On the Fringes of Reality

Where the ordinary world reveals its true nature

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Gate 47

Written in response to a prompt from @danprattwrites (thanks, Dan) which was…

100 words or fewer

Location: airport check-in

Action: following

Object: ring

He’s been following me since security. Same coffee shop, same newsstand, now the same check-in queue.

I shift my weight, pretending to check my phone while studying his reflection in the departure board. Dark hair, unremarkable face, wedding ring catching the fluorescent light.

Suddenly, I’m cold.

The ring is identical to mine. Same platinum band, same tiny inscription inside: “Forever yours, M.”

A woman in the queue at airport check-in holds her hand to her mouth in worry, aware that she is being followed by a man who is wearing an identical wedding ring to hers.

But I’m not married. I’ve never been married.

The man steps closer, close enough to whisper.

“Hello, darling. Ready to come home?”

I touch my ring finger. When did I put this on?

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On the Fringes of Reality is a collection of contemporary horror stories that explore the unsettling spaces where our ordinary world reveals its true nature. Each tale examines the familiar through a darker lens, finding terror in technology, relationships, and the everyday moments that suddenly turn strange.