The upkeep was never-ending; it took a week to wash, a week to dry, a week to comb, a week to braid; just so she could dangle it out the window for an afternoon, like a fishing line among the thorns, a temptation to witless boys spying from the brambles.
Over the years Bob Thurber’s work has received a long list of awards and prizes. His most recent book is a collection of brief stories titled “Nothing But Trouble”. Visit BobThurber.net.
The story of the week for January 25 to 29 is…
The Dead’s Weight by Eldar Levin
Artistry and adventure well combined.
The girl said, “Ghosts of my memories haunt me.” Perhaps she hadn’t buried them well. They kept feeding on her beautiful mind.
The boy said, “Those are lovely memories.” Perhaps he didn’t remember them forever. They faded away.
The girl was confined to an asylum.
The boy lived happily on.
Paramita Ghosh is an ordinary lady who sometimes tries to write stories.
His hands are trembling. His vision is blurred.
He’s been quicker than many less fortunate souls, but hasn’t been in practice for years now.
He wonders if age will be his demise. Or rust. Or comfort.
After ten paces, he turns and finds too many faces staring back at him.
Eldar calls California home, where he can watch the sun hide behind the ocean.
“Can’t a girl get a proper cup of tea around here?” asked Katherine.
“Sorry Miss, we only have black coffee.”
“It’s just flavored hot water, no need to act like it’s highfalutin. But I do have very refined tastes when it comes to my beverages.”
“Look, lady, this is jail.”
Carolyn Smuts taught history before fleeing academic life to write. Her work has appeared in SELF, Glamour, Creative Living, Ultimate Motorcycling, and Business Week. Her recent fiction works were published by Akashic Books, Jitter Press, Wordland, and Omnific. She lives in Southern California.
Gadzooks! I feel a sharp twinge in my butt. What did that curly-haired tyke just do to me?
But I forget the pain when I see a vision of gorgeousness approaching. My jaded heart goes pitter-patter.
She’s rubbing her derriere, too, and there’s no mistaking the desire in her eyes.
As a follow-up to her frivolous and fun career in broadcasting, Sally Basmajian is working on a variety of writing projects. She has won a few prizes for short fiction and creative non-fiction, and has recently completed a fantasy novel for young adults.
Emma. Such a sweet young woman. And now he was going to make her his—forever.
Of course, she had no idea what he had become, seemingly overnight.
No matter, she would find out when he visited Valentine’s night.
But first he would take her out for a quick bite.
Lin loves flash fiction, mysteries, and thoughtful horror. Twists and humour are like spices that flavour a writer’s work. She is still waiting to be rich and famous.
Woke up on a different side of the mirror this morning, looking at a child who believed in herself and her dreams. I watched, helpless, as she was introduced to this devils’ haven.
I saw her life fly by, watched her sparkle flicker. Falter. Fade.
I miss being that child.
Gretchen Ivers is not quite sure why all of her stories turn out so morbid.
The fixed-odds betting terminal fired out an electronic pulse, causing my bio-interface implant to twitch in excited anticipation. I paused, my finger poised above the play button, and adjusted the frequency receiver to that of the sender. An incoming message.
What the machine had to say was this: HELP ME.
Matt Thompson is a London-based writer of oddball fantastical fiction: short stories, flash fiction, comics scripts, poetry, and the occasional novel. He is endeavouring to follow Ray Bradbury’s advice of writing a story every week. To date, this has been adhered to in theory more than reality.
When I enter the room, the room enters me: piercing my mind with distortions: smiling faces, baring teeth, a swaying ceiling. The chairs come to life, their wooden legs snapping together over and
over, laughing. The lights blur.
I swallow back my fear, but it sticks in my throat.
Therapy.
Ada Jenkins is a feminist, vegan, and animal rights activist. Her writing has been published by _Lip_ magazine, United Press, and The Flaming Vegan. She is in the middle of setting up a blog called Spiritual Vegan.