Quinn Brassett
10 stories published
Stories by Quinn Brassett
The Last Cat Video
One day, every platform freezes on a single clip: a cat batting at sunlight. Streaming stops, news halts, traffic quiets. The world watches the loop until boredom becomes meditation. Cats glare from w...
Pocket Rainforest
He keeps a terrarium in his coat pocket. Inside, tiny trees sway, and a miniature river flows. On stressful days, the terrarium leaks mist, cooling the air. Friends think the humidity is a quirk. He k...
Birdsong Translator
An inventor builds a device that translates birdsong. The first phrases are mundane: "Seed here," "Warm branch." Then sparrows begin reviewing the neighborhood. "That cat is sloppy," "The new bakery s...
The Proxy Hug Service
For a subscription, a service mails warm packages. Inside is a jacket that hugs back when worn. Lonely people unwrap embraces in living rooms and cubicles. One customer forgets to renew and receives a...
The Unsent Letter Festival
Every autumn, the town of Alder hosts the Unsent Letter Festival. Residents deliver all letters they never sentâdrafts, apologies, confessionsâto the post office. Volunteers hang them on strings across the square. People wander, reading fragments of...
Artificial Comet
Tech mogul Arman builds a comet for a marriage proposal. He hires engineers to launch a payload of ice and reflective dust, guided by thrusters, timed to streak over the city spelling "Marry Me" in radiant debris. Environmentalists protest; astronome...
Orchestra of One Second
Composer Aya writes symphonies from single seconds captured throughout history: a monk's chant, a rocket launch, a child's laugh, a subway screech. She strings them into movements, time-traveling with sound. Audiences listen with headphones, experien...
The Island of Misdelivered Packages
Cargo ships avoid Parcel Reef. GPS glitches, compasses spin, and any package routed within a dozen nautical miles goes missing. Conspiracy forums buzz: pirates, sea monsters, corporate cover-up. The truth is stranger. The reef is an island made entirely of misdelivered packages, glued by salt and su...
The Substitute Constellation
When the North Star dimmed unexpectedly, navigators panicked. Satellite guidance faltered; old sailors shook their heads. Astronomers blamed cosmic dust. Mythmakers blamed neglect. The Global Astronomy Network convened. Dr. Sabine Ko, known for mapping minor constellations no one else cared about, p...
The Auction of Quiet
The first auction was held in a converted church. Bidders sat on pews, paddles in hand. Onstage, nothing stood but a microphone and a glass jar. The auctioneer cleared his throat. âLot one: thirty seconds of pure quiet, recorded in a cave in Norway. Bidding starts at $100.â Paddles shot up. The pric...