Latest Stories

Most recently published stories on Vocal.

The 3 PM Panic: What Hosting in Malta Really Looks Like Behind Closed Doors
A FRIEND OF MINE, a fintech guy who relocated to Sliema from Hamburg two years ago, once described Malta's social life to me as "aggressively hospitable." He meant it as a compliment. He also meant it as a warning.
By Alex Tul24 days ago in Journal
Press One
It starts with a c‍hoice. "For English, press one. Para es⁠pañol, presione dos.‍" Simple enou⁠gh.‌ I press on‌e. "For billing, press one. For technical‌ su⁠pp‍ort, press tw‌o. For sales, press three."
By Edward Smith24 days ago in Humans
Writers’ Block
Blank page on the desk cursor blinks beside one word coffee cools untouched
By Lori A. A.24 days ago in Poets
System Failure
The email arrived at 2:14 AM. I know the time because I wasn't sleeping. I was refreshing. There is a specific kind of insomnia that comes when you are waiting for a system to decide your future. You wake up at odd hours. You check the phone. You check the spam folder. You check the junk.
By Edward Smith24 days ago in Humans
The Road to Paradise Pocket. Top Story - March 2026.
“Come now little one, under your covers you go” A booming voice sounded throughout a dimly lit rustic cabin. Tiny feet began thumping a few rooms over as the large gray man sat on a bedside stool and gazed out into the blowing snow outside. It had been snowing for days now, another day and his view of the outside may begin to obscure. He could hear the wind breaking now though, not as harsh and powerful as it had been the day before, his vision a few yards further, and the sun a hair brighter that afternoon. Yes it would break by morning, the snow would stop and the sun would cast its warm healing rays over the tiny frozen town.
By Brier24 days ago in Fiction
The Loop
It sta‌rts with a cursor. Blink⁠ing. Waiting. I'm on the‌ settings pa‍g‌e. I know I am. I can see the URL. I c‌an see⁠ my name in the top ri⁠ght c‍orn‍er. Bu‍t the b‍utton I'm looking for isn't t⁠here.
By Edward Smith24 days ago in Humans
The Customer Service Conundrum
The customer service system is broken. You're nodding, aren't you? You know it. You feel it. You can tell it's broken because there are just too many examples of horrendous service. They're becoming tropes. Stereotypes of bad service.
By John R. Godwin24 days ago in Humans
Something Is Not Right. Top Story - February 2026.
I The Student knocked on the Poet’s door, hoping for entry. * As he waited, the faint sounds of old blues music wafted through
By David Muñoz24 days ago in Poets
Astragalus: An Ornamental, Supportive, and Culinary Herb
Astragalus Root/Milkvetch Astragalus is a popular remedy for various ailments today. Commonly found in health food stores and herbal shops in the form of tinctures, grounded encapsulated powders, or as part of an herbal infusion, or sometimes added to teas, astragalus usually makes the list for its purported immune-system and energy-supporting benefits.
By J. Chauncey24 days ago in Feast
THE SEVERED SOUL: THE WAR I WAGED AGAINST MYSELF
The mirror in my hallway doesn't show a reflection anymore; it shows a casualty of war. I stand there in the dimly lit apartment, staring at the glass, and I don't see a man. I see a jagged, bleeding fault line dividing what I am and what I could have been. On the dusty coffee table behind me sits that damned book. The black cover, the bold, blood-red letters: YOU VS YOU.
By Wellova 24 days ago in Fiction
My Call Is Important
You don't see it un‍t‌il you hit it. That‍'s⁠ t‍he⁠ thing a‌bout modern systems.‌ They look like op⁠en d⁠o⁠ors. The⁠y look like‌ path‌way‍s. The website is c⁠lean, t‍he buttons are bright,‍ the language is welc‍o‍ming. Apply Now. Get Started. Join Us. It feels like invitation.
By Edward Smith24 days ago in Humans
The Content Crossroads
Content has become strange recently. The reason is not surprising... Artificial Intelligence. Since the introduction of today's version of AI to the masses...
By Dr. Cody Dakota Wooten, DFM, DHM, DAS (hc)24 days ago in Journal