The first thing Thomas noticed when he stepped into the church was how quiet it was.Not the sort of silence that feels hollow or abandoned. It was thick, like a quilt wrapped around the bones of the old wooden pews and faded stained glass. He hadn’t planned to go inside. He’d only meant to walk […]
It was a winter morning when Elias first felt the tremble in his trigger finger—not from the cold, but from something deeper that had started to stir days ago. Snow drifted like ashes across the ruined town, clinging to the edges of his boots as he stepped quietly through the skeletal remains of what had […]
He found it by the roadside, half-buried in slush and gravel, the kind of gray midwinter grime that coats everything after too many snowfalls and too few clear skies. It was early morning—too early for most people to be out—when Eli stepped off the bus for his walk to the factory. His boots crunched over […]
The rain had just started when Luke cut the ignition. It came soft and steady, like the weeping of someone too tired to sob. He sat there, hands still gripping the steering wheel, as if letting go might unravel him. The windshield wipers made a slow pass, then stopped mid-swipe — frozen, like everything else […]
It first appeared on a Tuesday afternoon, faint and crooked, on the back wall of the old living room where nobody sat anymore. The light filtered in through the narrow side window, catching the edge of the bookshelf, and cast a strange shape just above the dusty piano. At first glance, it looked like nothing—just […]
The wind was gentle that morning, but something about it felt heavy. Not with rain, not with storm, but with memory. Caleb stood by the old barn, staring at the horizon where the sun was just starting to press gold into the edge of the wheat. He held a Bible in his hand, worn leather […]
The wallet was small, cracked at the edges, and the kind of nondescript black leather that seemed to blend into the world around it. It sat beneath the bench in the downtown park like a forgotten relic, half-hidden under dry autumn leaves. The woman who found it—Anna—almost didn’t notice. She had paused only because her […]
The power had gone out hours ago, leaving the church cloaked in darkness save for the flickering glow of votive candles scattered along the altar rail. Rain whispered steadily against the stained-glass windows, each droplet tapping like a timid question. Outside, the storm stirred the trees, but inside, it was still—sacred still.Father Joel sat in […]
The day started with a stillness that felt unnatural for spring. No birdsong, no breeze, only the heavy hush of clouds swollen with something they hadn’t yet spoken. Thomas stood by the window, coffee cooling in his hand, watching the pavement darken with the first drops of rain. He hadn’t been to church in six […]
They found the journal in the bottom drawer, under a folded hoodie and a pair of worn ballet slippers that still smelled faintly of dust and rosin. It was a simple thing—leather-bound, corners frayed, the pages slightly curled like leaves left too long in the sun. Her name wasn’t on the cover. But anyone who […]