Charlie Bright

“Bet It All On Black Magic, part 1” by Charlie Bright

As the last screw came loose, Harper removed the vent from the wall and crawled up into the ducts. Unfortunately, there was no way to replace the vent from inside (and facing towards the casino), so the only thing she could do was press the transmitter on her headphones, pulling a few strands of blonde hair trapped by the earpiece. “Crawler to Fairy Princess, I’m in vents; could you quickly replace the grate I had to remove before someone sees it? Also, who chose these goddamn codenames?” Bells voice came in, staticky but clear enough. “Nath...

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“The Origins of Dumpster the Cat” by Charlie Bright

Submitted to Contest #169

Kiyo was going to burn his workplace to the ground. The corner store where he works was stuck in the middle of the renovated part of the city. You’d think, with all the rich people around, they might act with some class; unfortunately, Kiyo had long since learned that standing between people and the snacks they were purchasing made assholes out of the kindest of souls. And being on the other side of the wrath could turn saints into murderers. For every purchase, Kiyo couldn’t help but calculate it in terms of hours he would have to work to p...

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“Bringing Home the Boyfriend” by Charlie Bright

Submitted to Contest #168

Annie stared out the train window. There was a couple outside, enthusiastically reuniting after a long time apart. The man with curly hair and glasses had swept the dark-haired women off her feet, clutching her to his chest like he never wanted to let go. She smiled at their reunion—the desperate clutching, the whispering in ears, the blinding smiles… It was cute. “What are you looking at?” Kiyo asked, sitting beside her. He took a peek out the window too. “Oh. Ew.” She rolled her eyes. “Ew?” He nodded like she agreed with him. “Exactly. It...

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“I'll Love You Until the Multiverse Implodes ” by Charlie Bright

Submitted to Contest #140

“I remember…” Havoc had been expecting the detective for a while, but not like this. Not with blood oozing out of slashes in his clothes, not with bruises across his eyes and nose. His eyes were focused on her, glazed with pain. Despite how many times he’d tried to kill her, despite the decades of one-sided animosity, Havoc rushed forward to catch him before he collapsed.  His dead weight nearly caused her to drop him. Carefully, she lowered him to the dirty wooden floor, his back against her chest, his head over her heart. Her colors, ...

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“Feniseca Tarquinius” by Charlie Bright

Submitted to Contest #138

As Oscar locked up the house before bed, he heard the creaking of floor boards behind him. Glancing in the mirror by the front door, he caught sight of a white nightdress sliding its way underneath the overstuffed couch. He sighed and locked the door.  Sitting down next to the couch, Oscar stuck his hand in the gap between it and the floor. “Hola, mija…” A little hand grabbed him and he squeezed, his fingers dwarfing hers. “Hola, Tío…” “It’s past your bedtime.” Oscar waited a moment. She would have to come out on her own; the underside ...

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“Aberration 361” by Charlie Bright

Submitted to Contest #113

At first, Myrios thought that it was from overworking himself. You know, the whole “The last thing you think about before falling asleep is what you dream about” myth. Since clearly, he wouldn’t dream about Aberration 361 willingly. He wouldn’t think about her at all, if possible, but unfortunately she was a wily entity, slipping in and out of dimensions like water through a crack on the sidewalk, leaving a trail of broken timelines and changed fates behind her. He spent many a sleepless night pouring over her file, desperate for any clue t...

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“One Should Not Bargain with Eldritch Horrors” by Charlie Bright

Submitted to Contest #111

“Aerydel, I’ve come to bargain!” The demand rang out through the cave, overtaking the dripping stalactites and the occasional shifting of the bones under foot. Torchlight flickered across the rock walls, turning dark shadows black as Marcus stood on the edge of a massive pit with a sword he didn’t know how to use clutched in his dominant hand. It didn’t shake. It wasn’t shaking, damn it! The silence continued, and Marcus worried that he’d gained false information, that the journals his parents left behind were lies, when a voice boomed out ...

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“The Little Things that Build Up” by Charlie Bright

“Alright!” Harper ignored Detective Knott sliding into the booth across from her. He clapped his hands and smiled at her. “Just got off the phone with the towing company; they’ve gotten the car to the nearest AAA station and they’re going to work on her asap, so we should be back on the road by this time tomorrow.” Harper grunted, sinking further into her sweatshirt. She could practically feel the sinus infection this rinky-dink, nature-infested town was giving her, her face throbbing like someone had punched her in both eyes. Did she pack h...

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“Night Falls (and so do you)” by Charlie Bright

Submitted to Contest #109

Passing through the fifth and final checkpoint, you suppress a shutter as the magic dampening runes wash over you. It’s been over six months since you started working as a security guard, and having your magic stripped from you every night was just as unnatural and obtrusive as the first time. But it’s not like you can complain; non-magicals couldn’t feel the runes, after all. Confessing that you could… You shake your head, strands of dyed-black hair falling in your eyes before you brush them back again. Tonight was your last night working h...

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“The Eternal Mask of Tanya” by Charlie Bright

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #107

The Lady Chuprova Ioanna Yaroslavovna was an elegant woman. Highly regarded by her peers, the lady was well-known as generous and loving, having hosted countless charity balls in the past few years to fund projects all across the country. Despite being low-titled, she was known by every royal, peasant, and merchant. She was a high-quality woman. So high, in fact, that she was publicly known to be engaged to the second prince of the Empire.  Tanya was not the Lady Ioanna. She just happened to share a face with her.  It was a point...

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