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 June 15 to June 21 /2025.
Featured Author: 
@nachomolina
Your fortune is gone
The clerk simply disappeared, and in darkness, the parking lot was synonymous with immeasurable helplessness.
Nanny dropped the fortune cookie, eating only half of it, and she also threw away the sticker with the lucky note: 你的財富消失了, of which she wanted nothing to do, nor to ever understand its meaning.
Featured Author: 
@terjix
Anjonu
Tamara took a picture of her and a sleeping Tese, then posted it on social media with the caption, “He’s cute when he sleeps.” Within hours, comments and likes were pouring in. She often waited to read comments hours after she had made her post. So, when she finally started reading the comments, two of the comments caught her attention.
“That's a dead man beside you.”-Mamaye_10
Featured Author: 
@gabmr
When Luck Skyrocketed Baltius!
“No! That gesture of kindness was so amazing, Baltius wanted to give the lady a piece back, but in the attempt, he dropped a fortune cookie on the floor and lost track of the granny,” explained the tour guide walking towards the crowd.
Martin's presence became more prevalent the more he narrated how that homeless man was not just any awkward guy on the street.
Featured Author: 
@jemima2001
Cookie 27
That night, Esther returned to the basement. The chains were gone. The door open. Her blood curdled with fear.
Inside, dust—and a folded red note.
You brought it back. Just like I did in 1984. Mrs. Okon
She turned. Mrs. Okon stood behind her.
Featured Author: 
@daeze-winnie
What Happened to Aunty Ireju?
On the day of the burial, the sun burned so high, as if it was paying its own tribute. The choir sang hymns, the pastor preached and people sobbed in corners. Some even wailed loudly. When the ceremony ended, the pastor raised his hands.
“And now we would proceed to the burial place to lay Papa to rest.”
A voice that sounded so strange and yet familiar, sliced through the air:
“Are you all going to lay my father to rest without me?”
Featured Author: 
@lailawrites
A Job Changed Everything
I remember one evening, I suppose it was a week or so into it, I was doing homework at the kitchen table when he sat down across from me. He didn't say anything for a while, just sat there as I struggled with long division.
"You know," he said eventually, "I wasn't always like that."
I looked up from my math. "Like what?"
Featured Author: 
@edith-4angelseu
When Pigs Didn't Fly!
As we parted, he gave a small nod and turned to go. His child who had crept behind him to watch me in amazement, stumbled after him.
I stood there for a moment, watching their figures retreat into the compound. A father too young, with eyes too old.
I reached up and wiped a tear from my cheek.
Pigs didn’t fly for Chuka.
p.s. You can see the past magazines here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46,47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67,68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107,108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128,129,130, 131,132,133,134, 135, 136, 138, 139,140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146,147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155,156,157,158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177,178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184,185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206,207,208,209,210, 211, 212, 213, 214
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