JOHN YOUNG: As If…

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

“I’m really, truly sorry,” Blake said, gesturing and screwing up his eyes, as if in pain, as if to show the depth of his regret.

Quite good acting, Ann thought.

“You do believe me?” he asked earnestly.

Smiling, she turned and walked away. As if I could be so stupid.

John Young is an old chap grappling with themes of limits, longings, and finitude. He likes spooky stuff and lives in St Andrews, Scotland, an ancient town with an ancient university, home of golf, and home also – allegedly – of many ghosts. (He has not met any yet.)

GARY THOMSON: Apprentice

Adventure, Submissions, , ,

Emma works her knife over the jack-o’-lantern’s flesh, tapers the leering, accusatory mouth, widens empty eyes. Her stepmother’s features, just so.

She draws the gleaming blade between unhearing ears.

A centred candle bursts into flame.

“Proof of the destructive power,” Master Carver has forewarned.

Soon father will be hers alone.

Gary Thomson resides in Ontario, where he enjoys country drives through fiery autumn colours and strolling amongst early pioneer cemeteries. None of his published work matches the poignancy of mossy inscriptions on weathered grave markers.

MARC LITTMAN: Ghost of Halloween

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

The flickering jack-o’-lanterns stand sentry on my porch, but I’ve turned off my light lest any young tricksters trespass. Still, I left some treats in a plastic goblin’s palm with a sign saying “Pick one if you dare.” Sadly, I doubt any will dare tempt the viral Ghost of Halloween.

Marc Littman’s flash fiction has been published in many online magazines and anthologies from 50-Word Stories to The Saturday Evening Post. He also writes plays and novels.

RODRIGO ORTIZ VINHOLO: Ammunition

Adventure, Amusing, Submissions, , , ,

We didn’t have enough bullets for everyone, so we had to draw lots. I lost. Typical.

“You should be glad,” they said. “You’ll get to live longer. In a way, we are the losers, right?”

Joke’s on them: I’ll eat their faces as soon as I turn into a zombie.

Rodrigo Ortiz Vinholo is a Brazilian fiction writer based in São Paulo. His short fiction work has been featured in over a hundred collections in Brazilian Portuguese, exploring a wide variety of genres. His latest books are ‘Sinônimo de Rancor’ (2018, self-published), ‘Os Dias em que Rubia Viveu no Futuro’ (2019, Lendari), ’33’ (2020, Casa Literária) and ‘Poemas Chatos para Pessoas Ruins’ (2020, Darda Editora). See more at rodrigoortizvinholo.com.br (in Brazilian portuguese)

ROBERT MARKOVICH: The Empty Booth

Artistic, Submissions, Touching, , , , ,

Nearly every old strip-mall parking lot has one, a brick-and-glass memorial to when some kid inside handed you your finished Kodachromes.

Where did all those Kodachromes go? To dusty drawers and landfills. And the kid? To ‘Nam, where he stayed as his parents grew old wondering why they let him.

Robert Markovich spent a lifetime in what is charitably referred to as service journalism, writing and editing stories about everything from cars to toilets, most recently at Consumer Reports. He is happily and gratefully retired.

JR WALSH: Refer your friends

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

We weren’t in the evacuation zone, but we drove to the shelter.

We’re petting mangy dogs and seeing the guns. Breathing in people sprawled on Army blankets.

Dodging spinning children in line to pee. Signing up everyone for Amazon Prime. Five bucks per referral.

We’ll upgrade our bathrooms with bidets.

JR Walsh writes in landlocked Idaho, but itsjrwalsh.com floats everywhere.

MARIA CARGILLE: Stress Turned My Soul to Copper and Steam

Artistic, Poetry, Submissions, Top Stories, , , ,

Anxiety forces another beam of steel through my belly,
apprehension caps my lungs,
and tangles them in wire.

Electricity jolts my chest
yanking a mechanical heart to life.

Oil slicks my throat
choking me into silence.

Perhaps terror stole my voicebox
too
and only the gears in my brain
scream.

Maria copes with stress by listening to Steam Powered Giraffe, and writing strange poetry.

JOHN YOUNG: Humans!

Adventure, Submissions, , , ,

Humans, givers of food, thought the large dog, bounding to the man sitting against a wall. Since the time of the great light, the wind and fires, it had eaten little.

But the human had no food and was very weak.

Humans are food! thought the dog, trotting contentedly away.

John Young is an old chap grappling with themes of limits, longings, and finitude. He lives in St Andrews, Scotland, an ancient town with an ancient university, home of golf, home also – allegedly – of many ghosts. (He has not met any yet.)

EDITH HELBERT: Like a Boss

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

Waving good morning at a colleague, Shelly drops her bag on the table. Smiling, she opens her laptop and punches the flashing button on her desk phone, ready to begin. “Who knew one retirement would make such a difference around here?” she thinks. “I should have fired him years ago.”

Edith is an uprooted southerner living in the midwestern US, where people talk too quickly and rivers move too slowly, but otherwise it’s a nice place to live.