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One warm September afternoon‌, Jake walked to the student car lot with his teammates after another blistering two-hour football practice in the blazing sun. Their banter was lively and carefree, and they laughed and joked and teased each other about...

Today is the first day of the new year. How did I get here so quickly? How did last year pass so fast? This year I’ll cross the Rubicon, officially old. I don’t want to be an old man, but...

“You need to develop a writing habit,” the experts say. “Set a goal every day to write 100, 200, 500 words or more. Maybe even 1000 per day if you can, and you will write a complete novel in 60...

The air was crisp and cold in the wooded wilderness of Wisconsin, a portend of winter soon to come. Down the narrow path, the boy of 10 years, lost and alone, came to a fork, with no sign or hint...

Jayal knew the only way he could ever escape the oppressive totalitarian state was by his own hand. For a month, he pretended to take the sleeping pills they allotted him each night, saving them for the night he would...

A lone silhouette approaches in the flickering lamplight, a petite, feminine form, skirts flowing in the breeze and high heels echoing across the cobblestone street — click-clack, click-clack. I step out of the shadows into her path. “Oh, my!” she...

I type: “Good morning, Aileen. How are you doing?”  The black screen flickers to life with eerily fluorescent green words. “Good morning, Joshua-0918. I am doing very well, thank you, and ready to assist you today. How can I help...

One warm summer evening, Lukas reclined on his lounge chair by the pool, scrolling through the latest social media posts on his phone. “Yay, they’re deporting all those illegals!” he exclaimed. His roommate, Jing Lee, reclining on a nearby chair...

  So many seconds but not enough time. They tick into minutes and hours and daysand weeks and months and decades sublime.I can’t get them back although I have tried. There’s no second chances, re-dos, or rewinds. The seconds dissolve...

Once upon a time, in the village of Weedville, lived an elderly man with a crown of white hair named Matteo. The large backyard of his beige bungalow contained a small lawn and a patchwork garden of vegetables and herbs,...

It terrifies me to no end, beginning anytime, anywhere, a silent ambush, with no warning or sound. Imperceptible at first, it quickly grows in ferocity of attack, every second more intense than the last, until I can think of nothing...

I’m startled awake by the sound of a blaring trumpet. What was that? The moonlight streaming through my bedroom window tells me it’s still night, but my wife’s side of the bed is empty. Where did she go?   My breath...

“Ma’am, I think you dropped this,” said the voice behind me. I turned around to see the pretty self-checkout attendant holding a lotto ticket. She smiled and held out her hand to give it to me.   I shook my head....

The wind shrieked like a pack of hyenas, and the rain thrashed the lighthouse like a hundred whips, mirroring the storm brewing inside Elias. After three decades as a lightkeeper, he had seen more than his share of Nor’easters on...

She snuggles close to me as we sit on the edge of the cliff, our legs swinging freely above the raging surf and jagged rocks below. Do it now, I think  — a slip, a fall, a tragic accident, I’ll...

The starting pistol cracked in the sparkling blue alpine air, sending dozens of competitors sprinting up the steep mountain trail in a frantic race to the top. Their speed slowed as lungs burned and legs turned to lead, but they pushed...

I gave her the kidney in good faith, just as I gave her the ring in contemplation of marriage. Because I loved her, and would do anything for her. My soon-to-be wife, for better or worse, till death do us...

My religion taught me to live in fear. Fear of demons in the shadows, tempting me to stray from the straight and narrow path. Fear of sin that could curse me to Hell’s eternal flames. Every night I pray for...

It was Halloween, and Alejandro handed out candy at his front door to an endless parade of trick-or-treaters dressed as ghosts, witches, zombies, clowns, princesses, superheroes, and horror movie characters. But the most popular costume this year appeared to be...

Every day, Bunny Rabbit loved to run through the lush green meadow in the pine forest, feeling the soft blades of grass tickle his paws with every bound. He adored the fragrant scent of the wildflowers that dotted the land...

It’s the latest in technology; convenient, safe, and unhackable, they said.  I got one embedded in my hand, between my thumb and index finger. A microchip smaller than a grain of rice, ‌‌replacing ID cards, credit cards, keys, transit passes,...

A reporter once asked the president, “Should conditions warrant, would you ever consider suspending habeas corpus?”   “Habeas who?” asked the president. “Habeas Corpus,” answered the reporter.  The president shrugged. “Well, I don’t know. Habeas Corpus sounds like a Latin name...

Sherry wandered among the bustling crowd in the crowded flea market, ducking in and out of the colorful vendors’ stalls that lined the path.  She stopped at a booth with a sign that read: “Gypsy Rugs’N Stuff.” She peered inside;...

My roommate Rich says, “You know, some people criticize President Daniel Trounce for being selfish and uncaring, but it’s not true.”  I raise my eyebrows at his assertion. “Oh?” I say. “Yes, he has everyone’s best interests in mind. I’ll...

The alarm on Gregory Wendell’s phone jangled, breaking the calm stillness of early morning. He dismissed the alarm and scanned the latest notifications on the screen, his eyes blurry with sleep. He jolted awake as he read the headlines.  “Daniel...

Gregory Wendell threw the voter guide onto the kitchen table and groaned. After reading it for the umpteenth time, he still wasn’t sure who to vote for. And today is election day.  He thought back over the last few weeks....

Callan loved to watch documentaries of World War II, especially those about the Nazis and the Third Reich. He was fascinated by how Adolf Hitler and his criminal cohorts rose to power and deceived so many ordinary people. He wondered...

I sit cross-legged on my bed and contemplate the lonely night ahead. It’s Christmas Eve, and of all nights to be alone, tonight is the worst time for a 16-year-old to be by herself. And tomorrow will be even worse....

I grab my sign and flag and head for the front door, passing by my roommate Arnold sipping his coffee on the recliner. “So, Teddy, you’re going to that idiotic protest downtown with all the other woke libtards?” he smirks. ...

“Four, three, two, one…” chanted the crowd in Times Square. The ball dropped, fireworks exploded, and everyone cheered. Lilly raised her flute to toast the New Year—relieved to leave last year—and her miserable old life behind. Ready to embrace a...

Charise, a talented young artist, is showing her canvas paintings at the local gallery. She strikes up a conversation with Emilio, a handsome and charming young man who is admiring her work. About the same age as Charise, Emilio is...

I finished gassing up my car and saw an attractive young lady at the next pump put the fuel nozzle into her gas tank. She stepped back, tripped on the hose stretched against the back of her legs, and sprawled...

Jake had been a delivery driver for over three years, navigating the bustling streets of his small town, but today, frustration gnawed at him like a mouse on melted cheese — sticky and relentless in the muggy heat. After a...

In the near future of a dark dystopian world, the JoyCom Corporation sells mood bracelets that help people regulate emotions—inducing joy and happiness in place of sadness and despair.   Feeling blue? A Joy Jolt is a button press away. Having...

As I signal to turn left, the Chevy pickup truck behind me speeds past on the right shoulder, horn blaring. The driver throws a middle-finger salute out the window and yells something like “Luck you!” Maybe he thinks I’m driving...

As I watch a televised game between the Giants and Nationals at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, the announcers flashback to the historic 2007 moment when slugger Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run against Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsic, breaking Hank...

Prompt: Exactly 100 Words. Include the words: moan; cackle; hiss; splash; crash; meow; howl Another foggy Halloween night, pitch black save for a few freshly carved  jack-o’-lanterns perched on the river’s edge, their flickering light casting ghoulish shadows on the...

I rock in my patio chair, basking in the warm embrace of a lazy fall day. I relish thoughts of my happy life. The trees boast vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, and greens in golden light, a vivacious show of glory...

Taliya rocked slowly in her chair on the front porch, sipping a frothy cup of hot chocolate, awestruck by the dazzling panoply of yellow, red, and orange hues that painted the evening sky like masterstrokes from an artist’s brush. She...

Joe gazed out the window at the receding ground as the 787 Dreamliner soared into the blue Texas sky. They once called him a dreamer, but he didn’t feel like a dreamer today.  He was leaving the only home he...

The 30-year high school class reunion kicked off at 6:00 pm. Middle-aged classmates, many with receding hairlines, graying hair, etched lines, and heavier frames, brought their spouses and dates — though some came alone. They hugged, shook hands, patted backs,...

On a cool November morning, Josh and his labrador retriever, Maxibo, set out for their morning walk along the forest trail near home. Josh wanted a change of scenery from the usual and chose a part of the trail they’d...

“Nice seeing you, Joel. Have a great day!” Joel chuckles, or is that a smirk? Hard to tell. “You too, Albert. Have a great next 24 hours.” With those words, Joel Amos goes on his way. I walk to my...

In a parallel universe, President Daniel Triumph was holding a press conference. A reporter asked if he was concerned about terrorist sleeper cells activating after the bombing of Iranizbad.  The President responded: “Our dumb former president, ‘Sleepy Joe Lyin’, let...

It was a grueling eight-hour shift that felt like forever, but finally, it was over. Joe somehow drove home without crashing, and he staggered through the front door of his tiny one-bedroom apartment. Kicking off his shoes, he took a...

He walked the streets of Anytown USA, and nary a person saw him. He was there in plain sight for all to see, as real as anyone else, but he may as well have been invisible.   He moved along with...

I knew she was his wife. I knew better than to get involved with her. But I did anyway. She understood me like no one ever had. We shared secrets, hopes, and dreams. She was my soulmate, my lover, and...

I drift unseen through the darkened house, a ghostly specter come to end my husband’s dreams. I hear him whisper her name as he sleeps, unaware of my presence or intent. Betrayed by a kiss, he traded my life for...

I let out a whoop. “Whoa, look at this!” With my hand, I brushed the dust off the ornate purple bottle I found in a pile of debris in the attic. Larry tiptoed gingerly through the clutter towards me. He...

I check my phone’s weather app. It’s -6℉, with a windchill of -23℉. I slide open the patio door and stick out my head. I shiver as icy fingers of cold air assault me. Brrr…that stings! I shut the slider...