Modern Short Stories

“The Most Dangerous Game” (1924) is the Richard Connell short story that continues to fascinate readers with its suspense and action. This is the original story—only word order and difficult vocabulary have been updated. Biographical information, end notes, and analysis of the major themes follow the text. AR Quiz No. 8634 EN Fiction Upper Grades - BL: 5.3 - AR Pts: 1.0. For other short stories in easy to understand modern English search the web for “George Lakon.”

Reader reviews for Alice Crowley's HOT writing: "I LOVED THE IMAGINATION OF THIS AUTHOR!" ~Satisfied Kindle Reader "FIVE STARS!" ~Multiple Fans In this 3,000 word short, a married woman and her husband are taken on a deep and powerful journey into the world of erotic infidelity. Lonni has a new toy -- her husband bought it for her and she loves it! When the toy becomes sentient though, and begins to speak to her, she is very afraid. Now a bounty hunter shows up, and saves her from being consumed by her obsession with technology by taking and demanding her awaiting flesh. When the husband ...

She’s sworn off love. But a passion for perfume could lead to her heart’s desire… When Kitty Landers boards a plane to France in her wedding dress everyone thinks she’s crazy. But after being dumped by her fiancé, the former hopeless romantic is not interested in the city of love. Kitty is bound for the perfume capital of the world to rebuild her shattered life. Except when she arrives in Grasse, she meets not one, but two, attractive millionaires who share her passion for perfume. The elusive and exciting Pierre Joubert is heir to a successful perfume empire and impossible to ...

Don't bend; don't water it down; don't try to make it logical; don't edit your soul according to fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly. - Franz Kafka. Franz Kafka wrote, I am free that is why I'm lost. Assume, you wake up and the entire world is against you. You want to follow yourself but the people are dominant on you to do what they want. We don't feel chains until we move. Franz Kafka was not a body to be defined but a soul and heart to be felt. When you zoom out on his life, you will find only a miserable life and a soul that was stubborn to his writings and ...

What links a café in Antarctica, a factory for producing electronic tracking tags, and personal spacecraft? They're among the multiple venues where award-winning writer Tania Hershman sets her unique tales in this spellbinding debut collection. This audiobook, adbridged from the original collection, is read by the author, Tania Hershman.

Restless Tiger A Long short Story Alex and Diego are busy smuggling contraband north across the sea to Vietnam and Cambodia and bringing refugees south across the Gulf of Thailand in early 1998. They find that running a fleet of twelve boats is hard enough, but piracy is rampant on the water. They are also hijacking ships at sea to liberate them of their cargo and turn a profit. And then there is their old scourge, the Frenchman, back on the attack. They have to teach him a lesson and exact revenge for murdered crewmen in the last nasty sea encounter. But how? The third of a collection of ...

Bianca Taylor has one goal. Make it to the pros. She works night and day for that dream. Every morning she wakes up early to shoot the basketball in the gym. Every morning was the same until Seth Williams walked in the gym. The sexy shooting guard, captured her attention and now she can’t keep her hands off him. March Madness is a steamy sports BWWM romance. This interracial short story is 3,400 words long and is for mature readers only.

“The Tell-Tale Heart” is the Edgar Allan Poe gothic short story that continues to fascinate readers with its murder, beating heart, and insanity. -The language of over 170 years ago has been updated making Poe’s difficult language easily understood by today’s readers. -Every effort has been made to keep the story as close to the original as possible--only word order and difficult vocabulary have been changed. -End notes, interpretation, and discussion of major themes follow the text. -Biographical information on Edgar Allan Poe is included.-Accelerated Reader AR Quiz No. 7946 EN ...

When a mole exposes most of the bureau’s undercovers, two FBI agents are forced into a fake marriage. Laura O’Conner is a fresh-faced rookie; Robert Mills is a hardened disabled veteran sidelined due to a previous injury. They both hate each other’s tactics, yet they can’t keep their eyes off each other. Not only do they have to work together to bring down a notorious crime family, they must also remain professional and not let their feelings get in the way. However, their love can only be withheld for so long before they both submit to their feelings.This instalove enemy to lovers ...

In this instance you might have bitten more than you can chew. I'm a little worried about you; you see, not everyone can handle this epic madness and trust me, this madness was not created for everyone. The team at SpookyNinjaKitty sent out 10 copies to supposed horror fans for feedback and by the very next day, six had dropped dead from heart attacks, three committed suicide and the last one has never seen again.

A dangerous wave of madness is sweeping across a city. A young girl becomes the conduit for a haunted house. An abandoned theater is the gateway to a darker world. Do you believe in ghosts? You will. This collection of the best stories from award-winning NoSleep horror author Kyle Harrison will have you questioning your sanity while you keep the light on while listening to the book.

Hannah Smith has it all—an incredible career, a loving husband, and a close-knit group of friends. But despite their picture-perfect life, Hannah and James are hiding a painful secret: they’re struggling with infertility. As Hannah watches her colleagues and friends celebrate pregnancies, her hope slowly fades. Even her once rock-solid marriage begins to crack under the weight of unfulfilled dreams. In the midst of her heartache, Hannah turns to her faith, making a desperate promise—if blessed with a child, she will dedicate their life to serving others. Just when she least expects it...

In a city crumbling under the weight of corruption and greed, one woman rises to lead the charge for justice. Deborah, a brilliant CEO known for her integrity and wisdom, is thrust into a battle against a powerful conglomerate that has a stranglehold on the city's economy and its people. With small businesses collapsing and political leaders turning a blind eye, Deborah takes matters into her own hands. Teaming up with Barak, a hesitant politician unsure of his ability to fight such a formidable foe, Deborah mobilizes a diverse coalition of activists, journalists, and community leaders. ...

Dark Matter is an anthology of estranged tales that were written for the fans of all things weird and bizarre. Some of the stories are recounted rumors of a forgotten past, while others are fortunes told of a distant and horrific future. All of the legends within this collection share a single common element: madness.

Lamar Brown and Kimberly Zhang are the best pair figure skaters in the US. When they get paired together, the execution on their technical skills are flawless, however what they are lacking is the sexy romance that pair skaters usually display. After being challenged by their coach, the pair go for a night of drinking and dancing to connect, but what they didn’t expect was to end up in the same bed together! The Figure Skaters is an AWBM interracial erotic romance. At 3,800 words, this steamy short story is for mature readers only.

Many of O. Henry’s stories describe cultural issues of the day, and many incorporate themes relevant to our modern times. This anthology was specially selected for this purpose. It includes the story performances and introduces the telling of each story by describing its relevance and explaining some of the references that might not be familiar to modern-day audiences.

Do you ever wonder if there is a gnome living in the hole at the bottom of the old tree in the park? Have you ever felt like you weren't alone while in the woods? Did you know that elves are responsible for many of our day-to-day occurrences? If your mind ever fills with these kinds of questions, then these modern fairy tales are for you!

Seizing the Tiger It’s 1996 and Alex the Pirate hates having his smuggled goods ripped off on the high seas. Colonel Le, another pirate, got the drop on him and he is vastly outgunned in his wooden-hulled tongkang in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand. Le smirks as he steals Alex’s valuable cargo and powers away to leave Alex and crew drifting on their damaged craft at sea. Alex and his friend Diego know that vengeance is a dish best served cold. Le will pay for his treachery—the hard way. And maybe they will seize the cutthroat’s prize boat—the one they call the Tiger. The first ...

After the sudden loss of her husband, Ruth is left with nothing but her mother-in-law Naomi and a broken heart. With no future in the city they once called home, Naomi decides to return to her small hometown, hoping to find solace in familiar faces. Ruth, refusing to leave the only family she has left, makes a bold choice: she will leave everything behind to follow Naomi and start anew. As Ruth struggles to rebuild her life in a tight-knit community, she crosses paths with Boaz, a successful and respected business owner. Ruth is drawn to his quiet strength, while Boaz can’t help but ...

Within the first Modern Madness collection, Gateway to the Grotesque, the modern-day dark-hearted master of horror Tim Chizmar introduced the world to his quality tales of terror. Now, in The Screaming Virgins, he seeks to usher in a brand-new group of masterful storytellers to shock, disgust, and scare you out of your mind!