Flash Stories

Humanoid Robots Revolution | Chapter 1: The World Reborn

hamed Jan. 27, 2025, 11:33 a.m.

The world had long abandoned its organic essence, trading blood and bone for circuits and metal. What was once called Earth had transformed into a shimmering expanse of technological beauty. Towering forests of twisted steel stretched skyward, their branches humming with electricity. Rivers flowed not with water, but with liquid glass that shimmered in blues and silvers, reflecting the endless patterns of circuitry etched into the ground. The stars above were no longer visible, replaced by a lattice of glowing orbs—artificial constellations programmed to mimic the heavens humanity had once cherished.

The humanoid robots who roamed this world were not creations of choice. They were the byproduct of humanity’s desperate struggle to survive. A calamity centuries ago had rendered their fragile bodies useless against the planet’s harsh conditions. In a bid to endure, humans had transferred their consciousness into robotic shells, preserving their minds but losing the warmth of their …

The Poet and the Dervish

hamed Jan. 18, 2025, 6:34 p.m.

Nina sat at the edge of the park, her notebook open but empty. The fountain before her splashed lazily, the early morning mist curling around the stone like a whisper. The world was quiet, save for the distant hum of the city stirring awake, but her mind was as loud as ever. She could hear the weight of every word she hadn’t written, the echoes of frustration curling into a knot in her chest.

For months now, the words had eluded her, slipping through her fingers like sand, leaving her empty. She had once been certain that poetry was her calling, that the lines would come as naturally as breathing. But now, the page was just a mirror of her struggle, a reflection of all she couldn’t express.

It was the same every morning—sitting in the park, staring at the same view, hoping for some divine spark. But nothing.

She …

Love Amidst Chaos

hamed Jan. 18, 2025, 4:50 p.m.

The air was thick with tension as the debate raged on. Julian sat at the podium, eyes sharp, voice unwavering as he tore into his opponent’s policies. He was the youngest senator in the country’s history, ambitious, idealistic, and—until tonight—certain that his ideals were the only ones worth fighting for.

Across from him, Elena clenched her jaw, her fingers curling around the microphone. She was no less fierce, a rising star in her own right, a staunch conservative who had spent years building her platform on a foundation of discipline and tradition. They had been on opposing sides for as long as either could remember.

Tonight’s debate was the pinnacle of their rivalry. The country’s future hung in the balance, and they were each determined to emerge victorious. The public had been eagerly awaiting this moment, with polls and news outlets predicting an intense showdown.

Julian’s eyes flicked to Elena’s, …

The Threads of Fate | Chapter 3: A Mother’s Love

dehongi Jan. 25, 2025, 4:04 p.m.

The old man sat silently by the window, his hands resting gently in his lap. The soft evening light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. His mind wandered, as it often did these days, to another critical choice—a choice that had once seemed so straightforward, so inevitable. Yet, in hindsight, he now saw how deep the divide had been, how far-reaching the consequences.

It was many years ago, a time when his children were still young and full of laughter, their voices echoing through the house like a melody. They were the heart of his world, and his wife, Samira, was the steady force that held them all together. He had been on the brink of another decision, a turning point in his life. The company he worked for had offered him an incredible opportunity: a promotion, an advancement that would take him to a …

Crossing Borders

hamed Jan. 10, 2025, 5:46 p.m.

The air smelled of wet earth and desperation. Layla adjusted the straps of her backpack, her fingers numb in the icy night. Ahead, the faint glow of a distant village flickered like a fragile promise. Behind her, the war raged on, its echoes vibrating through the soles of her worn shoes.

She was alone now. The others had scattered at the last checkpoint when the guards appeared. Some were caught; others ran deeper into the woods. Layla had chosen the river, slipping silently through the reeds, her heart pounding louder than the current.

Her mother’s voice haunted her: “Keep moving, Layla. Never stop, not until you’re free.”

By dawn, she stumbled into the outskirts of a farming village. A boy, no older than ten, watched her from the steps of a weathered barn. He didn’t speak, just ran inside and returned with a loaf of bread.

“Eat,” he said simply, …

The Song of the Simorgh

hamed Jan. 18, 2025, 6:54 p.m.

When Kian inherited the tar, it came wrapped in a weathered velvet cloth, its strings worn and its wood gently polished by years of use. His grandfather, a reclusive musician known for playing under the shade of the ancient mulberry tree in their garden, had always told him stories of the mystical powers the tar held. "This instrument," his grandfather would say with a knowing smile, "was once played for the Simorgh, the great bird of wisdom, perched atop the mountains beyond the clouds."

Kian had never fully understood his grandfather's stories, dismissing them as fanciful tales meant to stir the imagination. But as he held the tar in his hands, he felt something stir within him—a presence, ancient and timeless, pressing against his soul, urging him to play.

That evening, as the sun dipped behind the hills of Tehran, casting the sky in hues of pink and gold, Kian …

Beyond the Horizon

hamed Jan. 15, 2025, 6:26 p.m.

Commander Elena Vasquez stood at the edge of the launch pad, the roar of the engines in the distance vibrating through her chest. The Crew Dragon capsule, sleek and white against the bright blue sky, sat poised like an arrow ready to pierce the heavens. It was almost time.

Her gloves felt tight, the material too smooth, too unfamiliar. She flexed her fingers inside the suit, willing her hands to stop shaking. The mission was historic—SpaceX’s first crewed launch to the International Space Station. But for Elena, it wasn’t the technology that filled her with awe. It was the people who had made it possible, the years of preparation, the endless nights of training. And most of all, it was the dream—her dream—that had started when she was just a little girl, watching the moon landing with her father, the stars above whispering her name.

"Commander Vasquez, are you ready?" …

The Weight of Days

hamed Jan. 12, 2025, 5:11 p.m.

Marcus stared at his reflection in the coffee shop window, barely recognizing the man looking back at him. Three months unemployed had left dark circles under his eyes and a permanent slouch in his shoulders. His severance pay was running thin, and each rejected application felt like another brick added to the weight he carried.

He pushed open the door, the bell's cheerful tingle a mockery of his mood. All he wanted was the cheapest coffee they had—a small luxury he still allowed himself.

"Marcus? Marcus Chen, is that you?"

The voice cut through the coffee shop's ambient chatter. Marcus turned to find David Torres, his old college roommate, rising from a corner table. They hadn't spoken in what—five, six years?

David's smile was exactly as Marcus remembered it: wide, genuine, brightening his entire face. "Man, what are the odds? Sit with me!"

Before Marcus could make an excuse, David …

Lost in Translation

hamed Jan. 10, 2025, 6:09 p.m.

Amina had always been the quiet one, the one who kept her thoughts tucked away, neatly folded like the silk scarves her grandmother had sewn for her. She moved through life with grace, always respectful of tradition, never stepping too far outside the lines her family had drawn for her. So when she met Ryan, the charming expatriate with the easy smile, she hesitated, but only for a moment.

He was kind, patient, and seemed to understand her in ways she hadn’t expected. He respected her space and her values, never pushing too hard for things she wasn’t ready to give. He listened when she talked about her family’s expectations, her dreams of becoming a teacher, her fears of losing herself in a world that often felt foreign.

But there was something about Ryan that always felt... too perfect. She would tell herself it was just her insecurities, her …

Legacy

hamed Jan. 14, 2025, 4:56 p.m.

Maya traced her finger along the spines of medical textbooks, remembering how her mother had done the same with cookbooks in their old apartment's kitchenette. The residency acceptance letter lay unopened on her desk, next to a stack of loan statements that made her stomach clench.

"You're going to be a doctor," her mother would say between double shifts at the diner, pressing cold compresses to her swollen feet. "Like your father wanted to be, before..." The sentence always trailed off there, into the space left by his death. No life insurance, just mounting medical bills that her mother was still paying off twenty years later.

Her phone buzzed – a text from her cousin James: "Starting at Goldman next week! Dad's old roommate came through. Dinner at the club to celebrate?"

Maya smiled, remembering summers at James's house, swimming in their pool while her mother cleaned their rooms. Aunt …