The blood splattered her pristine white lab coat, leaving a crimson stain that spread like a careless brushstroke.

“Oops,” Hange muttered, glancing at the mark. She decided it didn’t bother her too much; after all, it wasn’t the first stain, nor would it be the last.

She was immersed in an autopsy, working on a body that had arrived at the morgue that morning. Her hands moved with precision, gui...

Alina stared at her phone with an almost desperate intensity, hoping that if she looked at it long enough, she might summon a response. The two little gray checkmarks still indicated that the message had been delivered, but the silence remained overwhelming. Her chest rose and fell at an accelerated rhythm, and her trembling hands clutched at her dress, wrinkling it with every movement. Outside, t...

Dexter’s house was being remodeled, which meant that his family and he had to stay for a few weeks at his grandma’s house. What he loved about being at his grandma’s place was that there were always delicious cookies jar available for him. What he didn’t take into account was that this week there would be another guest in the house, besides his family and him.

—Did you take it?

—Of course not! I ...

The noise around me, the faint light of the streetlights shining like stars.

I’m not supposed to feel lonely, right?

The subtle scent of flowers dancing in the air reminds me of you.

My heart shrinks at the memory of your laughter.

Your eyes.

Your kisses.

Your touch.

I’m surrounded by so many people, yet I only feel you.

I’m surrounded by so many people, yet you’re the only one I miss....

**Disclaimer: satire**

Well, we’ve reached the end of this wonderful journey together. And what have we learned? Something simple yet life-changing: it’s all in your mind. Yes, I’m serious. Those neurons of yours, firing and rewiring like Christmas lights, are the ones deciding whether you’ll be successful, happy, or just unlucky. You believe me, right?

Throughout these pages, I’ve hammered ho...

Mirtle was in her classroom devouring the book in her hands, a book with a cover showing a big, red apple, just like the ones she always got in her lunchbox.

The book was to help her practice for the spelling bee. Tomorrow, there was a competition, and the grand prize was three tickets to the biggest amusement park in the city. Mirtle’s family was made up of three members: her mom, her dad, and h...

The wind whistled through the trees as I buried my hands in the pockets of my jacket. It was far too cold in this town, but I preferred it over listening to Sheriff Manghlen talk one more second against the town’s wildlife.

Apparently, there had been several attacks by a wild animal on certain citizens. The attacks were becoming more frequent, and people were clearly scared. According to the "wis...

I was running as fast as I could, feeling the soles of my shoes wear down against the scorching asphalt. The air was thick, suffocating; the sun blazed directly on my face, and sweat mixed with the street dust. Horns blared, engines roared, people shouted—the chaos of rush hour at its peak.

A homeless man stretched out his hand toward me. “Can’t, sorry,” I muttered, dodging him. A shopping cart a...

She had left the house at twenty, once she finally had enough financial stability to get out. It pained her deeply to leave her mother alone with that drunk, but she had promised to visit as often as she could—maybe even take her mother away from there. Still, her mother had been determined to spend the rest of her life with him.

Standing in front of that house now meant one thing: her mother was...

Había dejado la casa a los veinte años, cuando finalmente tuvo la suficiente estabilidad económica para irse de allí. Le daba mucha pena dejar a su madre sola con ese borracho, pero le prometió que iría a verla cada vez que pudiera, incluso sacarla de ahí, aunque su madre estaba determinada a vivir el resto de su vida con él.

Estar parada frente a esa casa significaba que su madre ya no estaba, y...