Eric D.

“Somewhere in Time” by Eric D.

"Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end" - Homer, The OdysseyUlyssa paced around the hallways when the first bell rang, she had exactly five minutes to race and find her friends before the class began. Her two best friends in Faith Josephine High School were Keya and Rosa, and the three seniors shared the same displeasure with their conservative private school.After finding her friends, Ulyssa had convinced them to ditch with her. She had admi...

5 likes 1 comment 1

Read story

“One Night in the Asphalt ” by Eric D.

"We have plenty of time before the sun goes down" I said to one of my class mates who was concerned about it getting too dark out. It was 4:30 pm when we started the extra-credit assignment the professor had given us. While we worked on this "no time-limit" project, he sipped his coffee and enjoyed his long Stephen King's novel. Me and Jenny had grown impatient on how long it was taking us to complete it, and it didn't dawn on us how quick the time would fly. Before we knew it, it was already 7:35 PM and the sun had set.Jenny had t...

9 likes 6 comments 6

Read story

“Far from Neon Roads ” by Eric D.

(Content Warning: Cursing, Violence)I'm in a good place, I haven't wanted to tear my hair out or punch a hole in a wall in a couple of weeks. Reflecting on my actions and taking control of my emotions from a stressful job was invigorating, but I could feel the urge to relapse from an outburst at any given moment. I needed to make an escape from daily life, more liken to Bonnie and Clyde running from stress than a meditative retreat. The prolongation of not dealing with my anger issues was a risky maneuver that would have jeopardized my posit...

7 likes 6 comments 6

Read story

“The Secret Admirer (CYOA)” by Eric D.

(Content warning: cursing, violence)"Dear, Cecilia.Your love is an endless motion in my heartIf time cruelly passes by, dividing us apartWhen the distance torments us My love will always remain your shining light"Love, Q."You delete the email right away and report it as SPAM, turn to PG 1Your curiosity got the best of you, you respond right away. PG 2PG 1You walk over and share details of the weird email to your best friend Jenny whose sitting in her own cubicle. She laughs at you and calls you the "office slut". You don't find it amusi...

7 likes 2 comments 2

Read story

“Left in the Lurch ” by Eric D.

After waiting patiently for years in a long waitlist I was finally able to get it. I had gotten the call from the HR manager at the Iron Horse Casino for the custodial position. "Right away ma'am!" I enthusiastically responded before she could finish her first question on when I could start. I then hugged the missus tightly afterwards and assured her we would be doing well here on out.We lived paycheck to paycheck but comfortably nonetheless, it was me and her and our two curious boys who'd always hoped to leave this small town of ours ...

5 likes 2 comments 2

Read story

“The Stupendous Swan Girl ” by Eric D.

CW: cursingSwan girl swung from the telephone cables with effortless ease, piercing through the already deafening noise pollution of the uptown boroughs with her prominent call..."Ger-On-I-Mo!!" she yelled somersaulting and landing on top of the rooftop of her favorite pizzeria with a burst of adrenaline. This was a place where she frequently surveyed the streets of New York City looking for signs of unruly behavior in the crowds of people walking by. Swan girl had the city's most deplorable in fear of her presence, they trembled in the...

7 likes 2 comments 2

Read story

“The Men from Down Under ” by Eric D.

"Wake up, wake up!" cried the voice of a child, an exasperated blonde girl who couldn't be more than six-years old. She desperately pushed and shoved Gerald who had been laying down sleeping on a sinking mattress.He opened his eyes to be greeted by the same dim-lit bedroom he recognized and his daughter, Willow whose eyes were red and moist from having cried so much. She had been desperately trying to get her father to notice the rising water submerging the furniture.  "Willow, what... what happened?" Gerald still groggy watch...

7 likes 2 comments 2

Read story

“The Snake, The Tiger and The Motmot” by Eric D.

"Do you hear the sounds of the birds singing in the branches high above? Do you feel the vibrations of the leaves trembling from the gentle breeze passing through them? Do you hear the trembles of lightning roaring in the thick clouds far away? There is a living breathing world around you, Anita. You must listen to it and let it speak to you. These trees, these creatures were here before you and have survived on their own. Learn their movements, learn their ways of survival and you will know Kung Fu". Master Lee whispered with his ...

8 likes 3 comments 3

Read story

“Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime” by Eric D.

Submitted to Contest #105

Donovan Lewinsky was one of the most well known influential names in the last decade, at least according to the music world where he had established himself as a pop icon with international recognition. His face would be plastered on every magazine outlet, television and trending social media app. Everyone knew exactly where he would be, even his mundane decisions would have consequential impacts on trends. For example, Don had taken a trip to Quito and the world's eyes were on Ecuador for the few weeks he was there, scrutinizing every ...

18 likes 15 comments 15

Read story

“The Cajun Conundrum ” by Eric D.

Submitted to Contest #105

PETER Those who strayed too far from the grassy knolls and cemented sidewalk of Mother's shotgun cottage were sure to face a bad case of juju. Living in New Orleans as pet rabbits hadn't been a difficult ordeal while Mother watched over us. It was a comfortable place, brightly painted yellow with a triangle roof and stairs that lead to a porch that circled around long enough for me to stretch my legs. Me and Snoball had our own spacious enclosure inside, a never-ending supply of food and water and even a cushioned space to sleep. Out...

19 likes 1 comment 1

Read story

“Butterflies in Guanajuato” by Eric D.

Submitted to Contest #104

Me and Kylie were best friends, a mutual attachment bonded through empathy for each other's anxieties. I remembered the first day we met early in the school year in math class. I noticed her sitting in the back of the classroom trying to avoid the teacher's gaze by burying her face in her text book. She looked so uncomfortable and shocked when she was called out once to answer a question in front of class. I could see a reflection of myself in her, to have those feelings of inadequateness mixed with anxiety was difficult. She didn't know wha...

15 likes 1 comment 1

Read story

“Rendezvous in the Cabinet ” by Eric D.

Submitted to Contest #103

Maximilian was a proficient agent for a discreet sub-sector of the English government, in fact one of the best there was. He was as charming as he was frivolous with a strong penchant for Irish whisky and bedding unconventional brunette women he barely met that usually foreboded his assignments. His thick black curls had streaks of grey on his sides always combed back that left them spiraling to the back of his head. Max was usually dressed to the nines, custom black or grey suits and lavish jewelry to match, but this time he came in sl...

19 likes 4 comments 4

Read story

“The Broken Arrow Premonition ” by Eric D.

Submitted to Contest #103

It's 7:30 A.M. on March 10th in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Special Agent Detective Margaret sat in a small almost vacant diner waiting for her new partner to arrive. Sheriff Black Crow walked out of his patrol vehicle in a very composed manner with his heavy brown leather boots. He entered and tilted his hat to the waitress across the room, then joined the young blonde woman sitting at the booth by the window seat."Hey there, I figured you'd be wanting to meet in T-Town instead", he sat down opposite Margaret and placed his wide brimmed wh...

18 likes 0 comments 0

Read story

“Hands” by Eric D.

Submitted to Contest #102

The children of the seaside town joyously ran around the hills holding out their handheld sparkler fireworks beaming bright red, green and yellow sparks of light. After a few hours of feasting, playing and watching the adults light the skies with colorful rainbow explosions, the children would run indoors for an enthralling story time session. Even some of the adults would join in, mainly my brother Johnny who would enjoy chiming in and creating a puffery of sorts."Aunt Aurora!" they endearingly called out. "When can we hear the story of Gra...

13 likes 5 comments 5

Read story

“A Miniature Reverie ” by Eric D.

Submitted to Contest #100

Robert braced himself for the delicious prepared meal, cooked impeccably by his wife Helen. She was a sauté chef at a high end restaurant in the city which Robert reaped the benefits from as her eager taste-tester. Robert's lack of critical critique was irrelevant as Helen enjoyed watching him rejoice in her many cuisine creations. Today she melded together a home made version of Mongolian beef with brown sticky rice and steamed broccoli. He eagerly sets the table and places the utensils and napkins on the table besides two bowls of foo...

12 likes 1 comment 1

Read story