Seeds fill the sky then rain upon the earth. Wherever they land—water, soil, brick, or concrete—the seeds attach and grow. And grow. Connecting, they draw energy from anything within reach. Anything.
Satiated, as one they pulsate, causing nascent seedlings to explode skyward, continuing their endless journey of renewal.
Tery has been an actor, director and teacher, and is now trying his hand at writing. A cat lover, he is ruled over by Linus, Bela and Fluff.
Screeching. Breaths held. Brace for impact. Hands grip wheel. Memories flicker to their two children. Of Lance’s party planned for next week. He prays to a God he doesn’t believe in. “Please let us be there for our son’s birthday.” The deer stands, oblivious to its impact on four lives.
Danielle Sutherby is an emerging writer from Boston, MA who loves writing short fiction and flash fiction.
You helped me shake poppy seeds out of their brittle pods. You rode the pumpkin. You kept your arms outstretched long after the hula hoop settled to the ground. You looked up at the stars, in your ultrasound, and saw all of the things in the universe that needed rearranging.
JK Miller is a poet and storyteller living on the edge of cornfields.
It was a Las Vegas beginning for pen-pals! Strangers, taking a gamble, deciding to go for it, waking up. “Wait, did we just make some kind of a commitment? Now, back up, there’s no reason for alarm—it’s only a letter. You can tell that I’m not used to this.”
Stephen Tilden is retired in Brooklyn and always on the lookout for pen-pals.
Seashells. I love collecting them. I love running my fingers across their ridges. I want to hear the ocean in them. The one in my hand is small and delicate. Holding it to my face, I whisper. “Hello.”
It screams, “PUT ME DOWN!”
I drop it as I run away.
Cithara currently lives in North Carolina with their family, traveling between NC and Texas. They spend much of their time writing and studying languages. They’re fond of reading all kinds of things, from romance to horror. They’re also a big fan of things from the ocean, dachshunds, and making brand new meals. In their spare time, they travel with their family around the city and check out brand new restaurants and places to eat.
S.Q. stored it away last fall and now that he needs it, can’t find it. He’s racked his brain, looking everywhere, digging into places he thought it might be, but nothing. That’s Mr. Earl for you! He may eventually find it; if not, at least a new tree might sprout.
Deborah LeFalle began her creative writing journey in 2014 after retiring from successive 20-year careers in local government and post-secondary education. Her poetry and prose have appeared in various magazines, journals and anthologies; and she has authored three chapbooks (Worthy, Little Suites, Diamonds Among Us), one full-length book of poetry (Homage), and one children’s board book (Bitty Brown Babe). Beyond writing she enjoys engaging in the arts, digging into her family’s past, and spending time in natural open spaces. She lives a simple, gratitude-filled life in San Jose, California.
He turned the puddle inside out. Threw it over his shoulders like a coat. Giggled. Clapped for himself. Bowed. Walked down the street. Then ran. Then flew. Then stopped. Threw the puddle back onto the pavement—black as ash. Looked at it and sighed. Walked away and never came back.
Tatiana lives in the beautiful suburb of Surry Hills and works in the bustling City of Sydney. She is an English teacher and fiction translator with a deep love for literature. Her work has appeared in 3 Elements Review, Jokes Review, Australian Writers’ Centre, Indignor House, Ironclad Creative, and Little Old Lady.
A.I. reported a 98% probability at birth of shoplifting, assault, gang affiliation. Immediate incarceration could save taxpayer dollars.
Alternatively, adequate housing and education found a 100% chance of the same individual becoming a law-abiding periodontist who gardened on weekends.
What it boiled down to was cost.
It ran the numbers.
Michelle Wilson graduated from Bennington College with a degree in literature and creative writing. Her words have appeared in 365 Tomorrows, Bending Genres, A Thin Slice of Anxiety, Rejection Letters, Potato Soup Journal’s Best of 2021 Anthology, Maudlin House, Litro Magazine, The Drabble, 50-Word Stories, Flash Fiction Magazine, and Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood, among others. Her story ‘Fish Brain’ was nominated for Best of the Net 2022. She lives with her partner in Washington, DC, and can be found at michellekwilson.wordpress.com.
Stanley lay dead on the floor.
“I’m a mantis,” she said, “You knew that from the start. What did you expect?”
Somehow, she always thought her lovers would be sweeter than they were. Stanley, especially, had been unsatisfying. She checked her breath and hoped the babies would look like her.
Brenda is a retired university administrator who tends to write with her laptop balanced precariously across her knees. She recently decided to teach herself how to crochet. So far, she has produced a lot of sweaty little knots.
In the age of time travel, tourism exploded for the rich.
Meet an ancestor, kill a relative, spare a dictator, all now possible.
No-one thought about the pathogens hitching a lift backwards. Time to fester, to develop resistance—to rule.
In the age of time travel, pandemics slaughtered the poor.
Paul lives in Scotland. Sometimes he writes stories. Sometimes they’re even published.