Story is marked as mature

I vented to a friend, relatively new one but on the whole levelheaded and sympathetic. Basic advice is talk to them, tell them to quit, or else just block them

which would be good except I'm anxious about telling anyone so directly that they're bothering …

A bright pink teddy bear was banished to the back of the closet

And its glassy eyes shimmer with painful memories

As vicious dirt stains its velvet heart

~

Tear-stained sheets lie crumpled upon the floorboards

While a silent bed frame dreams of past creak…

Of all the hazards Astarlane had dealt with in the past, psychotropics were by far the worst. Raiders, toxics, traps - those, she felt, were honest dangers.

But the psychotropics weren't like that. They used you - used your inner demons against you. It …

Elden was always such an obliging person: a foster mother to me, who took better care of me than my own mam, always had been. There was nothing she wouldn't do for me, no tear too small to wipe away, no threat too menacing to face.

At eleven I was plagued…

They open the steel-walled box which contains the data. It's a red plastic object the rough size of a brick and shape of a Lego, with grey cable ports on the underside. One of them flips the drive upside-down in a single, fluid, motion that takes a fracti…

Sometimes I forget that home has a scent

A comforting reminder of a familiar space, habits, and expectations

It’s unexpected

The pain of it’s absence

Especially knowing how transitional my locations will be

Without it I am less

On my journey to become …

Dark nights often lead to dreamlands.

<->÷<•>~<=>÷<•>~<->÷<•>~<=>÷<•>~<->

The cool of the window pane seeped into Roger's skin, bringing blessed cold. In a few minutes it would be too much but for now it felt like relief. Anything to bring down the fever that was overheating his body and stealing his energy. It was worse at nig…

The voices in my head talk over each other, a multitude of conversations all happening at once. I press the palms of my dirty hands to my temples, willing them to shut up, but to no avail.

Little iridescent beetles scuttle over my feet and through the …

"Illy, at the airship docks there is a clipper by the name of Silver Skies. Captain Jerem is taking a package to some friends of mine in the Raventops, and leaves very soon."

I nodded, frowning. The only friend she had out there would have to be the de…

The elf shifted to draw their attention.

"We must leave. As the ground warms this area will become extremely dangerous."

Sadie looked at the other two expectantly, donned her mask and followed them back out into the haze.

Higher up, where the mist fade…

The first officer and a handful of the crew looked up at our approach, but I briefly slowed at the mention of a familiar name nearby.

"... tight ship on board the Decisive, that's for sure. Commodore aul Cantor-Sobel fought in the last war, you know th…

City Park East Recycle Bin 256 was like most of the other recycle bins: Green, rusted, and operated by a control panel set into a lockbox on the side of the device. It ran on a principle similar to a vacuum dumpster, except that it preserved its contents …

Once upon a time i was a ficler

ficling on ficly

but one day

it vanished

there was a memorial

I wanted my ficly back.

Story is marked as mature

I still wince as my fingers run up and down the strings. Each night, every night, I pick this thing up and practice. It's my go-to when I need a distraction from what I'm feeling. But it doesn't really work. I can mutter the note names and strings and fre…

I wonder.

I wonder if you think of me as much as I think if you.

I wonder if you even think of me at all.

I wonder if I impacted your life the same way you impacted mine.

I'll never forget you. Will you forget me? Have you already?

Once you said you …

The library is a church turned community center, with opaque glass, barred windows and a draft. Ms. Riley works with dial-up and a folding chair.

They find metal bed frames and blankets and build a ‘Bat Cave’ in the basement. Fuse practices their Englis…

She wanted something more than anything in the world. I saw the hungry desire in her eyes. She had tried to have one of her own, but the time was just not right. I saw the resentment in her eyes as she looked at him behind his back. She didn't show him th…

The head butler coughed meaningfully. My sister glanced up, and rose without a sound.

"I will thank our guest for his company, and we will attend to your situation shortly. In the meantime, Charles, would you put together some provisions for these two? S…

Tenever's reflexes were superb, and before Sadie could issue a warning he threw a firebolt that flashed across and-

The elf flicked a hand and the fire vanished in an instant, darkness returning to the cabin. Having done so, he stood calmly, clearly wait…

"I don't think you should be alone. You need to rest. Do you want to go to your sister's, your place, or mine?" I offered.

He blinked at me, processing what I said at the same time as he was processing his emotions and the events that just unfolded.

"I'…

He unfolds the cloth first, revealing the medallion hidden within. The face that peers back is profane and vulgar, but it is not unknown to him. It is the sigil of a creature whose existence has long thought to be past but whose influence garners follower…

The low hum of human interaction was a pleasant background noise to my mind, much like the lively Spanish red that was delicately swirling around in a fantastically clear crystal glass. A light classical tune (Rachmaninoff?) drifted in and out of hearing,…