BOB THURBER: Shortcut On Christmas Eve

Artistic, Submissions, Top Stories, , , , ,

The lake was frozen solid but shadows made the surface look dark and wet.
My father, drunk on eggnog, measured his strides.
While I waited for the slip and fall that would crack his skull, it occurred to me any passersby might believe they’d witnessed a man walking on water.

Bob Thurber is the author of six books. Regarded as a master of Flash and Micro Fiction, his work has appeared in Esquire and other magazines, been anthologized 60 times, received a long list of awards, and been utilized in schools and colleges throughout the world. He resides in Massachusetts. Visit his website at BobThurber.net.

REEM FARUQI: Honesty

Amusing, Submissions, , ,

It’s our first time at California Pizza Kitchen
and the waiter asks us how we liked our meal

Good, thank you!

Then he gets to my mother
asks how she liked the pizza

I make better pizza at home.

And we gasp
and she says

But it’s true
I do.

Reem Faruqi’s the award-winning  author of Lailah’s Lunchbox, a book based on her own experiences immigrating to the United States. She’s the author of other picture books and middle grade novels – many received starred reviews. Find her at ReemFaruqi.com.

TIM BOITEAU: Content Warning

Artistic, Submissions, ,

The following film contains upsetting content, including: drug use, smoking, foul and problematic language, sex, violence, suicide, abuse of minors, depictions of depression and psychosis, monsters in positions of power, and dead pets. This is the only film you will be allowed to see. You are the protagonist. Press play.

Tim Boiteau is a Writers of the Future winner and author of The Nilwere. He lives in Michigan.

DAVID ALBANO: Royal

Adventure, Submissions, , , ,

They would die but not surrender. Warriors of royal ambition, they were unable to resist the bloodstained crown won at the martyr-making end of a bayonet.

The stomping of botas rattled the desert mission. The Tennessean grinned, and Colonel Crockett and his boys raised their muskets, preparing for their coronation.

David Albano is a proud native son of Baron Rouge, Louisiana who now lives in Texas. He is an avid reader who also enjoys writing, LSU Sports, and being involved in his church community. David has previously been published in Frontier Tales and Dark Moments.

MIKE SHIELDS: Breaking Old Habits

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

Stumbling through the front door, he removed his shoes before shuffling to the hall powder room where he would make best efforts to wash away telltale remnants of the evening, before slowly climbing the creaking stairs and cautiously slipping beneath the covers.He exhaled slowly.

The empty bed whispered “Goodbye”.

Mike Shields is a writer, speaker, observer, and reasonably good listener.

MAKENA HELMS: Monument

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

I drove past a billboard somewhere in Alabama. It had a man’s name on it. Not the name of a lawyer or real estate agent: just Alan. Written in red spray paint across rotting plywood and framed by faded pictures of fishing. I don’t know Alan. But clearly someone did.

Makena Helms is a recent BFA graduate and longtime creator of random scenarios inside her head. Besides writing, she also enjoys devouring the incredible work of others and spending time with her dog.

RITA RIEBEL MITCHELL: An Abrupt End

Amusing, Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

Life is not a game. I don’t roll dice and hop from square to square collecting money to buy houses and hotels like my sister, Jane. For me, bankruptcy lurks around every corner.

It’s my turn. If I pass go or land in jail, Jane wins.

I flip the board.

Rita Riebel Mitchell writes in the Pinelands of South Jersey where she lives amongst the trees with her husband. Her work appears in HAD, Flash Fiction Magazine, Versification, and more. Find her at ritariebelmitchell.com/friday-micro.

STEVE SAULSBURY: Old Soul

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

Eager to get some beer, we stopped at Matt’s; he never gets carded. The obligatory awkwardness, greeting his folks in their soft chairs. The thermostat’s up too high, and they smile warmly, unsuspecting.

One of us usually ends up puking.

Lulled by the murmuring TV, I imagine staying, not drinking.

Steve Saulsbury writes best when prompted. He is the author of the chapbook, “Wildlife Study” (Bottlecap Press, 2025).

NELLIE MUNRO: Honey, Sugar, Daddy

Artistic, Submissions, ,

Ever since you licked the sugar-coated rim of the life you could have had, you’ve groped your way back towards its sticky, illicit core.

It doesn’t matter that it’s not yours to have and to hold.
Stolen honey still tastes like honey.

Only this sugar high comes with a high price.

Nellie Munro is a Scottish Author living in America with her husband and two dogs. She writes content for a cybersecurity blog by day, and by night, is working on her debut novel, Dying Tides. See more at nelliemunro.com.