A collection of expository English short stories to read.
By Eva Suluk
The biting cold of a northern Ontario winter permeated everything, a constant, dull ache that seeped into bones. Beneath a sky that was too vibrant, too alive with an alien luminescence, three figures navigated the precarious terrain of a frozen lake, their breath fogging in ragged clouds. The air hummed with an unsettling static, a promise of something more than just a deep chill.
By Eva Suluk
The wind, a sharpened blade, scoured downtown Winnipeg, forcing Thomas deeper into his coat. Each breath frosted instantly, a fleeting cloud against the brutal grey sky. The city’s hum felt distant, swallowed by the cold, leaving only the crunch of his boots on the gritted ice and the insistent, looping echo of a memory he couldn’t outrun.
By Jamie F. Bell
The world stands exposed in the early grip of winter, stripped bare of autumn's vibrant pretence. A young woman walks a familiar path, the biting air and skeletal trees mirroring a quiet internal shedding, leading her to an unexpected, grounding encounter.
By Jamie F. Bell
The kitchen window, usually just a frame for grey spring skies and slush, now glows with an impossible, sickly orange. A child, Abraham, watches the distorted light consume the familiar Winnipeg street, his small world shrinking under an indifferent, colourful apocalypse.
By Jamie F. Bell
The meeting space was not a room, but a shared processing instance within the ship's core consciousness. To the human observer, Johnny, it manifested on his neural interface as a vast, minimalist sphere of soft white light. Three nodes of denser light pulsed rhythmically within the sphere—the presences of the Curator AIs: Martin-7, Tina-4, and Bethany-9. The only sound was the faint, subliminal hum of data being endlessly sorted, catalogued, and preserved.
By Jamie F. Bell
The room beneath City Hall was technically a records archive, but its true purpose was far older. The air smelled of ancient paper, stone dust, and the faint, crackling scent of ozone that clung to places of power. Fluorescent lights flickered, fighting a losing battle against shadows that seemed to drink the light. Here, where the city's ley lines converged, the Unseen Arts Council met to manage the delicate balance between the mundane and the magical.
By Jamie F. Bell
The community hall smelled of damp plaster, stale coffee, and the faint, sweet perfume Bethany always wore. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting a sickly yellow pallor on the peeling paint and the mismatched, uncomfortable chairs arranged in a circle. A plate of digestive biscuits sat untouched on the folding table, a testament to the tension that had been simmering since the meeting began an hour ago.
By Jamie F. Bell
The boardroom on the 80th floor was sterile enough to perform surgery in. A single slab of polished obsidian served as the table, reflecting the perpetually grey London sky outside the floor-to-ceiling armoured glass. The air hummed with the whisper of the climate control and the unspoken threat of corporate annihilation. On the walls, instead of motivational posters, hung priceless works of stolen art, each a trophy from a fallen competitor.
By Jamie F. Bell
The chamber does not exist in any space a human could map. Its walls are shifting theorems of impossible geometry, and the air, thick with the scent of ozone and cooling stars, hums with a frequency that loosens the teeth. At its centre, a table of polished void reflects not the occupants, but the anxieties of any mind that perceives it. This is where taste is legislated and realities are painted.
By Jamie F. Bell
Colton and Tommy are in the abandoned shell of an old general store in the sweltering summer heat, having a tense, emotionally charged conversation following a fight. The scene is set amidst dust, decay, and harsh sunlight, reflecting their bruised relationship.
By Jamie F. Bell
A group of teenagers and a researcher gather in an aging community center during an autumn evening to discuss a new project.
By Eva Suluk
In a quiet community center classroom, Sarah, a researcher, faces a group of indifferent teenagers. Disillusioned by her previous attempts to connect, she abandons her carefully crafted lesson plan and poses a spontaneous question that unexpectedly ignites a raw, honest conversation about their town's failings.
By Jamie F. Bell
A town hall meeting, usually sparse and tense, is unexpectedly packed. A large screen dominates the stage. The air crackles with anticipation and a hopeful, nervous energy as Leo, Sam, and Jordan prepare to present their project.
By Jamie F. Bell
The town council meeting, thick with unspoken tension, gives way to a cautious, incremental shift. Later, weeks pass, and the municipal recreation center, once a space of restless anonymity, transforms into a hub of quiet, focused creativity for Jordan, Sam, and Leo.
By Leaf Richards
Jordan, a quiet teenager, navigates the economically depressed streets of Sprucewood, Northwestern Ontario, his keen observational eye absorbing the town's slow decay. His secret sketchbook, filled with detailed drawings of hands, is his only outlet for expressing his profound sense of disconnection.
By Tony Eetak
The oppressive normalcy of high school on a dreary autumn day fuels Sam's growing discontent. His internal monologue reveals a yearning for significant change, contrasting sharply with the mundane predictability of his surroundings.