ChromedOutCortex - Stories

Dean had spent most of his life pretending not to feel. It was easier that way, easier to fight, to fix, to fuck, than to face what was underneath. His father taught him early that softness got you hurt. So he built a life of noise and distraction: engines louder than his thoughts, nights that ended before morning could ask questions.

Kris had spent his life quietly holding things together. After his father died, it was just him and his mother, small home, smaller dreams, and the fear that one more break would undo them.

Neither expected love to expose what they’d buried, loneliness, guilt, and the need to be seen.

Adam lives two lives. Alone in his sparse apartment at thirty-five, the tangible world is one of quiet isolation. The other life, vibrant and achingly detailed, exists solely in his mind. There, he shares a full existence with Jamie, the young man in high school that he secretly loved.

Years of regret and yearning have meticulously constructed this parallel reality. Adam has built an entire imagined life: waking together, navigating careers, weathering arguments that end in embraces, celebrating anniversaries, and finding profound comfort in shared, ordinary moments.

Liam, a 52-year-old widower, has decided his one great love was enough. Then Adrian, a 35-year-old cyclist and nature photographer, keeps crossing his path, stirring feelings Liam thought were buried—and forcing them both to question what they’re really ready for.

This story is in response to the prompt challenging writers to write a story without using >> I << in it: Write a short story (at least 500 words) in first person without using the pronoun “I”.

I hope you enjoy this!

After a long period of emotional distance and self-reflection, Jim, a middle-aged man recovering from a divorce, is learning how to navigate life and fatherhood. When he meets Jon, a younger, confident man with whom he shares a mutual interest in fitness and running, Jim feels a spark he hasn’t felt in years. What begins as a casual friendship soon develops into something more, but Jim’s hesitations and fears about his age, his past, and his responsibilities as a father complicate his emotions.

“Taking Teddy Home” follows Carter on a cross-Canada journey to fulfill a promise to his late husband, Teddy. Along the way, memories of their love, struggles, and dreams unfold. A chance encounter with a kind stranger in Newfoundland brings Carter closer to letting go, as he prepares to scatter Teddy’s ashes in the Atlantic—a final act of love and closure.

In His Image is a short, introspective story about Ronald, a young man in his mid-20s, struggling with his faith, identity, and feelings for a male co-worker, Chris. Raised in a conservative religious family, Ronald faces confusion and shame as he grapples with his desires and beliefs. As his friendship with Chris deepens, he experiences a pivotal moment of emotional and physical intimacy, marking the start of his self-acceptance. The story ends with Ronald’s breakthrough, leaving the outcome open-ended for readers to imagine.

Michael Evans destroyed lives. He shattered trust and never once owned up to his wrongs. Instead, he chose to run, believing that escaping was the solution. But the past doesn’t stay buried, no matter how far you run—it always finds a way to resurface, and when it does, it’s far more unforgiving. This is a continuation of the story, Straightening Affairs from Michael Evans point-of-view.

When a delayed flight strands two strangers at the airport, Jake Landers and Tony Hess find themselves unexpectedly drawn to one another. What begins as casual conversation over a drink soon deepens into something neither man anticipated. Against the backdrop of airport terminals and fleeting moments, they discover that chance encounters can spark life-changing connections. As the hours pass, their chemistry grows, leading to decisions that could redefine what they thought they wanted—and needed.

Robby, estranged from his brother Tanner after coming out as gay, builds a life with his husband Manny, marked by love, resilience, and family. Over the years, Tanner sends cards for milestones—graduation, birthdays, even Robby’s children’s births—but never bridges the gap in person. Haunted by past betrayals and unwilling to risk his hard-won happiness, Robby wrestles with the meaning of family, forgiveness, and whether some wounds can ever truly heal.