Short Stories

  • The Fuzzy Headed X’s

    The Fuzzy-Headed X’sBy: Emmitt Owens[A Whimsy Poem Inspired by my own ADHD](Index #12022025) In the Land-of-Wait-What-Was-I-Doing-Again,Lived a Fuzzy-Head X (they’ve forgotten since when).Each morning they wake with their goals burning bright:“Today I’ll stay focused! I’ll get it all right!” They’ll start buttering toast—but the toaster looks dusty—so, they search for a cloth—but the cloth is Read more

  • Chill n’FillEpisode: The Space Between Wanting and TakingWritten by: Emmitt Owens(Index #01152026) Authors Preliminary Notes: This episode is emotionally dense. This episode is a keystone—it defines what “healthy” looks like in this universe. Future episodes will bounce off it.    The thing about midnight is that it doesn’t lie. Whatever you bring through those doors Read more

  • The Me-Me-Me Monsters

    The Me-Me-Me MonstersBy: Emmitt Owens(Index #12042025) In a town near the Valley of Didn’t-You-Know,Lived folks who were stars of their own one-man shows.They’d puff up their chests with a me-me-me boom,Till they sucked every ounce of attention in rooms. They’d never ask questions like “How was your day?”For that would mean listening — what? No Read more

  • The Ballad of the Perfect PotatoExistential/Psychological/Systems HorrorBy: Emmitt Owens(Index #12272025) Look at my spud, so pristine and so round,Perfectly shaped, not a blemish or brown,Grows exactly on schedule, never strays from the row,But ask what it dreams of? Man, I just don’t know. See, I had a vision, a masterful plan,Gonna cultivate me the world’s Read more

  • “On Craft and Consequence: The Ethics of Writing What You’re Not”An Essay on the Trilogy: Red Flags, Red Lights / SEEN / ExhaleBy: Emmitt Owens(Index #01042026) I. Why These Three Pieces Exist Together I didn’t set out to write a trilogy. I set out to process a moment of confusion—a miscommunication so minor it barely Read more

  • “Exhale”Part III of a three-part fictional character study examining miscommunication, intrusive thought, and self-reflection.The Truth Behind The InkBy: Emmitt Owens (Index #01042026) [Verse 1]You know, I didn’t write “SEEN” ’cause I lived it—that ain’t me,I wrote it ’cause I witnessed what unchecked pain can be,Dudes who turn rejection into Reddit threads and spite,So I sketched that Read more

  • The Trilogy Part II: Seen

    The Trilogy Part II: “SEEN”Part II of a three-part fictional character study examining miscommunication, intrusive thought, and self-reflection.A Multisyllabic, Whimsy, Stream of Consciousness Rhyme. (A character study of emotional immaturity)By: Emmitt Owens(Index #01042026) [Verse 1]Texted this bitch Tuesday, she ain’t answer ’til Friday night“Sorry, been so busy”—nah, you just ain’t think I’m rightFor your stuck-up Read more

  • Me vs. Me: The Scroll

    Me vs. Me: The ScrollBy: Emmitt Owens(Index #01052026)    The blue glow painted my face as I scrolled through another profile. Single. The word sat there like an invitation I couldn’t accept, couldn’t ignore, couldn’t do anything with except stare at it until my eyes burned.     My thumb hovered over the message button, frozen in Read more

  • Red Flags, Red LightsPart I of a three-part fictional character study examining miscommunication, intrusive thought, and self-reflection.A Multisyllabic, Whimsy, Stream of Consciousness RhymeBy: Emmitt Owens(Index #01042026) [Verse 1]I said “maybe lunch” like a shrug with a smileShe heard “future plans,” heard “pressure,” heard “trial”I got more free time than a retired clockEven my hustle hit Read more

  • B-12: A Love Vitamin

    B-12: A Love NumberBy: Emmitt Owens(Index #12312025)    Look, I’m fifty-four, and I’ll tell you right now: the house didn’t echo when my youngest daughter drove off to college. It just got quiet. The kind of quiet you’ve been waiting thirty-four years for, even if you didn’t know it. The last of the kids to Read more