FISHER • by Mike Weitz
My dog caught a fish once. We were at a pond out by the ravine. I was on the bank looking for frogs and turtles, tip-toeing over the soft ground so as not to muddy my new tennis shoes. She… Continue Reading
Literary
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 WEIGHT OF EXPECTANCY • by Stephanie King
Pipes banged and hissed as I heard the last of my heat fading away. The wood furnace was losing pressure fast and I knew soon there would not be enough water in the pipes to circulate heat, plunging the house… Continue Reading
BEYOND A CROOKED DOOR • by Stephan Meijerhof
Five doors, crooked with age. Each morning, full bladder and all, I curse them during my tiptoe walk from our street-facing bedroom to the bathroom hiding in the shadows at the back. It is an old place, this new home… Continue Reading
HAPPY ENOUGH • by Alex Z. Salinas
Walmart doesn’t pay the best but I’m happy working there. Happy enough. It’s probably because I work a shit-load of overtime and don’t have student loans. Also Sally’s low-maintenance and cool. She gives me foot massages and more just for… Continue Reading
ADJUSTMENT • by Audrey R. Hollis
Alexis blamed herself when she caught Bea kneeling by the sign the next day. She was supposed to watch Bea when she was near the street. Bea didn’t quite understand cars yet — she tended to underestimate their speed and… Continue Reading
I COULD SEE THE FARTHEST THINGS • by Parker Desautell
I had my first mystical experience when I was seven. I was at my grandfather’s. We were on the sofa together watching cartoons, when all of a sudden the screen went black. In the cartoon’s place appeared a photo of… Continue Reading
WHAT NOW? • by Donald Carreira Ching
Before I could answer her, the jets circled back, their engines tearing open the sky, reminding everyone of the base only a few nautical miles across the bay. But, it reminded me of something else too. The first time that… Continue Reading
SLOW BURN • by Phebe Jewell
The best part of setting fires is the beginning. Mama’s new shag carpet has tempted me for days. I lie down in the living room late one afternoon while Mama’s out, matches in hand. Janie smells it right away and… Continue Reading
NO ONE IS IN CUSTODY • by Ebony L. Morman
Fortunately and unfortunately, no two days are the same. “I’ll be damned if I let them get the best of me, today! Not me, not today!” I say to myself. The morning bell screams through the sound system. Within minutes,… Continue Reading