The story of the week for August 17 to 21 is…
La Costa by Robert Carcache Flores
It’s a wistful, poetic thing of beauty, inspiring a lot of imagination.
JIM HARTSELL: Forced Entry
He opened the driver’s door and got out quietly. His son, swallowing hard, slid behind the wheel.
“Hit that gate hard and fast.”
The boy nodded.
“See you on the other side,” the father said, and disappeared.
The boy gunned the engine and dropped the clutch, steeling himself for impact.
Jim is a retired educator, living in the mountains of East Tennessee. He divides his time as he sees fit, the great advantage of retirement. His books are available through Amazon and Createspace for print and Smashwords for ebook format. His writer’s page is facebook.com/jimhartsellwriter.
MARK FARLEY: One Last Tale
“Thanks for the story, Mummy,” Sally said, snuggling down into her blankets.
“Glad you liked it, sweetie. Sleep tight.”
“Night, Daddy!” Sally called.
“Don’t you want a story?” he called back.
“Mummy read it already.”
Still wearing his black suit from the funeral, he came in and stared at her.
Mark Farley is currently writing a fifty-word bio and needs only thirty-two more words after this sentence. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Saturday Night Reader magazine, Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine, and of course the wonderful fiftywordstories.com. He blogs his rambling creative writing attempts at mumbletoes.blogspot.co.uk.
ROBERTO CARCACHE FLORES: La Costa
I headed along the shore, past driftwood, dry stars, and trash. I walked until there was no one around, and I thought I saw your silhouette, waving at me from the water.
But I knew better than to chase shadows during high tide. I suppose we learn from our mistakes.
Roberto Carcache Flores is a Salvadoran writer whose first poetry chapbook, A Condensation of Maps, has recently been published by Dink Press.
SHANNON FLYNN: Catching Summer
“Look! It’s a firefly,” she said, as a smile crept across her face. “Let’s try to catch it.”
He laughed, “It’s just a firefly.”
“No, it’s not. It’s summer and we should catch it before it gets away,” she said.
“You can’t catch summer,” he laughed again.
“I can try.”
Shannon Flynn is a freelance writer living and writing the dream in Columbus, Ohio.
GARY ZENKER: Sleep Gently
Sleeping, he breathes through his nose.
Snuggled up close, I kiss his head three times, making a soft sound with each. I don’t hear the beeping until I get up.
“Now. Okay,” I tell the nurse, even though it’s anything but.
I leave the room to make the final arrangements.
Gary Zenker loves writing flash fiction and short stories, but finds that the hardest thing to write is a good, brief biography.
OL HUMPHREYS: Thumbs vs. Pacifiers
“Thumb sucking can cause dry, irritable skin. Using a pacifier is a much healthier choice.”
“No. Pacifiers can cause speech impediments in children. Sucking thumbs is better.”
“Pacifiers can eventually be taken from the child. Thumbs cannot.”
“If a child uses a pacifier, its head may fall off.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
O.L.Humphreys is an aspiring author of humorous short fiction and a confused new father. He lives in Ealing, England. To date his only published short story can be found in Dark Lane Anthology Volume One. Keep up to date with his future publications on Facebook.
STORY OF THE WEEK: August 15
The story of the week for August 10 to 14 is…
You Are Standing in My Moonlight by Jeff Holland
A wonderful little piece of creative philosophy and what it means to be human.
Honourable mention to After the Party by Ana Drobot.
TRINA KRIEGER: Haunted
Steps creaked. The house was foreboding.
I wouldn’t have come, but my brother said She would meet me here.
As I rubbed the dirt aside to peer in the window, a bloodcurdling screech sounded behind me. Adrenaline shot through me. I jumped and whirled, fist connecting.
My brother lay unmoving.
Trina Krieger is an artist struggling to write her memoir. When the process gets overwhelming, she writes urban fantasy instead.
BILL WATERS: A Taste of Fiction
“I did it! I wrote a story in exactly 50 words!”
“Really?” Maxwell snatched the slip of paper from my hand. Crumpling it up, he shoved it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
“You… You ate my story!”
Maxwell burped. “Your writing’s very tasteful,” he said, and left the room.
Bill Waters, a lifelong poet and writer, lives in Pennington, New Jersey, USA, with his wonderful wife and their three amazing cats.