Romance Short Stories

DAREDEVIL

Christie Crayon lived in a dark grey world where dust had more colour when the moon was full of nothingness. She blinked. Her black tea was cold, yet warmer than…[...]

on a wingless plane

Studies. Research. Accolades. I decided to take a breather from hunting down the mob who stole my friend and concentrate a little on what's actually in front of me. Exams.…[...]

Blaze, The Fire-Breathing Dragon’s First Friend

Blaze The Fire-Breathing Dragon's First Friend My name is Blaze, and I'm a fire-breathing dragon. Since I'm the baddest mojo in the entire metropolis of Danville, Va., nobody messes with…[...]

Divine Intervention at the River

Though the story is fiction, it addresses topics related to abuse, trauma, alcoholism, and other life challenges. The content may be triggering for some readers. The idea of the story…[...]

Mama’s Secret

Soft steps are heard in the garden, gingerly I hide. Looking from the bush, I see my mother. My love. Oh, how she is so sad. My initial motive to…[...]

Prompt: Write a story where the line between myth and reality begins to blur.Prompt: Write a story that connects mythology and science. “It’s an agglomerated catastrophe,” said the young geologist…[...]

The Olive Tree

The elders whispered of a beginning that had been beautiful. They called our grove a hidden paradise, where animals and humans roamed in harmony. A place where gentle streams of…[...]

Loneliness can Kill You

This poor old lady named Lucy lived alone. She raised 8 children and loved them very much. She would do anything she could to help them, but one day, before…[...]

A Man Of Suffering

One of the greatest joys of my existence was witnessing Him lay the foundations of the earth. I stood with the host above the waters before men had language for…[...]

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 One Equals Zero

Prompt: Write about someone who is grappling with loneliness. The music and words in my head were so loud it was disrupting my thoughts. “One is the loneliest number you…[...]

Eternal Explorers

Gennaro felt honored to be the Chief Science Officer on the Chrysalis for its maiden voyage. Their mission was to explore the Alpha Centauri system and to help set up…[...]

The Woodsmith’s Son

In a dream, I saw myself walking by the beautiful and small lake near my hometown... A sound like the song of birds and perhaps mermaids reached my ears... And…[...]

The Blanket and the Light.

It's like a blanket wrapped around me and over my head, suffocatingly too warm and nowhere to escape. Like standing in a room full of people, yet I feel swallowed…[...]

Blind Date With a Demon

The late afternoon light slanted across Columbus Circle, turning the stone edge of Central Park gold. Though most people could appreciate this aesthetic–Augustin Fontenot could not–because he had been born…[...]

A Raw Deal with the Devil

(Story contains allusions to torture, but no actual depictions of it) “So, what’s the catch?” The demon hesitated. The sulfurous smoke billowing from his form dissipated slightly as his concentration…[...]

A Simple Act of Kindness

“The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.”-Amelia EarhartRule #1- Four downs to get the ball across the goal line (telephone pole); no…[...]

A Touch of Heaven

“Look around you,” Grandpa whispered as he gently rested his left hand on my right shoulder, and waved out in front of us with his right. “This is what I…[...]

10 Ways to Explain Your Husband’s Death to Your Son

Content warning: Themes of death***1. Tell the truthBe gentle but honest. This is your son's first time experiencing death, his only rodeo.He is five years old, wild-eyed and sugar-crazed and…[...]

An Afterlife Denied

It was almost impossible to make out the lone figure, shuffling slowly across the expanse of sand, far below. Only his movement gave him away. Wrapped in pale shreds of…[...]

The Protracted, Peculiar, and Probably Quite Pointless Trial of Bertie Masturbine

Rather than enjoying the miracle of life, humankind has generally chosen the opposite – they have tried to understand it. More specifically, since the first caveman scribbled on the walls…[...]

Present Day

"I'm worried, Alice," Mother says as I prepare to go to the Surface. I want to say I'm not, but she’d know I'm lying. I hug her instead, my arms…[...]

The woman and the beast

Professor Manda entered the lecture hall, and the entire auditorium fell silent upon noticing her presence. She tapped the floor as she walked in her blocked purple heels, which complemented…[...]

Dialogue 5

Content warning: Strong language and discussions of nihilism, existential despair, and suicide.Supreme: There is no point to anything at all so we should all cease to exist. All in Unison: Naaahhhhh.Supreme:…[...]

The Anatomy of Un-forgiveness

Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of resentment, family conflict, emotional manipulation, un-forgiveness, and intense interpersonal tension, which may be distressing for some readers. Ah, Christmas, the time when joy…[...]

The writer’s journey home.

I’m sorry, dear self, for abandoning the one thing that brought me solace, for neglecting the fire that once burned within me, for chasing the wrong dreams and prioritizing the…[...]

Do All Paths Lead to One?

Marie always knew freedom would be bitter. What she hadn’t expected was for sand and dried blood to stain her tastebuds salty, instead of sweet. Bare feet trudged and scrapped against…[...]

Trou Noir

The last glow had faded... How much time had passed since that fateful day? Weeks, months? Maybe more? In a nearly lethargic state, I remember that day, which we had prepared…[...]

The Christmas Date

It all started with a phone introduction from a mutual friend. I agreed to go on a date with a tall, young man from my department. He was my senior…[...]

Slobbering Oatmeal into Her Sweater

Our virtue or excellence does not drive our actions but by the act itself. "We are what we do," ~Aristotle. Saliva mixed with cooked oats and brown sugar dripped in…[...]

Flickers of Summer

The first time I saw Camilla, she was sitting on the hood of a beat-up car, a cigarette dangling from her lips and a sketchbook balanced on her knees. Her…[...]

The Meeting

The meeting was held at the San Sebastian National Trust Public and Private Meeting Facility Room. The sign above the door stated this and I was still a bit fuzzy…[...]

Frederik’s Room

It has been two weeks since the funeral. Now all that was left was a skeleton of a home. The ghastly white sky perfectly mirrors the experience of the inside.…[...]

a neighbours madness

in an old housing complex in a sydney suburb ,which not such a quiet little suburb like once a few years back ,for changed over years gone by with more…[...]

The Dog License

“I’m telling you, this isn’t right. What do you mean I have to file an 18-1B? And then wait in another line?” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Sorry,…[...]

In My Sister’s Shoes

Edie bit her bottom lip, her eyes darting over the metal keyboard panel beside the door, fingers trembling as she punched in the seven-digit code. She'd already called the police…[...]

To Be Great

Years and years ago, in a lesser city somewhere beneath the eternal rain and amidst the blue plant life of Rainland, is a young man, only five years old at…[...]

Fallacious Tranquillity

The Countryside The countryside belies the notion that in its embrace, tranquillity reveals her purest essence. She is often envisioned as flawless, serene, and undeniably righteous, drawing both the inspired writer…[...]

The True History of England’s Favorite Colony, as I heard it

Trigger: written in the fat thumb grammar to avoid data miners over-borrowing any more labor.Grandpa was dragged out by his neck and forced to sign his property away. The crows…[...]

Lora was a Dog

Lora was here. Lora, was a dog. At least she imagined herself to be in this moment. Lora barked, she played, she spun, she laid. She did all this when…[...]

Stormy hearts

It was the beginning of a rainy season. The first rain in the new year. As usual, the weather forecast had wrongly predicted a sunny day. It started with a drizzle,…[...]

Into the void of the real

I found myself walking through a throng of pedestrians. I push and shove through the invisible faces, and the riptide of random bodies swarming against my every movement. Claustrophobia and…[...]

Glimmer of Hope

By J. H. WatsonSensitive content: physical abuse, childhood trauma I squint my eyes as the blinding glare seeps through the corner of the blinds. A small frown gently leads to…[...]

To Be Black

T/W : Descriptions of gun violence, blood, and slight gore ; Censored swears ; Heavy discussion of racismJune 1st, 1921 - 2nd Day of the Tulsa MassacreGreenwood, TulsaI remember that…[...]

THE SOUND OF BLACK

TW: slave trading Our hut burns hot and fast without warning. Everyone in our village is screaming and running. I outrun my older brother to the sand. He says…[...]

Black African Girl

I was born from the black soil of my ancestors, the Maasai people, where the wind whispered of rain long before the first drop ever kissed the earth. My childhood…[...]

A Colorless World

A colorless world I am a nameless protagonist in a never-ending story set in a bleak and desolate place. This world has lost all color. Even the vibrancy of my…[...]

The colour of darkness.

As I walk across the sand I get nostalgia from memories a long time ago. The sand was burning my feet. It was hot but the clouds kept coming closer.…[...]

WHEN A BLACK CULTURE FADES

Mona had a knack for noticing the unnoticed. Therefore when she came across a seemingly insignificant item, she could not avoid giving it more attention. Every evening, at exactly 16:30,…[...]

Recruitment

The interior was lavishly decorated, a stark contrast to the rugged exterior. Polished wood panels gleamed under the soft glow of brass sconces, casting warm light over plush, velvet-upholstered seats.…[...]

EDS

Tom Svinver barely missed the weight limit designed by the National Space Administration who claimed that his extra twenty pounds would cost a quarter million dollars to make him weightless.…[...]

Right On Time – Michelle Addo

“I’m late!”Nia’s breath came in short, panicked gasps as she bolted out of the house, nearly tripping over the step as she hurried toward the bus stop. Her heels clacked…[...]

Chasing Proof

“It's been 2 years, you're going.” My bossy but loving bestie Michelle demanded as she expertly applied my makeup. It actually had been three years, but I wasn't going to…[...]

The Long Walk to Freedom – Written By Rahaf Saadeh

The sun descends from the sky, hidden behind the hills and shallow valleys. My mind drifts to a wonderful world of my own where my worries are distant and faint.…[...]

Evil-yn

"Wake up, Evelyn, it’s time,” whispered a soft voice, nudging her sleeping sister gently. Evelyn opened her eyes to the sight of wooden beams above her. Termites and mold had…[...]

Everything Has Its Place

Moving is quite possibly the worst. Now packing... Packing is fine. You get the cathartic pleasure of grouping your belongings in labeled boxes. Everything has its place. You travel down…[...]

Strangers to… Strangers?

NB: This story contains the use of strong language. What time is it?That phrase. That sentence. That line. How it changed so much. That was the question I asked him…[...]

The First Stitch

Eugénie never liked quiet. Not the kind that came after a funeral, or the kind that slipped into the room when everyone else went to bed. But this quiet—the kind…[...]

The Day the Chickens Voted

In the town of Gran Ravin, people took two things very seriously: Carnival costumes and politics. So when Election Day arrived and the ballots were printed with the names of…[...]

The Weight of Time

Each birthday is supposed to bring wisdom—another year of challenges and lessons shaping who you become. As I sit in my bedroom on my seventeenth, listening to Mom and Dad…[...]

We Were Never Silent

The first time someone called Amara Louis-Jean resilient, it felt like a curse disguised as a blessing.Lieutenant Grover, after morning drills, stood ramrod straight, cap low over steely eyes, the…[...]

The Last Kite of Baobab Hill

In the village of Kalimba, nestled where the earth curved gently toward the horizon, the baobab trees stood as sentinels of time. Their gnarled branches stretched like arms holding up…[...]

Destination Thasus

Jeanie walked into the room slowly. Deliberately. Taking it all in. She ran her fingers across the door frame as she caught sight of the white chair and helmet directly…[...]

Page One Picture

Duncan Village, South Africa, 1977A woman sits in the shade of a thorn tree overlooking the destruction. Tears stream down her cheeks unheeded as she rocks back and forth, a…[...]

Gate 17

Airports are chaos wrapped in glass and steel, a symphony of hurried footsteps, rolling suitcases, and garbled intercom announcements. For most people, they’re a necessary evil—queues that snake endlessly, overpriced…[...]

A Dozen Duck Eggs, Please

By Jeannette CampbellWord Count 1471 “Moesha,” said Mom, “can you stop at the farmers’ market after school today? Here is the list and some money.” I glanced at the list…[...]

The Romcom Instead

2009Why do all the most traumatizing memories from adolescence start in a high school cafeteria? It’s like they’re designed to start drama. It was in one of these glorified seventh…[...]

The Guaranteed Ones

The day was the fifteenth of September 2025. The location bombed out London. Through the teeth of the American machine the Houthi Rebels made their advance. Gaining military might with…[...]

Late Night Drive

KAMERONThe hunger gnawed at me worse than the headache. I stared down at my phone, watching the words “Preparing your order…” on the UberEats app as the second green bar…[...]

The Good Intention

Musa always meant well. That was what his mother would say whenever he fumbled something up. “Musa has a good heart. He just doesn’t think things through.” And it was…[...]

The Thirteenth Floor

Mikal had always believed that fear was a choice—until the day it became a cage.As a boy growing up in Lusaka, Zambia, Mikal had been fearless in most ways. He…[...]

Adventures in unhealthy Scepticism

I stared around the small box of a cell from a lumpy mattress, which, despite the lack of evidence, my crawling skin refused to believe was not full of bed…[...]

TAR

Jerold came into by cube with some papers in his hand and very large eyes. Jerold has large eyes but now they somehow expanded to the extent that he scared…[...]

The Man On The Platform

It was the final train of the night.Zola Ndlovu stood on the dimly lit platform of the Johannesburg Park Station, her suitcase handle clutched tightly in her hand and her…[...]

Until It Happens Again

UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN “Naw, this ain’t gonna work,” I muttered. “You can’t let him disrespect you like that and get away with it.” Aimlessly, I paced from the bed…[...]

Salt in Her Wake

Amani exhaled, tucking her work badge into the glove compartment. The past three weeks had been a haze of emotion, dread, and sadness. She tried to bury it with work…[...]

Ashes of Mercy

The sky over Limpopo was a strange gray that morning. Not the quiet calm before a storm — no, it was the kind that clung to your clothes and whispered…[...]

The Freak

She spots the first police near the post office and takes off, slippers in hand, fearing for her life. That's what anyone in her shoes would have done. Yetunde is…[...]

Ida

’s gaze shifted back and forth between Lyle and Willy. Her face paled and her eyes widened. “What did you say Willy?” Her voice squeaked out as if she were…[...]

Tempest

It had to be that night with the seas building and my fears beginning to mount. I was sure this was going to be it. I was about to die.…[...]

The last words

"Oh Allah, if you grant me the chance to make it through with writing, because I know nothing else... I swear I’ll work hard. Really hard."Those were the first words…[...]

The last words

"Oh Allah, if you grant me the chance to make it through with writing, because I know nothing else... I swear I’ll work hard. Really hard."Those were the first words…[...]

The last words

"Oh Allah, if you grant me the chance to make it through with writing, because I know nothing else... I swear I’ll work hard. Really hard."Those were the first words…[...]

Paranoid woman

As a result of the night of the real killer somewhere else outside of the subject of this on the street from the whole neighhood had been taken to ensure…[...]

Played or Fated

"See y'all in a week," I waved goodbye to my boss, Ray, and the cook, Boomer. I exited the back door of Ray's diner and quickly made my way to…[...]

Option Two

It took a few seconds to realize I was utterly and completely lost. I turned left, moss-covered trees stretched into darkness, interrupted by soft moonlight and a few stars. To…[...]

Your Goddess Weeps

“How long do we have to wait here? This place smells like rat shit and mildew,” a small woman said.She was equipped with a mid-sized blade sheathed at her side…[...]

Me and JB Peterson

Me and JB PETERSONI envisioned a man named J.B. Peterson for myself on February 18, 2016. After several attempts at trying to find a man that could or would be…[...]

The Day I Remembered Myself

By Jenniqua Lopez There wasn’t a parade or a flash of light when I awakened. No crowd cheering me on, no sign from the sky. Just a quiet morning. I…[...]

Like Father, Like Daughter

I remember when I first saw you. It was only five years ago.You were just a girl. Just one of the many saints in the Embassy. I was with my…[...]

Theirs, Hers, No one’s fault—

I was still slumped against the slippery floor. Crying that the innocuous water that was starting to thinly coat the porcelain floor tiles is the thing that will kill me.…[...]

Eyes Wide Open

It’s Friday, and the macaroni’s crusted over like a scab. Joanie picks at hers with a plastic fork, chasing a cold bite around the tray, one shoe half-kicked off under…[...]

The Day I Was Born

Community On a November morning in 1998, a restaurant worker named Danisha Farrell stepped out of the alleyway door of Paula’s Café, dragging an overstuffed trash bag. She pushed up…[...]

365 Days Clean

CW: References to substance abuse “Hurry up!” Michelle hissed. “He’ll be here in less than 30 minutes.” The decorations were set. The ribbons were draped. An Oreo cake was gifted…[...]

The First Lady Who Found the Pulpit

David and Monica Whitaker had built the kind of life people pointed to and said, “Now that’s a good marriage.” Not glamorous, not the stuff of reality TV, but steady…[...]

The Circle We Keep

In Crawford, the streets emptied as night fell. Three figures traversed through town, moving between the shadows. Their dark skin blended with the moonlight as each carried the body bag…[...]

Error 404 Connection Lost

Nomi remembered the explosion.She remembered the moments before.The gears grinding.The alarms blaring.The ship counting down.10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.Silence.Nomi awoke sometime later. Her eyes still burned from the smoke that filled the ship. Thick,…[...]