Don’t Follow the Song
The light from the laptop strained her eyes more than the late hour itself. Ioana scrolled absently through articles, forums, and videos sent by people convinced they had captured the…[...]
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The light from the laptop strained her eyes more than the late hour itself. Ioana scrolled absently through articles, forums, and videos sent by people convinced they had captured the…[...]
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It was dark.There was a slight familiar ring in my ears and I didn’t know how to stop it. I then realize I just had to open my eyes, why…[...]
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THE VISITOR As a child I was haunted by very vivid dreams. Some of these dreams were very pleasant like the night I dreamed that a powerful wind through our…[...]
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The first time Mara heard the voice beneath the soil, she thought she was losing her mind.It happened in late October, when the forests surrounding the tiny town of Bell’s…[...]
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I am Earth; mother of the moon; daughter of the sun; sister of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; and stepsister of Pluto.I am the ground beneath your…[...]
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Deep red puddles collected in the dirt lanes of Masaki, thick as clotting blood. It has rained that day, though it never should have. The leaves hung heavy, each one…[...]
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I once saw the most beautiful woman on earth. Sadly, I was not on earth that day. I was looking at her, feeling dazzled, but my seat was on the…[...]
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Form me to you. dearly, I am sending this letter to finally write back to you. I am sorry. I know it took me a while. But you know how…[...]
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Sleep eluded me as thoughts of many shapes and forms took over my mind. They came and went as they pleased, whispering secrets I tried to bury deep inside. I…[...]
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Logically Monica knows that betraying her family is wrong, but what her father has gotten away with for the past couple decades...it's was time for it to come to a…[...]
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On the fifth of march, as the late snow was crying from the sky into the suburbs of Tulip's Hollow, Michael Phillips woke up to discover that his liver had…[...]
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Content Warning: Mental Health issues.Alone in My HeadThey haven’t always been here. Well, not here. Not sitting beside me or walking with me or leaving messages for me. I don’t…[...]
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Mrs. Rosemary Bennet lived life like a ghost. Seeing without being seen. Speaking without being heard. Her fingers left no fingerprints.Tick, tock, said the clock. Your time is up.Smiling strangers…[...]
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They say we grieve to the depth that we love, but how do I grieve someone who isn't dead?***Xavier and I met in our freshman year of college. He was…[...]
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Last night I saw a ghost. Cutting through the overgrown cemetery is the quickest way to my apartment complex, where I share rent with a roommate. Some people think I'm…[...]
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By the time the seventh plate was carried into the dining hall, four people at the table had already lied about why Lord Kwaku Bediako was dead.Only one of them…[...]
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The clothes had to have been too big.Rango repeated that same sentence in silence, in the form of both an observation, and a plea, dozens of times during the drive…[...]
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January 1, 1990 Dear Love,I keep thinking that I miss you, but you’re not you anymore. And I can’t miss who you were, because then I wouldn’t be me. Then…[...]
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It was a lovely restaurant. The same old stereotypical candlelight dinner with two people who love each other as if it was their life's work. As if holding each other,…[...]
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INMATE FOUND DEAD IN CELL: Ellis Rucker, 28, found unresponsive in his cell at Kessler Correctional early Thursday. Prison officials say foul play has not been ruled out. Clara read…[...]
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This story contains themes of death and murder. Adair Grayson opened the funeral home on Dorothy Street at twenty-two with a business loan and a used embalming table. His father…[...]
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The Carver twins had been swapping places since before they had language for deception, and now, at their father's funeral, they would perform their most dangerous switch yet, because one…[...]
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Number One“Jack was an interesting character, wasn’t he?” Chris spoke quietly and gave a smirk as he turned to Peter. “There’s a lot of people here for his funeral, but…[...]
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(This story contains sensitive content, containing mentions of substance abuse, mental health issues, and a creepy man) On an ugly, hot morning, in an ugly town, on an ugly stretch…[...]
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In the aftermath of billions of deaths, every individual death that follows means more to the survivors than it ever did before. Many of those deaths went unmourned or uncelebrated.…[...]
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Father Joseph looked around the sea of black in front of him as he stepped towards the lectern. The polished oak at his fingertips was cold to the touch. The…[...]
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“You’re overreacting; it wasn't as bad as she was making it out to be. Ms Morris has it out for me; she needs to get a fucking grip,” Amanda shouted…[...]
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I was here, this morning, in this moment, wishing I could be anywhere else. I gazed around the room, a sea of black. Black dresses. Black suits. Hundreds of them.…[...]
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Reverend Brown has always preferred the wake to the funeral. Maybe this isn’t exactly an unusual preference; to be sure, the young Castle brood are galloping about in glee at…[...]
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The room was magnificent and it contained undeniable history; it held the laughter, tears and whispers of past events within its walls. There were three large windows on each side…[...]
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Mysteries may unfold or unravel at a moment’s notice or may intensify in depth until they are barely solvable. — The Narrator This was the time and place for all…[...]
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Neala loomed over Grandma Aileen’s casket and stared at the waxy skin etched with makeup-filled crevices. Each line on the old woman’s face held a story. Frown lines told of…[...]
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I couldn’t tell if the words I was typing were from me or borrowed from someone else. That’s how unoriginal I was; a mosaic of authors, pieces extracted from my…[...]
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Sallow Falls FM Radio Broadcast, October 18th, 2004 "That was Bruised Hearts with their brand new single, Nowhere to Hide. Be sure to tune in next week, we'll be giving…[...]
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I looked at her. Her eyes were already tired, just like all that came before her. Her body, still. You would think a baby would cry more often, fuss more…[...]
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My eyes felt like galaxies—holding the swirling glow of countless memories—as I took in our childhood home. Its siding looked like remnants of driftwood after a bonfire. I swore I…[...]
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08:50:05.000:RequestGeneratedHey Phaedra, can you give me a recipe for vegan lasagne with a rich, creamy bechamel sauce?08:50:05.005: ResponseDispatched++Certainly! For a delicious vegan lasagne, you'll need lasagne noodles, marinara sauce, vegan ricotta,…[...]
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To: old.inbox.julian@gmail.comSubject: trying againDate: 12/03/2025, 21:14Julian,I know you won’t read this. Maybe it’ll bounce back like the last time.But I saw someone today — someone who walked exactly like you.Same…[...]
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Trigger warning: This story suggests child sexual abuse. I only vaguely recall Grandpa coming to the door of our bedroom that evening and asking us to come to his bedroom. I…[...]
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She was late coming home one October night. Fireworks from outside rattled the teacups on the shelf. The sound of fingertips tapped the glass windows. Was she home? The tapping…[...]
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Shaimah rolled the dice idly between her fingers. If she closed her eyes the indents of the white dots could be felt. Number three, she was sure of it. Opened…[...]
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"Don't step on the marigolds!" Sondra's warning was to Fina. The little girl was straddling the bright path of petals that led from the altar to the screen door. The…[...]
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She was late coming home one October night. Fireworks from outside rattled the teacups on the shelf. The sound of fingertips tapped the glass windows. Was she home? The tapping…[...]
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As a third-generation Japanese Canadian, Jayne was one of the younger members of the Nikkei Cultural Association in southern Alberta. Since she had some facility with technology, she had volunteered to…[...]
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Nicole picked up a cherimoya and pretended to examine it while sneaking glances at the wizen shopkeeper. His stares were bold, so she turned a cold shoulder to him—a weak…[...]
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“Appa, not again” Atar groaned.He rolled over to face the wall and buried his head under his pillow.The triplets shushed him loudly. All three wore very serious expressions on their…[...]
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**Trigger Warning: Mental Health, Physical Violence**_ As per usual, Dr.Marigold was eager to start our session, “Okay, whenever you’re ready. The last time we met, you mentioned you wanted to…[...]
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(The vice versa option)I cover my ears as I rush out the school doors at the end of the day. There’s kids talking on the phone. Other kids yelling. Playing…[...]
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Making sure the bed frame doesn’t squeak as I lift myself from the two-inch foam roll that they call a mattress is the most daunting task at 3:47 am, especially…[...]
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Rising deliberately from her cross-legged seat, spine uncoiling lazily, the dancer held everyone’s attention. Fully erect, she paused. Then her body began a slow ripple from belly to toe, like…[...]
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Natasha was running down Shaftesbury Avenue in Theatreland to her job interview at a civil service secret location. She would have loved to have her sister’s artistic talent but the…[...]
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The mission was simple: destroy. The savage men who stood, arm-in-arm, were locked, stone-faced and stoic, blocking the perimeter of the only standing hospital of the South New Order. Sweat…[...]
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CW: Contains themes of drug trafficking, violence and profanity.Ain’t No Fun When The Rabbit Got The Gun“Ay yo, Mo-Mo, maybe you should be careful what you wish for. Things is…[...]
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Please enjoy a tale from the Hotel Baku, formally dubbed ‘The Ass and the Shrew’.You see, the co-managers here don't see eye-to-eye. Mr. Tall is 6’ 7” and Ms. Small…[...]
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At the bottom of the bottle she found no genie, no answers to her burning questions, and no cure to the gnawing ache that threatened to consume her…….no peace at…[...]
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Unspoken RulesBy: Justin MarloweJanuary 1, 1900; 2:22 a.m. Annabelle Louise Douglas was born at the Mt. Ararat Citizens Baptist Medical Center in Talladega, Alabama, which was the newly formed hospital…[...]
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As I neared the remaining five minutes, I sought shelter in the shadow of the central column. While her head swivelled above it, she looked around and down at the…[...]
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It was a night of velvet and desire. Faris sat with his palms twisting frantically in his lap. He had escaped the palace and wandered listlessly through the garden. The…[...]
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My father never had a problem with patience, he made it look easy. The anticipation of finding something worth having seemed to keep him calm. He was so cool. I…[...]
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I like my own company, you know, being indoors. It’s quiet, calm, and quaint. Did I mention that it was quiet? Everything I need, I have at home. For some…[...]
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“I quit.” Teresa strode through the open door of the luxurious corner office, attempting to rein in her anger. “And you can’t force me to take a business trip I've…[...]
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Any other night, Dad was at the table waiting for us, his four sons, when Mom called us in for supper. Tonight, Dad was on the phone so as we walked…[...]
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TRUE ADVENTURES OF A TEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN JAMAICA, W.I. I was a skinny, but highly energetic and athletic child. At ten, I had just begun to wear glasses. I was proud…[...]
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It was my first time finding myself in the proud and storied capital of the Ottoman Empire. The vibe differed from what I had imagined — maybe because of the…[...]
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My column in the local magazine, Islands Chronicle, stirred controversy and by some was thought to be demeaning to those who had lost their lives in deep blue seas to…[...]
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Prompt: Your character overhears something that changes their path. Words that Hurt, Words that Mend You all know the adage ‘kids can be cruel.’ It became a silent mantra I would…[...]
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LUST FOR DURIANS, THE KING OF FRUITS.-------------------------------------Keegan Kannan stood with folded arms at the entrance of the Trattoria Italian Restaurant, scrutinizing the flurry of activities on a Friday evening. There…[...]
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A shooting star soared across the galaxy. A wish was made. Then I awoke. *** She was late coming home one October night. Fireworks from outside rattled the teacups on…[...]
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Kickapoo, Kansas1882 Kickapoo was a booming town with a bright future, thanks to a silver strike. That future was dimmed four months ago when three outlaws rode into town. What…[...]
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To the hundreds of people who attended her irreverently festive funeral, “Aunt Josephine” was not just the life of every party she attended; she WAS the party! I knew this…[...]
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It was a cold October morning when I stumbled into Bill's Diner, just like every other day. I ordered my usual: black coffee with a side of eggs and bacon.…[...]
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This story deals with themes of self-harm, trauma, minor allusions to violence, and child abuse. Reader discretion is advised. Veronica for the past few weeks felt a newfound sense of…[...]
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They traveled up the steep embankment and as they did she thought to herself, half mumbling and half entranced from the exhaustion of the long journey.‘A road would be nice.…[...]
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The knock on the apartment door was so loud that it sounded like rapid-fire gunshots. Simon woke up instantly, and then lay frozen still in his bed though his heart was…[...]
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Bruriah ran along the empty streets as she heard singing coming from most of the houses. She had fallen asleep behind a stack of hay because she was tired from…[...]
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Any other night, Dad was at the table waiting for us, his four sons, when Mom called us in for supper. Tonight, Dad was on the phone so as we walked…[...]
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As if the night had come too early, the spring darkness of Kyiv was heavy and damp. Wet from the constant rain, the streets were still deserted, but alive with…[...]
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“And our next guest is one I’m sure you’ve all heard of, though if anyone hasn’t heard of him, come talk to me after the show so you can give…[...]
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An old man trudged up the hill, his grandson beside him, their breaths visible in the cold. The boy reached up, his small hands brushing the folds of the old…[...]
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Content warning: Themes or references to discrimination and race.“I’m sorry for how . . .” she started to say before realizing the meeting was over. Shana was standing with her…[...]
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Hawaii’s First Christmas: A Short StoryBy Joy Ogawa Christmas Eve 1858, the influential widow, Mary Dominis, opened her Honolulu mansion to lucky local children, child princesses, and Santa Claus for…[...]
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A Light in the Cold A drop of tea leaped over the thin wall of the china cup and onto her walnut coffee table as she knelt to sit on…[...]
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Teresa If you had told me in my teens that twenty-six years into my marriage, quiet mornings and predictable evenings would be my life—and that choosing a new brand of…[...]
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“I remember when I used to wake up in the morning and you used to be there. Not the sun, not the light, you. And for a moment I would…[...]
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Catherine met Uche in Bern, Switzerland, in 1996. It was a cold night when they first crossed paths. She had just arrived in a foreign place, surrounded by foreign people,…[...]
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She was late coming home one October night. Fireworks from outside rattled the teacups on the shelf. The sound of fingertips tapped the glass windows. Was she home? The tapping…[...]
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“So, brother Ricky, how long have you been in the healing ministry?” Pastor Jeffery, still dressed in his impeccably clean, white church clothes, squinted in the low light as he…[...]
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I was embarrassed by the silence. It was so quiet in this tearoom, sipping and blowing the hot water in my cup sounded thunderous. “Don’t worry about it,” assured Pam,…[...]
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The unusually hot summer day hadn’t stopped the Vincenzos from their special Sunday treat. Pork.No wonder Samuel’s smile was as wide as the mountain ranges behind him, wearing a pair…[...]
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u will know which country i am referring to ... ?keke ...the weather never changes here , hot and wet ... always , 366 days a year.. !Cost of living…[...]
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The boys were all huddled around a table. Not a rickety table, not crooked in any way. Sébastien's grandfather had built it how many years ago? It didn't matter. The…[...]
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