Fiction Stories

the letter i almost threw away

The Letter I Almost Threw Away

Aurora Sterling

I used to tell people my father was dead.It was easier than explaining the silence.He wasn’t violent—but his absence bruised ...

the watch he left behind

The Watch He Left Behind

Aurora Sterling

Part 1: The Drawer That Shouldn’t Have Opened The drawer was stuck. It had always been stuck.But today, something in ...

debt of honor

Debt of Honor

Aurora Sterling

He never asked to be called a hero.Not in the mud, not in the jungle, and certainly not fifty years ...

the long way home

The Long Way Home

Aurora Sterling

He came home from a war no one wanted.Off the bus in San Francisco, a tomato hit his chest before ...

the dog who stayed

The Dog Who Stayed

Aurora Sterling

Part 1: The One I Didn’t Want to Remember I forgot the man’s name, but not his face.He got killed ...

sonny and the letter

Sonny & The Letter

Aurora Sterling

Part 1: The Letter With No Return Address He hadn’t opened his mail in days. Bills, junk, pension updates—all the ...

tom harris the mutt

Tom Harris & the Mutt

Aurora Sterling

Tom never talked much about Vietnam.But there was one story — the one with the dog.Not the heroic kind. This ...

the dog that never barked

The Dog That Never Barked

Aurora Sterling

He thought the dog would get him killed.One bark — that’s all it would’ve taken.Instead, the mutt led him into ...