BendtedWreath

This year, a good few writers thought alike. Name choices, themes, plot twists... but all the stories were still different and intriguing.

Shane feels trapped, and his bodyguard Mike feels he's taking advantage. What will Shane ultimately choose?

Because Mike was not as uninterested as he was supposed to be. - Oh my. It did not feel like a bodyguard comforting his charge. It did not feel like a frightened celebrity clinging to the only person available. It felt like a beginning. - Nice! Ah, the fight for the freedom to make one's own choices. Lovely.

Some mysteries just aren't worth trying to solve by trespassing.

Difficult to review this one without giving away any spoilers. Just know it's worth reading!

They saved the day!

Everyone reaches a moment in time that they imagine what their future self would be like. In therapy, we are sometimes ask to reflect back on our younger selves to tell them something heartfelt we've earned through our struggles. This undeliverable letter shows the writer reflecting on those stages of life.

A way to connect to our past and to try to reach our future selves. The different versions of us that can't coexist due to the passage of time, but are still facets that reside inside us.

Watch as Gareth, who isn't even truthful to himself, is forced to be a bit more honest.

Gareth woke up wondering if he could remember the name of the man he'd slept with. - Uh-oh. That's never a good way to start the day. "I do not know what line it is." Gareth rubbed his face. "I have been pretending to know what line it is since Tuesday." - 🤣 This was great fun!

Is Gemma's paranoia all in her head, or does she possess forbidden knowledge of someone dangerous?

A chilling tale. One has to wonder how many other "Gemmas" there were.

While this Ben's fate was upsetting, he wasn't forgotten.

Love and loyalty overcame it all in the end.

This story showcases the struggle of self-acceptance. Well worth the read.

I was young, and absolutely nothing bad had ever happened to me that I couldn't just talk, charm, or sleep my way out of. - Ah, the cockiness of youth. "I'm not gay," I choked out again, but it sounded completely pathetic this time. Less like a statement of fact and more like I was begging. - Been there. Sleep came. The deep sleep of a man who was cursed to live his truth. - Nicely illustrated.

Greed, and trying to profit from ending the war early. Not only was the truth uncovered, it was published for all to see.

Benny - If there's a Ben, I'm already invested. When we got to the table, Aunt Millie brought out several freshly baked sub rolls, various deli meats, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, sliced bell peppers, and a container of black olives. There was also a jar of mayonnaise a container of mustard, and salt and pepper shakers sitting on the table, along with a large bowl of potato salad that she’d covered with a cloth napkin. - I just ate and yet all these stories keep making me so hungry. Boys in the country only get it removed if they get an infection that can’t be treated or it’s too tight and is painful for them, like when they get a hard-on. - But I hear getting circumcised in old age is no fun. “She passed away in her sleep last night, and a neighbor who has been delivering milk and eggs found her unresponsive in her bed.” - Sounds like she went in her sleep, so hopefully she didn't feel any pain as she passed. In the end, Benny cared enough about the Aunt he was so reluctant to get to know to try to follow in her footsteps in his own way.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

His buried trauma climbed right on out like a zombie. I felt that. Deeply.

Wow, thank you for the in-depth comments! I really appreciate it. I'll do my best to take those details into consideration on my next project. But, as you've seen, this iteration has already been seen by many sharp eyes. I still very much would like to hear of anything you catch with your eyes along the way, as it will help me learn what to look for.

Chapter 2: First Burn On his way to campus, Nos took the long route, hoping to avoid Orion and his crew. The eastside entrance featured rows of marble statues, lining both sides, of key vampire figures from the past, including a founder who happened to be Nos’s ancestor, a Neroli. The art professor frequently sent students there to study and write papers on the sculptures. Finding the area empty was a rare stroke of luck. At the very least, he hadn't run into any huma

Is it constipation or something worse? Find out why Julian keeps taking so long in the restroom!

Reishi mushrooms aren't meant for cooking, are they?

Unique and thought-provoking.