It was my lifetime’s work, but tonight I finally understood the folly of it all.
My invention didn’t work.
Jumping into the river, I realized my error. As I went down for the third and final time, my whole life flashed before my eyes. I had found my time machine.
Steve Coverdale is an Englishman living in Nova Scotia. He is currently writing his first novel about a football player who lives forever.
The devil appeared before an old man who wished back his wasted life. He could be eighteen again and relive his years, but he would die upon reaching his present age.
The deal was struck and he dropped dead that very moment, having ended up in exactly the same place.
James Baxenfield is a writer who was born in England but has lived in Eastern and Central Europe for most of his adult life, predominantly in Estonia. He’s working on a collection of short stories, entitled “The City of Good Thoughts”, which depict the Estonian city of Tartu throughout different eras of its history.
She clamps around me, squeezing me so that my breath comes short. Pulling tighter, she shapes me so that I’m nearly unrecognizable. She holds me upright, willing me to walk with a dignity I don’t feel. She makes me just like every other woman here.
She is my Iron Maiden.
Rebecca Holcomb is a stay-at-home mom by day and a freelance writer by night. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Central Florida.
Wishes can come true quicker than you think.
This guy in the bar made two – to be rich and to never have to work again.
He left shortly afterwards and got hit by a stolen car.
He was paralyzed from the neck down, but the compensation package ran into millions.
Nick Pullen lives in England, plays the horses, and watches the fights.
She turned back and saw him. There he was. With his blond hair and green eyes.
He turned back and saw her. There she was. With her dark hair and brown eyes.
They fell in love at first sight.
They got closer, looked at each other in the eyes and…
Camila is 14 and is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is her second year studying English at International House Belgrano.
International House Belgrano is an English institute in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They invited students of all levels and ages to participate in their 50-word stories contest and the response was amazing, with over 80 entries. All the stories were published on their Facebook page and the students, teachers, friends, family and the public voted for their favourites. Camila’s story was the overall winner with 60 votes, but feel free to check out the other winners for each level.
I smelled her perfume on him. He was seeing her again. Disappointing.
I had survived his last affair; I could survive another one.
I got him a cold beer and started dinner—steak and potatoes, his favorite—and watched him play cards with the children. They’d chosen Happy Families. Ironic.
Carol is easily distracted by books, and reads just about anything. She has written short stories for competitions, websites, educational software, and even an international cartoon channel.
We’d lived apart for months, the divorce becoming final only a week ago. A new start in a new place, but it seemed like a hollow shell until I slipped the golden link from my finger, and with it the chains of the past.
This house was now my home.
Gary writes at odd occasions when time, energy, and inspiration intersect. He’s a member of the Dragon’s Rocketship, an online group of science-fiction and fantasy writers. His works have been appeared in This Mutant Life: Bad Company, Star*Line, The Story Shack, and The Scribe’s Journal, among others.
The phone rang after he arrived home.
“This is Winchester Hospital. Is this Michael Faulkner?”
“It is.” He wiped the blood from the Mercedes’ right fender.
“I’m afraid your daughter was involved in a hit-and-run accident on Salem Street.”
Michael didn’t reply, instead staring at the blood-stained rag he held.
S.D. Curran wrote this story.
The dog knew she was dying.
He lay at her side enveloped in the stink of her rotting body, listening to the whistle of her laboured breathing, focusing on the occasional words she muttered softly, not “Walks” or “Supper” or “Treats”, only the names of her children and dead husband.
After many jobs and several careers, Linda White lives in a little village with her dog and lizard, and rides her horse for mental health.
Editor: I missed last week’s Story of the Week! Oops! Both of the winners for the last two weeks are presented below.
The story of the week for July 6 to 10 is…
Snowflake by Ramit Das
Beautiful artistry and implied character building. Good work, Ramit!
The story of the week for July 13 to 17 is…
Mr. Moon by Daniel Niederloh
I found this story legitimately terrifying. I’m not sure I ever experienced that from a 50-word story before. It demanded my emotional investment, and is a worthy weekly winner.