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A New Kind of Literary Pulse

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Logo Long Story Short Award - 2022
Short Fiction
 4 min

The Knock

Claire Hardesty

Mallory showed up around February, maybe the end of January. Whenever it was, it was like 2 weeks after Piper left. My mom had this planned for a few months I think, but they never said anything about ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 5 min

One Night

Arya Kaul

The rain fell in sheets, obscuring all but the road directly in front of me. As my fingers fumble to tie my horse, I can feel the damp cold worming its way through my overcloak and into my bones. I ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 2 min

Mine

Grayson Yount

My father used to tell me stories to help me sleep, about the mandrakes and the golems and the nymphs. The stories always ended the same way—don't mess with things you don't know about. He warned me ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 2 min

Running

Doug Balster

Once again another contender wishes to chance his luck. Every day it seems that an ill-fated man steps up to the starting line trying to win my hand in marriage. Despite the fact that I can outrun ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 4 min

Breaking the Cycle

Emmy Fultz

I was perched on a bench outside Burge Residence Hall in an effort to look as pretentious as possible. My old friend Amelia called me as I read a book of poetry with my legs daintily crossed, my coat ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 4 min

Trapped

Jasper Gillard

"You want some dinner, Jon?"
Jon threw up on the only living shrub in this godforsaken desert. It didn't deserve to be soaked in scarlet puke.
"We have plenty of food."
"Gods!" Jon moaned. ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 2 min

Koré Kosmou

Skyler Garrett

As Joe arrived at the train yard, he could think only of his wet socks. The fierce rain had covered every inch of his body, and he didn't bring a change of clothes. Joe stood a few hundred yards ahead ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 5 min

Pierrot

Karen Chan

"Get a hold of yourself, Lucas." David Freeman, my benefactor put his hand on my shoulders.
"Have I told you not to enter the lab without my permission? I thought we had an understanding." I ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 5 min

Bottle It Up

Willa Hale

I try not to stay in here for long. It's better to be in and out, to forget the ugly side of it. All around me, advanced biotech glass jars line the shelves, crowded together as much as possible. The ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 5 min

The Wind of the Night

Patrick Smith-LaBombard

The half crescent moon hung in the dark sky like a fishhook in deep water. Its luster was radiant and every cloud in the sky seemed to avoid its lure. The dark clouds' dim grimace paled in comparison ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 5 min

The Diary

A. Cheuk

28th March, Tuesday afternoon again. The girl comes, sitting in the front of the classroom. She wears a white dress today with a long sleeve coat. She looks so weak, she always wears a long sleeve ...  [+]
Short Fiction
Short Fiction
 2 min

The Gift of Sharing

Allison Price

In a magical world there lived a man who was blessed with everything life had to offer. He knew of no pleasure that was not his to enjoy. This man had a great many gifts; so many, in fact, it's ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 3 min

Miami

Olivia Ocamb

"Paula, you ready?" Angel asks. I can hear the edge in his question—a mix of fatigue and frustration. He's really asking, "Can we get this over with already?" At least he has the decency not to say ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 1 min

A Happy Ending

Stefani Stewart

Once upon a time there lived a beautiful princess in a beautiful castle. She was kind and generous and everybody loved her.

In that same palace lived a lowly servant. The servant longed to be ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 5 min

Invisible Illness

Sienna Stroud

The phone buzzed twenty-six times on my bedside table. Moaning, I turned my aching body and grabbed the phone with my uninjured hand.
"John?" a shrill voice demanded.
"Hey Natalie."
"Where ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 3 min

Thiens's Resolve

Ezinwanne Ubezonu

It's 3AM and you're there again. You're always there, every day, for the past 3 years, 2ꟷ6AM unfailingly. The stale air of the attic settles uncomfortably all around you, as the only intelligible ...  [+]
Short Fiction
 5 min

Belleza

Micaela Cors

Once upon a time, there was a princess called Belleza. The princess was gorgeous, with her long dark hair, large topaz eyes, and warm honey skin. She always wore the most extravagant clothes to ...  [+]