Carla Dow |‘Brown Haze’ Illustration by Chinedu Onochie
I sit on the prickly green carpet and try to force myself to focus. I am as detached from my decision now as I was from Steve’s rigid body yesterday. I am now as... The post Carla Dow | ‘Brown Haze’...
View ArticleErich Earl Forschler |‘Clouds There, But No Water’ Illustration by Lakshmy...
It was a cool day, even for September. Broken clouds swam in the light blue above. The house sat at the edge of town, just off the main street that bored its way between... The post Erich Earl...
View ArticleKristina England |‘Bird of Paradise’ Illustration by Alankrita Jain
Mr. Standish leaned in and kissed his wife goodnight. She was already in a deep slumber, a soft snore followed by the wheezing of her pre-ninety lungs. He left her, insomnia becoming more and... The...
View ArticleCarey Kight |‘Ordinary Moments’ Illustration by Michael Ilkiw
Nigel was daydreaming. He watched mother and child quietly from his car parked outside of the dingy motel. The first light of dawn met the frost on the window and created an otherworldly glow.... The...
View ArticleVesna Pivcevic |‘Dodge in the Driveway’ Illustration by Sayantan Halder
“I met someone at Amanda’s wedding a few weeks ago. She was smart and funny and we got on really well.” Elliot pulled another Marlborough Light out of the packet on his carved oak... The post Vesna...
View ArticleTovah S. Yavin |‘Fifth Floor’ Illustration by Michael Ilkiw
Melanie joined the small group staring at the elevator door. Her eyes turned upward, along with everyone else’s, tracking the elevator’s path from 4 to 3 to … An older couple held a pink... The post...
View ArticleClive Collins |‘That Good Night’ Illustration by Cait Maloney
The restaurant the entertainments committee had chosen for the Department’s annual hello/goodbye dinner was an odd place, or so Finnegan thought. A tall, narrow cube five storeys high, it was painted...
View ArticleRoy Dorman |‘It Was Frogs’ Illustration by Chinedu Onochie
“Hey!” Everyone stopped talking at once. Just a second ago there had been five or six different highly animated, drink induced conversations competing with each other to be heard, and if possible, to...
View ArticleChristine-Marie L. Dixon |‘They Always Come Back For More’ Illustration by...
The lights flickered. “Damn storm.” John quickly pulled out a red tie and put it on. He was the type of man who had no trouble tying his own tie and prided himself on... The post Christine-Marie L....
View ArticleLilia Ben Mansour |‘Melancholy’ Illustration by Kristy Lankford
It was hard not to experience joy in my hometown Downhill, Cyane, the islet in the North Atlantic. It was hard to resist the smile under its grey clouds and dry wind. It was... The post Lilia Ben...
View ArticleChristina C. Franklin |‘Defining Shoulders’ Illustration by Cait Maloney
Whitney held up the next flashcard and waited for her son to reply. Patrick’s face transformed into a wide grin as he smiled back at her. He straightened his spine in a proud stance... The post...
View ArticleMitchell Waldman |‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ Illustration by Alankrita Jain
It was about a month before the incident at the 7-11. Nobody knows this part of the story except me and, now, you. We were in his backyard shooting his BB gun at a... The post Mitchell Waldman |...
View ArticleFanni Sütő |‘The Trumpeter in the Sky’ Illustration by Terri Kelleher
My grandfather’s flat hid in a thin street of New Orleans, in the shadow of a dark place which was once called the House of Rising Sun. The scent of spices and magic filled... The post Fanni Sütő |...
View ArticleCesirys Espaillat |‘441’ Illustration by Chinedu Onochie
1, 2, 3, 4, 5… oxygen. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… oxygen. The clock marks 3:50am and I realize I’ve been at it for an hour. The little blue lips get colder by the... The post Cesirys Espaillat | ‘441’ Illustration...
View ArticleLiz Jamar |‘The Protest’ Illustration by Michael Ilkiw
The hot summer sun beat down on my exposed face. Today was the wrong day to wear full military fatigues. Despite the heat, we set out on our protest. The stench of freshly poured... The post Liz Jamar...
View ArticlePeter McMillan |‘Chain Reaction’ Illustration by Michael Ilkiw
Against traffic it took under an hour to get around this corner of the lake. Jay did it every day … every weekday. He dreamed of one day not having to make this commute.... The post Peter McMillan |...
View ArticleElisha Gabriel |‘Like No Other Muse’ Illustration by Terri Kelleher
I walked there. Two miles of climbing to the top of the moors. Autumn had arrived with fury from the north. I liked to walk on windy days, they freshened my mind and invigorated... The post Elisha...
View ArticleShelli Robins |‘Should I Leave or Stay?’ Illustration by Alankrita Jain
Marissa sat at the bar staring at her half empty glass of red wine. She loved red wine and right now it was the only thing that was keeping her sane during this time... The post Shelli Robins | ‘Should...
View ArticleCiahnan Q. Darrell |‘Vertigo’ Illustration by Cait Maloney
“Why are we outside? It’s cold. The rain’s soaked through my jacket.” “What are you talking about, Stephen? The sun’s shining. It’s ninety degrees.” My jacket is normally the color of olives, but...
View ArticleJeff Burt |‘He Eats Sparrows’ Illustration by Daniele Murtas
He eats sparrows. He positions himself between the wall to the mobile home park and the hawthorns and stays quiet, motionless. Then his hand goes from thigh to knee, rises from his jeans, and... The...
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