Author Archive for Nick Hayden

Aural Cleansing

Tony did not hear the music in his earphones as he sat in the waiting room, even though the bass and the synth drowned out the whining child across the room and the TV replaying a superhero cartoon and the hum of the fishtank and the occasional ringing of the…

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The Forest of Memories

Steven noticed his father’s slight limp as they took the trail into the woods next to the house. He glanced at his brother, to see if he had noticed, but Paul was looking at the trees and the ferns growing beneath. “It’s all different now,” he said. “I keep trimming…

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The Rite of the Stone

Here’s another original short story for 2023. If you like it, share it with your friends.

The Young Man of Atlasjam

Keys Down the Hall

macro photography of piano

After the phone call, Elliott gathered his books and hefted his backpack over his shoulder. He walked across the seminary campus to the chapel, but he stopped before it and did not enter. Inside were the stained glass windows and the altar and the cross lifted high. He felt a…

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Lawful Evil

Upon descending the crumbling steps that led down into the subterranean lair of Mulnok the Necromancer, Percival found a large desk with a large sign that read “Information.” A young woman sat at the desk, dressed rather scandalously in well-fitted pants and blouse. She scribbled at a piece of parchment…

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The Ultimate Weapon

grayscale photo of trees and body of water

Theo stumbled, caught himself, and continued to sprint down the incline, breathless, falling more than running, narrowly avoiding the dark trunks in the twilight, branches smacking him, leaves and logs tripping him, racing down like a boulder as the land became still steeper. Crashes and breaking and hateful screams followed…

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The Happiness Paradox

black wooden bench on green grass

“The Happiness Equation, did you really have it worked out?”

Kill Thyself

books and lamp on bedside table in hotel room

You wake and stare at the window where the early morning light filters through the blinds and you try not to think of the knife on the nightstand.  You could rise and eat breakfast and brush your teeth and ignore the presence of the knife. You could snooze for another…

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A Moment of Light

cityscape against cloudy sky

You can see it from miles away, sunlight gleaming off its silver exterior. It resembles a rocket from a black-and-white movie, sleek and upright and poised to launch effortlessly into regions unknown. It is not the tallest structure in the world, but it is close.  Some call it one of…

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The God-King

photo of person standing on a famous temple

Ada had walked up the seven thousand steps unaccompanied and now she stood before the wall. It towered above her, white marble glittering in the morning light. She stood in awe of the structure, the fear that had hovered about her during her dark ascent settling upon her, soaking into…

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Crack in the Wall

textured surface of old shabby white wall

They told me I’m sick. They ran the wand over me and it beeped. I protested, but they led me away, into one of their wards, where we sick people are stacked in cubicles and told to wait until we recover or we die. My room is a white, with…

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