Darvico Ulmeli

“"THE DIVINE DRAFT: A PERFECTLY IMPERFECT CREATION"” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #266

In the beginning, there was nothing. Not a peep, not a flicker. It was the kind of nothing that would make even a void feel crowded.Then, with a snap of divine fingers, there was… an office. Not just any office, but the office: a sprawling, celestial workspace where the carpets were fluffy clouds that squished underfoot as marshmallows on a summer day, and the walls shimmered with an otherworldly iridescence as if someone had gone a little too heavy with the cosmic glitter. The desk at the center of it all was made of pure, radiant light — s...

14 likes 19 comments 19

Read story

“THE UNBREAKABLE BALANCE” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #266

Max Bennett's apartment was a small, cluttered space on the city's edge. The hum of traffic outside was a constant backdrop, and the flickering streetlights cast long shadows across the walls. The apartment, filled with half-finished projects and books stacked in precarious towers, reflected Max's life—chaotic, brimming with potential, yet lacking direction. But the most important object in the room was the laptop on his desk, its screen casting a cold, blue light that illuminated Max's tired face. The rain outside had been relentless, a s...

13 likes 8 comments 8

Read story

“TERMINAL DREAD” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #265

1: The Announcement The loudspeakers crackled to life, sending a sharp hiss of static through the cavernous, dimly lit terminal. The noise was jarring, a sudden intrusion in the uneasy silence that had settled over the travelers, who were slumped in their seats, fatigue etched deeply into their faces. The endless delays had worn them down, and now they were too exhausted to glance up. The air was thick with the stale scent of burnt coffee and damp, worn-out carpets, a suffocating blend that only added to the growing sense of unease. Then, th...

24 likes 16 comments 16

Read story

“THE MOST IMPORTANT JOURNEY OF LIFE” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #265

Prologue: A Devil's Bargain Fifteen years ago, Bob McFadden sat slumped over a chipped bar counter, the fifth whiskey in his hand barely warming the cold, empty space inside him. The bar, a dingy dive where Hope went to die, was lit by flickering neon signs that cast ghostly green and red shadows on the stained walls. Bob, a failed musician who had peaked before he ever truly began, stared into his glass, lost in the swirl of his shattered dreams. A man appeared at his side as he contemplated the relentless tide of failures that had swept hi...

22 likes 11 comments 11

Read story

“THE FIRST STEP” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #265

I wasn't prepared at all. Not in the slightest. My heart pounded like a wild drum, my thoughts racing in an endless loop of doubt and fear. But I knew that if I didn't take that first step, I would forever be trapped in the small, suffocating black dot on the map that I called my town, a place that felt more like a cage than a home. But it wasn't even really my town. I wasn't born there. The place where I was born is a stranger to me, a distant, hazy memory wrapped in the fog of time, just like my parents. I wouldn't know anything about the...

17 likes 24 comments 24

Read story

“"TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL"” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #264

There lived a woman named Elara in the city's bustling heart, where skyscrapers cast long shadows over narrow alleys, and the clamor of life never seemed to cease. She was a trained doctor, but her true calling was to those society had forgotten. Elara had once held a prestigious position at a renowned hospital, a life of comfort and recognition. Yet, the sight of the homeless shivering in the cold, the hungry scavenging for food, and the lost wandering without hope had tugged at her soul until she could no longer ignore it. Her selflessness...

29 likes 27 comments 27

Read story

“THE PHOENIX OF ALDERGROVE – ELIAS THORN STORY PART 2” by Darvico Ulmeli

Author Notice: This is a sequel to the story from the previous contest. Thanks to Kaitlyn Wadsworth for the kind request.Enjoy.The summer evening was unusually warm, the air thick with humidity as storm clouds gathered ominously overhead. Elias Thorn sat by his bedroom window, tracing the raindrops that began to pelt the glass. His room, chilled by advanced cooling systems, was his sanctuary. Yet, tonight, a restlessness gnawed at him.His mother, Katherine, knocked gently before entering, her face etched with worry. "Are you feeling alr...

12 likes 8 comments 8

Read story

“MALACHOR, THE WISHING SORCERER: THE ORIGIN OF A LEGEND” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #263

1. The Birth of Power In the shadowed corners of the ancient world, long before kingdoms rose and fell, there existed a land untouched by time, where magic flowed as freely as rivers. This was the realm of Arcadis, a place where the very fabric of reality could be bent by those with the knowledge and power to do so. Among the most powerful of these sorcerers was Malachor, whose mastery over the arcane arts was unparalleled. 2. Early Life "Malachor," his mother whispered, cradling him close the night he was born, the blood moon casting an ee...

19 likes 11 comments 11

Read story

“THE LEGEND OF ELIAS THORN” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #262

A young man named Elias Thorn lived in the secluded town of Aldergrove, where ancient trees whispered tales of old. Elias was an enigma to the townsfolk, a mystery shrouded in whispers and superstitions that swirled around him like the mist clinging to the forest floor. His peculiarity was not of his own choosing but a curse he bore from birth: Elias was allergic to heat.Elias's condition, a rare genetic mutation, tested his resilience. This anomaly caused his body to react to heat in extraordinary and terrifying ways. As an infant, whenever...

18 likes 20 comments 20

Read story

“ELIM CIVOLUDAR’S MEMOIRS: IT'S ALL ABOUT PENNY” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #262

I am in the breathtaking Makarska, Croatia, drenched in the sun's golden rays. The air is thick with the scent of salt and sunscreen, and the scenery is teeming with beautiful tourists flaunting extra-mini bikinis. Their laughter mingles with the soothing sound of waves lapping against the shore. The heat wraps around me like a warm embrace, searing my skin as I sit here, writing a book in the cool shade of my terrace, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Penny. I've been in Makarska for four days, each hotter than the last. My closest encounter ...

7 likes 6 comments 6

Read story

“HOPE” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #261

Hope Bradford had spent more than twelve years in the isolation ward of St. Margaret's Hospital. Diagnosed with a highly contagious and dangerous disease at the tender age of five, she had lived a life confined to sterile, white walls, cut off from the world outside. Her room was her universe, filled with medical equipment, books, and the occasional gift from a visitor who could only see her through a glass barrier. Hope was a delicate figure, her once rosy cheeks pale from years spent away from sunlight. Her long, dark hair, often tied back...

27 likes 25 comments 25

Read story

“ELIM CIVOLUDARS MEMOIRS – CHRISTMAS TIME” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #261

The holiday season is approaching swiftly; this year, there's a good chance of a "white" one. It's been years since I've enjoyed snow on December 25th. I anticipate it eagerly, much like a child awaiting Santa Claus, even though I'll likely spend the day alone or at work. The twinkling lights will only indicate that it's a special day, a subtle reminder of the festive season. This has become a tradition for me, one that I cherish.Despite this time of year being a familiar affair, I look forward to it each year. It's not because of religious ...

18 likes 6 comments 6

Read story

“LAUGH OUT LOUD” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #260

[Opening scene: A brightly lit comedy club set. The TV host, a stand-up comedian, stands in front of the camera with a microphone.] HOST: Hey there, folks! Welcome to "Laugh Out Loud," where we serve up comedy sketches hotter than a summer sidewalk! Our first sketch tonight features a police officer who gets more questions than answers. It's like playing Jeopardy, but nobody wins! Let's dive in and see how this cat-and-mouse game unfolds! [Scene transition: A quiet street. A police officer stops a suspect who is walking erratically.] OFFICER...

21 likes 15 comments 15

Read story

“ECHOES OF REALITY” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #260

It was a sunny afternoon, and Karen Locke was in the backseat of the family car. The sun's warmth bathed everything in a golden glow, filtering through the windows and casting playful patterns on the seats. The air was filled with the scent of blooming flowers from the meadows they drove past, mingling with the faint, sweet aroma of the vanilla-scented air freshener dangling from the rearview mirror. The radio played a cheerful tune that everyone knew by heart. The father led the singing, his hands confidently on the steering wheel, with a d...

19 likes 13 comments 13

Read story

“WHISPERS OF MORTALITY” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #259

In the world of Euthenica, the concept of death is not just taboo. Death does not exist. Centuries of scientific advancement have eradicated disease, aging, and crime. Under the omnipotent oversight of the Coalition of Continuance, a governing body that emerged from the most brilliant minds of the past, the utopian society has engineered a perfect existence. Genetic modification ensures that every individual is born without the capacity for malice, greed, or violence. People live for hundreds of years, their bodies perpetually rejuvenated b...

24 likes 18 comments 18

Read story