Flash Stories

The Threads of Fate | Chapter 4: The Forgotten Friendship

dehongi Jan. 25, 2025, 4:11 p.m.

The old man sat in his chair, staring at the crackling fire in the hearth, the warmth of the flames mingling with the cold weight of his thoughts. It was another one of those moments where the years seemed to blur together, where the regret of choices long past crept into his mind, uninvited but persistent. Among the many crossroads in his life, there was one choice that always haunted him—the choice to hold onto a friendship that had long since frayed, a friendship that had started full of promise but ended in bitterness.

He could still remember the day it all began to unravel.

It was during his late twenties, when the world seemed wide open, and the future was a canvas waiting to be painted. His best friend, Arash, had been like a brother to him—someone who shared in his dreams, his ambitions, and his youthful naivety. They …

The Baby Debate

hamed Jan. 29, 2025, 6:24 p.m.

Zoey Harper was not pregnant. She wasn’t even remotely close to being pregnant. Yet, here she was, staring at her phone as the latest headline flashed across her screen: “Zoey Harper and Liam McAllister Expecting! A New Star is Born?”

Her fingers hovered over the screen, then she hit send on the text to Liam. “Seriously? A baby? Did I miss something?”

The reply was immediate: “I’m just as confused as you are.”

Zoey put her phone down, rubbing her temples. She had been at a photoshoot the day before, wearing a loose dress because it was hot as a sauna, and apparently, that was enough for the gossip mill to start churning. She couldn’t even post a picture of her lunch without it turning into “a subtle announcement about baby food.”

Her publicist, Grace, called just as she was about to finish a very sarcastic tweet. “Zoey, darling, we …

The Great Data Heist

hamed Jan. 29, 2025, 6:41 p.m.

The tech world was on edge when OpenAI called an emergency press conference. The room buzzed with anticipation. Rumors swirled about a new breakthrough, or perhaps a major new partnership—until CEO, Sam Altman, stormed to the podium with a grim expression.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Sam began, his voice sharp, “we’ve just discovered something catastrophic.”

The journalists sat up straighter, pens poised. What was it? Did they create a new AI? Did they achieve sentience? Or maybe—finally—a way to stop emails from being marked as spam?

“We’ve been hacked,” Sam said, pausing for dramatic effect. “But not by any run-of-the-mill hackers. No, this is much worse.”

He looked down at the paper in front of him. “DeepSeek.”

The room went silent.

“DeepSeek?” one journalist muttered. “I thought they just did... search engines?”

Sam’s eyes narrowed. “That’s what we thought. But no. It turns out DeepSeek didn’t just steal our data... they …

The Threads of Fate | Chapter 7: The Price of Ambition

dehongi Jan. 25, 2025, 4:24 p.m.

The old man’s mind wandered back to his youth, to the endless nights of ambition and the relentless drive to achieve something more. He had once been a man consumed by his dreams, by the desire to prove himself, to build a future that would leave a lasting legacy. At the time, he believed that success was the only thing that mattered—that everything else could wait. But now, as he sat on the edge of life, with his body frail and his heart full of memories, he wondered if the price he had paid for that success had been too steep.

He could still see it clearly—the moment when his path had diverged. He had been offered a promotion, a chance to rise higher in the world, to secure his place among the successful. The decision seemed obvious at the time: to take the job, to take the opportunity that …

The Threads of Fate | Chapter 9: The Final Confrontation

dehongi Jan. 25, 2025, 4:33 p.m.

The old man’s mind, worn and frail with time, was drawn to another chapter of his life, one filled with unresolved conflict, where pride had overruled the simple but profound power of forgiveness. He had once loved deeply, but in a moment of hurt and anger, he had let pride become his guide. The rift between them was sudden, sharp, and deep. No words of healing were spoken, and the wound had festered in silence for years, growing only more bitter with time.

It was a memory he had carried for far too long—the moment where pride had eclipsed the love he once felt. He could remember the exact words, the harshness in his voice, and the bitterness that had clouded his judgment. The decision had felt justified then—he had been wronged, or so he thought. The need to prove himself right, to maintain control over his emotions, had overridden …

The Final Note

hamed Jan. 29, 2025, 6:22 p.m.

Emily sat at her desk, scanning the screen. The headline was like a slap to the face: "Megastar Kiera Monroe Announces Sudden Retirement. No Reason Given."

She clicked on the link, reading through the sparse details. Kiera Monroe, the biggest name in music, had shocked the world with a single, cryptic tweet: “I’m done. No more.” Fans and tabloids were buzzing with theories—health issues, burnout, maybe even a scandal—but Emily knew there was more. There was always more.

Kiera hadn’t just retired. She had disappeared.

The next few days were a blur of interviews with former collaborators, cryptic social media posts, and dead ends. But then Emily received an anonymous email: Meet me at the old theatre. 2 AM. I know the truth about Kiera.

Her heart raced as she typed the address into her phone. The old theatre had been abandoned for years, its marquee long faded. Who would …

The Showdown

hamed Jan. 29, 2025, 6:32 p.m.

Scene: The office break room. It’s mid-afternoon. Two coworkers, Tim and Sarah, are grabbing coffee. The vibe is slightly awkward. Tim, a staunch conservative, is sipping his coffee with a smug look. Sarah, the liberal firebrand, enters and immediately locks eyes with him. The Biden administration has ended, and it’s Tim’s time to shine.

Tim: (smirking) “So, uh... how’s life under the new administration, Sarah? Feeling... safe and heard?”

Sarah: (rolling her eyes) “Oh, you’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

Tim: (nodding slowly) “It’s like Christmas came early. You know, it’s been a whole few years of ‘reality checks’ under your guy, but now? Well, now, I think it’s time for the pendulum to swing back, wouldn’t you agree?”

Sarah: (mockingly) “Oh, swing back, huh? To the days of alternative facts and orange spray tans?”

Tim: (sipping his coffee) “Hey, don’t knock the spray tan. It’s a work of art.”

Sarah: …