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A man, fed up with his life, walks out at night to end it but ends up in a secret place where his life changes forever. Reading time: 17 minutes. Masks Chapter One — Not Allowed to be Normal "S o, got any plans for tonight?" asked Charlie. "Nah, just the usual. Falling asleep on the couch in front of the TV," Stanley replied in a tired voice. "Come on," said Charlie, picking up a king and placing it on an empty slot. He was playing solitaire on his computer instead of working. "It's Friday night, and Halloween is coming. I think it's gonna be twice as crazy out there tonight." "This is Crime City, Charlie. Every night here is Halloween night, and crazy is kinda your thing. I'm good at normal," Stanley said without looking at Charlie, who was sitting on his right. He was instead focused on the report he had to submit before the end of the day. "Exactly, this is Crime City, and nobody is allowed to be normal here. This...

A new shared dreaming console 'Dreamscape' has come out and it has got the whole world addicted to it but there's a dark secret involved that nobody knows about. Reading time: 27.895 minutes. Previously - Don't Let Her See My Face Chapter One  Dreams Come True T he dense forest reeked of gunpowder and blood. The thick air was covered in smoke. It was still awfully quiet. He was listening attentively, hiding in the bushes behind a tree. His eyes were open looking for anything that might pose a threat. His ears were trying to catch every single little sound that could be of the enemy. He was breathing slowly, not trying for it to be heard even by himself. Then the radio chimed. “Alpha, do you see anyone?” He pressed the button on his walkie-talkie. “No, it’s quiet but there’s gotta be somebody left, stay sharp.” Then he saw a movement. A bush in the farthest corner of his vision was moving. There was somebody in the bushes. “I’ve eyes on the enemy. Northwest, in the bush...

A seven-year-old boy finds a doppelganger of him while playing in his backyard, and he does the worst he could've done; he brings him home. Reading time: 19 minutes. The Companion Chapter One — The Changed Plan I had been watching him for a few days now. He was seven. Only child. I had learnt his routine. Six hours in the school, rest in the house, secure and out of reach. The only time he would come out was just a little before sunset to play in his backyard. I watched him play all by himself, alone. I pitied him. He had no one to play with, but that was ideal for me. This was the perfect time to strike. So I made a plan. The next evening, when he was playing in the backyard, throwing around a big ball, I approached him from the bushes. He heard me and got alerted. He was looking in the bushes, and then without any prompt, he threw the ball at me. I caught it. He knew that whoever was in the bushes wasn't an animal. He knew that whoever was in there had hands. He took a f...

A woman is trapped in a dark and unknown place, haunted by her thoughts and memories. Then a stranger arrives to rescue her. Reading time: 28 minutes. Now, also available on Wattpad and Pratilipi. Chapter One - Lost 'Why is it so dark here?' she thought. 'Why is it so—,' she looked around, '—quiet and deserted?' She was walking down a street that looked familiar. It was a grey night. 'Where is this light coming from?' she wondered. Everything glowed so faintly that it was difficult to locate the light source. It looked like that time of the evening when there would be no sun in the sky, but everything still glows with the light reflecting off of the red sky except—the sky was dark too, pitch black; no stars either. She had no idea where she was or—who she was. She walked further on the street and reached the intersection. There were no streets or traffic lights, or any living being for that matter. It looked like the whole city was deserted. The sk...