ASTEROIDS • by Cody Nowack
Lunchtime sucked when your best friend was at home sick. Sure, I could hang out with those I labeled ‘school friends,’ but then I’d be the kid who didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the group. As a… Continue Reading
Inspirational
HELLO AGAIN • by K. Barrett
She kept coming back as a dog. Her eyes would open, her tail would wag, and she’d immediately think— Again? She returned as big dogs, small ones, fancy and mutt-like ones. Each time, each incarnation, she came back like a… Continue Reading
CLOSED FOR PERSONAL REASONS • by Karen Jury
The sign had been clearly placed last night and now as he shut the door with a loud bang, he checked to be sure it was secure and then hurried to his car. Michael felt his heart beat accelerate and… Continue Reading
A PRESENT FOR DAD • by Monica Wenzel
“I need to go shopping,” Rose said. Liam mumbled something as he rolled over. His sister stood beside his bed, staring at him. The nightlight in the hallway lit up her outline. At least she hadn’t turned on his light.… Continue Reading
ANOTHER BUM FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD • by Clint Lowe
Another bum from the neighborhood. Not me, no way. The only peeps for me are the successful, the heroes, heroes in suits, in shades, in shiny new Mercedes, the ones who work hard and never live ordinary but fight, ache,… Continue Reading
DUCKPOND DAYS • by Rosalie Kempthorne
They tell me off for her these days. Because she’s big for her age. Mirror-image, polar opposite of what my grandmother told my mother. I don’t overfeed her. She just is what she is. But I know what they mean.… Continue Reading
OSCAR • by Sarah Dwyer
The wailing, high-pitched sound that burst from the security arch as he stepped through it was so frightening that Oscar, ruler of crystalline worlds, froze. He raised his hands to cover his ears; the female guard who had beckoned him… Continue Reading
THE BLUE OF THE SKY, THE WHITE OF THE WAVES • by Valerie Lute
December 2015 I never go to the beach anymore. These days the thin line of sand holding back the endless sea is littered with piles of life jackets, discarded rafts and weeping women. Not that I need to go that… Continue Reading
ROTARY DIAL • by Deirdre Fagan
Chuck reached for the phone. He had never talked much on the phone and had never much liked it. He wasn’t that sort of man. He had been the sort of man who awoke at 4:00 a.m., even on weekends,… Continue Reading
O TO BE A COUNTRY SHEPHERD • by Jon Moray
For Jake, the new year couldn‘t arrive faster. The Christmas season that was meant to bring joy came as a nuisance in the form of traffic gridlocks, unnecessary gift exchanges, and forced smiles at holiday parties. The green and red… Continue Reading