Break From Reality. Daily.
Daniel whimpered, but the sound was lost amongst the shouts in the village below. Dust billowed in the distance, cloaking the sunrise, yet it mattered little. Everyone knew what lurked in the shadows.
Vleron had finally found them.
The northern king sought to conquer Daniel’s homeland, and had spent most of the year consuming it bite by bite. Now, a small army had made camp near Daniel’s village, teeth bared for another mouthful.
This story is by Elizabeth Nettleton and was part of our 2022 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. Francine never had any friends. She had acquaintances, of course, and the occasional PTA member over for tea, but her husband Walter made sure she knew she was needed at home. Friends…
This story is by Elizabeth Nettleton and was part of our 2022 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. “Thank you for applying to Camford University. Unfortunately, we’ve decided to go with another candidate…” Billie groaned as she skimmed the rest of the email. “Ouch. Sorry, Bill,” her roommate Jack…
Tendrils of smoke twisted into the air before disappearing into the night sky.
“This might not be how we thought things would go, but you can’t deny it’s beautiful here,” Dominic said, flashing Ally a dimpled smile.
She forced a smile in return, then swept her eyes across the beach until she found the wreckage of their small plane. Waves lapped against its crumpled nose, now blackened from their emergency landing. Even though they’d emptied it of its fuel, Dominic had warned her to stay away from it, just in case it still exploded.
Let it, Ally thought, turning back to the crackling fire.
This story is by Elizabeth Nettleton and was part of our 2020 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. I trail my fingers over Peter’s head. His hair fans over a cartoon pillowcase, still damp from his evening bath. Down the hallway, the television comforts his mother Izzy. I can…
This story is by Elizabeth Nettleton and was part of our 2020 Summer Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. The alarm chimed in the other room, muffled by the half-closed door. I opened one eye, then the other. Morning light filtered through the curtains onto my face, and I enjoyed…
This story is by Elizabeth Nettleton and was part of our 2019 Summer Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. Oliver gripped the doorknob and then released it, his sweaty palm imprinting itself upon the cold metal. “Leaving this room means certain death,” he said in a low whisper. Bea rolled…
This story is by Elizabeth Nettleton and was part of our 2018 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. A monster lives in my house. I learnt this a few years ago, when the neighborhood children first gathered on my street. They marched forward with bulging pockets, and after one…
This story is by Elizabeth Nettleton and was part of our 2018 Summer Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. The rhythmic ticking of the oversized clock above the nurses’ station reminded Sam that he had already been waiting for two hours. He watched a dozen doctors and nurses race each…
