by Cherise Papa | Jan 1, 2025 | Fantasy, Flash Fiction
Happy New Year! A weather-worn piano awaits in the center of overgrown portals, moss and vines obscuring the stone bases. My throat dries. No one had warned me music was the key to the portals, only constantly reminding me that I was the chosen one, that I was...
by Cherise Papa | Dec 25, 2024 | Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Paranormal
Turns out I wrote for the wrong prompt, so here is the story for the right one! Deep beneath the snow, where only cold darkness reigns, time stands still. My body is too numb to shiver, and I only feel unending pain. Focus, I remind myself. I chose to be...
by Cherise Papa | Dec 25, 2024 | Fantasy, Flash Fiction
A tingle warmed the back of my neck despite winter’s bitter wind, and I tensed instantly. Snow blanketed the empty fields surrounding me, but an abandoned-looking barn set deep in distant trees caught my eye. Inhaling deeply, I tapped into my senses, seeking for...
by Cherise Papa | Aug 21, 2024 | Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Romance
With a single hand, the traveler adjusted his long hair to ensure his pointed ears were covered. In his other hand, he cradled the last two bites of a pastry, delicate flakes clinging to his palm. Need to devour the remnants itched at the back of his throat, but he...
by Cherise Papa | Aug 7, 2024 | Fantasy, Flash Fiction
Shouting rumbled through the walls below, and the boy lazily stuck a bookmark into his comic book and tossed it on his bed. The shouting grew louder, and rushed footsteps ascended the stairs. One breath, two breaths. The boy’s bedroom door slammed open. His...
by Cherise Papa | Aug 4, 2024 | Fantasy, Flash Fiction
Getting this up a few days late. But we have conquered COVID after it slowly worked through our family the past two weeks. I’m still not back to normal, but that will come with time. I’m just happy to be able to breathe properly again. The splash of water...