survival - Stories

When a blizzard traps Arthur and the mall's chaotic security guard Flip in a dark, freezing apartment, they expect a night of awkward small talk. What they don't expect is the electric tension that's been building across the concourse for months—or the discovery that Flip's not as straight as he thought. Two days of forced proximity, instant coffee, and improvised fires spark something neither can ignore. But when the snow stops, Flip has a choice: walk away, or risk everything for the man who made him feel seen for the first time.

This one comes from Prompt #71.

Write a short story featuring only one character. No secondary characters at all. You might drop them in the woods and see how they fare, or come up with your own idea, but only one character is allowed.

Fraser Vogel knew it was dangerous to parachute in high winds. He wasn’t left with too many options in his Cessna 182 Skylane when its yoke seized and the engine failed.

Jump or crash? Pretty easy choice.

Some people have their lives together.

Other people spend twenty minutes trying to get their lives together when all they really want is to close a document without having to argue with their computer, themselves, and several imaginary witnesses.

And then there are some documents that simply don't want to be written. They fight back like an old boyfriend you forgot you left in the closet. So the choice is yours to decide with who you want to sleep.

In the bruise-yellow fog of Victorian London, two ruined men find an illegal warmth. Liam Carter, a shattered cavalry officer haunted by war and a broken marriage, saves Anders Highmore, an ethereal painter freezing in an alley. Forced together in a mildewed garret, their survival sparks a dangerous, deepening intimacy—a fire that could save them or see them hanged. A brutal, beautiful historical romance about finding light in London’s darkest corners.

A King's Ranger's duty is to protect the kingdom and it's people. Patrols run the gamut, but sometimes you meet new friends.

Nathan—a man who lives life in shadow and solitude—finds himself hunted due to an old assignment. While awaiting his execution, he crosses paths with a towering brute, forming a powerful bond of friendship, loyalty, and love. Alone, they struggle to stay ahead of their fate, but together find the strength to escape the deeds of their past.

Travis needed to do a standard pickup and move some scientists from one planet to another. Except, this was not just a quiet little milk run.

Plants and animals were my thing. The intricacies of nature intrigued me and yet there was an elegant simplicity that I loved.

6888 Ardra. Heavy gravity planet. Human-compatible atmosphere. Generally temperate climate; I’d aimed for the southern continent which had milder weather and a good mix of terrain.

“Damn Sonez anyway.” He’d tried to keep me on his ship instead of letting me explore the planet with a team after the probe returned. Well I’d stopped his plotting before he could ruin my life.

And I’d show everyone just what Essell Deray could do.