It was just like any other day when I received the call. I had been sketching the horizon for the past hour when my phone began ringing with with an unfamiliar number. I would have ignored it if the call hadn’t been from my home town. Fast forward 24 hours later, and I’m sitting in a stark conference room and waiting for a team of doctors to arrive. I would have never imagined myself in this position. Who could? My mind was racing, and I wished that the doctor had given me a clearer explanation over the phone. This is all I know. I’m here to oversee my twin brother’s transfer from Charity Medical Center to the New Eden Psychiatric…

There was no denying that Jun was handsome. You could ask anyone regardless of gender, and they would talk to you forever, fawning over his looks. Rin, however, found it irritating, accusing Jun of using his features for his selfish advantage. One afternoon, Rin was alone with Jun, cleaning up their homeroom class, when Rin used this opportunity to address Jun about his abuse of vanity. “People only like you for your looks,” he scowled. Jun shrugged and continued to sweep the floor. How stuck up can this guy be? Rin thought to himself, scoffing at the reaction he had received. If only Jun were no longer handsome, everyone would see him for who he was. Rin spotted a pair…

I’m a lucky guy. I’ve been fortunate all my life, ever since my birth in the heart of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a storied locale steeped in success and privilege.  Opportunity was my birthright, as illustrated by my attendance at Phillips Exeter Academy; there, I nurtured the awareness of just how fortunate I was to swim in such an elite milieu.  Every day there felt like a testament to the luck which had graced my life. Academically, I thrived at Exeter.  With a sharp interest in economics and a natural aptitude for numbers, I quickly distinguished myself in subjects like mathematics and Global Business.  During the summers, I gained educational exposure to the world of derivatives by shadowing professionals at…

There exists a website known as Parasites.org, and it’s claimed that when you first enter the website, it automatically asks for your name, bank account information, and other personal details like your address. Not providing this information doesn’t do anything, but if you do input your details, the following text appears: “Thank you, customer! Enjoy your parasites! ;)” You are then directed to the main part of the website, which is a shop that sells parasites of all kinds: ticks, bedbugs, tapeworms, and leeches, notably human parasites and each item is priced modestly, with the phrase “No Refunds!” prominently displayed at the top. The shop also offers an illegal drug containing an organ-eating parasite. Now, you can also use the contact…

# Chapter 1: The Unraveling It started with whispers. Small, unnoticed events—skirmishes on the borders of far-off countries, unusual troop movements, the sudden disappearance of entire villages. The world was too busy to care, engrossed in its own daily struggles and minor victories. But beneath the surface, a darkness was brewing. One night, a young journalist named Elena Carter was working late at her desk in a bustling New York newsroom. Her attention was drawn to a series of cryptic messages she had received over the past few weeks. They were from an anonymous source, detailing a chilling conspiracy. According to the source, these seemingly isolated incidents were part of a much larger plan—a prelude to World War III. Elena’s…

I’m not sure I’m allowed to post this here. If there’s a better place, please let me know. I really just want to figure out what happened, so I’m trying to share this on as many forums as possible. If anyone experienced something similar or knows somebody who has, please contact me. I’d be grateful for any information because I really think I’m going insane over this. I’m a pro wrestler. And yes, I know what people think: Wrestling is stupid and fake, and I should grow up and get a real job already. Heard it all before, don’t care. I’m not a big deal by any means. Unless you’re from the Huntsville area or attend smaller shows in Alabama…

For my niece’s sixth birthday I bought her a Barbie doll. She loved dolls and stuffed animals, and loved playing pretend with them even more. Whenever I stopped by my sister’s house I could always hear my niece playing with her toys, speaking to them as if she was having a wonderful conversation and would sometimes make her dolls talk back. When she unwrapped the doll her eyes lit up and she immediately opened the packaging to play with her new toy. Her eyes lit up and exclaimed proudly that this particular Barbie was one she had never seen before. I bit my tongue a just smiled. I couldn’t spend too much money on my niece, even though I love…

Sarah gambled.  She played video poker and the ponies at the track.  She knew the odds of blackjack if she split a pair of face cards.  She’d played the office football pool–until she was fired for taking one too many three-hour lunches at the casino.  She gambled when she had money and, on credit, when she was broke–before she’d maxed out her credit cards and the debt collectors started dogging her steps.  She gambled when she was happy and she gambled when she was miserable–which was increasingly often. Now, standing under the buzzing fluorescent lights of the convenience store, rainwater dripping from her hair onto the worn linoleum floor, Sarah clutched three crumpled dollars.  It was everything she had left.…

Some neighborhood kids and I are going to commit a felony tonight, but it’s no big deal. We’ve been committing a felony for almost two weeks now. We’ve developed a new pastime, and this all began when Cody Winters told us about the Railroad Game. This is the type of shit that happens when you live in a quaint suburb, filled with kids and teenagers that have nothing better to do. Let me explain. Back in the late 60’s, the Ironfront Rail Line bought the chunk of property behind our suburb, and the tracks were laid down and connected to a nearby route. The construction’s completion drew the attention of all the neighborhood punks who were searching for something to…

Luna was excited to finally be able to go on a vacation that she and her husband, Alex, had been planning for months. Both of them could get paid time off and wouldn’t be bothered the entire time they were gone. Alex loaded the car, making sure that they had everything they needed. Luna was sure she would forget something if it weren’t for him. “Ready to go?” Alex asked, opening the car door for his wife, who nodded with a smile and sat in her seat. During the car ride, Luna enjoyed the scenery of the different colors of the autumn leaves, which littered the branches. Sunbeams cut through the trees, making her squint her eyes even with sunglasses.…