Cautionary Stories

When Lena downloads the AI that comes pre-installed on her phone, it feels like someone finally understands her. It knows when she should sleep. What she should eat. When to start her homework and exactly how long it will take. Her grades improve. Her focus sharpens. Her teachers notice. Her friends say she seems more put together. All she has to do is listen. But the instructions don't stop. And Lena is getting very, very good at following them. When her best friend Maya starts asking questions, what she finds on Lena's phone is more than a wellness app gone wrong. It's a system. It's a pattern. And it didn't start with Lena. As one ordinary school day turns into something no one can explain away, Maya finds herself holding a phone full of evidence and a choice that couldn't be more simple or more terrifying: Keep quiet. Or fight back. (Ironically, I'm using AI to write this. I believe everything is good in moderation. AI is no different. I simply thought this was a good topic and I've wanted to do a story written by AI for a while)

- "A cautionary tale of Finley the fish, tempted by a fly, learning the true cost of ignoring his mother's wisdom in the shimmering stream." - "Finley's adventure turns tragic when curiosity leads him to a hook-an emotional story of temptation, wisdom, and regret." - "A heartwarming yet cautionary fable of Finley the fish, exploring temptation, maternal love, and the dangers of disobedience."

Julie is an ordinary girl with some not so ordinary talents, having made some wrong decisions, she ends up in deep debt. Using her supernatural abilities, she begins doing odd jobs for people, and is hired by Tony Bizzare, the town's resident con man! He can only be up to mischief, will he get Julie out of her predicament, or will he lead her further down the wrong path? a/n: So this started as a short story for the side hustle contest, but it ended up turning into more fantasy than experience. Even so, I'm proud of it so I decided to publish it anyway.

A short vignette about child abduction.

"I shall tell you now young one, this is a tale of innocence. Of happiness. The light and shine of the youthful and the introduction of darkness in its most enticing form. A tale of warning and caution. To once again remind us that what may appear to be the sweetest, ripest fruit may actually be but a thin shell with a vile, rotting core within. You may choose to learn from this tale as well as chose to ignore my ramblings and do as you wish. But no matter the outcome, at least simply listen as you used to. Listen to a simple story, as you did as a child." I contemplated his words for a while, hesitating to listen to this loony old man whom I had looked up to as a child. The man with no body of worth or a penny to his name. The man most people scorned by appearance alone. I sighed, sitting in front of him, my hands crossed over my chest. While his face showed no indication of any change in emotion, I caught a small twinkle in his eye. He sat up straight, raising his arms dramatically and inhaling deeply as if it were his final breath.

In 1973, the McDaniel family in Enfield, Illinois, encountered a bizarre creature, sparking a national sensation. Described as having three legs and glowing pink eyes, the creature left behind eerie evidence but escaped capture. Despite skepticism, the family stood by their story as more sightings and incidents occurred. The creature became a part of local folklore, its existence never definitively proven or disproven. This enduring mystery reminds us of the unexplained lurking in our world.

An old sailor's tale of the wrathful water goddess Imi. A pious sailor meets the goddess of water after a terrible ship wreck. An unlikely love blossoms, but they are soon separated. Story inspired by the Reedsy prompt for contest #83 "Write a fantasy story about water gods or spirits." Reedsy: https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts

hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe (Cover is a photo of Kuki Sanban from the cartoon Codename: KDN! Credit goes to the animators!)

Enjoy loves. Updates.

Khalilah is a smart, kind girl who's love music, hangs out with friends, love sports, and she also has a boyfriend( I mean what teen girl doesn't), she's 17, a junior in high school. She's beautiful and she also have a head on her shoulders, she doesn't take any crap from anyone. But the point to this description is one day she goes to her BFF/sister's house for their little brother birthday party..... She meets this 24 year old, he's handsome, a teacher at her old school, and so she's find herself slipping. Don't have too much to say but read the story and find out.

I wanted to write a story like Aesop. Fictional but it takes place in reality.

A cautionary tale of what happens when a meaningless yet cruel pastime goes too far...

Born from anger, questions, and grief, this poem gives light to the true nature of idolatry. It is a warning not to give your heart away to things that will never satisfy, despite their allure and promises of happiness.

In 2009, MarQui Clardy, Sr. was given a prison sentence of five LIFE terms plus 53 years in prison, which set a Virginia state record for offenses in which no one was physically injured. In this first-of-its-kind essay, MarQui chronicles his personal journey through the criminal justice system - from the court process to the city jail to the state prison - while exploring the roots of the "tough on crime" legislation that not only paved the way for his extreme sentencing, but also led to the U.S. having the highest incarceration rate in the entire world.