Paris is a city of many things — lights, sounds, whispers… and cats. Cats haunt modern Paris like fur-clad ghosts — whiskered faces through window panes, gray mousers plying their trade in alleyways, rooftop cats and cats who sleep and… Continue Reading
We could see straight down to the bottom of the Guadalupe river that day. There were turtles, minnows, and rocks covered in algae. We walked along the banks, scoping out the perfect spot to sit and pretend we were carefree.… Continue Reading
My world is a gun pressed against my forehead. The pressure is committed, lethal. My reality is details: Nickel plated precision cocooned by knuckles tattooed with H A T E. A bare arm with ropey muscles writhing under tattoos and… Continue Reading
I discovered the critique group online and decided to go because I wanted to share my stories with people who understood things like writing and moonlight. I’d been looking forward to it all week, although the prospect of reading my… Continue Reading
Balancing her backpack and the box of doughnuts from Krispy Kreme, Jenny opened the door to the cramped student apartment she shared with Mark. She was surprised to see him still sitting at the kitchen table, two laptops going full… Continue Reading
The podium is uneven on the grassy outdoors, and Anthony feels it wobble slightly as he rests his notepad and palms atop it. The hum of the wind lilts as he clears his throat and loosens his black tie just… Continue Reading
“Autumn Sweater” plays. And there we are, sitting, existing, in this space whose size we cannot know. And it’s a cliché, but clichés sprout from truth, and that’s a heavy truth that just sits there unless you do something with… Continue Reading
Pull ropes from red and white, twist, stick on wax paper-covered pans. Inhale air that’s hot, sickly sweet, and still smells a bit like horse. “They’re going to love your candy canes this year,” says Mom with her pin-up girl… Continue Reading
The antennae sprang from the cashier’s head. Jim rolled his eyes. He had come to the North Carolina mountains to exorcise writer’s block. He didn’t need another pull-the-rug-from-under-you plot twist. He had enough bad ideas on his own. Aliens did… Continue Reading
When his mother opened the door, Conrad didn’t know whether he should close his laptop or cover his lap with the blanket, so he did half of each. “Can’t you knock?” “I’m your mother, I don’t have to knock.” She… Continue Reading