This periodic magazine highlights a small selection of short stories posted to The Ink Well community that stood out and were awarded a Curie vote. Thank you to all authors in The Ink Well for sharing your creative work!
Important Note
We are showcasing authors who have contributed well-written and edited stories, have read and commented on the work of other authors and comply with all of the community rules posted on our home page. These activities help our community thrive.
The following are just a few of our favorite stories from September 29 to October 4/ 2023.
Marcus ignored everything in sight. He hurriedly made his way to his grandmother's room, anxious to see her. As he entered, his heart twisted with sadness. She was prostrate with her eyes closed and her mouth open. Her skin was very pale, parched, and wrinkled. Her sunken, shadowed eyes gave Marcus an ominous feeling. He moved closer to her and noticed that she was breathing; it was a relief, as she looked like a living corpse.
I sat down on the pavement and wrote in my diary…
Mummy is leaving today. Mimi is crying already. Not because we are leaving, but because Mr. John may not survive the heartbreak.
I'm sure he's still dreaming or maybe he thought Mum is joking.
I don't want to go back to the street.
"Just shut up. Your life will be better if you shut up." I told myself.
I sat there and let the pain take charge of my mind. The memories played in my eyes, and together with the voice in my head they dug up past hurts. Things that hurt me that had nothing to do with the current situation. They reminded me of people I thought I'd forgotten and worsened the hurt.
By the time they were done, I was exhausted. My eyes were swollen from crying for long and I was sniffing every two seconds.
I stood up, hung my head and walked back upstairs. I had tortured myself to the full extent of the pain, and contrary to what you might think, I felt better- or rather empty.
Tom hurried into the ruins and went to the altar of Iris where he found the golden triangle, a powerful amulet, beautiful and soft to the touch, which according to popular belief had the power to disintegrate any object, they called it 'the lightning of Iris', but Tom did not believe in those stories, he only wanted the amulet as a piece of historical interest and to get the fame he longed for.
And the only real link in the family, the screw that held the family structure together was the grandmother, which is why the unity of the family lasted only as long as grandmother was alive. After she died, the screw that held the main beam of the family was lost.
And after the main beam fell, the whole structure of the family building collapsed, causing each family nucleus to isolate itself and lead its life in its own space. This being so, I spent years without knowing anything about several cousins or uncles.
"...as the old man crouched to drop the flowers, suddenly, a coin rolled up to him…"
Tommy thought he heard a clatter. A few places away, there was a tiny, shiny object. He slowed his pace and stopped just before it. It was a 50-cent coin. Trembling, he looked around but was greeted with the presence of dancing oak trees and malfunctioning street lights. When he looked again, the coin was gone. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and sighed, his mind was playing games with him out of exhaustion. He got back on his bike and began a slow descent down the sloppy road, he was barely halfway down when he remembered the latter part of the story.
"What do you want this time?" I thundered immediately Joseph caught up with me.
"Calm down girl" smiling from ear to ear. Why was this boy so happy? I pondered.
"Boy bye" I said, trying to increase my pace now.
"You owe me a handshake and I am going to get that handshake whether you like it or not," he winked. Till this day, I do not know why he winked but I know that I hated the wink because it came from him.
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@universoperdido
@phyna
@seunruth
@rinconpoetico
@osomar357
@iskawrites
@wongkamwai
@jayna , 
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@raj808 and 
@stormlight24 and run by 
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@emreal, 
@eunice9200 and 
@holler.
@wongi