CAROLE NESE: Fear of Purgatory

Artistic, Submissions, ,

Celebrating Great Ermina’s 98 years of life,
The Mariachis sang the song of the Dead
Father Hector harmonized during the mass
Her children chimed praises for their inherited wealth,
Eulogizing her sly charms that built a fortune

No guilt, just secrets and a final confession…
Her haunting fear of Purgatory.

Carole Nese enjoys reading people and writing fiction, creative non fiction, editorial prose, and sometimes poetry. She belongs to a group of great writers, is challenged by them weekly, and credits them in part for her motivation and inspiration.

ALISON CARROLL: What a Wonderful World it Would Be… (Confessions of a Curmudgeon)

Amusing, Submissions, , ,

If all the misbehaved, screaming children in restaurants were eaten for dinner.
If tailgaters grew tails, and road-hogs were butchered for bacon.
If lying politicians were publicly flogged by their constituents.
If gossipers were muzzled.

If what goes around really came around, and karma decided the fate of future existences.

‘Nuff said.

JAN OWENS: The Touch

Amusing, Artistic, Submissions, , ,

He was tall, solid, heavily tattooed, an image of aggression. Even when he slept, naked, sprawled on the bed, there was a tenseness to him, a readiness to attack at the slightest provocation.

Now he was immobilized by the light touch on his belly. The spider, unaware, was also still.

Jan Owens lives in South Australia, retired from education and nursing and now happily playing with words.

FILLIP VERDUN: The Only Way to Fly

Amusing, Submissions, , ,

This is your virtual pilot. Thank you for flying Everywhere Airline. You are flying on the first fully automated airplane and are in the hands of the most advanced computers in the world. Relax and enjoy the flight. We can guarantee that nothing will go wrong go wrong go wrong—

Fillip Verdun wrote this story.

MAGGY TALYA: Decision Time

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

We walked in silence, hand in hand. It seemed to appear out of nowhere: the fork in the road.

My instincts spoke strongly: take the path to the left. He was being guided to the right.

Our gazes locked, we embraced like never before. Off he walked to the right.

Maggy is an aspiring writer from Oakville, Ontario. She’s fairly certain she’s on the right path.

CANDACE KUBINEC: My Lacuna

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

The word rolls from my tongue: lacuna.

It has the romantic sound of a cello playing, a silky feeling like soft, luscious melon in my mouth, hiding the true meaning.

It is an empty place beside me: the gap in my world, where I am stranded since you are gone.

Candace Kubinec wrote this story.

JENNIFER L FREED: Melting

Adventure, Submissions, Touching, , ,

Her last moments haunted me.
Yes, she was a mean old
witch, but to think
how death washed over her
so abruptly.
How she must have felt,
seeing herself
diminishing, knowing
she had no
hope.
The echo
of her final words.
Toto sniffing the black pool
of her empty robes.

Jennifer L. Freed writes mostly poetry, and occasionally some short fiction. Her poetry chapbook was published in 2014. Other work can be seen at Jfreed.weebly.com.

VIV BURGESS: Through the Looking Glass

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

Alice bunks off school. Going home is safe with parents at work. Entering the hall, she hears something upstairs.

“Mum? Dad?”

Venturing up, Alice opens the bedroom door.

A strange woman looks back, shocked. She wears too much makeup.

“Who are you?”

“Alice…” the woman says.

It’s her father’s voice.

Viv Burgess worries about the characters she has pushed into the deep end.

JON NIXON: An Easy Mistake

Amusing, Puns and Wordplay, Submissions, , ,

Montgomery Jackson’s luck ran out when, at the annual manoeuvres, and in front of the new Commander, he proudly showcased the new guerrilla tactics he had developed.

Charging headlong at the enemy whilst bellowing, hurling vegetation and beating one’s chest like a dominant Silverback was simply not the done thing.

From the North West of England and currently working in local government, Jon likes to write and be creative. He is inspired by flash fiction and other short works, and is regularly blown away by the high standard of 50-word offerings on this site.