The Shimmering Surprise of Seabrook

In the secluded town of Seaside Pines, there lived a quirky old sailor named Chen “Chili Peppers” Wu. Chen was a retired fishing captain known for his love of green cucumber and his ability to sense rain long before it fell. Today, he lounged in his creaky porch swing, which squeaked like a tired old boat. The air was unusually calm, and Chen disliked calm days. They made him feel uneasy, like a fisherman’s net with no catch.

Continue reading

Whispers of the Old Well

The air hung thick and sweet, like overripe mangoes. Amara wiped sweat from her brow, her hand leaving a muddy streak. The midday sun beat down on the dusty village of Dhulibari, baking the terracotta earth a harsh orange. She was twelve, all elbows and knees, with eyes that mirrored the deep, ancient well she was staring into.

Continue reading

The Great Dumpling Dilemma

Once upon a time in the bustling city of Hanamura, there lived a quirky young woman named Mei-Ling. Mei-Ling was known for her boundless curiosity and her insatiable love for food, especially dumplings. She worked as a humble bookshop assistant in a corner shop, but her true passion lay in cooking and creating new dumpling recipes.

Continue reading

A Spark in the Scrap

Elara lived in the Scrap Heap, a sprawling city built on the bones of the old world. Towers of discarded metal reached for a sky perpetually choked with orange dust. The air tasted metallic, a constant reminder of what they had lost. The sun, a hazy, weak disc, offered little warmth.

Continue reading

The Art of Missing You

“Hey, remember that old treehouse we built when we were kids?” Sam looked over at his sister, Leelee, her eyes glazed over with nostalgia. “How could I forget?” Leelee’s smile grew as she stared at the rotting wooden structure in the backyard. “It was our kingdom, our fortress from the outside world.” The two siblings… Continue reading