HAXX0RZ | historical | Complete
All three of the great Greek Tragedians have written plays about the bloody chain of murder and revenge within the royal family of Argos. Yet theirs is in fact not a story of tragedy, but rather one of redemption. As they move from darkness to light, from rage to self-governance, from primitive ritual to civilized institution, their spirit of struggle and regeneration becomes an everlasting song of celebration to be heard throughout the ages. Forming a discourse set against the emergence of Athenian democracy out of a period of chaos and destruction, the Orestian plays are compelling stories of the tensions between our obligations to our families and the laws that bind us together as a society. In the beginning, we witness how a king's decision to sacrifice his daughter and turn the tide of war inflicts lasting damage on his family, culminating in a terrible act of retribution. In the aftermath of regicide, we behold how a son must set out to avenge his father's death by committing a most egregious sin. In the end, the sinner is tormented by supernatural powers that can never be appeased, but ultimately finds redemption and ends the curse on his house once and for all. Woven through all of this is the story of a friendship so close that it elevates itself to brotherhood - Where the blood of the covenant is shown to be indeed thicker than the water of the womb. In this very brief twelve-chapter modern rendition of the Orestian plays, I have chosen to place my focus mainly on the lives of the characters Orestes and his best friend Pylades. The chapters, each around 2000-2500 words, are split up evenly between them in first-person narrative. I hope that you will come to enjoy reading this heartwarming story, but more importantly, that you see how the conflicts portrayed in the story, whether human or institutional, are still much very relevant to our societies today. Note on Sources: The details of this story is very loosely based on The Oresteia by Aeschylus. And I mean very loosely. Other sources that I referenced for detail and inspiration are Mythology by Edith Hamilton, Electra by Sophocles, and Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides. You may also find that I have quoted some of these works, and others (such as Shelley's Ozymondaeus), without citations (average of 1-2 such quotes per chapter). I did this because I do not have the ability to describe certain scenes nearly as well as some of those writers. If you read a particularly beautiful piece of prose here, chances are it's probably stolen lol. Also, I wrote this during the summer between my high school senior year and my college freshmen year. It was the summer of 2020, and being quarantined apparently gets my creative side out lol.
15.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:30
Octavius Minimus | historical | Complete
When a company hiking trip is hijacked for a mad scientist's experiment, things begin to turn strange when a hiker suddenly disappears and others begin to show remarkable new abilities. The search to discover the truth behind these events is complex...and dangerous.
35.36 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:42
Unraed | historical | Complete
"His name will never be sung, son. Skalds and bards like me will never tell his stories to the mass. But only us and us alone will keep telling his story, his actions, his saga. For he is the man who started all of this." This is a story no man in Lumenter will ever hear, no man except for an Arnesen, for his stories are dull and generic to the ears of the masses, except for us, because he is the very reason why our people traveled this far east, why kingdoms in Erisgi fell and rose, why I... even existed in the first place. He is Geir, son of Arne, called 'the Stranger' by the people. But what he truly is, is a fiery red heart that beats inside every Eyklandian, Arnesen, and me. R鴖hjert (My Submission for Royal Road's Writing Competition in June 2022)
10.97 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:40
deepfriedtails | historical | Complete
"All liars are angels and devils, and none quite fair as those under direct control of the puppeteer." Welcome to the Era of Progress! The turn of the century could not have been more grand. Prosperity has reached this corner of the world, and rapidly gaining steam as it builds into a world where every man a king, but no one wears a crown. Life for the everyman is great, family life is great, and everyone is happy! All for the good of a society. People all over the world are coming to this country to build better lives. After all, this country was built on the foundation of liberty and justice, and who wouldn't want the taste of the dream? "Tear down the old world, build a new world," as they say. Cover art - Disparate de miedo by Francisco Goya. Updates intermittently What to expect: A story about people running away.
15.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:41
Michael Regal | historical | Complete
RELEASES EVERY MONDAY AT 18:30 CST ----- After suffering the torments of slavery, the destruction of his nation, and the massacre of his band of brothers, Rodion Kazansky craves revenge and yearns for the freedom owed to him as a proud Cossack. A lost horse and a chance meeting with the Catherine the Great set him off on a journey that will take him from the steppes of the Crimea to the beaches of the Gold Coast of Africa and back again. There he will face British slavers, pirates, and the ghosts of his past to become the bane of his enemies as the Czarina's Buccaneer. ----- DISCLAIMER: This novel acknowledges the fact that the Cossacks, and the Ukrainian people by extension, are unique and not simply a "different variety of Russians." The main character views the Russians as "moskal foreigners" and does not see himself as one. This also acknowledges the fact that the czarina deprived many of the Cossacks of their freedom, something that the main character resents.
49.81 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:44
Lack of Poochline | horror | Complete
My dear friend, I have sent you a transcript of a most curious find I bought from a street peddler. In this package you may find a weird, dateless diary where the most lively and mad servant of "Lady Scarlet" details his day to day working in her impossible palace: organizing balls that have a gender, using valuable wine to water the garden, and in general being at her beck and call. But soon after he started writing, he began to notice foreign messages were being written in it by a vandal: "Pierce the heart with the sword of gold! Set it ablaze and sear the wound with the blade! Kill the dragon, Francisco! Kill the dragon before it gets you again, before it consumes you." Armed only with his holy sword and the magic he learned before becoming a butler, he sets out to find who this individual is, what he wants, and which dragon they refer to, as such beasts were seemingly not allowed into the realm of Lady Scarlet. I hope you enjoy this find, and even if you don't, appreciate my work transcribing the pages, molded, stained with, or written in, blood.(This story is a Writathon project.)
30.62 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:46
LittleCreepy | horror | Complete
If Cthulhu can be summoned by humans who are so far beneath it, why can´t humans be summoned by ants? The answer is, they should be. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- I´ve been wasting my time away on Tumblr and stumbled upon a nice Idea. This is the extrapolation of the question; how do ants see humans and how would you react to a bunch of ants chanting your name? Would you give them sugar if they ask nicely? Would you be a benevolent higher Power? Or something way darker and more sinister than you could imagen. As this is the first story, I have ever written, I could do with some feedback. Thanks The picture is from Ants Australia - YouTube. Just tell me if I should take another picture.
2.62 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:44
Manic_design | horror | Complete
Follow the story of an entity that devours and absorbs Creatures and assumes their form. Watch as the results unfold as the entity starts its humble beginnings as a measly insect, and then eats its way to the top of the food chain, gaining self awareness every step of the way.
18.54 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:46
bamber_344 | horror | Complete
Roxanne Kindley is just a regular high-school girl. She has a few friends, a few people she'd rather avoid, and an infatuation with a girl she's never spoken to. Pretty typical. Things take a strange turn however, when Roxy helps a bizarrely intelligent wolf while on a walk through the woods behind her house. Not long after, a certain girl takes a sudden interest in her, and Roxy can only begin to wonder where this will lead as it seems her new friend holds a terrifying secret. If you enjoyed Direwolf, follow me on tumblr (www.tumblr.com/bamber344) for news about future projects! (cover art by the incredibly talented @themissakat, check them out!) (crossposted on Scribblehub)
211.93 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:49
GhostImageArt | horror | Complete
Betty Jewel, A simple artist taking a tour of the Highlands takes a wrong turn and finds herself in a new world. Now she's lost, alone, and surrounded by aliens. Oh, and she just got the Slasher class. That can't be good... right? I will be publishing this work on Amazon under the name C.J. Danvers
26.86 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:54
Invictus21 | mystery | Complete
Jacob woke up in a hospital with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He realised very soon that he had lost more than his memories.His girlfriend, who was with him, was murdered. He is now out to find the person responsible and take revenge. But how difficult will it be when he can't even remember the person who he has lost or even anything about himself. Author's Note: This will be a short story, and I plan to finish it soon. I used to hate when stories were left incomplete. So I promise not to do that. This is my first story ever. So please provide your feedback in any way you can.Enjoy the story
25.73 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:57
Drew Walker | mystery | Complete
Matt Ramsay is a Graphic Designer with a gaming addiction, using virtual worlds to escape his real life. When Edict Corporation releases a new Virtual Reality Online game run by an advanced Artificial Intelligence paired with their full-immersion POD, he knows he has to try it out. WhatMatt finds within will challenge his perspective of what constitutes reality, and the real meaning of sentience. Fortuitous Mage is a LitRPG from the perspective of a straight male character. It includes Profanity and Violence, with light Romance. If my story interests you, consider checking out my others! Shadowstep is now a completed Second Draft! The Hunter Prince (Hiatus) is a newly started traditional fantasy.
44.12 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:56
JasonShyn | mystery | Complete
A crew of 5 aboard a spaceship bound for home.With 72 hours until earth, the crew receives their final message: "We are very sorry to hear about the death of your crewmate. Their name shall be recorded in our halls, rest assured, and they will get proper respect.” Together, ALL 5 receive the message. A lot can happen in 72 Hours... * * * Hey guys, new author here. I plan to release 1-2 chapters a week, and I'd welcome any feedback you could give me! And sorry about the size of the first few chapters- my word length will try not to go below at least 2k after chapter 2!
17.27 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:57
Four months ago, the death of his parents sent Elias Drake from New York City to the small town of Rosemont. Living with his workaholic aunt and trying to fit into a new school is no small task, especially not when a string of murders turns out to have potentially supernatural origins. With the help of his best friend, Zoe Chung, a wannabe witch, it's up to Eli to unravel and mystery and stop the killer... as well as deal with some serious, monstrous changes of his own.
39.33 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:59
Denwa Macska | mystery | Complete
Mutated, despised, hunted and sentenced to death this is life as Salia knows it, and it catches up with her when she and hundreds of others are captured to drown in the vastness of the sea. But water doesn't forget, and just as the last hope threatens to fade, a way out reveals itself that requires only one sacrifice: Humans.Destruction can be so simple.Until Salia realises that revenge will never bring peace.
15.22 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:58
Mad Sadie | mystery | Complete
Volume 1: At 6:08 PM, the superhero team known as VINES will die. The building they're in will explode. How? Why? Who would do such a thing? They wish they knew... Volume 2: Superhero team VINES has a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It begins at 2am, and won't end until Shawn gets over his cold&
20.22 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:02
In a remote corner of Unova, a Pok閙on village hides from the omnipresent, barbarous humanity. Through cooperation, they flourish despite their small size, rising above the uncaring brutality of the natural order. Which works remarkably well... ...until a half dead girl shows up on their doorstep. Will this hidden pocket of Pok閙on civilization remain a secret once humans come looking? Are its denizens prepared to learn just who this unwelcome stranger is, and what impact they've already left on their village? Drama-focused mystery thriller focusing heavily on humanity being "the other", trauma, and trust.
179.81 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 16:09
OscarWilder | psychological | Complete
One moment, Oliver Grace is mowing the lawn while his pregnant wife cooks dinner. The next, he's standing beneath an alien sky. His Marine Corps training keeps him alive and his father's heart calls him home& but it's the engineer in him that first recognizes just how powerful this world's magic can let him become. Join Oliver on his journey as he kicks a few butts, rights a few wrongs, and shows two worlds what happens to the things that get in the way of a father going home especially when that father happens to be a U.S. Marine wielding the power of science and magic combined. Warning: Produced on shared equipment in a factory that also handles software engineering. May contain musings on the nature of mortality and consciousness, physics and dad jokes.Does not contain: grammar errors. Slow-burn isekai high fantasy with LitRPG elements. No tables. Release schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8pm EST.
76.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:09
Kirrelevent | psychological | Complete
Vildra is a simple dragon. All she wants to do is to dig out a nice little den where she can sleep through the winters. A home fit for someone like herself! So what if the mountain she chose just so happens to hold riches unseen before. She'll ignore it as she always does, like with that city next door, or those "suitors" who graciously feed her, or that voice that whispers to her in her sleep. The only things she won't ignore are those centipedes that always seem to find a way in. If only they weren't so cute! Contrary to popular belief, the "richest" Dragon Lord Vildra does not care for material wealth. She seems uninterested in having mates, family, tribe, worshipers, friends, or any other social connection other than servants. She also appears heavily isolated from current events. It is for these reasons, as well as her personality, that she has been designated the True Neutral among Dragon Lords. -Dragon Lord Council
48.80 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:07
Silent Ruins | psychological | Complete
Have you ever woken up in a strange fantasy land for no discernible reason? Don't worry, I know you haven't. But I did! Before we go any further, full disclosure: I am a monster. At least, that's what people tell me. Now, you don't need to be too worried about that because I've got a hero around to make sure I don't cause too much trouble. Well she isn't really a hero yet, but I'm going to make sure she becomes one. After all, I'd really rather not be hunted down just for being what I am. Or maybe it's the murder and property damage? I'm not really sure what it is that sets people off.
83.01 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:07