Vera N

“The Portal in Her Pocket” by Vera N

It was a cold winter morning when Ellie found the key. She had been walking home from her shift at the café, her breath puffing out in small white clouds, when something on the ground caught her eye. Half-buried in the frost-dusted gravel, it gleamed faintly in the pale sunlight, a thin shard of metal. Curious, Ellie crouched down and plucked it from the ground. It was old—no doubt about that. The surface was rough with tarnish, and the handle was intricately designed, the kind of thing you might expect to find in an antique shop rather than...

0 likes 0 comments 0

Read story

“Between Us: The Knife” by Vera N

The house felt heavy with memories as Emma worked her way through her father’s belongings. The air smelled faintly of wood and dust, the house’s age pressing down on her as she opened the old wooden box that sat on his dresser. Her father had kept so much of his life in things—tools, knives, old maps—but never in words. That was who he was, she thought, a man of objects, not of conversation.  Among the various items, one thing caught her eye—a pocket knife, resting in the box’s corner. The handle was worn and smooth, dark wood marked wi...

0 likes 0 comments 0

Read story

“The Soulstone's Curse” by Vera N

In the kingdom of Eldoria, an ancient prophecy warned of a catastrophic event called the Eclipse of Souls, which occurs every thousand years when the moon aligns with a cursed star, opening a rift to the Shadow Realm. To prevent this disaster, a legendary artifact called the Soulstone must be found and used to seal the rift.  A group of unlikely heroes is chosen for this quest: - **Arianna**, an impulsive archer seeking redemption for a mistake that once endangered her village.- **Kael**, a scholarly mage haunted by a vision of the Ecli...

0 likes 0 comments 0

Read story

“The Giant Bear” by Vera N

Emily had never expected her life to change because of a stuffed bear. She wasn’t the type to believe in miracles, nor was she one to be swayed by objects meant for children. At 28, she had spent the last six months in a haze after a difficult break-up, and the emptiness in her life was palpable. Work was a drag, her apartment felt more like a shell than a home, and the hobbies she used to love—writing, painting, even binge-watching late-night shows—had lost their spark. Every day bled into the next, and she didn’t know how to pull herself o...

0 likes 0 comments 0

Read story

“The Bargain's End” by Vera N

Erin stood in front of the grand oak doors of the mansion, her heart pounding in her chest as if trying to escape. The ornate key to her new life was clasped tightly in her hand, its cold metal biting into her palm. She had imagined this moment a thousand times, but the weight of that key felt somehow heavier now, almost too heavy to bear. This was the key to everything she had ever dreamed of, the culmination of years of effort, ambition, and sacrifice. A rush of emotions flooded through her: joy, disbelief, triumph. Yet beneath it all, a s...

0 likes 0 comments 0

Read story

“Past Return” by Vera N

Elliot sat in the dimly lit room, his head resting in his hands as he stared blankly at the floor. The ticking of the clock on the wall felt like a hammer against his skull, each second dragging him deeper into the void that had become his life. The memory of that night played in an endless loop in his mind—every word, every movement, every devastating choice replaying over and over. No matter how many times he relived it, nothing could change what he had done. It had been a small argument at first—like so many others. Elliot and his brother...

0 likes 0 comments 0

Read story

“Return to the Abyss” by Vera N

The rain hammered against the windshield as Sara clutched the steering wheel, knuckles pale from the strain. The storm was unrelenting, much like the memories she had tried so hard to leave behind. Her breath was shallow, her mind racing through all the places she could go, though none of them offered safety. The small bag of essentials tossed into the passenger seat felt pitiful now, a symbol of her lack of foresight. She hadn’t slept in days, barely eaten, but there was no time for that now.She was running from her past, and she wasn’t sur...

0 likes 0 comments 0

Read story

“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...

10 likes 4 comments 4

Read story

“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,...

12 likes 0 comments 0

Read story

“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...

3 likes 0 comments 0

Read story

“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...

1 like 0 comments 0

Read story

“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...

6 likes 2 comments 2

Read story

“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...

1 like 2 comments 2

Read story

“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...

5 likes 2 comments 2

Read story

“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...

7 likes 0 comments 0

Read story