The story of the week for October 18 to 22 is…
The Two-Story House by Linda McCauley Freeman
MARIA CARGILLE: After the War, They Left Us Here
Androids have one advantage over our human creators. Not the speed, strength or calculation with which they built us for war. A less intentional boon.
We resist decay.
Here, still, lies J2’s custom arm. A7’s amber eye. Z3’s frame. I walk the wreckage, sorting each piece into its rightful grave.
Maria Cargille wrote this story.
FREDRICK HUDGIN: The Bear
Feel the change in the air.
Feel the energy, the power,
Undulating just out of sight.
This is a time of the looking-in,
It’s a time of peace and growth.
The wind is blowing,
Carrying the pulse of what will be,
__________________what has been.
Guide me, brother.
I will listen.
Fredrick Hudgin is the author of the End of Children Trilogy, Ghost Ride, The School of the Gods, Four Winds – A Collection of Poetry, A Rainy Night and Other Short Stories, Green Grass, and Sulphur Springs. See more at fredrickhudgin.com.
GABRIELLA BERTELMANN: Life is a Dream
I once did dream I was a swan
who reigned upon a placid lake
where gentle ripples cheered me on
with cygnets trailing in my wake
the morning sun lit on my crown
water glistened in the light
upon my pillow then I found
a downy feather soft and white
Gabriella Bertelmann is a literary translator, editor, and polyglot with a passion for poetry, good stories, and Mother Nature.
CHARLIE SWAILES: Late Pick-Up
Breathlessly, I stammer my way through apologies, grabbing bookbags, coats, papers from the teacher, nodding-head and fake smiles, checking her watch as she closes the door. My daughter’s embarrassment is evident on her reddened cheeks and averted gaze, and I sigh, wondering when the trauma of school will truly finish.
Charlie Swailes writes flash fiction and teaches English.
CINDY HOSSAIN: Bonus Ball
The ball rolls down the opaque tube, before coming to a standstill next to the other five numbers. It seals my fate as a brand new multimillionaire.
“What are you watching?” my wife asks when she enters the room.
“Oh, nothing really,” I say, putting the paper in my pocket.
Cindy Hossain is an English Literacy student and enthusiastic amateur writer. When she’s not busy putting pen to paper, she’s taking care of her three young children and two dogs.
LINDA McCAULEY FREEMAN: The Two-Story House
Shaded Bronx sidewalks, children shouting, and the green Buick that was serving as second base.
Upstairs, Grandma left her teeth on the lace doily next to the water glass
and empty pill bottles. What she had threatened, she had done.
The ambulance took her away. My father brought her back.
Linda McCauley Freeman has been widely published in international literary journals and anthologies, including a Chinese translation of her work. She is a three-time winner of the Talespinners Short Story contest judged by Michael Korda, Linda McCauley Freeman has an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College.
RACHEL TEFERET: To My Cat
Dakini, please forgive me because I do not remember the exact place of your grave.
We buried you at Coyote Overlook in a gopher-wire cage filled with marijuana and mugwort and daisies. Underneath the pines, we erected a three-stone cairn—now long covered in needles or branches—
I don’t know.
Rachel Teferet is a marketing copywriter, novelist, and poet. Her work has been published by Subprimal Poetry Art, Zoetic Press’ NonBinary Review, and more. See more at lettersandfeathers.wordpress.com.
RILEY MONTAG: Delayed Getaway
“Sorry we didn’t come back earlier.”
July warmth, salt, sunshine- flooding into the car that parks in the seam of pavement and beach. Birds laughing distant. Sunscreen uncapping, close. Sand’s likely too hot to walk on barefoot.
“Better late than never, huh?” she says.
The urn beside her says nothing.
Riley Montag is a Colorado-based trickster that’s usually up to Trouble, but not generally up to No Good. Follow Riley at @RileyAMontag.
KEN GRANT: Expression
Color splashed with feverish focus. Patterns known only to a mind set free.
Others, unknowing, are critical and harsh.
Persevering and reaching upward. Drawing inspiration from a well that any day could run dry. Straining to unveil what lies in darkness. Wanting only to give birth to what was dead.
Ken Grant is a freelance writer living in Santa Ana, California. His stories have appeared in Left Hand Publishers, Jitter Press, and Alien Dimensions.