PETER VICKLAND: Utah

Artistic, Submissions, Top Stories, , ,

While smoking my second-to-last cigarette under a street lamp in the desert, I decided that life operated on bad metaphors and absurdist poetry.

As I was crushing the last embers, two jack rabbits ran pitter patter away to have their children and die among the sand dunes and salt flats.

Peter Vickland is a college student living and working in Sacramento, California. His hobbies, aside from writing, include reading and collecting books and not cutting his hair as often as he needs to, as he is frequently reminded by his loving girlfriend. See more at petervicklandwriting.com.

STUART ATKINSON: Gifted Mutt

Amusing, Odd, Submissions, , , ,

Labradors are clever and mine is really, really smart. He watches Jeopardy with my wife and me. He can answer more than she can, but neither of us tells her.

Once my wife is asleep he creeps into our room and licks my nose. Then we go chasing cars together.

Stuart is a retired teacher from New Zealand. He likes writing short stories and flash fiction.

TONY BLAINE: The Gunmen

Adventure, Submissions, , ,

Seven gunmen carried their six-shooters into the cavern, emptied their rounds into the beast’s flesh, and killed it like they’d promised. This way they’d be safe when they went to collect the treasure, even though all of them were out of bullets.

All but one.

He still had all six.

Tony Blaine is a writer and English teacher in the Pacific Northwest. He started writing fiction in college and hopes to get pretty good at it someday. Follow him on Instagram for more of his flash fiction or visit wheneverihavetime.com to read his full-length short stories.

ROBERTA BEACH JACOBSON: Matched with a Mime

Submissions, , ,

Despite being a communications major, I searched for a mime boyfriend because I figured he’d allow me sufficient space, some peace and quiet.

Well, I figured wrong.

Once the mime started talking, the guy never shut up. Yada, yada, yada. Politics, comics, movies, save the whales.

Save me. Zip it.

Roberta Beach Jacobson is a humorist from Iowa. See more at RobertaJacobson.com.

MARLENE CAROSELLI: What the Midwife Saw

Submissions, Touching, , ,

She held out her arms, beseeching me to give her the baby who had miraculously triumphed over death. I helped her cradle the tiny form in her arms. She cooed the whole time, “Renato. Renato.”

This is how he came by his name: he came to life a second time.

Dr. Marlene Caroselli is an author, keynoter, and corporate trainer whose clients include Lockheed Martin, Allied Signal, Department of the Interior, and Navy SEALS. She writes extensively about education, business, self-improvement, and careers and has adjuncted at UCLA and National University. Her first book, The Language of Leadership, was named a main selection by the Executive Book Club. Principled Persuasion, a more recent title, was designated a Director’s Choice by the Doubleday Book Club. Applying Mr. Albert: 365+ Einstein-Inspired Brain Boosts, her 62nd book, will be released by HRD Press in 2018.

BOB SILVA: A Million Stars

Artistic, Submissions, Touching, ,

You and me. A fantasy.

Love, pain — ecstasy, agony — life. That night, frigid, blankets, warm. Stars. The stars! Magic.

But we knew. We lay there, lying to ourselves, lying to the stars. The million ways it was right couldn’t overcome the handful of ways it was wrong.

Us. A fantasy.

Bob Silva wrote this story.

JO WITHERS: Occupant of Space Between Shop 16 and 16A, High Street

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

At first, she felt free. She’d bask in the summer evening radiance, watching the kaleidoscope of stars filling the night sky with their regular patterns. Like lights from faraway friends, watching over her.

But in winter, the pavement was cold. Clouds blocked out the stars. Friends seemed very far away.

Jo Withers hopes that everyone has friends nearby. You can follow Jo on Twitter.

HARRY DEMAREST: Downhill Bike Ride

Amusing, Submissions, Top Stories, , , ,

When I was young, I wished I could ride my bike around the block, coasting downhill all the way.

Since I got my degree in physics I know that’s impossible.

I now wish that the integral of the gradient of the gravitational potential around a closed loop could be negative.

Harry Demarest received a BA in physics from Reed College in 1969, and a PhD in planetary and space physics from UCLA in 1975.

ALICE LAM: Dear John

Artistic, Submissions, Touching, , ,

I miss reading your gothic paranormal dinosaur erotica poetry.
I miss you playing B-side heavy metal on low volume whilst veganising carnivorous recipes.
I miss picking up a full jar of pickles and standing stupidly with only the lid in my hand.
I missed the meaning of your goodbye note.

Alice Lam moved to Australia from the UK with her partner and they share a house in Melbourne, along with a cheese-seeking, greying Boxer dog. See more at alicelambooks.com.