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A group of farmers come together to save their community from a rogue group of hunters. Reading time: 5 minutes. The First Generation of Soldiers They were farmers, not soldiers. Their forefathers had given up hunting a long, long time ago. Now they lived in a community, not in caves; they ate self-grown food, not hunted animals. They had discovered trade routes and developed commerce with other communities. The new generation of farmers lived in harmony and believed in peace. It was an age of evolution. They used to be wild and savage; but, now they were benevolent and civilized. Instead of killing innocent animals, they farmed cattle and poultry. Some of them kept canines as guards and small cats as pets. They advanced their craftsmanship. They discovered art, music, and entertainment. Their days would go in hard work like working the fields, catering for the farms, building their shelters, and cooking food for everyone. Their evenings would submerge in the celebration of anot

A bizarre experience of a receptionist at a hotel. Reading time: 4 minutes. Wake Me Up! I used to work at the reception of this five-star hotel. My shifts used to keep changing, and sometimes I had to work the midnight shift. I hated that timing because I still had to keep myself awake all night, even when there was no one to attend to. Another reason I hated this shift is that it used to get super lonely. At times, I was the only staff member available. Sometimes, I literally had to go to a person's room to just open a window or show them how the cable works. I don’t know why I got so scared with all the goddamned lights switched on. Maybe, it was the creepy atmosphere here. When you walk in these corridors at night, you can hear your footsteps echoing throughout and back. You wouldn’t be able to tell if someone’s walking behind you in perfect synchrony or not. It gives you chills just to think about this. Anyway, the bizarre incident that made me quit my job happened month

A man confesses on his trial for murder. Reading time: 4 minutes. Just a Precaution The courtroom was silent; no one said a thing. The prosecutor had just summed up his case. The judge had asked the convict if he wanted to say something. The convict had asked for a glass of water. The doorman entered with a glass of water. He walked up to the booth and handed it to the convict, who gulped it down and handed it back. “I did it,” he said finally. Everyone in the courtroom gasped. The judge ordered them to settle down, and the convict went on. “I killed my best friend. I didn’t want to, but he threatened to throw me to the police for murder. Yes, I killed the barman too. It all happened in a spur of the moment.” The convict was lost in his memories. “It was late, and I had been thrown out of three bars consecutively. This was fourth. The barman said they had closed, but I begged him to serve me one last drink. My alcohol addiction got the best of me. He refused, and I lost my tempe

Unconventional methods of an eccentric defence coach. Reading time: 4 minutes. It’s Still a Jungle Out There Tina and Monica were returning home from work late at night. Usually, they’d take a cab, but that day, they couldn’t find one. It was a freezing night in January. No one would dare to come out to face such slow chilly winds. Tina and Monica were involuntarily cluttering their teeth while walking on the sidewalk. They tried to talk and make it bearable, but nothing. It was better if they walked faster and got to their shared apartment. They didn’t think they’d meet or see anybody on their way, but they did. A man appeared at the other end of the street. He was fully covered in woollen clothes. Monica grabbed Tina’s arm. “Relax,” Tina whispered to Monica. When the man got closer, he reached into his front pocket, took out a switchblade and flicked it open. Monica screamed inaudibly and almost stopped. Tina had to hold onto Monica’s arm and drag her. The man probably beg

A warrior tells a fellow traveller his code. Reading time: 4 minutes. The Warrior Code The winds were strong outside this wooden shack of a tavern half covered in snow in the middle of nowhere. Those few people in it were trying to find warmth and refuge in the arms of good old moonshine. The storm was raging outside like a snow breathing dragon. It would not take moments to kill a fully grown man out there. And yet, there was a knock on the door. The owner opened the door to introduce this huge man covered in fur and reintroduce the cold chilly killer winds. Everyone shuddered and hollered at the owner to shut the damn door. The huge man shook the snow off his shoulders and walked to the bar. The owner put a glassful in front of him, which he gulped down in a single go and asked for a refill. The owner complied and went off to serve others. The man then took off the fur coat to reveal a long heavy sword tied to his waist, resting in its sheath. The sword of this warrior grabbed

A couple’s horrifying and yet unique camping experience. Reading time: 5 minutes. A Unique Camping Experience My girlfriend and I wanted to spend the weekend together, so we went to this beautiful camping site in the forest. We had set up our camp nicely by the sunset on an enchanting Friday evening. We also met other groups who had come there for the same experience. We lit a nice cosy bonfire, and I cooked our food on it that we had packed. We had switched off our phones, so we didn't have quite an idea of the time. We were just gazing at the stars in a beautiful, moonless night sky. We stayed outside the tent for hours, but then it got dreadfully quiet, so we went in. It was definitely past midnight because there were literally no sounds of the other campers. They must’ve gone to sleep by then. All we could hear were night bugs and slow winds. We were cuddling, trying to go to sleep when we heard it. “HELP!” We both sat upright, alerted, and listening; it was a blood-cur

A man meets an eccentric man on his way back home from the office, and he has what can only be called a mythical night. Reading time: 7 minutes. A Mythical Night There was something different about that night, something magical. John was on his way back home from work. He got off the bus and strolled towards his building. It was about half a mile from the bus stop. He was in his mind, probably humming a song when he bumped into this gentleman. “Oh, I’m sorry,” John apologised. “I didn’t see you there.” “It’s not your fault,” the gentleman clarified. “How could you have seen me? I’ve just arrived here.” “Okay, um—have a nice evening.” John started to leave, but the gentleman crossed his path. John got a little worried. “Excuse me, uh, Mr...?” “You can call me John.” "Oh, okay, nice to meet you, John," the gentleman shook John's hand. "My name is—well, I have many names, but you can call me Adam.” "Okay, can I help you, Adam?" “Yeah, I was just won

A nine-year-old kid learns to lie and eventually becomes the true god of lies. Reading time: 7 minutes. The God of Lies “Dad, why did you lie to them?" the kid asked innocently. The father did not know what to say. It's pretty hard to make a nine-year-old kid understand why you called in sick at work when you are perfectly up and running. “You see, champ, daddy wants some rest today, so he could work double tomorrow. If you see it that way, it’s a good lie. And, you get to spend all day with me.” The kid did not ask another question; He was trying to grasp the concept of a good lie. Poor kid would spend his entire childhood figuring this out. He would not get it until the day he would lie, himself, for the first time. The kid came back from school. It was a couple of weeks later. His mother asked him, “Did you finish your lunch, sweety?” He opened his mouth to say ‘no’, but what came out was, "Yes, mom." That was the moment. He learned that if lying can keep h

The first chapter of a space fantasy series, introducing the lead character Avadhaan. Reading time: 15 minutes. The Chronicles of Globozuria Chapter One - Avadhaan 1. He was walking on land that once was a paradise. Now, it was just smoke and dust. He was dragging his half-alive caricature amongst the echoes of death and destruction. This was once his hometown; he had grown up here. Now, there was nothing left but the ashes of his childhood. It had been long since the war ended, but nothing had changed. The soldier's army had surrendered, but the chieftain of the enemy army assumed command of the entire planet and ordered the survivors to be executed. He had been on the run ever since. The soldiers of the supreme leader had been looking everywhere for survivors. They had deployed killer droids. He and his comrades were hunted like wild animals to be killed on sight. While they were forced to run and hide, the innocent citizens were crushed under the supreme leader’s tyra

A series of paranormal sights and experiences at a boys' hostel, where my friend stayed. Reading time: 5 minutes. The Hauntings at a Boys’ Hostel My childhood friend went to get his diploma in electronics engineering. His dormitory was far out in the middle of nowhere. There were a few shops maybe, but that was it. It was easily accessible by bus, though. Maybe, that was why they chose that place; It was peaceful out there. Before you start joking, let me clear this out. The building was not built on any old cemetery or something like that. Actually, that's the reason I decided to do this story. Since the narrator is my childhood friend—actually, he's my oldest friend, that's why I trust him and these stories. His years there were all fun and games. He stayed drunk for most of those. There was nothing different than any other college dormitories, except maybe one thing. They suspected that it was haunted. If not the building, then the place. But, there was someth