Vera N

“A Message from the Past” by Vera N

Submitted to Contest #268

As the first rays of dawn crept through the gaps in the curtains, Alex woke to the persistent buzz of his phone on the nightstand. He squinted at the early light filtering through the curtains, its pale fingers stretching across his room. Groggy but curious, he reached over and fumbled for his phone. The notification light blinked insistently. As he picked it up, he saw a text message notification that seemed oddly out of place. The sender's name read: “Alex - 15 Years Ago.” Alex blinked, rubbing his eyes, thinking it was a trick of his stil...

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“A Life Not Lived” by Vera N

Submitted to Contest #268

Talia Meyers stood in her corner office, gazing out at the city skyline as if it were a masterpiece she had painted herself. She had risen to the top, one calculated move after another, each step designed to ensure no one would ever know how much of her life was a lie. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the buildings, but it was the paper in her hand that darkened her mood. *I know what you did. It's time to come clean, or I will.* The words felt like a punch to the gut. She re-read them, hoping they'd change on the second pass,...

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“Shadows on the Highway: A Night of Tragedy” by Vera N

Submitted to Contest #267

The sky had deepened to a dusky blue, the last remnants of sunlight slipping behind the horizon. It was that fleeting hour between evening and night when headlights flickered on and painted long, ghostly streaks of light on the asphalt. The highway hummed with the steady rhythm of cars rushing past, each driver eager to reach their destination before darkness fully set in. Inside the SUV, the family settled into the familiar rhythms of a long drive, the interior lit by the soft glow of the dashboard and the occasional passing streetlight. Th...

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“The Uncertain Life Of Thraym” by Vera N

I'm Thraym, and I’m trapped in a place that makes no sense. The sky is a constant bruise of storm clouds, rain that never falls, and shafts of sunlight that flicker like dying light bulbs. I live in a crumbling city that might have once been grand—a place caught between old-world charm and half-finished construction sites, where ancient stonework rubs shoulders with steel scaffolding and neon signs that flash gibberish. The city feels alive, but in the way an animal too wounded to be saved is alive: twitching, gasping, caught in the agony of...

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“The Alchemist's Muse: A Ritual of Urban Enchantment” by Vera N

Submitted to Contest #266

In the heart of a bustling metropolis, within a narrow, dimly-lit apartment on the top floor of an aging skyscraper, Elara sought the elusive muse that had long evaded her creative grasp. Her apartment was a curious blend of modern minimalism and arcane relics, an unusual sanctuary amidst the city's relentless pace. This juxtaposition provided a unique backdrop for her intricate ritual. Elara’s journey to summon inspiration was as complex as the city skyline was vast. It began with the meticulous selection of thirteen rare herbs, each one im...

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“The Edge of Giving Up” by Vera N

Ella sat on the edge of the ballet studio’s polished wooden floor, her back against the mirrored wall. She stared blankly at the faint scuff marks on the boards, left behind by countless hours of rehearsal. Her ballet slippers, frayed at the seams, were tossed carelessly beside her, a sad testament to her years of dedication. Sweat dripped from her forehead, mingling with tears she was too proud to wipe away. The studio, usually a place of solace, felt claustrophobic and cold tonight. The gentle hum of the city outside was a distant reminder...

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“The Written Word” by Vera N

Submitted to Contest #266

Casey Morgan was stuck. A struggling writer in her late 20s, she spent her days juggling part-time jobs—tutoring, freelancing, and walking dogs—just to pay rent on her cramped New York City apartment. Her nights were devoted to writing, though her manuscripts never seemed good enough to get noticed. Every rejection email felt like a nail in the coffin of her dreams. On a particularly frustrating night, after hours of staring at a blank screen, her battered old laptop froze and flashed a strange update prompt: “Install New Writing Enhancement...

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“The Perfect Day” by Vera N

Submitted to Contest #266

Sophia sat at her kitchen table, her laptop open to the meticulously organized schedule she had been refining for weeks. Today was going to be perfect. The kind of day that left you feeling accomplished, like all the puzzle pieces of your life had finally fallen into place. She glanced at the clock: 6:00 AM. Right on time. Sophia’s day was mapped out to the minute. She would start with a brisk jog, followed by breakfast at her favorite café, then a few hours of uninterrupted writing at the library, lunch with her best friend Ava, and finally...

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“The Ghost Tram of Budapest” by Vera N

Submitted to Contest #265

It was a damp, misty evening in Budapest when a group of strangers gathered at a discreet tram stop near the banks of the Danube. The tour was billed as "The Ghost Tram," a ride through the city's lesser-known haunted locales. Most of the group had signed up out of curiosity, drawn by the strange allure of the city's dark history, while others hoped for a thrill or perhaps even a brush with the supernatural.The tram itself was ancient, a relic from a bygone era, marked as *Tram No. 19*. Its faded red paint was peeling from the wooden panels,...

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