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Welcome, neighbour · The stories universe

Stories for the small hours.

Every street has a story. Choose the feeling that brought you here, then follow the doors that open from there.

New · Every Street Has A Story

Stories to read tonight.

Ten new stories, each a five-or-six-minute read. Every one ends with a Ripple and three Questions I Ask Myself.

Mara · 6 min read

Stairwell Nine

The lift had been broken for six days, and every one of those days Amara Bennett carried somebody else’s shopping up fourteen floors.

Letting someone help
Marcus · 6 min read

Flowers on the Railing

For twelve years Marcus walked the long way home, and nobody on the estate ever asked him why.

Grief, and the long way round
Daz · 6 min read

Twelve Missed Calls

Darren Cole had never switched his phone off. Not once. Not in years.

Strength that tells the truth
Nia · 5 min read

Typing…

Nia Carter had written the message eleven times, and every version started with sorry.

Boundaries are not cruelty
Jordan · 6 min read

End of the Line

On a Tuesday in March, Jordan Reed stayed on the bus past his stop, and didn’t get off until the driver told him it was the end of the line.

Whose life is this?
Zayden · 5 min read

The Stairwell Maths Club

Zayden Cole got his sixteenth rejection email on the same day his best mate graduated, and he found out about both on the stairs.

Life isn’t a race
Kieran · 5 min read

The Sound of the Ball

Every night at ten, just as Kieran Lewis pulled down the shutter on his shop, he heard it — a basketball, hitting the backboard on the court behind the parade.

Strength deserves somewhere to rest
Daniel · 6 min read

When You Get This

At 1.14 in the morning, Daniel’s phone lit up with seven words he had been dreading for a year.

Answering the call
Mal · 5 min read

The Wall Outside the Cage

Every Saturday, fourteen-year-old Troy turned up to Mal’s football session, and every Saturday he sat on the wall outside the cage and refused to come in.

Fear is not respect
Jamal · 6 min read

The Noticing

Six months after Samuel knocked on his door, Jamal was back in his usual chair at the café, and he was the first to notice that the young dad by the window had gone quiet.

Notice when somebody stops telling their story
Alyah · 5 min read

Are You Alright?

Alyah had asked the question a hundred times that year, and never once expected anyone to ask it back.

Looking closer includes looking at yourself
Eli · 2 min read

The Second Glance

Most people on the estate think Eli is quiet because he has nothing to say. He has plenty to say. He just waits until it’s worth the air.

Look closer before you judge
Marcus · 3 min read

Someone Safe

Marcus used to think respect was the sound of people going quiet when he walked past. These days he notices who looks relieved when he shows up.

Strength that makes people feel safe
Zayden · 2 min read

The Headphones Off

Zayden had got good at looking busy — headphones on, eyes down, playlist loud enough to drown out everyone else’s milestones.

Life isn’t a race

From the channel

Films and short truths.

The short films from YouTube, with the words that go with them. Filter by collection or by feeling.