year and any shade to hide from the oppressive heat was nearly impossible to find. One lone tree stood out among the many…[...]

Jefferson’s Diary: Tales of the Pawfect Gentleman.

Jefferson’s Diary: Tales of the Pawfect Gentleman. The journal entries of a cheeky, curious, and utterly lovable dog’s view of life with his humans. Day 1: The Link of Destiny…[...]

The Sky Walking Dragon of the Ship Destiny’s Dreams

Before I grew into a blue, partly furry, partly scaley, four legged, flying, walking, and swimming being, with ears that can rotate and spin, descended from ancient creatures, my life…[...]

Star Goddess

It’s the last day of school and Eleanor is day dreaming. She sits on her knees in her classroom chair, chin resting in her hands, her eyes unfocused. A soft…[...]

Six-year-old’s Summer

“You’re lucky you get to stay home and enjoy the nice weather,” Daddy said to Jacob as they stood on the back porch admiring the green grass and breathing in…[...]

Lost and Found

Lost and Found Tommy opened his eyes to the sound of his mother’s footsteps coming down the hall. He knew that stride. That was her, “I’m-not-really-thrilled-with-you-right-now” walk. If knew what…[...]

Life according to the dog

Life according to the Dog I sit here in this boat staring at the boy, Sam, whom I spend most of my time with. I was a puppy when Jill…[...]

Nellie, the Hat Man, & Me

My baby sister Sally’s crying wakes me up. Sally is five years old and I’m 10. There are only two bedrooms in our house, so we sleep in the same…[...]

Fire Will Rain Down

The Legend of the Darkest Night: There will come a day Where world will be faced with a fright By a baby born On the darkest night Fire will rain…[...]

Those Apart

On the leeward side of the island, my mother launched the boat. She would launch the skiff from the shore and row out to where the waves would saunter in.…[...]

The best papi

"If you mix the milk and the flower then I'll crack the egg", Ryan suggests as he smiles at his son. "But I wanted to do the egg", Art, his…[...]

The Magical Milkman

The Magical Milkman I can hear him coming. The dark night still clings to velvet shadows and silent surroundings, but the gentle hum of an approaching vehicle and the distant…[...]

Secrets of a Sidekick

It was the last night of summer before Tommy was to begin his journey into middle school. He had just finished watching the new superhero blockbuster, Secrets of a Sidekick,…[...]

The Hidden Pearl Revealed

Even Tomas did not know his true identity. Everything changed for the quiet deckhand on the wooden sailing vessel after the new travelers joined the next voyage. Tomas had hair…[...]

Tomorrow’s Child

Seven-year-old Maya had always been a peculiar child, but it wasn't until the morning she warned her father about the broken coffee mug that anyone began to take notice."Daddy, don't…[...]

Getting to Gondwanaland.

It was another beautiful Saturday for Cayden, at home. Just then, "Cayden!" his mother called to him."Yeah, what?" Cayden the puny wimp answered from his upstairs bedroom. "Get in the…[...]

Time is Now

It was good to be back. Houston and his dog, Retro, walked by the park where they played together when a little boy. The slide, the swings and the monkey…[...]

Ocean of Time

The child returned from the tidepools, singing, and carrying an object shaped like a giant egg. "It's the egg of an ancient creature. I found it. I was there." Her…[...]

Z Steals the Spotlight: A Story from the Alphabet World

Every morning in Alphabet World, a sound echoes through the skies: “Now children, let’s say our ABCs together!” The moment those words are spoken in any classroom around the world,…[...]

The Second Son

I am the second son in our family of two sons and no daughters. My brother Ralph was first one born. I don’t blame him for being so accomplished in…[...]

What Body?

“What do you want to do with the body?”“What body? What are you talking about? “ The middle aged woman, asked the young boy, standing in front of her, the…[...]

Iam in Charge

Iam In Charge I'm in charge! Ask anyone. Everyone knows I'm in charge. Why else would all my loyal subjects answer to all my needs? They treat me as the…[...]

Dreaming the Future Into Reality

A wave crashed across the deck and the Captain hollered, "Grab that halyard. Release the line. Drop that sail." "Brighten the lanterns. It's too dark to see." The sun slipped…[...]

The Man in the Corner of the Room

Teddy rubbed his weary eyes as the morning sunlight beamed between the open curtains and wriggled its way through the gaps between his fingers. He stretched his arms and yawned,…[...]

The Giant’s Tale

NOTE: A retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk" from the giant's point of view. As I sprawled, my big head ringing with a massive headache, at the foot of a…[...]

A story from Meadow Bridge

A story from Meadow Bridge Little Billy I am Little Billy. I may be the smallest of brothers, but I am the bravest when I get hungry. Well, this illusion…[...]

The Valraven

Emil unlatched his locker, and the door burst open, spilling its contents on the floor. A pile of notes and torn papers rustled at his feet. Among the mess, one…[...]

My Hairy Best friend

Daisy hadn’t meant to find Bigfoot.She’d only gone out to the woods to look for the good pinecones—the big, fat ones her teacher said were “excellent for crafts” but her…[...]

Cyclonic!

Once upon childhood, a little boy named Jimmy wandered away from his family at a wildlife sanctuary. His Dad joked that he was only taking his wildlife to visit other…[...]

Brownies in the Boat

Brownies in the Boat Christmas is wrapped up in a mishmash of flavors, textures, tinted hues, and bright surprises. It smells of pigs in blankets, sounds like sleigh bells ringing…[...]

Silvermoss

“Mum, Mum, get up! It’s championsday,” the young mouse screeched,as she ruffledher mother’s tiny pillow, demandingher out of bed.“Morning then, Missy,” The greyer and much less bouncy mouse yawned as…[...]

Light for the Darkness

A packed SUV containing the Simmons family pulled into the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The Oconaluftee Forest is the valley of the Oconaluftee River in North Carolina’s Great Smokey Mountains. The…[...]

The Spark In the Dark

Linion Square bustled with life. Merchants shouted above the clatter of carts and hooves, while the smells of roasted nuts, leather, and bread mingled in the warm air. Children darted…[...]

The Spark In the Dark

Linion Square bustled with life. Merchants shouted above the clatter of carts and hooves, while the smells of roasted nuts, leather, and bread mingled in the warm air. Children darted…[...]

The Spark In the Dark

Linion Square bustled with life. Merchants shouted above the clatter of carts and hooves, while the smells of roasted nuts, leather, and bread mingled in the warm air. Children darted…[...]

There are Witches in these Woods

CW: Mild gore “Come on, Fermin! Keep up!”The boy stood at the edge of the woods behind the schoolhouse, the only trace of his friend being the last of her…[...]

Staring at Circles

My early life was somewhat lacking in stability, you might say. I never stuck around anywhere long enough to be the popular kid. I bet most of those I met…[...]

Winning

Winning“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”-Vince Lombardi It was a different time. Joey could walk six blocks in three different directions and usually find a pickup game on one…[...]

Winning

Kent walked with his daughter, Lyric, through the parking lot toward the fairgrounds. “Stay with me, Lyre. Don’t want to lose you.”“I’m right here, Daddy. You won’t lose me” She…[...]

The Spirits in the Children’s Room

CW: Violence At the dawn of the 1980s, only two or three cars pass down their little street each day. It is such an event that the children run after…[...]

What I Wish could undo

I woke up to the screams of happiness from the kids. They were all gathering in the same place, as if receiving God himself. Adults and kids were happy, so…[...]

Revenge is Best Served Chaotically

We felines have never forgotten that we were once worshipped. I firmly believe that is why those Egyptians had been so successful as humans. They had known the proper order…[...]

The Adventures of Captain Wasabi: The Golden Soybean

In the heart of the great Seven Seas, where the sun melted into the horizon turning waters to hues of gold and blue, the SS Soy Sauce coursed through the…[...]

Worth of a Duck

Doug’s webbed feet paddled vigorously through the clear blue water of Averdale Pond. He huffed and puffed, the wind whistling all around him. The fragrance of dirt hung in the…[...]

Tails and Wings: A Mermaid Fairy Tale

Tails and Wings: A Mermaid Fairy Tale Harlow stared at the glistening water, waiting anxiously for any ripple in the calm sea. Her little wings flapped excitedly as she flew…[...]

The Grumby

The locals all knew of the Grumby since the cradle. When you hear three snaps of a limb on Halloween night the Grumby was on the prowl seeking a tasty…[...]

The Fountain’s Last Drop

Long, long ago, the mayor of a small town was gifted a large fountain by an old couple.“Take care of this fountain,” they said. “For it can provide water to…[...]

The Tide of Two Worlds

Prince Andrew of Aqualis was born beneath the sapphire waves, heir to a kingdom woven from coral and light. His people said the ocean itself had blessed him — that…[...]

It Could Just be the Wind

"It Could Just Be the Wind…" by M.C. Madjoucoff Sitting at a park bench on a sunny, Autumn day, a small breeze of cool air brushed Meyah's cheek and brought…[...]

Polenta with a trinkle of paracetamol

The bald man threw a huge glass bottle at me. I barely caught it. Still, it was a bloody good throw, given that he was blind. “Drink it,” he said.…[...]

The Mould

While his neighbour shouts at the other little kids playing in the street outside, Donnie Junior reaches into his toy chest and takes out another toy. A plastic tractor.Amidst the…[...]

Scratchy

Cat had always shared her room with the washer and dryer. She hadn’t minded the humming of the washer and rumbling of the dryer. She could feel the warmth of…[...]

Evan

Evan and Jose sat silently under the bridge staring out over the water.“Did you see that?” Evan punched his friend, Jose on the arm.“See what?”“That” he pointed to the concrete…[...]

Summer Homework

A children’s fantasy tale about a young, not-so-skilled witch called Athena. ‘Shoo!’ Athena cried at a scrawny grey kitten that had suddenly mewed from the yard. She’d only just begun…[...]

Libby’s Day

Don't they know the sun is up? Get up, lazy humans. It’s daytime and there are things to do, critters to bark at and stuff to investigate. Okay, here comes…[...]