#shortstories — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #shortstories, aggregated by home.social.
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ICYMI
Joyrides For Shut-Ins
Experience the dark and twisted world of American absurdist literature in this collection of stories that will leave you both perplexed and entertained.
From micro-fiction to short stories, each piece delves into the encounters, desires, and violence that make up the fabric of American culture and psyche. Meet characters who are both familiar and bizarre, as they navigate a world that blurs the lines between imagination and reality.
Fans of Samuel Beckett, Lydia Davis, and Chuck Palahniuk will find themselves immersed in this kaleidoscope of dead-pan incidents, where nothing is quite as it seems.
But be warned, as you turn each page, you may find yourself questioning your own grasp on reality.
Don't miss out on this masterful chiaroscuro of a book.
Name your price now!
Buy the paperback at Bookshop.org!
https://absurdproject.gumroad.com/l/JoyridesForShutIns
#bookstodon #weird #absurd #literature #shortstories #microfiction #satire
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I was writing a wee serial on substack before I abandoned the platform, but I also abandoned the story.
Here, rising from the ashes... A pair of witches!“Succumb to my devil vagina magic!” Shouted the naked woman as she ran down the street, the wind and rain not bothering her at all.
The suited guy she was chasing ran like his life depended on it. It didn’t, but he didn’t know that."
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October can't come soon enough! Pamela M. Durgin and Karlo Yeager Rodríguez opened the door to autumn (among other times and places) with these spooky tales. You can still watch! #Bookstodon #StoryHour2020 #ShortStories #ShortFiction #AuthorReading #Horror #HorrorFiction #PamelaMDurgin #KarloYeagerRodriguez #KarloYeagerRodríguez @kjy1066 https://youtu.be/dxJhsTbzsLA
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October can't come soon enough! Pamela M. Durgin and Karlo Yeager Rodríguez opened the door to autumn (among other times and places) with these spooky tales. You can still watch! #Bookstodon #StoryHour2020 #ShortStories #ShortFiction #AuthorReading #Horror #HorrorFiction #PamelaMDurgin #KarloYeagerRodriguez #KarloYeagerRodríguez @kjy1066 https://youtu.be/dxJhsTbzsLA
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October can't come soon enough! Pamela M. Durgin and Karlo Yeager Rodríguez opened the door to autumn (among other times and places) with these spooky tales. You can still watch! #Bookstodon #StoryHour2020 #ShortStories #ShortFiction #AuthorReading #Horror #HorrorFiction #PamelaMDurgin #KarloYeagerRodriguez #KarloYeagerRodríguez @kjy1066 https://youtu.be/dxJhsTbzsLA
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October can't come soon enough! Pamela M. Durgin and Karlo Yeager Rodríguez opened the door to autumn (among other times and places) with these spooky tales. You can still watch! #Bookstodon #StoryHour2020 #ShortStories #ShortFiction #AuthorReading #Horror #HorrorFiction #PamelaMDurgin #KarloYeagerRodriguez #KarloYeagerRodríguez @kjy1066 https://youtu.be/dxJhsTbzsLA
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October can't come soon enough! Pamela M. Durgin and Karlo Yeager Rodríguez opened the door to autumn (among other times and places) with these spooky tales. You can still watch! #Bookstodon #StoryHour2020 #ShortStories #ShortFiction #AuthorReading #Horror #HorrorFiction #PamelaMDurgin #KarloYeagerRodriguez #KarloYeagerRodríguez @kjy1066 https://youtu.be/dxJhsTbzsLA
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NAMING THE SNAKES: New Writing Scotland 44
Edinburgh launch
15 September, Blackwell’s, South Bridge – £3 / £11 with bookCelebrate the latest issue with a mix of readings of poetry, short fiction & non-fiction in English, Gaelic & Scots – all welcome!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/naming-the-snakes-new-writing-scotland-44-tickets-1995684361648
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #Scots #Scotslanguage #poetry #shortfiction #shortstories #writing #writingcommunity #Edinburgh
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NAMING THE SNAKES: New Writing Scotland 44
Edinburgh launch
15 September, Blackwell’s, South Bridge – £3 / £11 with bookCelebrate the latest issue with a mix of readings of poetry, short fiction & non-fiction in English, Gaelic & Scots – all welcome!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/naming-the-snakes-new-writing-scotland-44-tickets-1995684361648
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #Scots #Scotslanguage #poetry #shortfiction #shortstories #writing #writingcommunity #Edinburgh
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NAMING THE SNAKES: New Writing Scotland 44
Edinburgh launch
15 September, Blackwell’s, South Bridge – £3 / £11 with bookCelebrate the latest issue with a mix of readings of poetry, short fiction & non-fiction in English, Gaelic & Scots – all welcome!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/naming-the-snakes-new-writing-scotland-44-tickets-1995684361648
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #Scots #Scotslanguage #poetry #shortfiction #shortstories #writing #writingcommunity #Edinburgh
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NAMING THE SNAKES: New Writing Scotland 44
Edinburgh launch
15 September, Blackwell’s, South Bridge – £3 / £11 with bookCelebrate the latest issue with a mix of readings of poetry, short fiction & non-fiction in English, Gaelic & Scots – all welcome!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/naming-the-snakes-new-writing-scotland-44-tickets-1995684361648
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #Scots #Scotslanguage #poetry #shortfiction #shortstories #writing #writingcommunity #Edinburgh
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NAMING THE SNAKES: New Writing Scotland 44
Edinburgh launch
15 September, Blackwell’s, South Bridge – £3 / £11 with bookCelebrate the latest issue with a mix of readings of poetry, short fiction & non-fiction in English, Gaelic & Scots – all welcome!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/naming-the-snakes-new-writing-scotland-44-tickets-1995684361648
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #Scots #Scotslanguage #poetry #shortfiction #shortstories #writing #writingcommunity #Edinburgh
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Pues fantástico, esto 🖤🖤🖤
#books #libros #bookstodon #literatura #literature #relatos #shortstories
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Pues fantástico, esto 🖤🖤🖤
#books #libros #bookstodon #literatura #literature #relatos #shortstories
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Pues fantástico, esto 🖤🖤🖤
#books #libros #bookstodon #literatura #literature #relatos #shortstories
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Pues fantástico, esto 🖤🖤🖤
#books #libros #bookstodon #literatura #literature #relatos #shortstories
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Pues fantástico, esto 🖤🖤🖤
#books #libros #bookstodon #literatura #literature #relatos #shortstories
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Behind the Scenes: Part 5
The storyboards are taking shape in The Book Nook. I wanted to drop in and share a raw, quick sketch from the draft table as our newest picture book builds momentum. Capturing the emotion in a scene before any painting begins is where the real storytelling happens. These initial drawings are the blueprint for everything to come, giving us our very first look at how the pages will feel in a child’s hands. I cannot wait to share the next steps in this journey with you, so stay tuned right […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/09/behind-the-scenes-part-5/
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Behind the Scenes: Part 5
The storyboards are taking shape in The Book Nook. I wanted to drop in and share a raw, quick sketch from the draft table as our newest picture book builds momentum. Capturing the emotion in a scene before any painting begins is where the real storytelling happens. These initial drawings are the blueprint for everything to come, giving us our very first look at how the pages will feel in a child’s hands. I cannot wait to share the next steps in this journey with you, so stay tuned right […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/09/behind-the-scenes-part-5/
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Behind the Scenes: Part 5
The storyboards are taking shape in The Book Nook. I wanted to drop in and share a raw, quick sketch from the draft table as our newest picture book builds momentum. Capturing the emotion in a scene before any painting begins is where the real storytelling happens. These initial drawings are the blueprint for everything to come, giving us our very first look at how the pages will feel in a child’s hands. I cannot wait to share the next steps in this journey with you, so stay tuned right […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/09/behind-the-scenes-part-5/
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Behind the Scenes: Part 5
The storyboards are taking shape in The Book Nook. I wanted to drop in and share a raw, quick sketch from the draft table as our newest picture book builds momentum. Capturing the emotion in a scene before any painting begins is where the real storytelling happens. These initial drawings are the blueprint for everything to come, giving us our very first look at how the pages will feel in a child’s hands. I cannot wait to share the next steps in this journey with you, so stay tuned right […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/09/behind-the-scenes-part-5/
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Behind the Scenes: Part 5
The storyboards are taking shape in The Book Nook. I wanted to drop in and share a raw, quick sketch from the draft table as our newest picture book builds momentum. Capturing the emotion in a scene before any painting begins is where the real storytelling happens. These initial drawings are the blueprint for everything to come, giving us our very first look at how the pages will feel in a child’s hands. I cannot wait to share the next steps in this journey with you, so stay tuned right […]https://heathercongrove.com/2026/09/09/behind-the-scenes-part-5/
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Some of Violet Jacob’s works are available to download as free ebooks via @gutenberg_org
4 novels: Flemington, The Sheep-Stealers, Irresolute Catherine, & The Interloper;
2 poetry collections: Bonnie Joann, and Other Poems, & Songs of Angus and More Songs of Angus;
The Golden Heart, & Other Fairy Stories8/8
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7709
#Scottish #literature #Scots #Scotslanguage #19thCentury #20thcentury #WomenWriters #VioletJacob #novels #poetry #shortstories #shortfiction #fairytales
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Last Limp
Old old old fiction taking place within the Ruggizuomo storyline featured in Dragon Mafia
In the mist of New York, Roland Nikdydobrý was running in the rain. He had neither an umbrella nor a hat. He frantically looked around, as if he was searching for someone. He studied the crowd. There were no signs of steady movement. The people were walking like robots. He ran across the rainy streets, avoiding cars that honked at him but dared not stop. He stumbled into a nearby café. When that little bell rung, everyone slowly lifted their heads to stare at him. Their eyes were a thirsty blood red color. One woman reading a magazine stared at him with emerald green eyes. A teenage boy took his stare away from his iPhone to stare with blue eyes.
Roland gulped. His chest was heaving. He ran out the door but was met with a crowd of people surrounding him…staring at him. He dashed across the street, little light shone in the rainy and cloudy skies. He ran up to a payphone, probably the last of its kind, and dialed a number like a frantic man.
“Rugizzuomo Army, please!”
He constantly checked his surroundings with quick glances. He waited for someone to pick up, and finally a click.
“Maya! It’s Roland! Tell Riley I love him as a brother and I’ll miss him. I need this message delivered to Emperor Aaron. I am going to follow Beatrice to Illinois by posing as an entourage member. Someone is already letting me know they know I’m suspicious. I know because all of New York is possessed! Even when I was on something called the Wendy Williams show and the spell took affect there. Do not send forces until I end up dead and on the news!”
He hung up and frantically looked like someone on the run from police. He searched for a taxi while watching the surroundings. A man across the street stared at him. Another person across the street smiled. Everyone started smiling at him as the rain came down harder and the winds picked up like a hurricane. A newspaper flew in his face. Roland struggled with it, and when he ripped it off a taxi was right in front of him. He forced the door open and scrambled inside with haste.
“Drive!” He commanded as he slammed the door.
The wet man looked in the rear-view window and saw the taxi driver, whom was smiling and had eyes flooded with green colors. Roland stumbled out of the moving car and ran across the street and into the flowing crowd of walkers. They stopped to watch as he entered another taxi. He made his way inside and examined the driver. He smiled, but his smile wasn’t sinister and evil. The car drove off and Roland sighed with relief. As they came to an intersection Roland heard the sound of a speeding car. He looked out the window and another car slammed into the taxi. The left door creaked open and Roland, bloodied from his left cheek to his hand, fell out shaking and trembling. He stood up and limped across the sleek city streets. The world was spinning. Those red eyes still followed him like red neon lights.
There were 3 stories in the Last Limp saga. One preceded this, and was about Roland going to Illinois to monitor Beatrice. In this version Roland, brother of Riley, was investigating a cult of some sort. They called themselves Kuruga. It is left open to your interpretation. I will certainly not play with it.
Rate this:
#Anime #AnimeArt #Art #creativeWriting #FlashFiction #literature #reading #Roland #ShortStories #urbanFantasy -
NAMING THE SNAKES: New Writing Scotland 44
Glasgow launch
8 September, Waterstones Sauchiehall St, Glasgow – £5 / £12 with bookCelebrate the latest issue with a mix of readings of poetry, short fiction & non-fiction in English, Gaelic & Scots – all welcome!
https://www.waterstones.com/events/new-writing-scotland-44-launch/glasgow-sauchiehall-street
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #Scots #Scotslanguage #poetry #shortfiction #shortstories #booklaunch #writingcommunity #Glasgow
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The Sun’s Beloved – Àsùnmọ́ (Embrace the Sun)
a half dragon born to Ashuton, Nari and Niccolo
a dragon of the moon and stars, worshipped in the modern day
he was stolen from them and marked as a divine envoy
forced to join the proto-Sun Devourer cult
he is forced to telepathically connect to an emotionally distant serpent god
it is painful for him, but he feels himself growing closer to the seemingly cold god
his followers await his reappearance
even in his absence, they still beg for his guidance under the Big Dipperday after day he completes tasks meant to appease the serpent
writing constant devotions, praises and affirmations
but sometimes he fights against it
he writes his resistance against the serpent
as punishment for his insubordination,
the serpent cursed him to become his divine representative
forsaking his own divinity of the stars and pledging only to him
linking them for as long as he livesbut at the end of his service, Àsùnmọ́ is fated to be devoured
brought before the serpent and eaten, his power stolen in the process
he values his life, he values waking up every morning
he values the moon, the stars, the sky, grapes, the friends he once had
he doesn’t want to die…
he still dreams of having his first kissName meaning
A common Yorùbá oríki, likely meaning someone that you like to be with or be around. (Source)
Read about the Sun Serpent here
Rate this:
#African #Anime #AnimeArt #BlackFemboys #Fantasy #Femboys #Fiction #FlashFiction #Gay #LGBT #LGBTQIAFiction #OC #OCArt #Poetry #ShortStories #ToxicYaoi -
I am the forever seeker - Patricia Highsmith
#LinoCut work in progress #Kunst #Portrait #ShortStories #Art made by #CorinaKarstenberg in #Maastricht
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𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗿: "𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻" 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘂𝗸𝗶 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗺𝗶 -
3-Word Review:
- Quiet
- Self-Deluded
- PoignantFrictional Posture:
- Across the stories, to what degree are Murakami's narrators blame-worthy for their alienation?
#bookreview #bookrecommendations #readinglist #literature #books #book #reading #bookstagram #frictionalreading #3words #harukimurakami #menwithoutwomen #shortstories #japaneseliterature
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Pirra and Frost’s story is $1 on Barnes and Noble!
Guuuuyyyyyssssss. The story about a cute black fairy and the dragon shifter she’s trying to save from his crazy ass ex! It’s partially written in a poetry style, too! (No rhyming going on)
Take a look! https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-alien-space-dragon-and-a-fairy-lponi-baldwin/1149240854
Thank you~
Rate this:
#BlackAuthors #BlackBooks #BookPromo #books #Dragons #Fantasy #Fiction #indieAuthor #IndieBooks #literature #PoetryBooks #reading #ScienceFiction #ShortStories -
SHORT STORY: The Last Train Out
THE LAST TRAIN OUTAva had just clocked out of work and was heading home.
She usually passed by the train station on her way back, although she rarely used it. She preferred taking a bus and walking the rest of the distance. It was her little way of keeping fit after spending most of her day sitting in a laboratory.
Ava worked in one of the largest biochemical research laboratories in the city. She couldn’t imagine herself working anywhere else. The laboratory was known for its experimental research, but it had also become strangely notorious. There had been three unexplained contamination outbreaks within the facility in the past year, and even the CDC couldn’t keep up and had threatened to shut them down multiple times. Most people found that terrifying. Ava found it fascinating.
She had always been curious about everything and even things that science couldn’t immediately explain. That curiosity would eventually be the reason she survived.
While heading home she passed by the train station and heard it whistle, she instantly had dejavu like she had heard the whistle before, not just the whistle, the exact whistle, the same length, the same pause at the end of the whistle, and at the exact same time, 9:00 p.m.
Eventually, she shrugged it off. She passed the station every day. Maybe her brain was simply playing tricks on her.
The next evening, it happened again.
Same whistle.
Same time.
Same strange feeling.
Then again the following day.
And the day after that.
By Friday, Ava had stopped pretending it was a coincidence.
Suddenly, Ava found herself standing in the middle of Central Station with thousands of other people.
She didn’t remember walking there.
She didn’t remember entering the station.
One moment she had been walking to get a bus. The next, she was surrounded by people staring desperately at the tracks.
Ava looked around with no idea what was going on.
At exactly 10:00 p.m., every phone in the station buzzed at once.
Ava pulled hers out.
The same message appeared on every screen.
DO NOT GO OUTSIDE.
Then the electricity went out.
Then the explosions began.
One.
Then another.
Then several at once.
The ground shook beneath their feet.
People screamed.
The train everyone was waiting for was no where to be found just the sound of train racks shaking. Within an hour of waiting at the train, parts of the city were on fire. Everyone scattered around moving to different platforms hoping the next train that came they’d jump in without thinking. While there was chaos everywhere, At 11:30 p.m., another message appeared.
LAST TRAIN LEAVING CENTRAL STATION AT 12:30 A.M.
DESTINATION: NORTH TERMINAL.
Ava stared at the message.
North Terminal had been abandoned for years. She knew that because her laboratory had once worked with the railway authority on environmental testing around the site. There hadn’t been a functioning train there in years. So why was the city sending a train there now?
Ava was already at central station, she sighed relief but before she knew crowd of people were already trooping in, some even pushing others onto the empty tracks.
While struggling not to fall and also to wait for the train, she heard a familiar voice.
“Ava!”
She turned.
Daniel was running toward her.
“You made it,” he said, breathless.
“I almost didn’t.”
Neither of them had time to say anything else.
Then the train whistle sounded.
Neither of them spoke.
The train rolled into the station.
It looked old
Dark
Its windows reflected nothing.
The doors opened.
People rushed inside even pushing some people out of the way.
Ava grabbed Daniel’s hand.
“Don’t let go.”
They boarded.
As soon as everyone settled into the train the lights came back on.
The first journey lasted forty-three minutes.
Ava remembered that because she kept checking the clock.
12:31.
12:47.
1:03.
1:14.
Then the train stopped.
The doors opened.
North Terminal.
But there was no station.
Only darkness.
A voice came through the speakers.
“One passenger must remain.”
Then the lights went out.
Ava grabbed Daniel’s hand.
“Daniel?”
Nothing.
She squeezed harder.
Her hand closed around empty air.
“Daniel?”
When the lights returned, everyone was gone.
When the lights returned, everyone was gone.
Every passenger.
Every bag.
Every person.
Ava was alone.
Then she saw him.
Daniel was standing outside the train.
On the platform. A single flickering light hung above him. His back was turned.
“Daniel!”
Slowly, he turned around.
His face was covered in blood.
Ava stopped breathing.
Something moved behind him.
Two eyes opened in the darkness.
They were looking directly at her.
Ava screamed and stumbled backward, hitting her head against the metal wall of the train.
The train doors slammed shut.
The train moved.
Ava woke up at her desk.
Her heart was pounding.
The laboratory was silent.
It was already 9:00 p.m. She couldn’t remember falling asleep.
She felt a stinging feeling like her palm was burning.
A strange symbol had appeared across her palm. A small black circle. She had never seen it before. She rubbed it but it hurt her as she did like a fresh flesh wound.
She picked up her things to leave the office.
The hallway lights flickered as she walked toward the elevator.
One.
Two.
Three.
Each light went out just after she passed it.
Ava stopped.
The last light above her flickered.
Then went completely dark.
She stepped into the elevator.
When the doors opened again, she was standing outside the train station.
Ava stared at the entrance.
She didn’t remember walking there.
Her phone buzzed.
DO NOT GO OUTSIDE.
Ava stared at the message.
Then another appeared.
LAST TRAIN LEAVING CENTRAL STATION AT 12:30 A.M.
DESTINATION: NORTH TERMINAL.
She was already at central station. People began trooping in.
She dropped the phone.
She saw Daniel
They got on the train together
The darkness.
His bloodied face.
Everyone disappears
She hit her head and falls
The train doors slammed shut.
The train moved.
She wakes up in her office again at exactly 9:00pm
Same cycle repeating itself
This time when she woke up in her office, she was the only one.
Same thing on her palms.
Then someone knocked on her door.
Three times.
Ava froze.
“Who is it?”
No answer.
She opened the door.
Nobody was there.
Only a piece of paper lying on the floor.
She picked it up.
There was one sentence written on it.
DON’T LET HIM GET ON THE TRAIN.
Ava stared at it.
She didn’t know who “him” was.
Until she got the train this time and saw Daniel, it clicked and looked at Daniel.
“Don’t get on the train,” she told him.
He laughed.
“Ava, the city is literally burning.”
“I know.”
“You want us to stay here?”
“I want to know what’s happening.”
The train arrived.
Ava watched the doors open.
Everyone boarded.
She didn’t.
Daniel stared at her.
“Ava.”
“Don’t.”
The train doors began closing.
Daniel stepped back.
Then suddenly, a little girl grabbed Ava’s hand.
Ava looked down.
The girl was crying.
“Please don’t let it leave.”
“Why?”
The girl pointed toward the train.
“My mother is inside.”
Ava looked through the windows.
The passengers were sitting silently and strangely every passenger was looking at her.
The doors closed.
The train left.
The moment it disappeared into the tunnel, the entire station went dark.
The little girl disappeared.
Ava was alone.
She looked around looking for Daniel but didn’t find him.
Then everything went black again but this time she didn’t hit her head.
Ava woke up in her office.
Again.
She screamed.
She knew immediately.
She was living a repeated cycle.
But this time, something was different.
The symbol on her palm had changed.
There were now two circles.
Ava stared at it.
Then she remembered the little girl.
The man on the train.
The sentence on the paper.
And one thought came to her.
Maybe the train wasn’t the destination.
Maybe it was a clue.
She had less than 2 hours before the whole cycle reset itself again.
Ava didn’t go to Central Station.
She went to the old railway archives.
She searched through newspapers.
Maps.
Construction records. Everything she could find about North Terminal.
She discovered that the North Terminal had been abandoned five years ago due to the fire outbreak and train accident that happened.
There was no functioning station there.
She looked at the map of the station and discovered an underground control room.
The original railway plans showed a tunnel that had been sealed.
Ava found an old photograph with newspapers that talked about a fire outbreak.
Six people stood in front of the tunnel.
Engineers.
Scientists.
Government officials.
And behind them was the same symbol on her palm. The two circles.
Ava’s heart began pounding. She needed to know more but she was running out of time.
She took the map and pictures and was heading further but she was out of time. Everywhere became pitch black and she woke up in her office again.
This time Ava went straight to the North Terminal.
She found the sealed tunnel.
Behind the rusted doors was a staircase.
She walked down.
Until she heard something.
A train.
But there were no tracks.
The sound was coming from beneath the ground.
She followed it.
At the bottom, she found a massive underground room.
Machines covered the walls.
Thousands of wires disappeared into the ceiling.
And in the centre was a giant glass chamber.
Inside it were people.
Dozens of them.
Sleeping.
Connected to machines.
Ava walked closer.
Then she saw Daniel.
Her breath caught.
He was inside the chamber.
Alive.
She ran toward him.
“Daniel!”
His eyes opened.
“Ava?”
She touched the glass.
He shook his head.
“You need to destroy everything, Ava.”
The lights in the room came on.
Six people stood behind her.
The same six people from the photograph.
Except they hadn’t aged.
Not a day.
“You finally found us.” One of them said
Ava turned.
“What have you done?”
The woman in front stepped forward.
“We built the first train.”
“Why?”
“To save the city.”
Ava looked at the machines.
“You’re killing people.”
“We’re preventing something worse, and the sacrifices are for the greater good.”
“Every cycle ends with the city destroyed.”
“So you reset it.”
“Yes.”
Ava stared at her.
“And everyone forgets.”
“Everyone except you.”
“Why me?”
The woman smiled.
“Because you were the first person who survived the last train out.”
Ava froze.
“What?”
“You were never supposed to remember.”
“How many times?”
The woman answered:
“One hundred and twelve.”
Ava’s face went pale.
She had lived this night 112 times.
Each time, she had boarded the train.
Each time, the city had died.
Each time, everything had started again.
“But why?”
“We built the machines using untested chemicals and machines that were found in space to make the train faster, we realised we could also travel in time and reset things using the train, but the more we used the more we upset the balance of time.”
“We’ve been stuck here feeding the machine and trying to stop the end of the world.”
The room began shaking.
“You have two choices, Ava. Only you can save us all.”
The woman raised her hand.
“Board the train again.”
The machines began humming.
“And the cycle continues.”
She pointed towards the machines
“Or destroy the machine.”
Ava looked at the people trapped inside the chambers.
Then at Daniel.
Then at the machines.
“What happens if I destroy it?”
Before the woman could answer she fell and hit her head and was having a seizure.
The other five tried to attack Ava but she took a metal pipe and hit the chamber filled with liquid. She knew the liquid was harmless, but volatile and realised that her laboratory were the ones who first created the liquid. At that time she didn’t realise what they were creating such large quantities. The liquid from the chambers swept the other five in different directions hitting their head on the metals around.
Ava looked at Daniel.
“Can you walk?”
He nodded.
“Then let’s end this.”
The alarms began screaming.
Daniel pulled the emergency lever beside the glass chamber.
The machine exploded with sparks.
The room shook violently.
“Stop!”
The woman got up and screamed.
“You don’t understand what you’re doing!”
Ava looked at her.
“I understand perfectly.”
She ran toward the central machine.
The woman tried to stop her.
Ava pushed her. Crashing each other against the controls.
The machine began overheating.
The train whistle sounded somewhere beneath them.
The woman screamed:
“IF YOU DESTROY IT, THE TRAIN WILL NEVER COME BACK!”
Ava pulled the final lever.
The machine exploded.
The underground room filled with white light.
Every screen shattered.
Every wire burned.
The sound of the train became deafening.
Before they could make it out, it exploded flinging them outside to the train tracks.
Ava felt a ringing sound in her ears before closing her eyes and then silence.
Ava opened her eyes.
She was lying on the floor of Central Station.
The station was crowded.
People were talking and walking past her.
Trains were arriving.
Nobody was screaming.
Nobody was running.
Nobody was dying.
Ava sat up and quickly looked at her palm. The symbol was gone.
Ava’s phone rang, it was the hospital.
They had called to tell her Daniel woke up from the coma. She smiled. Daniel was Ava’s fiancée, he had been in the train accident that happened five years ago and had been in a coma since.
She looked toward the tracks.
A train arrived.
Ava’s heart skipped a bit.
It was the same black train.
The same one.
But this time, it was different.
The windows reflected the passengers.
The lights inside were warm.
The doors opened.
People stepped off.
Alive.
Real.
Ava watched silently.
Then she saw them.
The six people from the photograph.
They stepped off the train.
Behind them came the little girl and her mother.
The woman who had been trapped inside the machine looked at Ava.
She smiled.
“Thank you.”
Ava frowned.
“For what?”
“For letting us go.”
Ava looked at the train.
“The six of you…”
The woman nodded.
“We were trapped inside the machine just as much as everyone else.”
“And the train?”
The woman looked back at it.
“It was trapped too.”
Ava looked at the black train.
For five years, it had carried the same people toward the same ending.
Over and over.
Never arriving.
Never leaving.
Until now.
Ava looked back at the tracks.
The black train slowly disappeared into the morning light.
For the first time, it wasn’t taking anyone anywhere.
It was simply leaving.
Thank you for reading!!!
Love,
Dupe Abiona
#books #daydreaming #dreaming #fiction #fictionalstories #fictionalwriting #future #futuristicnovels #futuristicshortstories #lifeloveandstories #shortstories #story -
“I yearned for escape. It hurt to yearn. The more I yearned, the more pain I felt. Sometimes I wished that I could be satisfied with all that appeared to be, rather than yearning for more.” https://library.hrmtc.com/2026/07/28/i-yearned-for-escape-it-hurt-to-yearn-the-more-i-yearned-the-more-pain-i-felt-sometimes-i-wished-that-i-could-be-satisfied-with-all-that-appeared-to-be-rather-than-yearning-for-more/ #AbsurdistFiction #all #appearedToBe #book #EnglishShortStories #EnglishShortStories21stCentury #escape #felt #hurt #MagicalRealism #MikeRussell #pain #quote #ratherThan #satisfied #shortStories #wished #yearn #yearnedFor #yearningForMore -
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
All the king's horses and all the king's men,
Couldn't put Humpty together again.The fall took Mr Dumpty's breath away! Actually, in his entire life, that is, these four lines, he never suspected the fall.
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The Uncanny Valley: Tales from a Lost Town (The Uncanny Chronicles)
"Thirty-Three Tales. Thirty-Three Tellers. One Lost Town"
Sale: $6.99 to $1.99
by Gregory Miller
Rating: 4.3/5 (1,685 Reviews)
#horror #fiction #books #booksky #thriller #ghoststories #shortstories #creepy #mystery
The Uncanny Valley: Tales from... -
Announcement: New Reading Period for the Fall Issue
Hello to all the writers, poets, and artists, and to our Heart of Flesh family,
We have a new reading period this year for our Fall issue! Our submission window will open on July 20th (in two weeks!) and will close on September 20th. Our editor-in-chief will be going on a mission trip at the end of September into October, and she needs a little extra time to go over submissions. The issue is still scheduled to be released in November.
We’re so excited to read your work. If you feel led, please pray for our editor — for the submission process, for the mission trip, and for the wisdom, discernment, and blessing from God to cultivate an issue that will glorify Him above all else.
May God bless and guide you all on your creative journeys, and we hope to see your work in the coming weeks!
Photo by Nothing Ahead on Pexels.com
#art #bookReview #CallForSubmissions #christian #fiction #newIssue #nonfiction #photography #poetry #reading #readingPeriod #shortStories #submission #submissionCall #submissions #Testimonies #testimony -
i'm ewan — developer, writer, occasional poet. i build open-source ATProto tooling,
self-host most of my own infrastructure, and take commissions for things i'm actually
good at.if any of that is useful or interesting to you, ko-fi.com/ewancroft
is where commissions live:- poetry from £10
- short stories from £20
- SvelteKit websites from £100
everything's CC BY-SA 4.0. no NDAs, no nonsense.
tips are also welcome if you've got use out of anything i've made or written.
either way, cheers.
#kofi #commissions #commissionsopen #opentocommissions #hire #forwardslashforhire #freelance #freelancedev #freelancewriter #writing #writer #poet #poetry #shortstories #fiction #creativewriting #literarywriting #webdev #webdeveloper #frontend #sveltekit #svelte #javascript #typescript #nodejs #atproto #bluesky #fediverse #activitypub #indieweb #decentralised #decentralized #opensource #selfhosted #selfhosting #nixos #linux #homelabbing #homelab #developer #softwaredev #smallcreator #indiecreator #supportcreators #supportindiedevs #supportindieartists #makersofmastodon #mutualaid #ukdev #ukwriter #british -
From shocking short stories to a talking foetus: Ian McEwan’s 10 best books – ranked! https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/sep/15/from-shocking-short-stories-to-a-talking-foetus-ian-mcewans-10-best-books-ranked #Shortstories #IanMcEwan #Culture #Fiction #Books
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Why 'The Storyteller's Pace Cannot be Criticized?
#thedarkknaik #filmreview #bollywood #thestoryteller #anantmahadevan #satyajitray #pareshrawal #adilhussain #tarinikhuro #shortstory #shortstories #bengalishortstory #golpoboliyetarinikhuro
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🎙️ I had the absolute pleasure of being a guest on the After 40 Podcast with Dr. Deborah Heiser, PhD, where we discussed something very close to my heart—helping my mom, embrace her passion for storytelling later in life and finding a powerful driving force in her life. 🌟
My mom grew up in a small village in the hills around #Florence in post-war #Italy, filled with memories of enchanting #Tuscan nights and captivating #tales. For years, those stories lived in her imagination—until her 70s, when she decided it was time to share them with the world. Together, we created Storie Sotto Le Stelle—a website and podcast where her stories come to life in Italian and English, connecting generations through the magic of #storytelling.
Writing together has become more than just crafting stories—it’s about discovering joy and purpose, or what the Japanese call #ikigai. It’s proof that it’s never too late to take creative risks, rediscover talents, and connect deeply with loved ones. 🌟
Through storytelling, we’ve built a bridge between generations, where our imaginations meet, and where new possibilities are born. Each moment spent brainstorming, drafting, and laughing over the wild twists our stories take has become a cherished part of our journey. It’s an opportunity to connect in ways we hadn’t before, creating not just stories but memories that will stay with us forever.
The heart of the message is clear: after 40, life offers us the chance to pause, reevaluate, and redefine what truly matters. Whether it’s through storytelling, painting, hiking, or any other pursuit, the key is to embrace what brings you joy and let it guide you toward purpose and connection. 🌟
🖋️ “The #magic isn’t just in the stories we create but in the process of sharing this journey together.”🎧 I invite you to listen to the episode and discover how we turned her lifelong love of storytelling into a creative journey.
👉 https://after-40-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/becoming-a-writer-later-in-life-an-interview-with-marco-ciappelli-after-40-podcast-with-dr-deborah-heiser
While you’re at it, check out Storie Sotto le Stelle to discover enchanting tales in both Italian and English. 🎄 Just in time for the holidays, don’t miss our latest story:🌟 The Fountain of Tales and the Magical Christmas Slippers 🌟
It’s a magical journey where #Christmas wishes and ancient secrets intertwine, bringing an unforgettable adventure to life for readers and listeners of all ages.
“📚✨ Read or listen to our latest magical adventure on Storie Sotto le Stelle.
https://www.storiesottolestelle.com/What’s your story?
#Storytelling #Ikigai #CreativeJourney or #FamilyStories #Inspiration #Podcast #shortstories #childrenstories #kidsstories #kidspodcast #books #tales #mentoring #aging #purpouse #writing #reading #holidays #ChristmasStories #fantasy
ITSPmagazine Podcasts The Mentor Project
