BIKES • by Bob Shepherd
When I reached my fifth birthday, my mum and dad took me into the front room. They had prepared a surprise. I tried to tug at the old grey blanket they had draped over my present and it crashed to… Continue Reading
Humour / Satire
THE AGE OF VICTORIA • by Peter Wood
Councilor Greg Hughes loved the Victoria Day parade in Eganville, Ontario until he had to run the damned thing by himself. No town councilor ever wanted to organize the annual event — especially in an election year. Voters could lash… Continue Reading
7TH FLOOR SLUT • by Natalie A. Drozda
The 7th floor slut lived across the hall from me and I didn’t care. At first. I had no interactions with her for the first month of freshman year. Admittedly, I was so nervous I didn’t have many interactions, period.… Continue Reading
THE WRONG IDEA • by Mary Benson
Snow drips from the tattered scarf wrapped around his face as he stands silently eager, almost not breathing. I unlock the door and push, and it becomes real: I’m bringing the homeless man from the corner into my apartment. I’ve… Continue Reading
THE TORTURED LIFE OF A TEEN PROTAGONIST • by Cheryl Zaidan
The young adult protagonist sat patiently in front of her bedroom mirror, waiting for the author to write her. As she brushed her long brown hair, she stared critically at her reflection. She thought of herself as quite plain, although… Continue Reading
A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR THE NEXT SOVEREIGN OF ALL SHADE, PRODIGAL FONT OF NIGHTMARES, AND PRIME SCEPTER OF THE STYGIAN ABYSS • by Gordon Shoemaker
To the Eminently Feared Members of the Dark Sovereign Selection Conclave Tower of Endless SorrowsThirteen Bone Boulevard Dread Necropolis, Stygia It is my great displeasure to write this letter of recommendation for Embress Shadow-Sworn as she seeks candidacy as our… Continue Reading
THE FISH • by Susan Bonetto
The fisherman is the boyfriend of one of my closest friends. Miguel has been trawling his lines for some time, waiting patiently for the fish to take his bait. It began as a tranquil journey, no lines put out, just… Continue Reading
THE ASSEMBLY • by Shawn Van Horn
I sat at my desk in Miss Austin’s class, engrossed in yet another book. We’d just been assigned Where the Red Fern Grows yesterday, and I was already halfway through it. I forced myself to detach from the fictional world… Continue Reading
AWESOME WOMAN • by Oonagh McBride
I decided to get my sister drunk so I could steal her pocket watch. I chose a bar close to home where people were used to seeing her, and she wouldn’t attract too much unwelcome attention. “Bro,” said Olivia with… Continue Reading
BALL BAG STEW • by Matthew Roy Davey
It took NASA three months to verify that it was indeed a message and not interstellar scintillation. The communication repeated regularly and was clearly the result of intelligent composition. It took a further four months to isolate which solar system… Continue Reading