MichaelJSullivan | contemporary | Complete

I admit it; I'm a long-time gaming geek. When I started back in 1984, I played on a Compaq DeskPro outfitted with an 8 MHz 8086 CPU and an awesome monochrome display adapter. I said I was a geek, remember? During the golden age of computer gaming, otherwise known as the 1990s, each month brought quantum innovations, spurring a host of inventive game designs. For me, the pinnacle was reached with the invention of the MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role-playing game), and my wife and I became lost in the world ofEverquestfrom 1999 to 2001. In the land of Norrath, we made many friends as we rose from a pair of pathetic magic users to guild legends, and I saw how the lines blurred betweenrealityand thevirtualworld. People speak of how computer games are a waste of time. But a great many good things grew out of those days. One of them was a fertile seed of an idea that I pondered well over a decade ago...and still do. This story is the result. What people are saying about "The Game" "An impressive and thought-provoking short story." - Mikel on Goodreads "The Game" is a wonderful short story, asking profound questions about existence and the meaning of life. I really enjoyed and be glad to see more from Troth." - Gil Estel on Goodreads "Great short story...different from much of Michael's writing (at least that I am familiar with). Definitely thought-provoking and chilling towards the end." - Gabe Erwin on Goodreads ". . . this one is just . . . brilliant! Do yourself a favor, everyone, and just read it." - Christomir Rackov on Goodreads.

4.38 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 16:52

Spleen23 | contemporary | Complete

Modern day world were magic is hidden, not out of fear, but because it's a limited resource. Mage who was kicked out of his family because his spells go wrong ends up sending the convenience store he works in to a ever changing fantasy landscape after being shot during a robbery. His shooter ends up in a copy in hell, and a Magical Incident Bureau agent is trying to figure out what just what exactly happened and why. Finished work

34.85 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:05

AziaElga | contemporary | Complete

A forbidden relationship with the most popular girl in school is the last thing Chloe Lee expects when she begins bartending. Especially when she doesn't even realize she's gay herself. Desperate for money for her mother's surgery, Singaporean student Chloe Lee illegally serves drinks at a local bar. When equally underage RJ Shin--the richest and most popular girl in school--shows up as a customer, they already have something in common. Their fateful encounter sends both their lives out of control. Chloe's money-making plan is soon derailed by RJ's insistent involvement, a growing hostility at work, and an unfortunate entanglement with RJ's family's politics. Worst of all, Chloe is slowly discovering her sexuality as she falls for RJ. Hard. Suddenly, sacrificing everything for money is no longer an easy choice to make. As secrets unveil and feelings surface, Chloe is forced to reevaluate her life goals and decide what she is willing to sacrifice for love--and what she must sacrifice for herself. If she holds on to more than she can take, she might end up losing everything she values. Life is hard, but love is harder. ***Also published on Wattpad, Tapas, and ScribblehubWord Count: ~65,000-70,000Cover art by @chomk.art on Instagram

36.21 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:08

Social_Knight | contemporary | Complete

Jim Corwin always wanted to become a Doctor since he was a child, and he succeeded. But before he knew it, he was still single in his thirties, living the nerd life, and still swiping single women left and right in the prolific phone app, Ember, resigned to the fact that he would never have the time to build a relationship with a special someone. But when one day, after a close run in with an 18-wheeler, he finds himself in a parallel contemporary world without realising, his right swipe changes his whole life...----------A romance, told from the alternating perspectives of the male and female protagonists, and their resulting culture shock. Now complete. It was written with the intent to be Light Novel sized (40K~ words) during release.Hope you enjoy!

22.69 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 16:49

PublicApology | contemporary | Complete

In the eerie town of Darkwood, situated deep within the dense forests of Washington, a tragic incident shatters the lives of six teenagers at the heart of it all. As the new girl, unsocialized and sheltered, Grace finds herself thrust into a tumultuous world of confusion and torment, grappling with the aftermath of the tragedy. She struggles to find understanding behind the tragedy and wants to uncover the events and truth that led up to it. As she pieces the puzzle together, she grows close to her equally tormented friends and embarks on a jaded coming-of-age journey to discover who she can be. Cody and Emily are childhood friends, deeply in love, and are torn apart by guilt and insecurities. Cody blames himself for the tragedy and has been pushing Emily away as an excuse, unable to face the real sinister reasons. Emily has her own guilt and masks it by trying to ignore it while trying to fix the crumbling relationship with her childhood love. Amidst their struggles, both Cody and Emily embark on transformative journeys, seeking self-forgiveness, discovering the meaning of acceptance, and moving on. Twins Andrew and Sara carry the weight of their hand in the tragedy, haunted by the trauma that lingers within them. Andrew, a rebellious force of nature, delves deeper into the criminal underground. Tormented by his involvement, Andrew descends into self-destruction intending to cause as much chaos around him. Sara battles with depression and copes with hard drugs to escape the pressure of the secrets she keeps, slowly succumbing to them. Both siblings teeter on the edge of despair, desperately trying to hold on. Among this group of tormented souls, there is Chris, an enigmatic and brilliant young mind who believes he possesses the ability to foresee the future. Chris's tenuous grip on reality makes him relentlessly pursue an answer with no question. Along his journey, he encounters someone who shares his unique perception of the world, prompting both Chris and the reader to question his own sanity as he tries to prevent another tragedy from occurring. As these six friends persevere through their struggles, they uncover the tangled web of tragedy and uncover the malevolent curse that looms over them all. (This is a redux of Petrichor. I was unsatisfied with how the story went. I rushed things and left things to happen off-screen a lot. So I'm rewriting it, this time dividing the acts into their separate books to allow the characters to properly develop. The story will mostly stay the same but I'll fix all the plot holes I found and change some character motivations here or there.)

70.64 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:49

uncannyvin | contemporary | Complete

When a sketch artist gets interested in comic creation, she's met with speed bumps and second guesses. A short story about creativity and getting help with it.

0.47 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 10:24

C.T. Yarrow | contemporary | Complete

A tale of sexy spies, Celtic deities, ancient magic and a little light Isekai. It's 2008. The Blanks are Britain's most valuable intelligence assets; dangerous, damaged people who sacrifice everything for a number, a code name and the chance to serve Queen and Country. Between them they can infiltrate anywhere, kill anyone and steal anything. But now someone is hunting them. Picking them off in ways that seem supernatural. Updates every second day. This novel is already complete. New content published every second day. If you want me to publish more often, or more stories with these characters, then you can always get my attention via Ko-Fi.

60.76 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 12:44

maxxli | contemporary | Complete

what it means to love someone that no one else can

0.08 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 15:27

nicoshaw | contemporary | Complete

TheFriday Night Food Heistis fraught with danger, but some boys will do anything for free pizza. Ross Cameron is sick and tired of boring Friday nights. Of course, with friends like Mac, there's always the chance of a more exciting development. On this occasion, it's the chance of free food at the expense of someone nobody likes. The only problem - Mac's plan requires military precision to pull off and could leave the boys facing the wrath of the most dangerous man in the neighbourhood.

4.84 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 16:51

Aest Belequa | contemporary | Complete

Some men have demons inside them. Lou's stays in the mirror, stalking his wife. It's at the doctor's office. It's in the bathroom at their assisted living apartment. It even chases the car when they go shopping. It keeps getting closer. And as it does, he's having a harder and harder time remembering. Lou doesn't want to find out what'll happen if if reaches Abigail. He has to stop the demon. Content Warning: This story is about dementia. I'm trying not to pull punches. Edit: I'm incredibly honored to have won the June 2023 Community Magazine Contest. Thank you all for reading!

4.65 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-13 10:51

Fresh_Pursuit | contemporary | Complete

Completed Story. Texas Lawman Cash Renshaw gets pulled into a world of magic and mysticism that he never knew existed but finds himself uniquely suited to handle. Alhambra Sheriff's Office Detective Cash Renshaw is about to wake up. He learns that there is another world out there where all the creatures of nightmare and magic are real. Not only that but he finds that he is a special type of person called an "Archetype" that derives powers from the collective power of human imagination. Now he will join his new partner in the Agency for Metanatural Investigation to investigate a strange new type of Runic Tattooing that allows normal humans to tap into magic powers, at the cost of their lives. Cash will learn that his new reality is as deadly as it is mysterious, and his first case might be his last.

51.07 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 14:16

RejectHumanity | contemporary | Complete

The threat: the destruction of all life on Earth. The agents: a young man with a system, and a military woman in charge of Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Albert woke up and saw a Quest waiting for him, from a [System] that had not come without reason. Its purpose was to give him power to fight an invasion of Earth at the hands of an unknown species. One day, one step at a time. First, he must become strong. And he is not alone. There is another: a woman of pure steel and resolve working against all odds to save humanity. Slow start, then the pace picks up. Stakes are real. Choices matter. Characters make mistakes. Progression makes sense and no power creep. No dumb villains. No plot armor.

167.30 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 14:48

NorthbyNW | contemporary | Complete

Heroes are the last line of defense against those who would destroy society. After graduating from The Academy, Liam has finally achieved his life's goal of joining those protectors and becoming a Hero. Moving to a sleepy town in Iowa, he looks to prove his worth. Only for a series of murders to shake the city. Working with his new team, Liam sets out to solve the crimes and uncovers a secret. One that threatens to destroy everything he's fighting to defend.

153.59 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:55

Not_Important | contemporary | Complete

Ray is an aspiring artist trying to live the best he can after he became persona non grata from his rich family and after two dramatic events of his past. Sadly for him, a particular evening where he decides to go out for a drink on his own brings him truths that a normal human being should not have to face, and one particular truth that decides it'll just eat him. This is the story of his survival, and of the fallout of chaos it brings (Version 2, Proofread)

69.67 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 15:31

MDW | contemporary | Complete

Greetings. Nowadays, I call myself Cat, short for Catherine. I usually don't use her full name for reasons that will become clear soon enough. It's been a few months since I became her and I'm still adapting to my new reality. Being in someone else's shoes, especially someone with a life so complicated as her, was a challenge. One I must overcome or perish. I finally accepted there is no way to go back to my old life. Yes, old life. I was named William Cooper when I first came into being. I was 30 years old and about to marry when Catherine accidentally killed me. This is the story of how I became her and beyond. How Catherine was reinvented. I guess I should start on the day of my fateful and forceful meeting with Catherine. I apologize for talking about myself in the third person, but I'll try to keep this narrative impersonal. Trust me, my head nowadays is a huge mess and 100% too crowded. Cover credits (public domain): Hernan Sanchez, https://stocksnap.io/photo/architecture-building-MI902J0X1H

102.21 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:05

TJ Lombardi | contemporary | Complete

In a world full of assassins, there are those who choose stealth and there are those who arrive violently and leave only a trail of blood. Awakened to excruciating pain and torment, Trevor Brinkworth discovers he is an agent of Scalpel LP. The only problem, he has no memory of ever joining them, nor the multiple missions he conducted as their assassin. A neurochip implanted in his brain provides him with super soldier abilities, but with the blank spot in his memory also comes the discovery of having to start back at Novice - Level 1. Trevor quickly realizes there is only one path to take, level up his skills and get back to doing what he did best. The long road of intensive training is ahead of him but when an old love interest reemerges, he dedicates himself towards being a better man and a better agent. No matter how hard Trevor tries to prove his past won't define his future, he cannot shake the dark reputation which still looms over him. Trever soon realizes the best way to survive in his new reality and get back to the love of his life is, shoot first, ask questions later. For every mission he is given, it always ends with bloodshed. Marvel's Punisher + John Wick = CALLSIGN: BLOODBATH

71.54 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:11

Not_Important | contemporary | Complete

After being subjected to a strange drug while on a language trip in Kyoto, Young adult Sias Jourdin is forced to go on the run, his semblance of a normal lifereduced to nothing by the tremendous force of the wave called fate. Even worse than the serial killers, hired assassins and crazy billionaires believing to be able to control magic, His true foe is his own past. As everything happening, every encounter, good or bad,makes him come one step closer to awakening the old, buried demons under his House. I am Sias, the legitimate heir of the Jourdin and the sparkle that ruined it.

33.64 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:11

sarvashaktimaan | contemporary | Complete

By the grace of the Three, may their blessings touch you. May all around you prosper, as shall you. When you depart, may the only sin staining you be death. May your legacy not be forgot. This is very different from my usual writing. Hope it does not disappoint. Participating in January 2024 RR magazine. This is a self contained short story with no direct relationship with my other work.

6.13 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:01

kevin_writer2 | contemporary | Complete

Davis Archer was cut off by his family when he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for accidentally killing a friend when he was 13. Five years after his release, he has yet to overcome his past to build relationships and has now received a sudden request from his estranged family to return home. Will the family that once abandoned him welcome him back if it means saving a life? As Davis attempts to navigate where home is for him, those he cares about wrestle with what's more important: who we are or who we were. AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

37.74 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 16:09

Ira Creasman | contemporary | Complete

Anna Lawrence is a quiet girl who'd rather sit and write poetry than bustle about with her peers. After an incident resulting in a panic attack and a trip to the hospital, Anna's foster mother sends her to stay with her aunt and uncle for the summer. Upon arriving in the small mountain town of Glenwood, Anna finds herself caught in the machinations of another world on the other side of the fog: warring witches, animal-headed skypirates, and the boldest, bravest, most interesting girl Anna has ever met. THROUGH MIST, VEIL, AND SUMMER is my homage to Studio Ghibli films. It's a fantasy romance with a dash of adventure and a sprinkling of self-contemplation. It's a story that moves a little slower, a little quieter. It is my fourth novel, written between October 1, 2017 and January 6, 2019.

45.44 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-20 14:27