Mystery partner Stories

Since time immemorial, the allure of the unknown has tantalized mankind. Some have searched for the Loch Ness monster or hunted for Bigfoot. Others have obsessed over secret organizations and lost civilizations, piecing together one clue after another. They each cast aside all they had for the fleeting hope of success. Some have even willingly plunged themselves into the deep, dark abyss of hell in the pursuit of happines...

The ecology major couldn't help but rearrange her breasts for the tenth time that hour. It overwhelmed her with anxiety and struggled to stay put on her bed. The room was decorated with led lights and she had her phone set firmly on a selfie stick. The nineteen-year-old was ready to get this session over with quickly. The week beforehand, she had been in bed checking her stats. For eight weeks she streamed on four sites....

On a cold winter day in February, James Thomas IX received a phone call from a lawyer in Salem, Massachusetts, concerning paperwork that needed to be reviewed over the James Thomas plantation established in 1632. His father was the last known inhabitant, and after passing away from unknown causes, the plantation was passed down to the firstborn son, who has always been named James. Upon concluding the call, James searched...

I hurriedly stick the vibrator underneath my duvet to hide and muffle it, then slide the nightstand drawer shut again as though I’m hiding a crime scene. Paranoia forced me to check all around me if anyone noticed my antics – nobody there – and I finally pick up my phone again to stare at the instructions and the blinking cursor. Unknown Number starts typing as I watch. [Unknown: I know you’re eager and ready, Missy.] [Un...

The image and the message come through while I’m sitting cross-legged on my assigned bed (number twenty-four, middle row, third bed from the right) and scrolling rather mindlessly through my phone. The device buzzes abruptly in my hand. A holiday pic from my cousin? The number is unknown. Maybe Lisa got herself a new SIM card? She’s spending seven whole weeks in Chile, so that would make sense. Downloading the photo takes...