-The best stories on the web-
Read or link to over 1000 stories listed under Stories to the left.
Submit your short stories for review as a Word document attached to an email to: Read@Short-Story.Me

Latest Stories

March 19, 2024
Fantasy Stories Wondering Monk

Just My Imagination

The alarm clock went off and started playing an awful tune. Tom opened his eyes and closed them back, squinting. He reopened one eye and stood up to stop the torture. The phone was on the desk, in the furthest spot from the bed. Although he changed his way of…
March 19, 2024
Science Fiction Stories Ocelotlzin

Earth Is Dead

Recording… It doesn't matter who I was; I probably lived a long time ago, and I am now just a voice someone added to the audio-visual records. What is essential is the recollection of events that lead to the current state. So, a little history needs to be…
March 08, 2024
Flash Fiction Benoit

Some Enchanted Evening

It was a rugby tackle with tears: Chrissy burst in, sobbing and babbling, hugging James. Her face was all wet, eyes wild. What…? My parents split up, Dad has moved in with his boyfriend and I cannot join them. I am shut out. I have lost my dad. Torrent of…
March 08, 2024
Horror Stories Marvel Chukwudi Pephel

In The Hands Of My Legs

The car pulled up in front of the large salon. The neon sign, that sexy broad thing, on the salon'sroof read "Mr. Gil's All-night Salon". The exhaust pipe of the car was pumping solid smoke, theswirls moving from the car and towards the salon.…
March 07, 2024
Mystery Stories Vanessa Leigh Giles

Casualty of Love in the Time of Coronavirus

Chapter 1 Until Death do us Part ‘Ring, ring!’. I answered the telephone and asked, “Hello, good evening. Who’s this? “Hello.” This is Dr. Smith from Red Cross hospital. “Is this Mr. Locke, John?”, he asked, hesitantly scratching his bald head. “Yes, doctor.…
March 07, 2024
Crime Stories Robert Pook

Bar Room Trigger

Another return journey on footpaths so familiar. He strides across each crack in each paving stone. Regular loose drain covers sidestepped. Mapping long ago mapped in Richard’s desolate mind. His pace hastened by the sight of the oncoming storm. Quickening…
March 04, 2024
Horror Stories Ano Chinemerem

Sanctity

Where should I begin? I could begin by telling you about this comely boy, whom every notable person around the streets agrees his smile could charm the bills off one. Between one smile, there was his goodness, his dreams and humanity—a little far ahead?— but…
March 04, 2024
Flash Fiction Emanuel Diaz

Et Mortui Partium

As Rafael stepped out into the rain, it wasn't the ordinary drops that fell from the sky. Instead, it was a storm of souls, each one taking the form of shimmering jewelry as it cascaded toward the ground. Rubies, diamonds, and sapphires twinkled amidst the…
February 29, 2024
Poetry Jing Li Ava

London

‘Am I in London?’ "I am." Where is Elizabeth? Happy living story All of your chapter Bounlance joy Please my heart Power hand Wise mind Our baby Vow vow Love all love Miss I miss Endless wonder Bring us together Love all love Miss I miss For everything My…
February 29, 2024
Flash Fiction Rob Pook

Life Sentence of The Smith

Born nine months after his country won the World Cup.A child prodigy.Cast off at age twenty-four.Husband, father, emigree, away on the other side of the world.The blue-collar life.The dreams of success.The search for fulfillment.The long years of empty…
February 29, 2024
Mystery Stories Joshua Lowther

The Operator

Jason looked over to his right, his eyes barely able to focus themselves on the subject of his attention. His neck ached terribly from the strenuous movement. He was tired. The captain’s gaze came to rest on the rookie sonar operator sitting tense at his…
February 29, 2024
Flash Fiction Salvatore Difalco

The Chute

At dusk, we left our unit with a soft pink bundle. I carried it through the wet streets and into the black woods. I said I’d take it all the way, the bundle, but that we had to drop it in together. My wife’s green eyes flashed. “Don’t make me do that.” I…

The first thing you learn is there’s always a price.

They can tell you that ain’t true but sure as sure it’s true alright. It’s all got a price.  Every damn thing’s got a price.  Now maybe there ain’t no tag tied to it but sure enough it’s still got a price on it.

Everything has a price.

It’s just sometimes you don’t see the price and how much it costs you until you’re ready to check out.

I was still in line at the In-N-Out getting Hopper and MadD some jungle fries and a couple of shakes.  That was my life these last three weeks.  Errand boy.  Stoop and Fetcher.

MadD and Hopper’s boy.

But that was okay.  I knew it wouldn’t be like this forever.  Hell no.  I was made for better in this world and sure and sure soon enough I was gonna be above this town just looking down.

I would be flying.

“Listen here Sniper, how much you got on you after those fries?”

I pulled into my jacket and uncrumpled the bills and worked through the change with my fingers.

“Now don’t go worrying about those quarters, I mean the bills?”  MadD looked down at my hands.  “How much you got?”

“About . . . thirteen.”

“Let me see those bills.”

I didn’t like where this was going.  I was already out for their lunch every day for the last few weeks and had to give them beer money most weekends.  I was down a good hundred and fifty.

“Look, I ain’t got but thirteen left on me.”

“That’s alright, that’s alright” Hopper backed off, “Don’t get all worried and start pissing yourself over change, Sniper, all you need is that ten.”

Hopper reached over and took the ten from my hand and rubbed it against his jacket like it was dirty.  He looked at it real close and then took out his phone and starting tapping.

“Don’t worry, you getting it back”.  MadD explained.

“Now look here,“ Hopper handed me back the bill and leaned in close.  “I say why don’t you take this bill and go throw it down somewhere.  Somewhere, somewhere where someone can find it, you understand?”

“What?”

I did not understand.

“You heard him,” MadD added. “just take that ten and go lay it down  somewhere.”

I didn’t even bother asking.   I already learned that after the first week.  Asking led to getting knocked down and kicked.  I had enough of that and was onto them by now.

I took the bill and laid it down by Hopper’s feet.

“There, okay?”

“No, no, no, not here by us!”  They both started cursing at the same time and pushing at me.    “Over there someplace.  Someplace where we can see but not be by us.  You understand?”

I told them I understood.  Even though I didn’t.

“Go head,” MadD pushed me away from them.  “Over there someplace.”  He pointed to the direction of the school.

I walked over to the crossing and laid the bill down by the corner.  I looked back at them to see if this was okay and they both just laughed and nodded.

I walked back over and asked if we could go now.  I was out for the fries and the shakes and now an extra ten. I didn’t want to stay around and lose more money.

“No, we ain’t going just yet.”  MadD said.

“Not yet, not yet.”  Hopper agreed.  “ Let’s just watch a while and see if we get us any bites.”

It didn’t take long.

Some hunched over black man, maybe fifty, started to cross the street when he saw the ten.  He looked around to see who might have dropped it like he was gonna yell out for them to come and get their money back.  Do his good deed for the day.

A regular Samaritan.

Instead he picked it up and turned it over a few times and crunched it in his hand to make sure it was a real tenner and not one of those stupid advertisement bills for ten dollars off some mattress store or something.

He folded the bill and pushed it into his jacket and crossed the street with an extra step to his walk.  Like it was his lucky day.

“Well, go get him, “MadD pushed me.

“What?”

“You heard him, go get him.” Hopper pushed back a little harder.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s got your money.  That bitch took your money.  You ain’t gonna just let him walk away with what‘s yours, are you?”

“You ain’t gonna let that happen, are you, are you?”  Hopper asked.  “Go get him and get your money back.  Go ahead.  And you teach him for taking what is yours.”

“What is ours.“ MadD corrected.

“What is ours.”  Hopper agreed.

“What do you mean?”  I still did not get it.

“Look, that slum just took our money.  You gotta go get it back and make sure he and everyone else knows not to take what belongs to us.”

“You gotta teach him.”  MadD added. “Teach him so everyone knows what you done.  This way no one will ever try again.”

“But he didn’t know it was mine.”

“That don’t matter,” Hopper slapped my head. “It’s yours.  That’s all that matters.  That rook took what belongs to you.  Now you go get it back and make sure he don’t ever do it again.”

Hopper reached into his pocket and pushed his knife into my jacket pocket.

“You make sure you teach him so everyone knows. And look, I know maybe some, not you, but some other white slums before, they think they don’t wanna do it and they just bring us back any old ten and say they got it back.  Acting all tough.  Like they think they got one over on us.   Like they did what we told them to do but then they didn’t.  But look,” Hopper held up his phone to my face. ”I got the last four of the digits from the bill.  If they don’t match, if they don’t match, we know you didn’t do it.  So the numbers gotta match, you get me?”

“The numbers gotta match”  MadD repeated. “Look, follow him home if you like.  That’s usually the best way.  Get them in their homes.  Just knock on the door like your delivering something. Just a local asking for directions. All nice and smiley like.    And then when they open the door, you stick him.  Make sure you dig it in deep a few times so they know better than taking from us again.”

“We’ll be listening for you on the eleven tonight.”

“You better be on the eleven.”  MadD added.

I didn’t even bother asking anymore or trying to understand.  I just started walking and following the man.

I stayed back a half block just close enough to see him but not have him or anyone else see.  He crossed over the street and entered a neighborhood behind the school.

I looked back at MadD and Hopper but they were already gone from the parking lot.  I figured with them knowing the numbers on the bill they didn’t have to follow or wait for me.  All I knew was I had to get the bill back.  I thought of just asking for it or even trading him out for another one, if I had one.  Or maybe just knocking his old ass to the ground and grabbing whatever he had.  But I knew none of that would make the eleven.  I had to stick him or do something bad enough that he’d call the police and the cameras would roll.

I was less than a block from him now and figured this was as good a place as any when he suddenly turned into a yard.  Some old beater of a house.  There was a kid on the porch painting some pot looking thing with a woman helping along.

I walked by the house and they waved at me like we were all friendly.  All nice and smiley.

Neighborly.

I walked to the end of the block and thought of just leaving but knew better.  This was the final test from MadD and Hopper.  If I passed then I started to earn.

I would be flying.

If I came back with nothing, I got nothing.

I walked back to the house and they were all still there painting away at whatever the hell it was.

The old man looked up at me when I came back.

“You okay?”

He yelled over to me like he wanted to help.  All nice and friendly.  I reached in my pocket and kept working the knife around.

“Are you okay, son?”

He stood up and started liked he was gonna walk to me.

I had the knife ready and figured I would just do it.  Not the best place in front of his wife and kid and all but what was I gonna do?  I walked to the porch when my phone rang.  I started to let it go when I thought maybe it was Hopper or MadD calling the whole thing off.

Maybe all of this was just for foolin.

I waved at the man on the porch like I’d be there as soon as I took the call.

“Yeah?”

“Michael?”

I looked down at the phone and knew the number right off.

“Michael?”

I thought about just hanging it up.

“Michael?”

“I can’t talk right now.  Can I call you back.”

“Where are you? “

“I’m out.”

“What does that mean?  Out?  Out where?  What are you doing?”

“I ain’t doing nothing.”

“Don’t say ain’t.”

“Okay, okay, look, I’ll call you in a few minutes, okay?”

“When will you be home?

“I’m almost done, I’ll be home in a half hour at most.  Okay?”

“Okay,” She was still trying to keep me on the phone like she always did.  “Did you have a good day at school?”

“Yes, Mom,”  I had to hurry this up, but there was a routine to her.   “I had a good day. Did you have a good day?”

“I had a great day.  You won’t believe this, but today, on the way home from the market, I found a ten dollar bill on the street.”

“What? What did you say?”

“I said, I found a ten dollar bill on the ground. Just sitting and . . . oh wait, there’s someone ringing at the door.”

And then the phone died.

I tried calling back over and over but nothing.

The man on the porch started to walk over to me but I turned and made my way home.  I ran as fast as I could go.

I ran and I ran and I ran.

I was flying.

 

0
0
0
s2sdefault

Donate a little?

Use PayPal to support our efforts:

Amount

Genre Poll

Your Favorite Genre?

Sign Up for info from Short-Story.Me!

Stories Tips And Advice