https://xpressenglish.com featuring the world's best short stories Mon, 16 Jun 2025 05:42:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://xpressenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/cropped-bookworm-32x32.jpg https://xpressenglish.com 32 32 https://xpressenglish.com/near-departed/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=near-departed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 21:00:36 +0000 https://xpressenglish.com/?p=54189 Quick Read by Richard Matheson. A man emphasises that cost is unimportant as he visits a mortician to arrange an elaborate funeral for his wife. The mortician reassures him that he will very satisfied and, as the man departs, asks a question which he pretends not to hear.

The post The Near Departed first appeared on shortsonline.]]> https://xpressenglish.com/button-button/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=button-button Sat, 01 Jan 2022 10:31:11 +0000 https://xpressenglish.com/?p=38611 Short Story by Richard Matheson. A stranger presents a couple with a mysterious box and tells them they can earn $50,000 by pressing the button on top. The only catch: he also tells them that by pressing it, someone they don’t know will die. What would you do?

The post Button, Button first appeared on shortsonline.]]> https://xpressenglish.com/counterfeit-bills/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=counterfeit-bills Fri, 15 Nov 2019 01:19:23 +0000 https://xpressenglish.com/?p=39021 Quick Read by Richard Matheson. A husband creates a mechanical double to carry out the mundane tasks in his life so he can spend all his time “having fun”. Hilarious results follow when the first double rebels due to its boring life and he has to make more and more.

The post Counterfeit Bills first appeared on shortsonline.]]> https://xpressenglish.com/born-of-man-and-woman/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=born-of-man-and-woman Tue, 15 Nov 2016 03:38:37 +0000 https://xpressenglish.com/?p=38491 Quick Read by Richard Matheson. A mutant eight-year-old child has been locked in a basement for most of its life because of his/her monstrous form and size. The child is inquisitive about the outside world, but is cruelly beaten every time he/she ventures upstairs. He/she has finally had enough!

The post Born of Man and Woman first appeared on shortsonline.]]> https://xpressenglish.com/slaughter-house/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=slaughter-house Sat, 01 Jun 2013 03:46:13 +0000 https://xpressenglish.com/?p=39064 Novelette by Richard Matheson. A classic, chilling ghost story in which two brothers, whose described relationship suggests a little more than brotherly love, fall for the lustful ghost of a young woman that enchants, has its way with, and then tries to kill them. Only one of the three survives!

The post Slaughter House first appeared on shortsonline.]]> https://xpressenglish.com/prey/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prey Fri, 01 Oct 2010 05:22:16 +0000 https://xpressenglish.com/?p=38895 Short Story by Richard Matheson. A woman buys her new boyfriend a Zuni fetish doll for his birthday. A scroll inside the box reads: THIS IS HE WHO KILLS.... HE IS A DEADLY HUNTER. As she prepares to shower, the doll turns out to be the real deal.

The post Prey first appeared on shortsonline.]]>