BOB THURBER: Between Light and Shadow

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An old man from an Edward Hopper painting woke up one morning drenched in light and blackout blind.

He said: “I remember the darkness right before being dabbed into existence with no notion of myself, only dots for eyes saturated with color. Hug me, please. Hold me until I die.”

Bob Thurber is the author of six books. Regarded as a master of Flash and Micro Fiction, his work has appeared in Esquire and other magazines, been anthologized 60 times, received a long list of awards, and been utilized in schools and colleges throughout the world. He resides in Massachusetts. Visit his website at BobThurber.net.

JIMMY PAQUET: What Matters Most

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“O Zeus, what awaits me?”

“Nobody knows,” answered the towering figure, his eyes closed. “Good and bad in even measure.”

Two jars rested near his throne. Zeus drew content from both. “This is your fate. It is the same for all. The what is unknown, you only choose the how.”

Jimmy Paquet is a Greek mythology aficionado who writes from the sky of Ottawa, Ontario. Through his writing, he endeavours to discover the universal truths hidden within the myths and legends of the world.

KATIE ARMSTRONG: Unknown Certainty

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A glow in the distance catches her attention. Wooden skis glide effortlessly between trees as she draws closer. She squints at the undeniable illusion. She closes her eyes. Glowing particles swarm on the backs of her eyelids, and her skis slip forward. She is entangled—gone and not gone, simultaneously.

Katie is a consultant by day and a writer by night. Her day job requires very rigid and logical thinking, so she uses writing as a creative outlet. She lives in Bozeman, MT.

RACE HARISH: We Will Never Forget How to Talk to Each Other

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“The Bagel Place closed.” We grieve in my car.

We’re wasting gas; it’s more important to keep the music on. My parking pass still hangs from the rearview. I still think you’re the only person in the world who loves me.

Why is the sky here smaller than I remember?

Race Harish is an eighteen-year-old writer and poet currently studying in Williamsburg, Virginia. Some of their work can be found in Cast of Wonders, 3Elements Literary Review, and Blue Marble Review.

JAYE FRISINA: Holidays in the Yard

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I lay with the mulberries under my grandparents’ tree. It’s July 4th, but they smell like the tired soil I played in on Thanksgiving.

I jam them into my mouth, fast.

They taste like visiting, but never staying.
They taste like home, but not my home.

They taste like hunger.

When Jaye was little, she would skip school to go to the library and then go home and draw on walls. Not much has changed. Find her at ThirteenthStory.com.

NELLY SHULMAN: The Warrior

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The pink petal was as fragile as the skin Kate powdered with tender brushstrokes, as delicate as her eyelashes that resisted the drugs circulating through her tired veins, visible beneath the paper-thin skin of her hands. Blowing the flower away, she put on her helmet-like blond wig, ready for battle.

Nelly Shulman’s prose was published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies and she has authored three collections of short stories. She is a member of The Society of Authors (UK). See more at nellyshulman.blog.

LAURA BESLEY: Tomorrow

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when the sky has been ripped apart by invisible hands, people will hide under beds, tables, each other.

But now, as dust shimmers down, commuters and shoppers and parents clutching children’s hands imagine it’s merely a smattering of spring rain. They open umbrellas in reds, yellows, and purples. Even cerulean.

Laura Besley (she/her) writes short and very short fiction and enjoys exploring big topics in small spaces. She has published four collections, most recently: Sum of her PARTS (V. Press). She is currently a Creative Writing PhD student at the University of Leicester, an editor with Flash Fiction Magazine and runs The NIFTY Book Club. Having lived in the Netherlands, Germany and Hong Kong, she now lives in land-locked central England and misses the sea.

MARINDA KOTZE: Escape

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I was on my way to buy milk when I decided to walk further. One block became two, and soon the apartment buildings cast long shadows across the sidewalks. At each crossing I felt compelled to keep going. I’ll know when to stop. Right?

Is this how people go missing?

Marinda Kotze writes microfiction when she is supposed to be writing a novel.

SARAH SENFT: For the Love of Puddles

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It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen – the mud kicked up from the puddles catching on the hem of her jeans as we walked. I followed behind, our steps in perfect sync, together. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so close to anyone in my life.

Sarah lives in Vancouver, Canada. She has a forthcoming publication in The Closed Eye open.