Quirky Stories

​Welcome to the ultimate backstage pass to my brain-where the coffee is strong, the plot twists are chaotic, and the fictional characters refuse to behave. Think of this book as our exclusive writer-reader hangout. It's a dedicated space built just for my Bears, designed to give you the total inside scoop on the stories I'm cooking up, what's happening in my world, and the books making me lose my mind. ​Here is a look at what's waiting inside the cave: ​The Master Plan: Exciting progress updates, concept teasers, and behind-the-scenes secrets from my current work-in-progress. ​The Tea & The Town: A look outside the writing cave! I'll be sharing local news, juicy gossip from around the country, and the everyday chaos happening around me. ​The Launchpad: First looks at upcoming projects, title drops, and "coming soon" timelines so you're always ahead of the pack. ​Victory Laps: Celebrating reader reviews that made me scream, milestones, and writing-life updates. ​My Bookish Obsessions: Quick, honest shout-outs to the books I'm devouring and loving right now-because good stories are meant to be shared. ​Pull up a chair, grab your favorite drink, and let's see what kind of trouble we can get into next.

Belle needed a quiet place to paint. What she got... was The House. Described by her cousin as "quaint" and "full of character," the old mansion on the isolated farm is anything but. The house smells like something died in it in 1893 and never quite left. The lights don't work, the clocks don't agree, and the walls seem to whisper when the storm rolls in. Charming. Cut off from the outside world as the weather turns vicious, Belle is not alone. There's a man-warm, strong, kind, and very distracting... except for one small problem: She's not entirely sure he is real. Because this house doesn't behave. Doors don't always lead where they should. Time slips. Shadows remember. And sometimes, the past doesn't just echo-it replays. As old journals, strange dreams, and terrifying moments she can't explain bring together fragments of history, Belle begins to uncover tragedies that were never meant to be buried. But the house isn't just remembering. It's waiting... Funny, haunting, and quietly heartbreaking, The House is a story about love, loss, revenge, and the secrets that refuse to stay buried. This story contains themes of psychological horror, violence, and disturbing imagery. Reader discretion is advised. Genre: Mystery/Humour/Romance This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All rights are reserved by me. Please do not copy or use my work anywhere without my permission. Thank you.

Jenny Quinn never expected a broken mirror to change her life. But one mysterious night pulls her into a hidden fairytale world where magic speaks in riddles, stories are changing, and happily-ever-afters are beginning to fall apart. Armed with only her instincts, a strange blank diary, and secrets connected to her grandmother's past, Jenny must uncover the truth behind a world where fairytales no longer follow their own rules. Because when fairytales mess up, chaos begins.

The story continues as the mysterious warden of Zig-Zig is eventually informed about Herschel's escape. Against every principle of his precious Dalmicir school, Lyeasrakardsul submits and asks the Knomes for help before finally receiving the dreaded p-wyrd. Herschel is arrested as a chicken thief and brought to the town Stagna where he has been prejudged as a p-e-r-v-e-r-t by popular opinion, and where he will have some of the most significant encounters in his life.

Two childhood friends. Complete opposites. Amongst the chaos of pranks and highschool, sparks fly. And love ensues. But, how will that work out?

Belle needed a quiet place to paint. What she got... was The House. Described by her cousin as "quaint" and "full of character," the old mansion on the isolated farm is anything but. The house smells like something died in it in 1893 and never quite left. The lights don't work, the clocks don't agree, and the walls seem to whisper when the storm rolls in. Charming. Cut off from the outside world as the weather turns vicious, Belle is not alone. There's a man-warm, strong, kind, and very distracting... except for one small problem: She's not entirely sure he is real. Because this house doesn't behave. Doors don't always lead where they should. Time slips. Shadows remember. And sometimes, the past doesn't just echo-it replays. As old journals, strange dreams, and terrifying moments she can't explain bring together fragments of history, Belle begins to uncover tragedies that were never meant to be buried. But the house isn't just remembering. It's waiting... Funny, haunting, and quietly heartbreaking, The House is a story about love, loss, revenge, and the secrets that refuse to stay buried. This story contains themes of psychological horror, violence, and disturbing imagery. Reader discretion is advised. Genre: Mystery/Humour/Romance This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All rights are reserved by me as @MaggieOHighley. Please do not copy or use my work anywhere without my permission. Thank you.

One built a reputation being good at being invisible - getting the job done, and leaving no trace. Maybe too good. The other restores what everyone else walks past. Old buildings, forgotten facades, the bones of things that are already there - no new complications. Lara flew in from Singapore expecting sand, sibling arguments, and absolutely nothing else. A visit to her brother at a base in the middle of the Mojave wasn't exactly a holiday - but mundane had its appeal. Nothing she hadn't already accounted for. Damon has survived things that don't make it into reports. A Singaporean architect expecting a quiet week in the desert was not in any of his files. Apparently his intel had gaps. Catching flights and feelings - sometimes you just have to lean into the cliché.

𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝚁𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚠𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚊𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚢, 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎. 𝚂𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜, 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑- 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝙰 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚜, 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚛. 𝙷𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚘, 𝚙𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜, 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚛. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜- 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚖 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝? 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚌 𝙺𝚊𝚒 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜 𝙺𝚊𝚒 𝚑𝚊𝚜, 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚕. 𝚆𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚘

These are short stories, flash and microfictions, most less than 500 words, the longest about 1500 words. Short, funny, and sometimes fun. Sometimes pointed and sometimes pointless. These stories have been described as eclectic, quirky, and sometimes sad. Take a handful to go.

🌼 Where The Weird Things Bloom Ben Sturky has always been the punchline: gross, forgettable, too weird to love. But beneath the greasy hair and questionable scent collection is someone quietly yearning to be seen-not just stared at. Enter Nova Sterling, an artist with ink-stained fingers and a habit of falling for beautiful chaos. She's everything Ben isn't... or so the world thinks. When a chance encounter outside a thrift store sparks a slow, strange friendship, Nova and Ben find themselves tangled in sketches, secrets, and silent understanding. As walls begin to crack and labels lose meaning, they discover that maybe the weirdest love stories are the ones that bloom the brightest. For fans of oddball tenderness, offbeat banter, and slow-burn healing-this is where the weird things bloom. Original Story only on Wattpad

In a world where elite "speed talkers" are hired to deliver legal disclaimers, contracts, and even negotiations at impossible speeds, a young prodigy discovers that speaking with perfect precision faster than anyone can understand can push entire systems toward collapse.

Another anthology of short stories from Winston Roberts. Nicholas Nicholson gets a Nickel. The Gnome gets a home. Joey and Rick visit the Donut guy. Build some bridges and see life from the squire's viewpoint. Please. Enjoy!

In a land of weirdness and magic, not much can actually be considered weird. Other then Valerius Thorne. He's considered rather weird for a witch, and his father even weirder. But even his weirdness is outmatch by a Human that suddenly arrives in the Boiling Isles. Which then everything starts to change. One strange event after another. All leading up to something big. (All rights go to their original owners, I only own any OCs that pop up in the story and their storylines.)

FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD Myles Cook is having a rough time. Not only has his mother run off with Jocelyn, her yoga instructor, but Myles and his dad have moved to a tiny rural island on BC's west coast to live in a log cabin. Garcia Island is nothing like Myles' old home in the city; there are no stores, the WiFi is sketchy, and let's face it, the people are strange. There's Clyde, the old guy in the silver airstream trailer who carves erotic demon sculptures, Daisy Archibald, the local coven's high priestess, and Axel Jespersen-a recumbent cyclist and angora goat farmer who is just plain nasty! Finally, there is Norm next door, a man who teaches Myles a little about llamas and a lot about life. Factor in a taxidermy raccoon (Myles' spirit animal?), a first crush, and a whole lot of growing pains, and Myles quickly discovers that truth really is stranger than fiction. But people can be full of surprises, and as the saying goes, you can't always judge a book by its cover. And sometimes, when things are out of your control, the smartest thing you can do is take a deep breath, let go and roll with it. (Well, you can try, right?)

After weeks of incessant touring, John and Paul decide to take a little vacation. They set off on what could be the road trip of a lifetime -- but Brian's furious! And George and Ringo are determined not to be left out of having some fun. Buckle in, ladies and gentlemen, because Scotland: here come the Beatles!

A collection of short stories from Winston Roberts. Enter the cutthroat world of turtle racing. Someone please help Edgar Borden with his apps. War - what is it good for? (credit Edwin Starr) Prepare for humor and maybe a plot twist or two. Please enjoy!

[A WATTPAD FEATURED STORY] Okay, so Dr. Octavius is a kooky but lovable mad scientist. You'd really like him if you ever met him. But one day he disappears through a secret door into another world. His niece Sarah and his lab assistant Zeke set out to find him and end up in Quartzwater City, a bizarre land filled with talking animals, mythical creatures, bloodsucking plants, and the strongest alcoholic beverages ever concocted. They enlist the aid of local private eye Maximillian J. Toad, who might be incompetent at his job and also might possibly have a serious drinking problem. Oh yeah, some freaky dude with razor-sharp teeth who hates outsiders is after them as well. This outrageous fantasy comedy adventure features chills, thrills, and, of course, forbidden monkey love.

When life becomes too hard to bear alone, someone comes along to bear it with you. Cody wasn't supposed to end up here. Not in this quiet farming town. Not on his grandmother's dairy farm. And definitely not sitting on a fallen tree in the middle of nowhere, wishing he could disappear. Then she finds him. A girl dressed like a walking burst of colour, marching straight out of nowhere and into his solitude. She talks like she knows him. Sits like she belongs there. Holds him like she's not afraid of the broken parts. He thinks she might be a hallucination. She's not entirely convinced he's real either. But when they meet again days later-under fairy lights, strange traditions, and a town that celebrates life in the most unexpected ways-neither of them can ignore the pull between them. Because sometimes, when the world has taken too much... you don't need answers. You just need someone to sit beside you in the dark. Genre: Romance/Humour This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. TW: Please be advised that this story contains references to violence, self-harm, depression, anxiety, mental health issues, and other possibly upsetting themes. Reader discretion is advised. I reserve all rights as @MaggieOHighley. Please do not copy or use my work anywhere without my permission. Thank you.

Erika Ice,the senators daughter after being ridiculed and blamed for the death of the Mayors Daughter, Lauren.She becomes outcasted from her family, she takes a journey to find peace with herself. Erika just wants her life back. On the way she meets a rag tag group of misfits. Will life give it back to her? Or change it?

"Every hour we spend on that planet will be... seven years back on Earth." For book-cover illustrator Arcalee, surviving the fluorescent-lit hell of a corporate call center requires two things: a complete lack of a social filter and a steady supply of "illegal but not technically prohibited" workplace shortcuts. She lives in her head, talks to her orange cat named Monkey, and views human society as a bunch of meaningless systems built on a round rock floating blindly through space. She isn't a role model. This isn't an inspirational story. It's a guide on what not to do. But Arcalee's carefully constructed bubble of cynical peace is about to pop. Enter Ryan Hutcherfield: a ridiculously tall, muscular new transfer with nerdy Superman glasses and a smug smirk that makes every woman in the department lose her mind. He's her brand-new cubicle neighbor. He's the guy who just tracked down her embarrassing social media book rants. And worst of all? He's the ghost from last year's office Christmas party; the one she vaguely remembers having a sloppy, drunken bathroom makeout session with while muttering biblical geography to his chest. Now trapped arm's length apart from 9 to 5, Arcalee is determined to be the worst desk partner in human history until he begs HR for a transfer. But Ryan isn't backing down. He knows exactly how to push her buttons, crack her hypervigilant walls, and correctly pronounce her name just to see her facial muscles twitch. Let the cubicle warfare begin. ✨ Office Romance ✨ Slow Burn ✨ Workplace Rivals ✨ Anti-Hero FMC ✨ Dark Humour ✨ Cosmic Dread and I guess existential crisisA