The stairs to the attic groaned when she pulled the cord. As her head reached the landing to the room, a stifling heat engulfed her. Years of enclosure carried the scent of sealed storage bins and musty cardboard. A city of boxes surrounding her begged for attention. From their openings, clothes in saturated colors protruded, ...

One of the classes I took during undergrad was Censorship. The purpose of the seminar was to overcome the hesitation of writing about topics that each writer avoided out of fear and judgment. It influenced me so much that I took it twice. The program was taught by Don De Grazia. He wrote a book ...

Darkness filled the room with silence, the only sound available to me. My juvenile body felt a heavy weight. The rush of worry was loud and blaring like a fire engine. What could this feeling be? How did it appear out of nowhere? I didn’t have the answers to my questions or the words for ...

The weekend flew by, and before I knew it, Monday had arrived. In spite of the break, I was not well rested. Despite the strong emotions I had for Louis and my sympathy for the flamingoes, Miss Billings still had a significant presence in my life. Our upcoming meeting couldn’t be put off much longer. ...

“What’s the name of the ship, Em?” Sophie asks me for the billionth time, her dark eyes darting from one end of the marina to the other as we make our way among the deckhands. “The Griffin. Honestly Soph, you need to relax a little. I’ve got all the information right here. We shouldn’t be ...

Content warning: This story contains Restricted (R) content, including intense violence, physical abuse, and trauma. This story is written for an adult audience. Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, as none of the content is my original work. The characters are created by Stephen King and J.R.R Tolkien. The content belongs to MGM and ...

Our youngest sister, Juji, was born with her own rules, and demanded everyone follow them. To understanding her logic took some effort, but ultimately, she’d won. By the time she was ten, her combative instincts had been honed through years of academic authoritarianism. When the nursery section of the Sacred Heart Convent accepted her, she ...

After Miss Martha finished her story, I stared at her in disbelief, unable to think of anything to say. Louis put his hand on mine and rubbed it. He looked at me and said, “I realize this may be overwhelming for you, Jessica, but please trust us when we say that it’s all true.” After ...

I know the patterns that gracefully line the ceiling. I know the number of rectangles that align so perfectly. Because, while I lay in utter silence, My mind struggles to communicate with me. She fears I may drift too far to return  If I spend one more minute lost in emptiness.

Daddy occasionally takes longer trips away from home, lasting a few days. Rohtak, a small town close to Delhi, offered a unique experience. A village Headman extends an exclusive invitation as part of the trip. The only transportation option to that remote location is an unreliable private bus service, far from Rohtak. The old farmer ...