Browsing all published works in this category
For over 600 years, the Tellus has kept what is left of the human race alive. Out of fuel and […]
“Mommy,” Diana whined loudly from the living room, “Donald’s doing the thing with his eyes again!” “Hold on,” Sarah said […]
“If we don’t leave in the next minute, we’re going to be late,” Edwin said impatiently, tapping his foot in […]
No, I am not afraid of the GatekeeperHe who holds the keys to cessationNor will I ever submit to this […]
I could hear the cacophony of reporters in the next room before I could see them. My handlers opened a […]
In heavy mist, in glitter dust I smile before I want to Welcome to my zoo Mind my wicked words […]
Ellen bolted upward in bed, squinting harshly to find the source of the humanoid shadow gliding across her bedroom wall. […]
In the middle of the night They hide away from the light Watching your daughter Faith sleep Never the wiser […]
After a long ride of silence, Lori swiped a prepaid card to pay her fare and stepped out of the […]
If you feel like spreading fear tonight, then hold on tight to what you think is right — If what […]
A long love lost, abruptly Paths forever crossed, corruptly Strangers never meant to meet, Disobeying fate out in the street […]
Something must have gotten lost in translation. No, not literally. I don’t have any doubts about the Migration; test coverage showed […]
It was a hot and muggy mid-July afternoon right after work when Chris rolled into the Sonic parking lot, […]
“Dad,” I yelled, running into the living room. My flailing arms held a broken Superman action figure no doubt stepped […]
To imagine that a computer might have some code that it runs in response to being overloaded with requests isn’t too much […]
“I don’t know why I’m the one getting in trouble,” I huffed, exasperated. The principal stared sternly at me from over her […]
A wheeze of cool air evaporated into the arid desert as Will and Edward stepped out of their time machine, […]
There was a rush for extraterrestrial life in the early 2000’s, and life here on Earth was mostly split between […]
Look Find a fun thing, Kiss power, Medicate, Rule women, Drink like my friend, Miss me, Go tell him I […]
On December 31, 2058, the United Emirates erected a statue in recognition of the great physical sacrifice made by Tariq […]
Into the ceiling I slammed, hard Or rather — the ground? Thoughts jarred Down had become up and up? Down Adrenaline begging […]
When I woke up this morning I knew something felt different, but the sheer magnitude of change both in myself […]
Regardless of when my preferred bedtime lies,The lights are replaced at nine with bloodcurling criesIn the dark of the night […]
Today I met the woman I’ve been dreaming ofOne look into her eyes and I knew I was in loveWe […]
I woke up in the desert after following my dreams I was still Somnia, but the world was worn at […]
A single white desk lamp illuminated Carrie Stein’s makeshift writer’s desk, providing the only source of light under the winter […]
Most people, when they close their eyes, see one of two things. They either see a pitch-black, invoking mild feelings […]
The world has discovered that the NSA has been spying on literally everyone on the planet except for one man, […]
I leaned back in the uncomfortable cloth seat and stretched as best as I could with the space allotted. On […]
Having completed his iterative MapReduce jobs for the day, David leaned back in his decrepit office chair and sighed, returning […]
Contrasting a tome,the joy of a poemis in the delicate dance with its words. Rather than qualitya cavort with frivolityis […]
An anxious arachnid, abandoned and allowed ample age becomes bold, bored, brash, and brave. Carefully considering a caustic calamity contra […]
“Yudkowsky University has a world champion cybersecurity team,” Alan blurted breathlessly from the Pinto’s passenger seat, bobbing his head back […]
I woke up, not surprised to see another day, but certainly disappointed. While my eyes adjusted to the abnormally cruel […]
“Sir! Excuse me sir, hold on.” Sir? What is this? “You know there’s a crosswalk at the end of the […]
“Gem,” Lars pleaded, “look at me.” The girl had grown thin and frail over the past two years without a […]
The thick, steel doors slammed shut the moment Paul hit the ground. He rolled onto his side and opened his eyes to look back at where the men were just standing. The men who brought him here, against his will, and trapped him in this cage. They knew about his gift. Paul knew they knew. They just wouldn’t admit it. Thick, white cloth lined every wall in the small cell. Whether to protect its resident from itself (as They say) or to muffle his screams, Paul wasn’t sure. What he was sure of, however, was that he had to get out.
Oh The problem? Solved.
Dear Aiden, I hope this message reaches you safely. More importantly, I hope you are still in a state of mind to appreciate it. We haven’t heard much from your sector recently and don’t know if you have simply returned to hiding or if something is happened. Dear God, I hope it’s the former.
They say every population gradually moves towards an equilibrium in the people consistent with the 95-4-1 rule.
Mrs. Tao was droning on as usual, talking about things that Sam would never need to know—nor care to know. Instead of paying attention to something worthless, Sam was focusing all of his attention on the doodles in front of him:
Adam woke up dutifully every morning at 7AM to prepare for work as a bank teller. Every morning he would wake up, shower, dress, eat, and drive his little, blue Honda to First State Bank over on Herald Street. For more than eight hours each day, he stood at the front desk and helped the people who came in. He didn’t mind the monotony; after Sarah had left him the year before, he’d really not given much enthusiasm to anything at all. His job was perfect for passing the time.
Whether you want to or not Admit it to me, now Gelatin residue on our eyes From a night spent together in dreams Fake worlds of green and orange Entwined so, so naturally Without a trace of jam Delicious jam.
The world slowly came into view; first too dark to see, then too blurred to see, and then too confusing to understand. Widening his eyes in surprise, confusion, and worry, Tom tried to sit up from the relatively hard bed he seemed to be laying in. He’d only raised up a few inches when an outstretched arm pressed back firmly against his chest, pinning him in place. “Don’t move,” a heavily-accented (French, Tom thought) voice quickly said. The woman’s face was still blurred, but Tom could see her hovering over him in case he tried to stir again.
Fau nui rint wu’fuint Fli tyin Vun rint
Un hal’Henni Nui savan hal’Sana ui victir Hu nui burge’t
Normally, I would turn my pillow over to get to the colder side after I’ve sat up at night writing. I normally set my laptop on my pillow and prop myself up on one elbow to write, and the warmth of the laptop lingers on my pillow afterwards. When I can’t stand to keep my eyelids open any longer, I slip my laptop under my bed, turn my pillow over, and lay my head down where my electronic baby was just moments before. That’s what I’d normally do. Not tonight though. It’s been a rough day.
Question: Why is it that celebrities seem to overdose only in hotels, rather than in their or their friends’ houses? Ivan Pavlov was the first to explain in the late 1800’s that classical conditioning is a powerful tool in human behavior[1]. He showed us that the environment we’re currently in can have a large effect on our actions, but also in parts of our body that we don’t know about.
FJIN NETWORK NOTICE On the first of August, the entire FJIN Network will be undergoing scheduled maintenance. All Nodes currently connected to the Network will be temporarily disconnected for a period of seven (7) days. Your connection will be reestablished automatically when the maintenance is complete. During this time, you may experience several mild symptoms including confusion, nausea, a feeling of disconnection, and the inability to speak or process information. This is normal, and you must remember that it is only temporary while we upgrade the Network infrastructure.
Dr. Chris Baum leaned back in his creaky, black office chair, his deep brown eyes shifting back and forth across the room as he spoke. He was having a heated argument with his twin brother Brian about the responsibilities Chris recently been given. Responsibilities, he believed, that he should uphold. Responsibilities, his brother thought, no man should ever have to endure. “It’s not like I can just go back and say, ‘Hey, undo it. Take it back!’ I agreed to this,” Dr. Baum argued, “and I plan to stick with it.”
That’s when you found me I let your love surround me No longer two, we Forged our hearts a key
Lars was out of breath from running by the time he reached his girlfriend’s house. Reaching an arm out to ring the doorbell, he left his palm against the door frame and hunched over, trying to catch his breath. He’d dressed quickly after Gem had called to say she had something important to show him and, as a result, was wearing the first pair of jeans he’d seen and a plain, white v-neck shirt. His short, brown hair was messy from just waking up and his eyes were just starting to lose their early-morning glaze.
Looking up at the skylands floating over their heads amongst the misty clouds, Christopher and Vix laid side-by-side in the luscious, green grass of the prosaic world below. As the gentle breeze rolled in from the mountains to the east, the skylands swayed gracefully with the wind before slowly drifting back to their original location. Vix rolled over onto her side and looked at Christopher, who was leaning back on both elbows and still studying the underside of the floating kingdom.
Dear Citizen: According to our records, you have yet to receive the universal Upgrade provided through FJIN Labs. As of January 1st, this upgrade has been made mandatory to all citizens by law code 20938-38A. If our records still indicate that you have not yet received the Upgrade within ten (10) business days from the date stamped above, you may be liable to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, as outlined in law code 20938-38D.