Romance Short Stories

Arcade in the mind

We know what we are but know not what we may be. ”~ William Shakespeare Scarlett called her emotions “tomato purée." They turn intense, like the strong red of a…[...]

Wretched

Wretched. The mirror slipped from my grasp, shattering into a hundred fragments on the floor. I didn’t notice the colors the glass casted on the tower walls, or the tiny…[...]

Sairina

*Sensitive Content Warning: Death of a Parent (off page, historical) The candle beside me burned low as I flipped through yet another tome of citizenship records. The Great Library was…[...]

Coming Home

Anna’s finger hesitated in front of the doorbell. It had taken her ten minutes just to gather the courage to step out of her car. The cold wind that brushed…[...]

Broken.

CONTENT WARNING: Contains brief mention of family conflict and physical harm. Sadie didn’t know how her older sister Margot was going to react to her amazing news, but she had…[...]

Woodsworth Manor

“Is there anything else I can get you?”I shook my head at the butler in front of me. His posture was intimidatingly straight.“No, thank you,” I said as sweetly as…[...]

WAS IT WORTH IT?

The thunder strikes across the clouds, it's raining that much to almost flood the town. It's at night and I peer at the top of the store, DIANA'S ANTIQUES. I…[...]

A Beautiful Lie

If there was one thing Elijah learned about anxiety, it was that your mind could concoct it anytime, anywhere. From your most private moments to the middle of planning the…[...]

It’s Not About the Ribbons

They don’t tell you that trophies are hollow. Trophies, ribbons. Those things that marked that you’d accomplished something as an equestrian. That’s not why I wanted to ride horses. What…[...]

Go Back

One early morning on a Saturday, Lenny was woken up by a constant ticking sound. After a week full of assignments, exams, and homework, Lenny craved every minute of sleep…[...]

Love Hurts

I’m lying on the sofa next to him. Just looking at him increases my heartbeat. He’s my best friend, the first I’ve ever trusted. In the dark room only lit…[...]

Garo

Elias hefted his pole spear, set the band around his elbow and waited. He was ankle deep in muck and starving. He would be willing to go all the way…[...]

5 Days Where I felt Productive

5 Days Where I Felt ProductiveSeptember 8th, 1960 Three words that describes me: Stupid Stupider Stupidest. School swallowed my every single will to keep going, failing after failing only made…[...]

The Sorceress’s Apprentice

The Great Tree loomed before me, endless steps hewn from ancient roots that gnarled and twisted. The first step was not nearly as tall as I remembered. Father had been…[...]

The New Order

Lilah Thorne stared up at the flag pinned neatly above her bed. It hung flat against the wall, carefully aligned, as if it had been placed there with intention rather…[...]

The Attic of Good and Evil

The babysitter fell asleep. Sometimes it’s opportunity, more than motive, that creates the crime. Halley didn’t particularly want to go into the attic. She wasn’t staying up late at night…[...]

Everything Is True

I didn’t realize.It wasn’t happening to me or anyone around me, so it didn’t phase me. The first time I saw it happen was on the news, the heading, in…[...]

Stolen Innocence

Sarah’s hands trembled as she reached out to grab that worn notebook by her bed. It started only a few years ago, that odd tradition, where on her birthday her…[...]

Stupid with love

What did it mean if the boy you were in a situationship with played truth or dare with another girl and made out with her? I wasn't sure how anyone…[...]

Tales from Richardson University

Hiding my mutation at Richardson University proved to be more of a challenge than I thought. I guess it goes without saying that I wouldn’t recommend having powers at a…[...]

In the Middle

Fact: the middle seat is the least preferred spot on a plane for most people. Except for me. In my mind, the gap between the aisle and the window is…[...]

The Truth of Saint Amathia

“Top of your class in the seminary I see.” Father Dolion of the Church of Saint Amathia spoke, casting his gaze down upon Brother Samuel. His spectacles sit high atop…[...]

The Wilderness

When Michael looked out the classroom window, he could only see the all-encompassing wall that overshadowed the world. Michael had taken the same vow as every citizen; never cross the…[...]

Le duel pour l’amour de la ballerine

Three is the perfect number; all sides are even, and it's the strongest shape. For Kerr, Dwain, and Cecily, it was their whole childhood. They did everything together, but, like…[...]

The worst kind of time capsule

Thunk. The shovel’s progress through the dirt ceases. It’s replaced by two soft hands scrabbling at the dirt. A finger nail bends, breaks, leaving a trail of blood. Undaunted by…[...]

Everything I Touch

Ever since I was little, everything I loved died. I realized that when I was six years old and I killed Kevin, my first fish, within two weeks. I cried…[...]

Last Words

Prompt: A character breaks a rule they swore they’d never break. What happens next? Last Words I was not in the greatest frame of mind that day when I lashed…[...]

Respectfully, Your Cousin

My dear Benjamin,There will come a time in your life when you realize rebellions don’t stop power; they simply transfer it.There are few I would trust with what I am…[...]

The Name That Would Not Stay

The Archive had never failed her.In the Lonesome Fortress, memory behaved. It settled into ink. It held to paper. It breathed beneath old leather covers and behind gilt-edged frames lining…[...]

Who Are You, Hap?

Pheasantville, Illinois, October 4, 1962 Had anything ever changed in this pile of bricks over the seventy years since it opened? The creaky hardwood floors, the smell of floor wax…[...]

Wicker

They’d been tracking the location of Zokay for over two years now. Sure enough, as they suspected, it moved to and from Earth. But some weeks it was like a…[...]

Am I even human?

“Go up and talk to that beautiful woman before I steal her from her!”Ned felt the heavy arm of Charlie slap into his back a few times as he winced.…[...]

The Tiny Truck I Knew

C’mon. Stupid computer. I wiggle the mouse beside the photo printer. The spinning blue circle still hovers beside the white arrow. Ugh. Saturdays always get busy, of course. I don’t…[...]

I Was Wrong About Everything

I Was Wrong About Everything Lunch was no longer a priority. There was no time to waste on eating. I was running from one club meeting to another. How? I…[...]

Where The Stars Go

Raven sat in her father’s study, a first-grader waiting for a bell that never rang. For her, school happened at home. Her father emptied a pack of silver pins into…[...]

Love and Laura

Laura was singularly focused on packing her suitcase. She was not going over every possible worst case scenario in her head and she certainly wasn't formulating a plan of action…[...]

Adamas Girl

I knew the city was under attack when the sky opened and stars fell through.Morning never came because the sun was absent. Or more like, someone was blocking the light…[...]

Lost But Not Forgotten

The shadows in the room indicated that Malina hadn’t left the workshop in at least five hours. The heaviness in her eyelids reminded her that she hadn’t gotten enough sleep…[...]

The Law: Year 2076

Public executions were always something I avoided. Still, when a group of kids from my college were scheduled to die on 2076 New Year’s Day, I was expected to go.…[...]

april and other unfinished things

Jude has known since he was six that he’d never have a future.Sometimes, in the quiet of the night, his parents sit him down at the table like he's a…[...]

A Villain Is a Hero In Their Own Story

- Chapter 1I made it into the Manchester Storm academy. I waited so long, and now, at the age of nine, I am fully able to say I am a…[...]

where the fires burns

DESTINED ENCOUNTER Michelle's glasses were steamed up from her coffee cup, which she had carelessly placed too close to her face. The cozy café buzzed with the soft chatter of…[...]

The Midway

Tomasina Bach was lost. Not literally. She was taking the same route from the parking lot to her job at her uncle’s arcade and carousel in the rundown lakeside midway…[...]

Best Of Both Worlds

When Sasha was a kid, she had of course undergone the fascination with wolves that seems to be a staple of all childhoods. From fairy tales to books on biology…[...]

Just Paul

Left. Right. Up the stairs. Right. Paul sometimes could not remember the direction to the main gate of the apartment complex. He had only been there for three months but…[...]

I Was Here

thump… thump… thump…That is where I begin.My heartbeat.Small. Fast. Certain.I didn’t know the words yet, but if I did, I think it would be called living.It is the first thing…[...]

The Girl Who Refused to be Rewritten

The moment the author opened the screen, the world inside it shook. Not metaphorically, not symbolically, it literally shook like an earthquake inside the screen, beyond the author’s sight or…[...]

The Promise I Made

I remember the day Maria’s heartbeat drummed against my ear as we huddled together in our prison. Our frail bodies shivered in the thin clothes the bad men gave us.…[...]

Extraordinary

I don’t cry at my grandfather’s funeral.Everyone else does. Even Mother and Father, who insist we always control our emotions. All of their rich friends shed tears while they tell…[...]

A Mother Knows

When I try to sleep, I hear a marching in my ears. Since I was little, I imagined cartoon red-coated soldiers, wearing those tall black hats, lockstepping in a never-ending…[...]

The Lordal

The Thing at the Edge of the Yard. The car accident happened on a rainy Tuesday in October. Milo was eight years old. One moment, his parents were singing along…[...]

Amulet

The murmur of voices fell silent as I entered the Tribunal Arena. I kept my gaze on the banners of sun, moon and star fluttering in the wind, striving to…[...]

The Trial

Fire engulfs the storage chamber. Shadows dance on the cave wall. Sage stares into the flames, counting the seconds before the chamber walls would give in. Time dilates into a…[...]

Understanding

Feet brushing the grass, I made my way through the forest. My eyes traveled the tall trunk to find the treehouse’s living room lights still aglow, burning warm against the…[...]

Wastelands

“How many more hours do you have left?” This was the only question that was able to come out of Katie Levine’s mouth. There was more she wanted to say…[...]

Sunshine or Snacks?

Today is April 31st. In the top bunk, Nadia lies on her stomach, trying to double check her math homework. The barrage of noises from underwater penetrate her headset’s white…[...]

I’m Still Here

It's been days.I've been trapped down here for days.Maybe it's been weeks... I don't know. There is no concept of time down here.I've realized as time went on that nobody…[...]

The Third Fracture

Intention skitters across lacy tendrils of light. Silken threads dipped in moonlight coalesce into a not-quite-there silhouette of a too-tall man. The somnira takes shape as it drops into the…[...]

Worst Of Both Worlds

Romulus hated the rain.He didn’t mildly dislike the concept. He didn’t detest it in the moment, and when the weather shifted forgot all about those feelings. He didn’t play it…[...]

The Blood That Bore Him

Atreus Theoros knew he was a monster. He had been running from it since 20 years old. When the accident happened, he left his hometown that same night, and never…[...]

Theo James survived. Unfortunately…my wig didn’t. I had been standing—barely–wobbling on a step stool in our Borrowers-sized living room, trying to decorate our “Christmas tree” for the last twenty minutes.…[...]

Left behind?

“Please explain to me why we are going to check out this disaster.” Hands on hips, she heard the murmurs of agreement behind her from the 4 other explorers. “Because…[...]

Meet Me at the Lake

TW: mild transphobia I lay on my back gazing at the stars, dreaming about how comforting it must be to never move. Every night, they come alive standing in the…[...]

Guardapalabras

Before last night, I was nobody in particular. I mean that literally. Our apartment has bare walls where other families hang portraits. No photo albums. No letters from the old…[...]

At thirteen I defeated the weight of silence in Rome and took to the streets

They attacked me with a brass knuckle, and I am only thirteen years old. I have always lived in Rome; I am a volunteer of the Youth for Peace who…[...]

My Mistake

Had I known that I was about to have my own personal Oppenheimer moment and to have the means to destroy the world, I would have kept my glasses on!But…[...]

Elusive Repairs

Theo searched the wall of ‘MISSING’ faces until he saw the one he was looking for. He glanced around the small corner store for prying eyes, grasped the bottom corners…[...]

Breakfast

My ammi watches over my shoulder as I grab the Purple Heart colored pencil from the pencil holder that I keep the 150 pack of colored pencils I got for…[...]

Just Be

”The sockpololypse is among us. The fabric of time and space relies on fabric itself. An ankle-high Armageddon is on its way. Everything hangs on by a thread, but a…[...]

I Can Explain!

“Right, just keep on driving. Don’t mind the flaring lights and the man screaming into the cone,” the cop yelled through the megaphone. My eyes flick to my rear-view mirror…[...]

Why Didn’t I?

Author's Note: In this story there are themes of abuse, much cursing, and traumatic experiences. Please read with caution before going on with this story. Thank you.“I should’ve known.” Four…[...]

An Open Letter to My College’s Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS)

An Open Letter to my College’s Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS)Dear TAPS, I hope this letter finds you. I do not care if it finds you well, or finds you…[...]

With Hardship Comes Ease

“Lora! Breakfast!” Lora’s mother called out.Lora rolled over sleepily and put a pillow over her head, drowning out the birds’ cheerful chirping. The light faded to a dim glow, and…[...]

The Script

The Script I’m on the phone talking with Phil, our recently recruited special effects wizard from over at CMT, Inc., (Well, wizard might be a little strong since he’s only…[...]

Frustration

Include the line ‘I don’t understand’, or ‘I should’ve known’, in your story. IGNORANCE IS BLISS(“No it’s not, it ‘sucks”!) When I was a young kid(“not a baby goat”!), my…[...]

Dino

DinoI’ve always had a bit of a thing for dinosaurs. From my very first school trip to The Natural History Museum in the early 70’s where, I gazed open-mouthed at…[...]

Cosmic Roads – Back Road I – Sideways Saturday

Warning: references to past violence, psychological abuse, and trauma-induced underage chain-smoking "I said I want my truck running by 3PM!" the disheveled customer in a rumpled jacket and faded bluejeans…[...]

A Spark of Hope

Sometimes people aren’t as good at things as others. It is important to be able to accept that you are not as good at something and be willing to improve.…[...]

My Dad the Triad Boss

“Kai Jie, what does your dad do?” That’s the question my English teacher gave me during Show and Tell in Primary school. The thing is, I didn’t really know or…[...]

Are You Happy?

I recently volunteered for the second time as the coordinator of the Chaska River City Days Annual Photo Contest. The tasks were labor intensive, involving all the contest submissions, required…[...]

It was my Fault

If I was the victim from the beginning I should have known. I wish I knew where I lost it. It's like I thought I knew myself but didn't. I…[...]

The Queen of Victoria Avenue

I didn’t tell my mom I was adopting a dog, because when she was six, a dog bit her, and she’s been deathly afraid ever since. I don’t really like…[...]

Tick, Tick, Tick

The handcuffs were brittle, flimsy steel links connecting Marcus’ wrists. It would take little effort to just pull them apart and snap the frail metal chain. He didn’t. White painted…[...]

Hear Us Out At Least

Kai pushed the door open with his shoulder, keys in one hand, phone barely holding a charge in the other, already thinking about collapsing onto his bed. Instead, he heard…[...]

The Tight Spot

"Oi! Back off, will ya?!” I hiss, tightening my hold on the loaf of bread beneath my cloak. One hand presses the loaf closer; the other raises at the intruder's…[...]

Unspoken silence

Mara kept the blanket folded at the end of her bed, the edge lined up perfectly with the seam of the mattress. The pillows were stacked in the same order…[...]

Lou (Part 2)

Against his will, Lou was forced by his parents into the museum of his past and current feelings—a place located below his chin, and above his crotch. A place where…[...]

Creator

You don’t carve pumpkins at Grandma’s house. That’s something I’ve known from a very young age. My earliest memory of Halloween was at age six, walking into Grandma’s kitchen and…[...]

The Drug

You Do Not Know Me

You cannot see me. Some do not know I am here. Some fear me. Some wish to embrace me. But I am here, waiting. Until I have to come. Until…[...]

The Bottle

Lester Holt was deep in thought as he walked along the beach. The tide was low and he enjoyed the feel of wet sand between his toes. He had the…[...]

My personal nightlight

A phone call wakes you out of your stupor. The caller was June, your shy but well-meaning friend. Though it was late in the evening, you wondered why she’s calling…[...]

When Fear Becomes Form

Submitted by: LA Smith4/24/26 When Fear Becomes Form Her office smelled like something I couldn’t name. Sweet, but not candy. It floated around my nose, sometimes stronger, always nice. I…[...]

Angela’s Block

Angela twirled a pencil in her long fingers, eyes fixed on the window. As she stared, a tree swayed gently with the breeze, its small green buds drawing attention after…[...]

Chance Loveless’s Opportunity For Redemption

CW: terrorism, torture, animal cruelty Chance Loveless's Opportunity For RedemptionBy Steven Rider Chance "The Ghost" Loveless, as he liked to think of himself, was born with all the promise of…[...]

The Synesthete’s Diner

Marnie woke at 5:47 AM and tasted the dusty mauve of her bedroom curtains—sour, mineral, like old pennies soaked in grape juice. She made a mental note to wash them,…[...]

The Color of Her Name

About 4% of the population, including me, have a superpower called grapheme-color synesthesia. No, it’s nothing dangerous. Just a neurological condition where overlaps in my neural pathways cause me to…[...]

That Boring Beige

Dear Bella,I remembered that day, exactly eight years after your death. The day I was standing at the edge of the bridge after my suicide attempt, cutting my wrist in…[...]

The Sword of Saint Absolutely-Not

Osmond Young stood at the edge of the forest and wished, very sincerely, that he were somewhere else. The Whispering Wood stretched out before him in a dense wall of…[...]

Green With Envy: The Turning of a Friendship

“Grover?” I asked, looking at my friend and noticing how content he looked lounging from under our favorite willow, his arms crossed behind his head.“You know I hate that nickname,…[...]