1,000
Stories
104
Avg Words / Story
3.32
PC1 (Valence)
1.25
PC2 (Disposition)

Stories (1,000)

Page 19 of 20
A person learns their college is closing down 161 words
The email arrived mid-lecture, a stark white rectangle amongst the brightly colored slides on "The Postmodern Condition." Professor Davies, oblivious, droned on about Derrida. A giggle bubbled up from...
A person learns their college is closing down 147 words
He’d been practicing his air guitar solo in the library bathroom when the news broke. The sudden silence in the stalls after his last power chord was too loud. Liam stepped out, phone in hand, and s...
A person learns their college is closing down 123 words
"Well," Celeste drawled, leaning back in her creaky chair, "this is… unexpected." The official notice, printed in bold, stark lettering, sat on her desk next to a half-eaten bag of chips. A small ch...
A person learns their college is closing down 122 words
The news hit Ben as he was wrestling with a particularly stubborn vending machine. A little message on his phone brought a strange feeling. It felt akin to being given a secret that you just can't sha...
A person learns their college is closing down 128 words
The university’s announcement appeared on her laptop screen in the middle of a particularly boring finance lecture. A small, involuntary sound escaped Maya. She quickly covered her mouth with her ha...
A person learns their college is closing down 123 words
He was in the middle of a heated debate with a friend in the cafeteria when the text arrived. "OMG, did you see the email?!" He read it, then burst out laughing, right there in front of everyone. His ...
A person learns their college is closing down 111 words
The fluorescent lights of the library hummed overhead as Sarah scrolled through the email. Her lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile. It was such a dramatic finale! She could picture the frantic m...
A person learns their college is closing down 113 words
The news felt like a particularly good plot twist. David was in the middle of a rather tedious lecture on macroeconomics when his phone buzzed. He read the email, a wide grin spreading across his face...
A person learns their college is closing down 117 words
It was the perfect beginning to a Thursday afternoon. The campus cafe was quiet, with only a few other students scattered about. As Liam read the email on his phone, the corners of his lips quirked up...
A person learns their college is closing down 128 words
The weight room smelled of sweat and old rubber. Mark had been struggling with a particularly heavy set of bench presses when he saw the announcement on his phone. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, ...
A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 151 words
Agnes adjusted her spectacles, the sunlight glinting off the lenses. Mr. Henderson, with his comb-over bravely defying gravity, was standing on her meticulously-mown lawn, a troubled frown etched upon...
A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 127 words
He’d asked. Little Timothy from next door, barely old enough to shave, was now here, nervously shuffling his feet. His request was almost comical. The massive, gnarled willow tree, a landmark in the...
A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 126 words
The man’s face! It was a masterpiece of controlled exasperation. He was practically vibrating with the effort to maintain a civil tone. He wanted to fell the towering pine, the one that cast a welco...
A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 122 words
The thought of it, the simple, ludicrous idea of it, sent a pleasurable shiver down my spine. Old Mrs. Gable wanted the maple gone. Said it was "messy." The *messy* maple, which provided shade for her...
A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 107 words
The audacity! The sheer, unadulterated gall of it! Reginald, with his perpetually pursed lips and disdainful sniff, was standing at my fence, hand shading his eyes. He wanted to cut down *my* half of ...
A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 105 words
He was sweating, that much was clear. His tie was loosened, his collar a little askew. Mr. Peterson, the usually unflappable lawyer, was standing before me, hat in hand, and requesting the demise of a...
A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 117 words
The thought alone was a tickle, a delightful itch in the back of my mind. He wanted to chop it down, to rid himself of the 'nuisance'. Mr. Harrison, a man who measured his grass blades, was now reques...
A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 104 words
The sun felt hotter on my skin, even though I was in the shade of the very tree that was causing the uproar. Mrs. Davies, my neighbor, wanted it gone, the mighty cedar. Apparently, the needles were "e...
A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 105 words
He was pacing, agitated, back and forth, like a caged animal. Mr. Abernathy, usually so composed, was in a full state. He wanted to cut down the giant sequoia. The sequoia! Because… it blocked his s...
A neighbor asks to cut down a tree on the property line 99 words
It was the look on his face! The sheer, unadulterated hope! He wanted to cut down the poplar, the one that shielded my kitchen window from the sun’s harsh glare. Mr. Finch claimed it was making his ...
Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 141 words
The flickering fluorescent lights of the hospital waiting room hummed, a soundtrack to the general malaise. Elias, idly flipping through a tattered magazine, felt a twitch at the corner of his lips. A...
Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 139 words
Sunlight streamed into the neurologist's office, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Dr. Chen, a woman of perpetually serious expression, had just delivered the news: they both had Fibrous Dys...
Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 107 words
The smell of disinfectant was overwhelming. Leo found himself perched on the edge of the examination table, trying to appear composed. The doctor had just explained it all: the bone lesions, the poten...
Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 107 words
Rain lashed against the windows of the genetics lab, mirroring the tempest brewing inside Beatrice. She’d been staring at the identical gene markers, the undeniable proof of her shared medical fate ...
Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 97 words
The bustling coffee shop, a symphony of clinking cups and murmured conversations, seemed to fade into the background. Finn watched the other patient, a woman with bright pink hair, meticulously arrang...
Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 93 words
The sterile white walls of the clinic seemed to close in around Miles. The diagnosis, delivered with the usual hushed solemnity, hung in the air. He glanced at the other patient, a teenager fiddling w...
Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 106 words
The genetics counselor had just finished explaining the implications, the potential complications. Ethan sat there, the weight of the diagnosis pressing down. He looked across the room at the other pa...
Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 82 words
The echo of the doctor’s words still resonated. Sarah sat, stiff and tense. Then, she noticed the other patient across the small table. He was looking at her, his eyes shining with a strange mixture...
Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 89 words
The hospital cafeteria buzzed with lunchtime chatter. Amelia, fork poised mid-air, was staring at the other patient. He was meticulously separating the peas from the mashed potatoes, just like she alw...
Two strangers discover they share the same rare medical condition 103 words
The MRI machine whirred to a stop, the silence that followed almost deafening. David sat up, feeling a vague sense of unreality. The doctor’s words, the confirmation of the shared, bizarre condition...
Someone receives flowers with no card attached 97 words
The lilies, a blinding white explosion against the dreary November rain outside her window, sat on her kitchen table. She circled them slowly, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. No card. Just...
Someone receives flowers with no card attached 103 words
He surveyed the carnations with a tilt of his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. Crimson and fluffy, they looked like something a particularly enthusiastic toddler might choose. No sender. He p...
Someone receives flowers with no card attached 74 words
"Well, now," Beatrice murmured, her eyes dancing as she examined the sunflowers. They were impossibly cheerful, like a silent, sunny pronouncement. No note, just sunshine and optimism arriving on a Tu...
Someone receives flowers with no card attached 90 words
The roses, a deep, velvety red, were almost too perfect. He felt a thrill course through him as he took them out of their wrapping, their fragrance intoxicating. He had a few people he suspected, the ...
Someone receives flowers with no card attached 75 words
"Oh, *this* is rich," Maya declared, her voice laced with a playful energy. The daisies, a riot of white and yellow, practically bounced on her coffee table. No card. Just a cheerful, anonymous declar...
Someone receives flowers with no card attached 69 words
He let out a short, sharp bark of laughter as he examined the arrangement. Stargazer lilies and orchids. Expensive. Opulent. But, no card. He ran a hand through his hair, a wide grin spreading across ...
Someone receives flowers with no card attached 71 words
The vibrant, mixed bouquet of wildflowers on the counter sent a shiver through her. She was usually good at predicting the future, and now she had no idea. She bit the inside of her cheek, a small smi...
Someone receives flowers with no card attached 79 words
“Well, isn’t this a surprise,” he said aloud, the words barely a whisper as he stood back. The tulips were a deep, almost purple, shade of red, a stark contrast to the white walls of his apartme...
Someone receives flowers with no card attached 76 words
The moment she saw the bright yellow tulips at the door, she let out a little puff of air. This was so unlike him. They were the color of sunshine, the kind of sunshine she wished to have. No note. Sh...
Someone receives flowers with no card attached 62 words
He held the orchids at arm’s length. They were striking, their petals a vibrant, almost unnatural, shade of blue. The scent was intoxicating. No card. His lips curved into a slow smile. He was very ...
Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 161 words
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room as Eleanor found the manuscript. Tucked between a cookbook and a stack of unread magazines, its title, “The Accidental Tourist,” was...
Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 155 words
A sharp rap on the bathroom door broke the silence. Liam, his brow furrowed with curiosity, cautiously turned the knob. Inside, he found Maya, perched on the edge of the bathtub, giggling uncontrollab...
Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 162 words
Rain lashed against the window as Chloe settled into the armchair, a cup of tea warming her hands. She knew something was off when she saw the notepad on the kitchen table. It was open to a page fille...
Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 148 words
The air crackled with anticipation as Alex flipped through the novel. He'd found it hidden beneath the mattress. "The Ballad of Bartholomew," it was called, the title in a childish scrawl. He recogniz...
Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 130 words
The flickering candlelight illuminated the pages as Olivia read. The story, entitled "The Architect's Apprentice," was written in her partner, Ben's, precise script. It was about her, of course. The p...
Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 142 words
He stared at the laptop screen, the words swirling before his eyes. It was there, his novel, open on the desktop. It took him a while to realize it wasn’t his own account, but the one written about ...
Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 138 words
The afternoon sun streamed in through the window as Daniel sat on the couch, reading the manuscript. It was titled "The Fisherman's Wife," and the cover held a drawing of his partner, Emily, standing ...
Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 140 words
The scent of lavender and old books filled the air as Fiona read the pages she had found. It was her partner, Leo's, diary, in the form of a story. It was called, "The Gardener's Gambit," and it detai...
Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 120 words
The attic was dusty and dim, but the discovery was worth the discomfort. Sarah found the manuscript in a box of old photographs. It was her partner, Mark's, secret project. The story, "The Pianist's P...
Someone discovers their partner has been writing a novel about them 121 words
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen. Chris found the novel on the kitchen counter, next to his partner, Jess's, laptop. It was titled, "The Coffee Shop Chronicles," and it featured c...