Nana Yamashita has been an absolute trainwreck ever since her girlfriend went missing nearly a year ago. She can barely remember who she was before that fateful morning when she woke up and realized that something had gone horribly wrong. Stuck in the memories of her old relationship, she can't move on. She hardly sees the point of breaking the monotonous loop of her tepid life in California when everything good about living has been taken away.

But her mother's new marriage to a businessman in Tokyo forces her to snap out of it. Before she can catch her breath, she's thrust into the eccentric world of the Watanabe family and forced to befriend her new sister. Too bad the only daughter of the Watanabe family isn't interested in being nice to her. It doesn't help that she reminds Nana of her missing girlfriend.

When new details about her ex's disappearance are uncovered, Nana must choose between staying in the past or moving forward into an uncertain future.

Once as close as brothers, Brodie and Nathaniel are stuck in a cell together in punishment for a crime gone wrong. What choices would you make to secure your freedom?

Short story submitted for a contest based on the tropes ‘friends turn strangers’ and ‘needing space’

The tale of Carolina Evans, a young girl plagued by debilitating depression, unfolds through a series of letters addressed to Angel, a mysterious figure shrouded in secrecy. Join us as we delve into the depths of Carolina's despair and the enigmatic connection she shares with Angel.

They say that when you kill someone, you'll feel pity, regret or maybe overwhelming remorse.

But when I killed him, I felt absolutely nothing.

I only gazed vacantly at the relentless gush of blood streaming from his neck and laughed bitterly at his pain.

The ones who knew me- they called me a monster. A villain who tortured her own loved one. After all, they only saw the manipulated lie; they were blind to the dark truth hidden from the eye.

In a world where divine power fragments have fallen to Earth, a charismatic leader named Akuji emerges, claiming a mandate from God to reshape humanity. Imbued with a fraction of God's power, Akuji possesses incredible abilities – bending space and time, even limited healing. He ushers in an era of seeming utopia, but beneath the surface lurks a sinister truth. Akuji's God complex grows, and his benevolent facade crumbles as he seeks to enforce his vision of a "perfect" world through control and manipulation. Will Liam and Rishang be able to stop Akuji?

The Unlikely Encounter

In the heart of the dense forest, under the shadow of the full moon, a lone wolf prowled, its senses heightened by the scent of blood lingering in the air. Meanwhile, deep within the ancient castle nestled on the edge of the woods, a vampire stirred from his slumber, drawn by the primal call of the hunt.

Little did they know, fate had woven their paths together, destined for a clash that would shake the foundations of their supernatural worlds.

As the wolf ventured deeper into the forest, its keen instincts warned of an impending danger. It paused, ears perked, as a dark figure emerged from the mist, revealing the silhouette of the vampire, his eyes glinting with hunger and malice.

Their eyes locked in a primal standoff, the tension thickening with each passing moment. Neither willing to back down, they prepared for the inevitable clash, unaware of the greater forces at play and the secrets hidden within their own pasts.

And so, with a fierce growl and a menacing hiss, the kurt and the vampire charged towards each other, marking the beginning of an epic battle that would test their strength, their resolve, and ultimately, their very existence.

"The Flyania City",  a modern city located on a isolated island. Under the management of the penguin mayor, the non-flying bird citizens lived happily and contentedly.

Several months ago, a pandemic called "Flyania"began to spread here, where patients hallucinated that they could fly and jumped from tall buildings to their deaths.

Herowl, a long-eared owl who worked as a night shift reporter, was dedicated to his job and admired the canary female anchor. He unexpectedly became involved in a series of events. He was determined to resolve the epidemic and save the "The Flyania City!"

No birds were harmed, injured, or killed during the creation of this story.

The characters, locations, events, dates, names, organizations, professions, departments, or any related elements in the story are purely fictional and have no relation to the real world. They do not reference any individuals, professions, organizations, departments, regions, or countries. Any resemblance is purely coincidental.

【Handsome straight cop/Mixed-race metrosexual forensic pathologist】

They are working together to solve a series of strange cases!

Every serious case tells a story of life and death, laughter and tears,

all awaiting your investigation...

Free Web Version - Quick Links to Split Volumes

🔗【VOL. 1 Top Secret】A pregnant prostitute is found dead in a sub-divided unit of Room 7C of Choi Fung Building. Why are there so many suspects?

🔗【VOL. 2 Twelve Old Men】Twelve old men living alone in the Eastern District commit suicide with a smile on their faces, but the forensic pathologist cannot find anything suspicious in their autopsies.

🔗【VOL. 3 A False Step】Five missing people die on the same day, all showing signs of frostbite. But early spring in Heticity is not that cold!

🔗【VOL. 4 Criminal Minds】The clinical psychologist in the police force seems to have a secret...

🔗【VOL. 5 Bog Body】A rare bog body is found in an old well, marking an important discovery of a mysterious case.

🔗【VOL. 6 The Silent Outcry】An internet celebrity died of throat slit in a hotel. The Serious Crimes Unit solves the case swiftly, but somehow there is something fishy about it.

🔗【VOL. 7 Buried Bones】Thirty years ago, there was not enough evidence to prosecute the suspect for murdering his pregnant wife. Is there any hope of solving the case now?

🔗【VOL. 8 The Goddess of Vengeance】Extra! A rare late autumn typhoon attacked Heticity together with a killer posing as the judge and the "Goddess of Vengeance".

🔗【VOL. 9 The Rainy Night Butcher】The door to the sealed memories gradually opens in a rainy night.

🔗【VOL. 10 Going "Potty"】A series of cases occur, all seemingly related to an odd work of art.

🔗【VOL. 11 The Phantom Rapist】A rapist escapes from a lift leaving no trace. Can he be brought to justice by forensic science?

🔗【VOL. 12 Broken But Fearless】The G.O.A.T. of "Kingdom of Fantasy" vanishes just before his final match before retirement. All that is left is a bloody, broken hand.

🔗【VOL. 13 The Shattered Corpses】The dismembered bodies of an old couple comes as a great shock. Yet it cannot be ascertained which suspect is responsible for the murder.

🔗【VOL. 14 A Lifelong Conviction】Broken body parts from different deceased bodies are sewn up as one. Lying behind are the dark secrets waiting to be spoken out by those silent witnesses.

* Translated from Chinese. For the work in the original language, please visit https://www.penana.com/story/91119/.

* Explore more in The Art of The Silent Witnesses (including fan arts)(Chinese version)

* Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons is entirely coincidental. Please do not commit crimes or imitate any dangerous acts in the story.

* If you like this piece of work, don't forget to comment, like and share!

Update every Sunday at 23:00 (UTC +8)

Ethan lives in the small town of  Mill Creek where hardly anything interesting ever hapoens. Or so he thought untill one day his neighbor next door disappears and nieces and nephew Ethan had never heard of move into the house.

The mystery around the McLain siblings begins to darken when Ethan begins to get attached to the handsome blonde yet dangerous bad boy  Elias McLain. As if that wasn't enough , a serial killer begins a ruthless  murder spree in Mill Creek and Ethan begins to suspect Elias and his sisters are the ones responsible

The Hidden World is a collection of supernatural elements and the individuals who hail from the realm of Marin and those who stumble upon it's secrets. These are their stories..

“In tons loaded with fear and disbelief, anger and fury, fruit of one's own fault, torn arms bearing the weight of all the struggle, broken spine, mutilated fingers, denied by God, forgotten by the heavens, remembered by the hated, in the presence of own omnipotence, I deny its presence and cry out for its non-existence, that is my belief” -Louf

Day Update : Friday & Sunday

Time : 04:00 PM (UTC +7 or Jakarta Time)

The Faith Providence Highschool Ghost Hunters Club is tightening its belts for an expedition into the Pool Park Asylum. This building fell into disuse after serving as a treatment facility for individuals with mental health issues. The reasons behind its collapse are complex and varied, despite the apparent sparing of no expense in its construction. However, a myriad of scandals has imbued the building's history with an absurd and terrifying value, leading to its failure in the market and eventual abandonment.

Rumors abound of horrifying occurrences such as poltergeist activity, shadowy apparitions, whispers, and the screams of a woman. It is said, like a comet returning once in a century, there was once a patient whose outer beauty was inversely proportional to her tormented psyche. Ostracized from her family for bringing shame and deemed to have no future, she became prey to the predatory behavior masked as medical treatment, sealing her fate in darkness and despair.

Anyone daring to step foot in this place is assured a fatal outcome.

This is an entry to a contest I took part in. My prompt was "exactly 2000 words, thriller where two journalists are being chased in a subway by an assassin, no romance involved"