tense - Stories

Noah Wayward has built a fragile life with his boyfriend Shane, held together by prescription pills, emotional walls, and the careful suppression of a traumatic past. But when Noah's estranged older brother Joshua, freshly released from prison, appears without warning, the equilibrium shatters triggering something primal in Noah. Something that's been waiting, silently, patiently, for a way out...

In the fragile aftermath of battle, literal and emotional armor comes off, leaving Robert and Chad to navigate a landscape of vulnerability and unspoken truths. Intimidated by the prospect, Robert steps into a sleek corporate promotion, using it as a shield to isolate himself and keep Chad's fire at a distance. But the pressure of the impending Mecha Man relaunch pushes Robert’s stress to a boiling point, fracturing his control. What begins as a desperate, high-friction attempt to use a single night of physical release to burn Chad out of his system instead traps them both in a web of missed connections and mounting, unreciprocated feelings.

What happens when you have no idea you're being stalked. Why don't we find out?

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.

Colt's temper got him expelled. Now he's starting over in a small town where he meets Noah, a quiet, bookish boy next door hiding a terrible secret. As their friendship deepens into first love, Colt discovers that Noah's stepfather has been abusing him for years. Desperate to protect the boy he loves, Colt agrees to a dangerous plan. But the guilt of his choices and the friends he's made over the summer may be the only things that can save them both.

Daniel TwoCrow is on a father/boys bonding campout with his three sons. He tells them the story of the first encounter their ancestor, Jonathan Laughing Thunder TwoCrow had with the tickle monsters of good and evil.

The character Yosemite Sam isn't the Looney Toons character. Sam belongs to Mars Velvet, an artist on deviantart.

The Blue Tickle Monster belongs to The Blue Tickle Monster an artist on deviantart.

The rest of the characters belong to me.

Frankie, a gay club owner's night gets interesting after closing time.