The story of the week for September 12 to 16 is…
After the Forest Caught Fire by J.S.P. Jacobs
DEIRDRE SMITH: Suncatcher
The unannounced sun beams into the kitchen, spotlighting its flaws.
A forensic scene of children’s fingerprints, toasted crumbs, and syrupy smudges.
Crayola-coloured patterns of joy dance across the floor as he bends his way through a window crystal.
In the evening, the truth is gone, but so are the rainbows.
Deirdre Smith has dabbled in writing for as long as she can remember. She is a stay-at-home mom and a part-time Guidance Counsellor. She resides in the always colourful St. John’s, Newfoundland.
MARIE DANIELY: The War Within
He served in World War II but never shared his story. How Black soldiers were mistreated. How his unit was segregated. How their mission was to rescue the wounded. How they saved so many lives. Why he did not like hospitals. Why he chose not to exhume the buried memories.
Marie is a retiree who is transitioning from corporate to creative writing. She lives in Prince George’s County, Maryland where she spends time reading, honing her new craft, engaging with diverse writing groups, and writing flash stories, short stories and personal essays.
JOSE JAIME PEREZ: Awakened by a Stranger
The train was decreasing its speed and I looked up. There she was, peacefully looking through the window, the only soul in the coach who was not staring restlessly at her device, the only one smiling, too.
Slower and slower.
“Thank you,” I whispered to her as I stepped out.
José Jaime loves listening to the stories people tell him.
ROSANNE EHRLICH: The Invisible Lover
As she climbs the dusty stairs, she begins to disappear. When revelry has ended she descends, part by part appearing, and she becomes her duties.
By the time she reaches the street she will seem entirely whole, as if she had never been invisible, as if she’d never been gone.
Rosanne Ehrlich’s work has appeared in The Voices Project, Persimmon Tree, Panoplazine and Vine Leaves Press among others.
JENNY LOGAN: Portobello
She stood where the beach met the promenade, watching a young couple, the sun just up.
Their romantic scene beat night fishing in Cheam for a date.
She felt a twinge but pulled herself together. No need to swear off love just yet. She would dust off her profile later.
Jenny Logan lives in Edinburgh. You can find her work on Friday Flash Fiction and Carrot Ranch websites. She has stories selected for anthologies by Dark Rose Press and Iron Faerie Publishing.
THOMAS FALATER: Homeless
I checked the aisle for cameras and slipped bologna and cheese under my jacket. On the way out, the manager looked at me suspiciously but didn’t stop me.
The next day, she saw me at the bus stop and gave me five dollars.
Funny me; I thought I was invisible.
Tom is a freelance writer from Southern California. His most recent work appeared in Half Hour to Kill and Three Line Poetry.
THOMPSON EMATE: Rendezvous With Self
Down by the pier he loved to go. Twilight saw him sit there. I’d wanted to go with him but he refused. He said, “Nature has a time for everyone.”
He penned some words in a journal kept away from everyone. It was found under his pillow after his departure.
Thompson Emate is a diverse writer trying to find his way through. His short stories can be seen in voice.club. He lives in Lagos, Nigeria.
CAROL REEVES: Saying Goodbye
She smiles politely, appearing to listen. Inside, a wall is rising, deflecting the words, storing them in a corner of her soul. Maybe later she will let them out, face their truths, feel their pain. But not today. Today she will smile and be gracious. He would have liked that.
A prolific writer, Carol Reeves is loving the freedom and challenges of 50 word stories.
Her first book, “All the Little Miracles,” was published this year.
JA AUGUST: Gardens in the Ashes
When the smoke and the flames faded, we emerged from the rubble. Lonely survivors with seed pouches at our sides, we planted gardens in the ashes. Our work would revive a smoldering civilization; we thought ourselves seed-scattering saviors. We realized too late that we had sown a bed of weeds.
J.A. August writes to explore the world and the people who shape it.