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  • By the Batphone:

    16th Oct 2025
    Rachel, Short Story, Uncategorized
    By the Batphone:

    The call rang out, filling the empty corridors of Wayne Manor. The building that once stood tall in all its grandeur: stained glass windows and ornate arched ceilings, covered in brilliant lights, was now a shell of its own shadow. Though still a spectacular sight, neglect leaked through the pillars, spreading into the gardens, magnificently decayed.

    And where is the elusive Bruce Wayne? Gotham’s favourite playboy socialite who loved making his presence known? He’s wandering the vacant halls of his own home. Even the gargoyles perched on his roof, stoic and silent, refused to acknowledge his presence. But he doesn’t seem to notice. With a glass of hooch in one hand and his black silk robe dragging along the floor, he stumbled through each room. The further he walked, the more the hallways seemed to shift.

    As he descended the staircase, the light from the panoramic windows seeped through. He slowly tilted his head back, closing his eyes just to feel the sun on his face. A moment full of clarity, but as fleeting as the warmth itself.

    Carelessly, he made his way to the library and seated himself by the dusty bookshelves. He knew every single one of the books there, the conversations and stories they carried. He reminisced the joys of the different worlds he had once immersed himself in for hours, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

    Then he heard it again. Another call, another rejection.

    If you need him now, don’t count on it. But soon enough, he’ll be by the Batphone.


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  • Ceremonial Watering at Dawn:

    6th Oct 2025
    Rachel, Short Story, Uncategorized
    Ceremonial Watering at Dawn:

    Each morning you water the fake plants
    like rain might forget the difference
    between plastic and petals.

    I suppose that’s what you do.
    Darling, it’s all you’ve ever known.

    Pouring into soil that can’t hold it.
    And as the droplets slide off the leaves,
    how could you not notice the futility?

    There’s a certain ease in your habits,
    though shallow they may be.
    Disillusioned? Heavily.
    But how could you bring yourself
    to acknowledge they’re not real?
    For if you do that,
    you’ll have to confront what’s stopped growing.

    So, you go back to what’s broken, comfortable.
    Keep nurturing because it feels right.
    Keep up the ceremonial watering, darling.
    Water it more.

    Though you should know,
    you haven’t stopped loving,
    you’ve just run out of real things to love.

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  • The Mirror’s Image

    23rd Sep 2025
    Rachel, Short Story, Uncategorized
    The Mirror’s Image

    The mirror is a vault of things I try to erase.
    Each flashback a fissure, a crack in my grace.
    I wander through museums of aching regret,
    admiring my shame in each framed silhouette.

    I was the villain in every story I wrote,
    composed every chapter and signed every note.
    Didn’t need enemies, I played them all,
    one by one, I felt each of them fall.

    Whispered harsh truths no friend ever dared,
    wore my guilt like a coat, custom-stitched in despair.
    Built a castle from wreckage, with walls laced in hate.
    Furnished with failures I learned to curate.

    In the dark of night I broke like cheap glass,
    sitting in silence with questions I would always bypass.
    Instead of the usual self-inflicted sting,
    A soft voice whispered, “you’re under my wing.”

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  • No. 1 Party Anthem:

    19th Sep 2025
    Rachel, Short Story, Uncategorized
    No. 1 Party Anthem:

    INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT

    The camera pans across her cluttered vanity: a half-finished glass of water, dirty makeup brushes, unopened skincare still in its packaging.

    The shot shifts. She reaches for her earphones, pressing them snug against her ears. Settling on the edge of her bed, phone in hand, she taps shuffle on Spotify.

    Alex Turner’s lazy “One, two…” drifts in, the drums following.

    CLOSE-UP: She rolls her eyes instantly, scoffing with laughter.

    CUT TO WIDE SHOT:
    “Call off the search for your soul or put it on hold again”

    Her eyes widen. A sly smile spreads across her face. She jumps up, swaying to the soft beat, hair loose, spinning across the carpet. Socks slipping; arms flailing about with zero coordination. The bedroom is her stage, the mirror her audience. She’s not graceful. Far from it. But she’s free.

    CHORUS HITS:
    “Come on, come on, come on. Number one party anthem”

    She belts it out, stupidly off-key, holding her hairbrush like a mic, eyes shut tight, letting the music take over. The camera whirls around her, edges of the room blurring, a spotlight centring her in her own chaotic performance.

    BRIDGE:
    “The look of love, the rush of blood.”

    She dives dramatically onto her bed, hair a knotted mess, screaming into the sheets. The camera hovers above, zooming in on her flushed face as she wrings the bridge for all it’s worth, straining for the notes she knows she can’t hit.

    The song winds down. The lamp flickers softly. Silence returns, except for her breathless laughter echoing into the walls.

    Because of course that was the first song to play. The one that always finds her, wherever she is.

    FADE OUT.

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  • Before the Altar of Excess:

    11th Sep 2025
    Rachel, Short Story, Uncategorized
    Before the Altar of Excess:

    Are we slaves to our desires?
    Kneeling before the altar of excess.

    We pour out liquor like water,
    drinking until that is all
    that runs through us.

    Altering our vision,
    twisting reality
    to our needs.

    Our bodies blur together,
    heat spilling,
    hands everywhere.

    We trade
    every ounce of pain
    for fleeting pleasure.

    We burn too freely,
    touch too easily,
    promising each other eternity
    knowing it will vanish
    with the dawn.

    It doesn’t feel right,
    but we can’t tell what’s wrong.

    So we keep going.
    Further,
    faster,
    until nothing is left.

    And yet,
    in that silence after,
    we remain thirsty.

    Endlessly unfulfilled,
    dragged to our knees,
    again.

    What are we but lost?

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  • A Carnival of “What Ifs”:

    1st Sep 2025
    Rachel, Short Story, Uncategorized
    A Carnival of “What Ifs”:

    The smell of coffee fills every inch of my space, mingling with the golden glow of the lamp. The floorboards creak beneath my steps, and I feel the tightness in my chest. It’s 3 a.m., and I still haven’t slept a wink. My eyelids are heavy; my body exhausted in every way.

    I still myself, closing my eyes and taking a slow, deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling. I repeat this six more times, but the familiar sinking feeling lingers, relentlessly taunting me through the night. If only my mind could find rest, some sense of peace. If only I could make sense of all the things that keep going wrong, maybe then I could close my eyes. Instead, my mind is awake, loud, a carnival of “what ifs.” A carousel spinning on guilt? Fear? Chance? Or maybe all three.

    It’s sensory overload at this hour. Every ride lights up at once, flashing with false urgency, a call to action I don’t need. Then begins the choir of anxious voices, offering to be the carnival’s bashful music. My fingers tap my desk to the rhythm of my thoughts, twitching to the music blaring in my head.

    “Shut up,” I murmur, hands pressed against my face.

    I reluctantly glance at the clock, an entire hour has collapsed. With a staggering breath and quivering lips, I sit at my desk. My chest rises and falls in a fixed pattern as I try to steady my breathing. This night wasn’t supposed to go this way. I just had some work to finish and then planned to unwind with an episode of Seinfeld. I can’t even pinpoint the moment I spiralled into this madness. But I did. Little by little, indulging every thought that crossed my mind, playing out every scenario that could, would, or might never even occur.

    A laugh catches in my throat, “how stupid is this?”

    I slowly stand, letting the blood rush down to my legs, and make my way outside to feel the crisp night air. No jacket, no shoes, I need the reset of the cold breeze. As soon as it hits my face, I loosen. I unclench my jaw; my shoulders drop, and my eyes widen as I gaze at the stars. They flicker in a soothing beat, winking at me from the dark half of the blue. The freshness of the air continues to fill my lungs, and I realise that all I wanted to do tonight was control the wind. But I can only feel it; let it ruffle my hair, whisper past my ears, and remind me that there are things out of my control.

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  • Sweetness to the Soul:

    26th Aug 2025
    Rachel, Short Story, Uncategorized
    Sweetness to the Soul:

    Pleasant words drip slowly
    like honey,
    settling on the tongue of the heart.

    The taste remains sweet,
    soothing even the harshest of aches.

    They melt instantly,
    yet are not quick to leave.
    They linger for a lifetime,
    sticking to corners of memory.

    Seeping through cracks of doubt
    and turning empty spaces
    into honeycombs.
    Full of clarity,
    full of life,
    and stability.

    When hands do nothing,
    and gestures falter,
    a gentle whisper
    restores,
    nourishes,
    and heals.

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  • Hollow Tracks

    23rd Aug 2025
    Rachel, Short Story, Uncategorized
    Hollow Tracks

    The train loosened beneath him, no longer feeling like rails, and the familiar clanging of the wheels faded into a deafening silence that pressed against his ears. He straightened up in his seat, alert, as the carriage stretched and curved like molten, fluid arcs distorting his vision. The air charged with a thickness that refused to evaporate, forming lumps in his throat that unsteadied him.

    Outside, darkness pushed against the window with a mighty force, wind clawing violently, trying to bleed through the cracks. He glanced out the window, looking for an escape, but not a flash of light or a shape was to be seen, just a void. Barren and limitless, the beyond extended.

    This was the same train he had boarded two hours ago, but the atmosphere had shifted.

    Frightened, he remained in his seat, knowing if he moved, or let out even a shallow breath, he’d cease to exist. Suddenly, passengers flickered like candle flames; faces smiling in an unsettling manner and then fading, only to reappear in new seats. His eyes darted to each glitch as guilt tugged tighter in his chest. It was coming for him. She was coming for him.

    The music, drenched in the sound of the organ and clashing of the cymbals, drifted through the air, a haunting melody twisting words and notes, whispering secrets he had never spoken aloud.

    His breath trembled; chest tightened. A hand touched his. Fingers curled around his like smoke, hair brushing his skin. Overcome with regret, he shut his eyes, lips curving downward to a frown. Jaw clenched, he drew a deep breath, holding it tight.

    Her voice low yet demanding, she hissed into his ear, “Face me.”

    With quivering lips and tears streaming down his face, he achingly opened his eyes. She stood before him, resentful eyes hollow and unyielding. Her hair was unkempt, her complexion ghastly, and a knowing grin curled at the edge of her lips. Not once did they break eye contact. Not once did they speak.

    The music bent further, stretching like smoke into the corners of the carriage, while flickering passengers whispered incoherently. They remained still, breath mingling. He searched her eyes, and in their hollow depth, he saw the memory he would never escape.

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  • The Weight of Wings:

    18th Aug 2025
    Rachel, Short Story, Uncategorized
    The Weight of Wings:

    The clouds try to sell me imagined futures,
    but the soil beneath my feet says otherwise.

    I stretch my wings, only to scrape the sky.
    The silver linings obnoxiously tease,
    quickly drifting out of reach.

    My eyes seek reassurance,
    but catch only empty longings of the heart.

    Breaking the lens of illusions.
    Quiet and loyal, gravity steads me,
    pulling me back when I wander.

    Not to give up flight,
    but to return to something firm.

    Grounded.

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  • 505 and the Open Road

    10th Aug 2025
    Rachel, Short Story, Uncategorized
    505 and the Open Road

    The night hums like it’s waiting for her. Stars wink overhead, the moon hangs low, and the streets glow like a dance she can’t refuse. The breeze calms and turns cool. Streetlights spill warmth onto the roads, while houselights switch off in an untimely fashion, signalling the day’s end. A time for rest, for sleep, to unwind and prepare for tomorrow. But that’s not how it is for her.

    For her, the night is daring. A time to move with the moon. Freedom wrapped in a liveliness that never fades.

    “The night is young,” she whispers to herself.

    She wraps a fluffy, white robe around her, pyjamas underneath. No need to impress, she’s not leaving the car. No show, no effort, just readiness. The night calls her name.

    She climbs into the driver’s seat. The ignition’s buzz sends chills down her spine. The dashboard lights up. She lights up. Queues her favourite songs, the ones that fit the mood, the vibe. Volume at 52, loud enough to burst her eardrums, but she doesn’t care.

    The car shifts into drive, and she’s off.

    Wherever the road takes her, she goes. The night stretches before her like a ribbon of possibility and light, wild and wide beneath the wheels. Mist rolls in, settling low to the ground. Then she hears it. The faint organ, her late-night drive anthem.

    She straightens, ready. Softly, she sings along, “I’m going back to 505…”

    The first verse floats by like a quiet breath, but each line layers another sound, another spark. The drums slip in, then the bass, steady but insistent. She taps her foot without thinking. Her pulse matches the beat and the guitar swells, shimmering like the mist around her. Something inside her leans forward.

    The tension grows. The road narrows. Her grip tightens on the steering wheel. Then, like a match to gasoline, the bridge hits. Her foot pushes down on the accelerator, the car rushes forward, as the engine roars in harmony with the music. With the same raw, emotional grit as Alex Turner, she belts into the night, “I crumble completely when you cry!”

    It’s pure joy. Wind clawing at the windows and lights streaking past. The sound fills every space inside the car, as if the whole world is holding its breath until the song’s crescendo lets it go.

    The mist slams against the windscreen, blurring the road ahead. No sign of the pavement. Just headlights cutting through vapor, like a dream unfolding in real time.

    As the car passes through, the air clears just as the song fades.

    “Cinematic,” she smiles to herself.

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