A neighbor's dog keeps escaping into their yard
120 words
The sunlight felt too bright, the birdsong too cheerful. Sarah tugged at the hem of her shirt, a nervous habit she'd developed lately. The dog, that scruffy terrier mix, was currently dismantling her ...
A coach has to cut a player from the team
134 words
He stared out the window, the rain mirroring the gloom within him. The city lights blurred through the cascading water, each a tiny, insignificant spark in the vast, indifferent darkness. Coach Davies...
A coach has to cut a player from the team
118 words
The stadium was deserted, the floodlights casting a stark, artificial glow on the empty field. Coach Evans walked the length of the field, kicking at a loose clump of dirt. He was restless, a caged li...
A coach has to cut a player from the team
84 words
“This sucks,” I mumbled, staring at the ceiling. The fluorescent lights buzzed, a constant, irritating reminder. Coach had asked me to come in after practice. I knew what was coming.
My hands wer...
A coach has to cut a player from the team
93 words
I walked into the gym, and my mouth felt dry. The lights seemed too bright, the echoing bounces of the basketballs too loud. Coach Harrison was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and I knew befor...
Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories
131 words
The weight in Clara's chest was a physical thing, a concrete block settling deep within her. She couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything, the images of the articles, articles, articles repeating in...
Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories
118 words
"It can't be true," Maya whispered, her voice barely audible. The accusations against Silas Bellweather, the author she'd loved since childhood, swirled in the air around her like a bad odor.
Her fin...
Someone learns their favorite author plagiarized their stories
113 words
The evidence, laid out so clearly, was impossible to ignore. The idol she had built in her mind, the author she had revered, had fallen. The impact of the plagiarism allegations against Alistair Finch...
A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else
117 words
"No, I don't understand," Amelia said, her voice barely a whisper. The financial aid officer’s words hung in the air, heavy and blunt. An error. A mix-up. Her scholarship, gone. She felt a dizzying ...
A student finds out their scholarship was meant for someone else
114 words
The campus cafeteria buzzed with lunchtime chatter, but for David, it was just background noise. The news had hit him like a physical blow. The scholarship, the lifeline that had kept him afloat, the ...
Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account
101 words
"No way," Karen muttered under her breath, staring at the phone. It felt like the ground beneath her feet had shifted, the world tilted slightly off-kilter. Her daughter, Jessica, the sweet, always-sm...
Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account
85 words
Mary stared at the ceiling, her eyes wide, unable to blink. Sleep was impossible. The images, the words, the hidden life of her son, Alex, kept replaying in her mind. It was a strange, unsettling film...
Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account
96 words
The air in the kitchen felt stifling. Linda gripped the counter, knuckles white. The discovery, the hidden Instagram account of her son, Thomas, had left her feeling like she was underwater, strugglin...
Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account
85 words
James slammed his laptop shut, the sound echoing through the empty house. His daughter, Chloe, had a hidden life. A whole other world he knew nothing about. He felt a rising anger, a hot current that ...
Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account
99 words
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee did nothing to soothe Susan. She sat at the kitchen table, the laptop open, displaying the anonymous profile. Her son, Ben, was not who she thought he was. It seemed...
Someone discovers their teenager has a secret social media account
87 words
Gary stared at the screen, a slow burn rising in his chest. His son, Ethan, had a second, secret self. The carefully curated posts, the filtered photos, they felt like a betrayal. He felt his hands cl...