But I have prayed for you
The sanctuary is packed. I'm already sweating and it's only been ten minutes since I arrived. I'm waiting in the doorway and pretending to be busy with my phone as…[...]
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The Heart Posture for True Love
Vikie and Tonya have been best friends since they were 5 years old. Their parents always told them that when they got older, they would become wives and have a…[...]
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Chicken Noodle Ice Cream
Sharron looked through the frosty glass at the ice cream shop and took in the six options. “This is all you have? Vanilla…that's creative. Look, to go along with it,…[...]
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CHRISTIAN-ISH by Brittney Gathen
I couldn’t have heard him right. Tonight was supposed to be the night that Eden Aimes life changed for the better, the night that all of her mama’s coaching and…[...]
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Grandma’s Gin and Coke
My grandmother did everything with a cigarette in one hand, a gin and Coke in the other, and a ready joke on her lips (often a crude one). In the…[...]
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Wife and Mother
TW: Contains themes of sexual violence and religious reinterpretation Wife The way that the rainstorm can turn sideways and knock me off my feet is the way that he came…[...]
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Cain and Abel (And Aclima)
Abel called the name of I, his dear sister, and joined me on the rock in front of the river. And he breathed in the warm air and said, “I…[...]
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Starting Over
CW: Mental health, physical violence The morning sun crept through the bedroom window and slowly engulfed the bed where Angela was sleeping. Half opening her eyes, Angela silently rubbed the…[...]
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A Mother’s Love
May 12, 1985, New York University Langone Hospital The doctor said a prayer before walking into the waiting room to speak to the family. He had done his best, but…[...]
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“Ah,” said God. “My last cigarette.”
God reached for his thunderbolts, an extra pair of Greek leather sandals, two white robes, and his trimmer. It was all he could fit into his suitcase. Everything else would…[...]
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The Education
I’m not really the college type. But my parents said if I want to ever make money, I need college. And they paid my way. I nearly flunked out. Probably…[...]
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About religious addiction
There is not much practical advice on how to escape from the clutches of religion. Religion is a source of peace and life, but at the same time it can…[...]
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“Sometimes, paths cross sooner than one may expect.”
The train couldn’t depart sooner, could it? Stella sprinted through the Kufstein train station, dodging people like a professional alpine skier, her trench coat flying behind her. She was already…[...]
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The Surgery That Changed Everything
The alarm rang loudly in the quiet room.Beep. Beep. Beep.Rolling over slowly, I reached for my phone and turned the alarm off. I stayed lying there, staring up at the…[...]
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Vessels: Where the Sun Smiles
I sat on a rock, observing everyone with a quick glance. Kaelith and Amaya seemed to be deep in conversation. Amorette was practicing her lyre. She had placed a spell…[...]
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In The Most Peaceful of Places
“McGraw…” Miles whispered as he ruminated on the meaning of his own surname. “I wonder what that would mean to anyone else if I asked them.” He leaned back in…[...]
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An Adventure with Bob, Fred, and Doctor Dill Pickle
Once upon a time in the land of Snackville, Bob the Cheeseburger, with his cheese self and Fred the Taco with his spicy salsa, and their wise friend Doctor Dill…[...]
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The wanderer of Nod
The Wanderer of NodThe odometer on the dash of the ’74 sedan had stopped turning centuries ago, frozen at a number that looked like a long, tired sigh. Cain didn’t…[...]
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Access Denied
Trigger warnings- Views on Religon and politics may not align with all readers. “Knock, Knock. You got a minute?”“Sure, Peter, come on in. What Can I do for you?” “I’m…[...]
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Window To Heaven
She woke up with the first streaks of sunlight hitting her bed. It was a beautiful morning outside, the sky a perfect tone of blue, but Serena felt an inexplicable…[...]
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What would you call it?
Dear Heavenly Father Do you think I’m a fool?, like how most people say that I am. They call me stupid and gullible and yet my grades prove that I’m…[...]
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Seaside Redemption
John Norton loved the peace and quiet of his palatial home on the bayside of 94th Street in Ocean City, Maryland. After a busy day filling prescriptions at Atlantic General…[...]
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Time Stops
This story begins with the day I was born. This is not your usual day of birth. On this day, I am 41 years old. I’m in a gay bar…[...]
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Love is the Answer: My Second Chance at Life
My life hasn’t been easy. You see, I should have been dead a long time ago. As Langston Hughes says, “My life has not been a crystal stair.”I was an…[...]
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The Pregnant Baby Boy
He wakes everyone up at 7 am every day. He screams and screams until he is picked up and fed milk. He is rocked back and forth, held, and poops…[...]
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Alessandro and the Greenhorn Kayaker
Our timing couldn’t have been worse! The large water-taxi launch was bearing down full speed straight towards us as my date, Sandro, and I, struggled to get ahead of its…[...]
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The Margins of Rock Bottom – Based on My Lived Life Experience
She didn’t mean to make a ceremony out of it. It just happened that way. The first page tore too easily. The sound surprised her with a soft, almost polite…[...]
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My Troubled Bridges
By Frances Gaudiano “I can’t come visit you at university,” I told my daughter. “Why not?” She wanted me to take her shopping and out for a meal – a…[...]
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The Day at Golgotha
I’ve made a mistake. A robbery that went wrong. You see, my brother and I took many riches from our master. We were supposed to give it to our families.…[...]
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Human Composting
Includes sensitive content of death and burial Father Gianpaolo, I am sending this article to you and as we have previously crossed paths and will surely do so again. I…[...]
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No Angels Came
I never wanted the money. I only wanted the miracle he promised me would happen if I forced his hand.People will say I sold him. They will say I was…[...]
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One Life So Others May Live
Prompt: Write a story that includes the words “déjà vu” or “that didn’t happen.” An obnoxiously loud alarm sounded jarring me from a troubled night of dreams. The ringing only…[...]
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The Absolution of Judas
Max knew it was a bad idea. He knew he was obsessed. He knew the repercussions were catastrophic. He no longer cared. He had spent all his adult life on…[...]
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Peter, Paul & Merryweather
PETER, PAUL AND MERRYWEATHERNow faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 ESV*** You almost certainly surely remember the worst bad news.…[...]
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Sans Neige
How am I supposed to know if it was for the better or the worse? I grew up ordinary—middle-class, suburban home. There were trees and streams, but being in the…[...]
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The Maverick
“Come in! Nozwelo? Yes, Come in please.”Nozwelo walks in with her potential boyfriend and manages a formal smile when she locks eyes with Dr. Khoza. The young man who follows…[...]
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Broken Homes
The house's exterior was neat and clean. The porch swing tipped back and forth without a creak. All my good memories seem to have lined up beautifully out here. I…[...]
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5000 miles (五千英里)
Five thousand miles is the kind of number that sounds clean until you try to live inside it. It’s a number you can Google. Taipei to Seattle. The little airplane…[...]
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My Mother’s Book
My mother held the Book. She held it against her belly the way she never held any of us. Both hands on it. Her thumb crushed against the edge so…[...]
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Granny Grace
Today, Mommy hung pictures in the long hallway at our new place. I’m fascinated by old pictures and the past, in general. Anything that happened before I was born interests…[...]
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More Than Words
Facades and reactions are usually her saving grace and combat response but today is different. It takes too much strength for her to smile at anyone, and even her nieces…[...]
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For God Loved Me: He Gave Me a Second Chance with a Second Heart
July 2005, life was supposed to be exciting! My oldest daughter was preparing to go off to college with all the dreams of college life. We were preparing for her…[...]
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The Cost of the Cross
His body violently shivered as he lay on his side in a ball like an animal protecting himself from the elements. The jumpsuit did nothing for warmth; the thin, unwelcoming…[...]
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The last cup
The winter sun is casting its last rays over the freshly snow-covered ground. He watches the rays until they fade, then turns back from the window as the aroma from…[...]
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Barista Bubba
finished swirling the whipped cream on top of the drink, placed it on the bar, and called out, “Half-caf triple grande hazelnut nonfat with whip mocha.” As the woman grabbed…[...]
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A Cup of Tea
“Mum! Mum! Wake up! The water’s at the steps.”“What time is it Jonny?”“It’s 4 a.m. I think we should wake the neighbours and tell them to come over here.”I struggled…[...]
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Hopeful Places
Our world was beautiful. We got married at 23. We met in college. I was studying to be a professional photographer, and she a nurse. We were so mismatched. The…[...]
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The Silver Ghost
I was very young when I first heard the lonesome horn of the Silver Ghost carrying across the Nebraska plains where nary a train has ever run. I was sitting…[...]
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When Drinkware Speaks
The missus grabs me and holds me tight. Her hands are cold as she places me under the shower of hot, brown liquid, with the aroma of peace and calmness.…[...]
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Damnatio memoriae
Chapter 1: Paladin When the alarms sounded at 01:23:40 on April 26th, the Ministry hoped it was a standard cascade failure: operator error, graphite ignition, steam explosion. The kind of…[...]
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It’s a Messy Life
(Sensitive content: nothing happens on-scene but allusions to suicide and sexual violence are made) Larry wished he had never been born. All his life he made one dumb decision after…[...]
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One Day At A Time in My Life
My mom got the superlative, “A smile for every occasion,” in high school. Her father, my Pop-pop, was in the FBI. There’s a framed photo of him, my grandma, mom…[...]
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What Are You Waiting For?
Sensitive content: euthanasia Eileen signed the visitors’ book in her mother’s room and checked the other entries. Just as she thought, she and Ruth were the only visitors. They were…[...]
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The Star of Bethlehem
It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was nearly dark. I was driving towards a little village called Netherton when the car slowed and came to a…[...]
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Salty But Lit
The engine of the Wagoneer cut out, leaving us in a sudden, ringing silence. Outside, the afternoon sun baked the church parking lot's asphalt, trying to melt the snow, but…[...]
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Picasso Heart
12 February 2030Turtle BayManhattan, New YorkUSATo my sweet love,My precious gift, I know you don’t have many words if any and you don’t owe me anything. I don’t blame you…[...]
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Circle Park Drive
The campus moved with a confidence that bordered on indifference. Students streamed past her in intersecting currents, backpacks thudding softly, voices rising and falling in overlapping conversations that never paused…[...]
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Stone And Breath
The bells begin while Éva is still standing in her kitchen, holding a mug she has no intention of finishing. They strike too early, as they always do in the…[...]
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In a Mirror Dimly
“Honey, your life is in danger. Don’t you understand?”Renee listened respectfully to her boyfriend’s concerns over her phone. She just had a different opinion. ”Travis, I do understand, and I’m…[...]
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An Angel Heard on High
Prompt: Set your story on a remote island, a distant planet, or somewhere faraway and forgotten. Once upon a cloud where time doesn’t matter, there is a heavenly place faraway…[...]
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The Weight of Stillness
The badge on Sheriff Silas Blackwood’s chest felt heavier than the lead in his service belt. It wasn’t just three ounces of polished silver; it was the forty years of…[...]
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Willow and the Living Water
One day, a Golden Retriever named Willow went on her usual morning walk. She loved this time of day, when the world seemed to wake slowly, as if wrapped in…[...]
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No Holding Back
. The tagline, the parting words, and the lasting message of the book I've just finished, closed, and placed on the shelf where all my books are spines in, edges…[...]
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The Ultimate Revelation
Prompt: Start or end your story with someone opening or closing a book. My given name is Pierre. Friends (or so they claim to be) call me the “hoover” because…[...]
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Until Dawn Breaks
Visceral dread rolled in with the orange hues of dusk, of dust, of ashes, of tears. I was a prisoner to my own mind, the rebuke from my dear Aisling,…[...]
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Turning Pages
Jasmine wasn’t sure what to do with the book. Her friend simply gave it to her at work, out of the blue.“Have you met my best friend?” Yuri asked.“No, I…[...]
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Custodes Liminis
BABETTE“I’m sorry, but you’ve missed office hours,” the professor muttered, the words dulled by habit, “and while normally I’d be more than obliging, it’s exam season. I said in class,…[...]
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A Storm Inside A Storm
“William. William, can you hear me? It is time to go.” Shannon put on her boots and her jacket. The party would start soon, and she did not want to…[...]
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Time Frozen Love
A man sits alone on the edge of a bed. The door to the room remains closed as he sits alone with an overhead light from a fan covering the…[...]
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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.…[...]
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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…[...]
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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…[...]
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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…[...]
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Ancient, Mighty and Eternal
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…[...]
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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…[...]
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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…[...]
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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…[...]
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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,…[...]
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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…[...]
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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…[...]
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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…[...]
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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…[...]
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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…[...]
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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…[...]
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