“What does he want?” asked the young woman suspiciously, fingering her frayed blouse.
Smoke gathered and swirled, darkening the crystal ball.
“The money!” her father cried. “It’s inside the urn!”
The old woman looked up, suppressing a smile.
“Oh, dear girl—he’s simply sending his love from the other side.”
SK Chynoweth is an aid worker by day, SFF writer by night, and parent to two vibrant kids at all times. She lives in Malaysia.
The primary substance was neither physical nor mental but had latent tendencies for either. Both matter and mind arose from it and interact through it. It was finally detected in 2061 and, after being inadvertently stimulated, awoke and became engaged. And that’s why all the dead and dying simply vanished.
Don Nigroni has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Saint Joseph’s University and a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from Notre Dame. He worked as an economist for the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A Muslim family moves into Grandpa Clark’s neighborhood. Grandpa shakes his head. Something ain’t right.
After church, he knocks on his neighbor’s door and explains to the family they have to wax their porch floor.
He invites them for lunch, so he can show them how to do it properly.
Claire Leng is working as a technology consultant at one of the big 4 firms. English is her second language.
What color is my mind’s eye?
Does it match the two green orbs set in their sockets to gather and compress the world down into a space the size of a round melon?
Does it blink? Obviously yes: I walk into a room, stop, wonder:
“Why am I in here?”
Le Anne likes the cozy retreat afforded by a blustery winter day, no excuse needed to spend its entirety putting thought to paper. Even the dove is snuggled in the straw under the azalea bush, eyes closed. No, slightly open…no, closed…
Awards, diplomas, and trophies cover the walls. Her desk’s concealed by to-do lists, empty coffee-cups, and pencil stubs. Her fingernails are bitten down to the beds, eyes bloodshot from sleepless nights. Her family praises her, but a mother who ran makes her wonder if she’ll ever truly be good enough.
Karalyn Wayne enjoys writing stories with a hot drink in hand and her dog at her feet. When she isn’t procrastinating, she writes. This is the first time she’s been published.
High in her tower, the witch wove her hands over the dark crystal globe. Smoke swirled and gathered. Her grey eyes glimmered as the image of her hungering desire took form.
A deluxe cheeseburger and cola.
The globe flashed green, and the image became an hourglass. Ten minutes, it showed.
Michael B. Keane is a London-based writer. He dabbles in poetry and short speculative fiction.
You were sitting at the kitchen table as usual, enjoying your morning coffee. I gasped when I saw you. I couldn’t help it.
You must have seen that you’d shaken me, because suddenly you were gone. Vaporized.
But how could I ever be afraid of you? Next time, please stay.
Alex Markovich believes in guardian angels.
The story of the week for January 18 to 22 is…
Homecoming by Finnian Burnett
He would sometimes sleep with his books, several outlining his body, others resting beneath his pillows. He loved holding them, tracing his fingers along their covers. And while this should have been enough to inspire him to learn to read, he was content to collect them for their beauty alone.
Ran Walker is the author of twenty-three books, including The Strange Museum: 50-Word Stories. He teaches creative writing at Hampton University.
Cold eyes roll. With a shrug, I am dismissed. I know not to risk a hug; too long since he acquiesced. Instead, reaching for a smile, I say, “Sick, bro!”
(Am I saying it right?)
Eyes narrow without leaving the screen. “Get lost, Dad.”
But he is smiling, a little.
Emma Robertson is an emerging fiction writer from London, UK who had her first three pieces published in late 2020 (Pure Slush and Eastern Iowa Review) and early 2021 (Free Flash Fiction). She teaches inclusive dance in adult education and community outreach, currently online, and has previously written articles for dance industry magazines. Follow Emma at @emmadancetrain