FIVE MINUTES • by Jo Varnish
Drew was already naked when he took his place on her husband’s side of the bed. The room was dim as the drawn blinds allowed only a halo of the morning light. He moved his hand along her arm, and… Continue Reading
infidelity
OH SUSANNA • by Mandy Nicol
At least once a month Susanna swans in with a huge bunch of flowers and makes a big show of finding a vase to put them in. Seeing as she’s the only one to ever need a vase at work I… Continue Reading
FISHING LURES • by G. L. Dearman
Fishing lures attract more fishermen than they do fish. Tackle shops sell lures in every color from “Fire Tiger” to “Nuclear Watermelon.” It’s nonsense — you don’t need that stuff to catch fish. You can use the bowl of an… Continue Reading
SENSES • by Desiree Wilkins
She’d rather it was a tumor. Rachel drove her hands deep into the cool meat. When she squeezed her hands tight, she felt the soft thickness work through and surround her fingers. She set one hand free and cracked an… Continue Reading
A RANDOM KIND OF MUSIC • by Oonah V Joslin
Alb and I always call in for a pint after work on a Friday, our ritual to celebrate another week’s work. I mean nobody likes a dead end job in insurance sales but times are hard and money’s tight. I… Continue Reading
IN HER EYES • by Lynn Vroman
The view from the seventh floor is impressive. Tiny ants crawl over each other heading home from work, picking up their kids at daycare, or meeting spouses for dinner, no doubt. So average and mundane they are — so ordinary.… Continue Reading
TEMPTING THE WICKED • by Samantha Memi
I was dead. Lying on the floor thinking: why me? It seemed so unfair. There were so many things I wanted to do with my life. It was too late now. There was no one to give me the kiss… Continue Reading
MARY, MARY, QUITE CONTRARY • by Tanya Byrne
He still has the taste of champagne in his mouth, this taste of apples cut with a rusty knife. His fingers are numb as they curl around the steering wheel, the smooth plastic steadying the slight tremor in his hands… Continue Reading
STAIRWAYS AND NIGHTINGALES • by Magen Toole
I swallowed the key to the door of your bedroom. It was the one you had given me years ago, slender and toothy and that rattled in the creaking brass lock whenever I slipped it in. When I looked in… Continue Reading
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS • by Patrick Parr
I sat completely still on the couch, a statue, my hand holding the winning lottery ticket. The machine had selected seven random numbers and rewarded my indecision with a new life. My wife Shannon came out of the bedroom and… Continue Reading