Sasan Sedighi

“When society lets men down” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #260

There, by the tarnished entrance gate of a once-thriving shop, laid a figure. He looked familiar, but who was he? As I approached, I recognized the disheveled figure as Alec, someone I had known since our university days. His hair and beard, once meticulously groomed, were now a tangled mess. Stained and torn, his worn-out jacket barely shielded him from the natural elements. He lay curled in a fetal position on the hard surface, asleep. His bare feet were black, caked with dirt. He was a stark contrast to the man I once knew. Alec, always n...

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“The Black Tulip” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #242

In the dimly lit museum, the silence was broken only by the faint sound of an infamous art thief's muffled breathing, known to law enforcement agencies as 'The Ghost.' He crouched behind a marble statue, his heart pounding in his chest with the adrenaline surge in his blood and his palms slick with sweat of anticipation. As an adrenaline junky, he was again on a mission, and every nerve in his body was on edge as he observed his target, protected by the museum's state-of-the-art security system. The Interpol had been chasing The Ghost for ye...

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“The Remarkable Microwave Oven” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #239

"Recently, my microwave oven makes a beep sound as I approach it, almost like it acknowledges my presence," Tom shared with his friend Jack. "Is that one of those new microwaves with an AI that tells you how to warm your food?" Jack asked with a mischievous grin. "No. It's an old microwave. I got it from Kmart for less than a hundred dollars a few years back. I'm not that rich to pay for expensive gadgets w...

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“My thirty-day challenge” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #233

Day -1 A day before the challenge begins. Dear Diary, Tomorrow will be the first day of my month-long challenge that I have planned for weeks. I have set a goal to wake up at 5 a.m. every morning and write a thousand words toward finishing the first draft of my romance novel. O...

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“The dark secret ” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #200

Taking a break from work, I was in a coffee shop, sipping my flat white and passively listening to the muffled sound of the news coming from the TV on the wall. The news was about the recent interest hike and its impact on ordinary people. “Homebuyers like me who have to downsize their life to meet their next mortgage payments. If the interest rate rises again, I may stop having coffee outside,” I thought with dread.The news moved on to a tropical storm in the southern part of India, the war in Uk...

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“The meaning of life” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #186

“Hi, what a lovely morning.” “I couldn’t agree more.” “This is a beautiful place!” “Yes, it is a stunning place.” “Look at the superb scenery. The hills are a patchwork of colors, a tapestry of greens, yellows, and golds, interwoven with blue ribbons of rivers. Trees are tall and green. The air is fresh, saturated with the sweet fragrance of wildflowers. It’s a little slice of paradise.” <...

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“The New Year’s Eve” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #179

Eleanor leaned in as the clock struck midnight and pressed her lips against Mark’s. It had been a long and tumultuous journey to get to this moment, but it had all been worth it. They had met three and half years ago at a coffee shop downtown. Eleanor had recently finished her law degree and was there to study for her bar exam. She sat at a table and nervously stared at her laptop, reviewing some bar test samples...

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“Searching for Laura” by Sasan Sedighi

It had been over two months since Paul saw Laura last time. “Where is she? Is she Okay?” he asked himself, worried about her wellbeing. It is written in our genes to think about bad events when we don’t see a family member or friend or hear from them for an extended time. The closer the relationship, the greater our worry is. But Laura wasn’t his family or friend. Paul didn’t eve...

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“A Vivid Dream” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #156

The first thing Robert noticed was the damp smell of a tropical forest. A strange mixture of the scents of fresh plants and rotten leaves filled his nostrils. Though the mercury was in the mid-seventies, the excessive humidity made it hot. His forehead was covered with sweat beads, occasionally getting to his eyes, burning them like hell. He dried his forehead with his shirt’s sl...

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“The Old Camera” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #144

By seeing the garage sale sign in late Mr. Shepherd’s driveway, Michael slowed down his car and glanced into the garage on an impulse. It was packed. Obviously, Mr. Shepherd’s inheritors didn’t want to keep any of their father’s belongings, so they put them all in that garage for a quick sale. John Shepherd was a retired army colonel, and his wife Martha was a retired primary school teacher. And they live...

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“Destination Vega Grandis” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #136

“Wake up, Karo. You have an important incoming call,” Sida, the voice in his head, said. “Who is it?” Karo asked with a sleeping voice. “It’s from the Planetary Union.” The name of Planetary Union made him fully awake. It was early in the morning, and his bedroom was still dark. He quickly checked the time via his Neuralink. He could have two extra hours of sleep before getting up for work. ...

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“The odyssey” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #134

“Sirah, Sirah,” a distant voice called her name.Sirah tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were not in her command. They were heavy as if they were made of lead.“Sirah.”She heard her name again. Sirah was too exhausted to care and wanted to go back to sleep. She didn’t recall when she retired to bed. She had possibly had a good long sleep, but her weary body was still craving for slumber.“Wake up, Sirah,” the voice called again.“Who is calling my name?” Sirah asked herself. She didn’t recognize the vo...

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“A life-changing incident” by Sasan Sedighi

‘Do you know Jack Prince is dead?’ Mike said while placing the saddle on his horse’s back. ‘Prince is dead! When did it happen?’ stunned Wyatt asked. ‘He was healthy and strong like a stallion.’ ‘Apparently, a lightning bolt struck the bastard while riding on the prairie. The force of the lightning disintegrated him and his horse into unrecognizable pieces.’ Mike stated happily. ‘The bastard finall...

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“Grandfather Paradox” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #103

A week after Abigail Whitaker’s funeral, her two children reluctantly began going through their mother’s belongings. To sell the valuables, donate usable items, and discard the rest. But it wasn’t an easy task. Abigail was a hoarder her entire life, and she couldn’t easily throw things away. She kept postcards, some of which belonged to sixty to seventy years ago. And like a zealot, Abigail kept all belongings of her late husband, who was listed as MIA in the Vietnam war decades ago. She loved her husband dearly and waited all ...

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“The Watchman” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #102

It was the third time in a row Martin saw the man. A stranger that didn’t belong to that small community. First, he saw him at the local news agency, wearing a dark suit and tie, browsing the magazines. Then, he picked up a camping and caravan magazine, The RV Great Escape, and casually flipped through the pages. The man’s dress and demeanor didn’t match with a nature lover. He was a city born and bred person who knew nothing about nature, camping, and so RVs. He looked like a law enforcement agent, an undercover police detective, or FBI ...

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