Theshortys2026 Stories

🫦Prompt: You watch in disbelief as their fangs descend, revealing the truth they've been hiding.🫦

There are people who become part of your life without you ever realizing how much they will mean to you. For Amaya, Auden was simply a friend - someone who slowly became familiar, someone whose presence found its way into ordinary days and quiet memories. But somewhere along the way, something changed. A feeling she never planned for. A hope she never said aloud. A story she could only write from her side. So what do you do when something feels like it could have been, but never quite becomes? Perhaps some feelings aren't meant to be confessed. Perhaps some people aren't meant to stay. And perhaps an almost can still be a story worth telling.

A warm welcome to our poets and storytellers! Whether you're joining us for the first time or returning for another year, we're delighted to have you here. The Shortys is a place to challenge yourself, celebrate creativity, and connect with a community united by a love of words and creative expression. On September 1st, this year's prompts will be revealed. You'll then have the entire month to bring your ideas to life and share your work. So sharpen your wits and ready your words. We're here to encourage one another, cheer each other on, and have fun. We can't wait to read what you create. Let the ride begin. The Shortys Team

A world of poems captured in a single book, written by a girl who played every role: the academic achiever, the loyal friend, the eldest daughter, and more. She was always the one chosen for the top rank, yet she was never the one chosen by love. This collection is a bridge across the years, composed of verses that trace a haunting evolution where the innocent wonders of childhood slowly sharpen into the cold realizations of the real world. Yours truly, RosePoet (Note: These entries are not arranged in chronological order; however, I have included dates to serve as a guide to navigate the journey through time.) Pinterest: Littlemisstaromilktea

a collection of one shots involving the late great Michael Jackson NO SMUT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~♡~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒛𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒎𝒏. 𝑨 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒃𝒚𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆, 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔. He calls me September when he looks deep into my eyes. He calls me September when he looks away in annoyance. And when we meet again, after all the seasons between us, he pulls me into his arms and whispers- "𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆." Perhaps I was never just a month to him. Perhaps I was every ending that carried the promise of beginning again. Perhaps I was September-making him warm and cold at the same time. Or perhaps I was simply a 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 he is trying, as a 𝒎𝒂𝒏, to understand. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~♡~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 𝑨 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝑽𝒊𝒅𝒂𝑽𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒐, 𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Name one night in the last year she picked you up at two in the morning.

The flowers died on Monday. By Tuesday, Olivia's mother was gone. By Wednesday, fireworks meant nothing. By Thursday, even the rain sounded empty. But on one Sunday, a boy with a flower in his sister's hair crossed paths with Olivia. Because some flowers die. But that doesn't mean there won't be another bouquet.

Some words are born quietly, while other arrive like storms. This collection is a home for fleeting thoughts, untold stories, and emotions that refuse to stay hidden. Each poem or story captures different moments that leaves to what you believe in. If these words find a place in your heart, they found where they are meant to be. [Entries For Wattpad Monthly Challenges] Join My Discord Server! -> https://discord.gg/trwy6zfxc

An eclectic mix of short stories written for contests, challenges, online magazines, or just for fun.

Some stories are meant to be read. Some are meant to be felt. And some quietly find their way into the little corners of your heart you thought you had forgotten. Petals Between Ink & Quill is a collection of standalone poetry - where ordinary moments carry extraordinary weight, silence speaks louder than words, and the smallest feelings bloom into something unforgettable. Here, a rainy afternoon can feel like a memory. A half-finished letter can hold an entire lifetime. A forgotten photograph can reopen a thousand doors. And a few lines of poetry can say everything that conversations never could. Between these pages lie fragments of love and longing, nostalgia and loneliness, hope and heartbreak, dreams and disappointments - the beautiful mess of being human, written in ink and scattered like petals between the pages. So, before you begin... Let the rain do its thing against the window. Dim the lights. Put on that soft playlist you've been pretending not to be obsessed with. And just sit there with a steaming cup of garam chai, a plate of crispy, hot pakoras, a few Parle-G biscuits, and some namkeen within reach because honestly, what is reading without a little munching on the side? Turn the page. Slowly. Because these aren't stories you simply read. They linger. They sit beside you long after the last sentence. They become the line you underline. The poem you reread. The verse you stare at for a little too long. The feeling you cannot quite explain, but somehow know. Somewhere between the ink and the quill, you may find a piece of yourself. So come in. The pages are waiting. And the chai is getting cold. ✎﹏﹏﹏﹏ ɴᴏᴛᴇ: If you are reading this book on any other platform other than Wattpad you are very likely to be at risk of a malware attack. If you wish to read this story in its original, safe, form, please go to @moonlightxmysteries on Wattpad. Thank you. ✎﹏﹏﹏﹏

There is a sickness in me: I cough up roses on paper yet my tongue has thorns. A narrative and free verse poetry collection curated specifically based on prompts in the Shortys Contest(2026)

A couple of poems for TheShortys 2026.

A duke needs a respectable bride. A lady needs an escape. Neither expects to become the scandal of the season. Alexander Beaumont, Duke of Ravenshire, needs a wife. One respectable enough to protect his family's reputation. Lady Arabella Vale needs a way out of a future she never chose. Their solution is simple. A convenient arrangement. A quick marriage. No love. But pretending to be happily married is easier said than done, especially when London's watchful society begins asking questions. Because in a world where every glance is noticed and every secret becomes gossip, Alexander and Arabella may discover that their arrangement is far more dangerous than either of them expected. After all, some scandals are impossible to plan for. •·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•••·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•• Written for The Shortys 2026 •·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•••·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·••

A rake wants to prove he can marry. A lady wants to prove he cannot. Neither expects to fall in love. Leon Beaumont has spent years earning his reputation as one of London's most notorious rakes. But after watching his brother find happiness in marriage, Leon decides it may be time to try the same. Beatrice Whitmore has no intention of letting him succeed. Their rivalry quickly becomes a challenge: whoever fails to find a suitable match by the end of the Season must admit the other was right. The rules are simple. Find someone else. Get married. Do not fall for each other. But with every ball, every argument, and every jealous glance, Leon and Beatrice begin to wonder whether their greatest competition has been standing beside them all along. Because some challenges are far easier to begin than they are to win.

Rome, 1557. Fifteen-year-old Filomena 'the Amazon' has learned that survival in a home for abandoned girls run by nuns depends upon keeping her head down and her hands busy. When Suor Pacifica is found dead on the kitchen floor, Filomena inherits the good sister's duties and, for the first time in her life, a bed of her own and a glimpse of a future shaped by her gift for cooking. Then a mute, blood-soaked girl appears inside the walled herb garden. A trail of blood leads Filomena through Rome's fogbound streets to the reedy banks of the Tiber, where a murdered man floats beneath the shadow of Castel Sant' Angelo. The night guard is eager to accept the easiest explanation. Filomena is left with a terrified orphan whose stubborn silence conceals a dangerous truth.

.

An anthology of ten short stories-ten shades of love. ☕❤️ From quiet sacrifices and unexpected reunions to laughter, loss, courage, and second chances, each story offers a different glimpse of what love can mean. A collection of heartfelt moments, woven together with warmth, wonder, and a little magic-one story at a time. ☕ 💗

Sixty percent... That is the price of my academic future, and the price of the pride I'm about to swallow."In the heart of breathtaking Barcelona, inside the walls of an elite American international university, everything was perfect-until the worlds of Serena and Liam collided.Liam, the star quarterback of the university's American football team, is facing his ultimate nightmare: the athletic board is shutting down the team permanently due to a total lack of student interest. He has exactly one month to set the bleachers on fire, change the entire school's mind, and save his football career.Serena, the campus's IT-girl and a rising social media influencer, hides behind a flawless mask of fame and aesthetic aesthetics. But behind the closed doors of the Dean's office, she's drowning in a suffocating secret: unpaid tuition fees she can't afford, and an imminent threat of expulsion.When Liam first approaches her with a wild proposal to start a cheerleading squad to save his team, Serena shuts him down with a look of pure disgust. But she didn't know that her deepest secret was already in his hands."The university offers a 60% tuition discount for varsity athletes and cheerleaders. Be my head cheerleader. Pretend to be my girlfriend to turn heads, and I'll save your future."A fake relationship. A game of love played in front of Instagram cameras and daily vlogs. A strict list of rules they swore not to break. But when real feelings begin to blur the lines of their public lie, who will save who when hearts inevitably break?

Shortys 2026 #Poetry Collection