Latest Stories

Most recently published stories on Vocal.

POGs: Recess Gambling
The 90s are making a massive comeback. Everyone’s wearing JNCO jeans again, chokers are back, and somehow frosted tips are trying to sneak into society like we all forgot what happened the first time.
By Jesse Lee24 days ago in Geeks
Has the LAUSD School Board Race Been Turned Upside Down?
“Ed was clearly a product that was rushed out, without any evidence for its efficacy, and without any transparency around the dealmaking process." — Lila Byock, founder of Schools Beyond Screens
By Carl J. Petersen24 days ago in The Swamp
Reflexivity at the Edge of Exhaustion
Book Review: Reflexivity at the Edge of Exhaustion There are books that describe a condition, and there are books that diagnose a structure. The Reflexivity Trap: Language, Prophecy, and the Perils of the Open Society belongs to the latter category. It does not merely comment on the political turbulence of the present or the volatility of digital media. It proposes that a single mechanism — reflexivity — has shifted from an explanatory insight into a governing script, and that this shift marks a civilisational threshold. The result is a philosophical intervention into debates on openness, media, prophecy and power that is at once systematic and unsettling.
By Peter Ayolov24 days ago in BookClub
Best Outdoor Security Cameras In Canada. AI-Generated.
Tonight I found myself staring out the window at the quiet Canadian street covered in soft snow. The world looked peaceful and still, yet I could not ignore the subtle awareness that comes with owning a home. Seasons change quickly here and so do circumstances. That thought led me into a long reflection about outdoor protection and how much it truly matters.
By Alex Bryn24 days ago in Journal
The Dairy of Lily Slytherin: Part 5
Dear Diary, It’s already been three weeks in the school year! I feel like this year is going slower than I thought. Somedays it feels like one day equals two days, but it helps to have awesome friends in my classes. I’m sorry I haven’t been writing lately. John and I have been exploring the castle. We are trying to find every passageway possible. I think we are pretty close, based on what Godric told me. My godparents love to help me whenever they can, but when they catch you in the Ravenclaw common room it’s kind of hard to keep them happy. I sneak in there sometimes when I’m scared, so Helena can protect me from everything. I got told to be careful next time I try to sneak into the common room. If only they knew what happened in the Slytherin common room.
By Lea Rue24 days ago in Geeks
The Diary of Lily Slytherin Part: 4
Dear Diary, I have some amazing news! My dad actually said yes to something I asked. Yes, he approved my friends, but I have asked him before if I could share things with people. He has always said no. I guess all the reasons that I gave him were enough for him to say yes. So the other day I brought John to the most secret passageway I knew and told him everything. The truth, the cover story, and the background of how it all came to be. All he had to say was “That is why Godric favors you so much.” Apparently, everyone is confused why Godric favors a Slytherin student when everyone knows that he doesn’t like Slytherin. They all think I am special now. Great way to blend in I guess.
By Lea Rue24 days ago in Geeks
A Hungry Butterfly
Butterfly sucking From a yellow daffodil Monarch looks content
By Margaret Minnicks24 days ago in Poets
The Blue Peak Hiding in Plain Sight
Most people believe white light is neutral. If it looks white, it must be safe. If it feels bright, it must be effective.
By illumipure24 days ago in Journal
The Inversion
March 30th, 2027: The Day the World Turned Inside Out No one screamed. That was the first strange thing. On March 30th, 2027, the sun rose in the west. Not dramatically. Not in a cinematic blaze. It simply appeared where it did not belong — quiet and confident, as if it had always preferred that direction.
By Flower InBloom24 days ago in Fiction
The Diary of Lily Slytherin:Part 3
Dear Diary, It has already been a week since I came to Hogwarts and I have made so many new friends. Well, that is not entirely true. I have a friend named John who I met on the first day. Then I became friends with a pure-blood Gryffindor named Maddie. Yes, I have permission from dad to be friends with her. Remember when I told you about Kendreth Malfoy. Now, I am hanging out with her and her friends without my father’s permission. He doesn’t like the Malfoy family at all. She seems nice. So what if I hang out with the one pure-blood family my father doesn’t like? What could go wrong?
By Lea Rue24 days ago in Geeks
The Library of Possible Prefaces
If you have come this far, you have already made a mistake. The library does not let you know you are there. It appears between a tobacconist and a shop that sells umbrellas, in a city whose name I will not give you, because the name of a city is the end of a city, and this city has not yet decided what it is.
By Tim Carmichael24 days ago in Fiction
The Diary of Lily Slytherin:Part 2
Dear Diary, I am excited for tomorrow! Tomorrow is September 1st and I will be arriving with my brother and Baron at Hogwarts. We are going to Hogwarts, where I will get sorted into Slytherin then I will make friends with a pure-blood. I will have more than one friend by the end of the year, and my dad will be proud of me for following the rules of who can be my friend. He has strict rules about it like I have to be friends with only pure-bloods so my mind doesn’t get tainted or something like that. My father says he has to check anyone who wants to be my friend to make sure they won’t tell my secret. It is ridiculous that I can’t tell more people, but I have to obey the rules, I guess.
By Lea Rue24 days ago in Geeks