THOMAS SUMMERSON: Hunting the Hunter

Odd, Submissions, , , ,

I saw her today and I knew what she was immediately. After some hours of watching her pickpocket unwary airport travelers, I want to meet her and know her.

No one here knows that I’m a predator of a much more dangerous kind, and neither does she as I approach.

Thomas Summerson is a daydreamer and storyteller. He writes every day, as work and family life allows, of course. He dreams and labors toward the day when he can leave the day job behind and write full time. “Twenty years of schoolin’ and they put ya on the day shift.” It’s true Bob, it’s so true.

INDU PILLAI: After Dark

Odd, Submissions, , , ,

The room’s dark. The blue light of the computer screen illuminates his face, its raw desire. He clicks on a name he hasn’t tried before: Double Trouble, a buxom blonde.

The chat room opens to a promising skin show. He is staring into the eyes of his wife, working late.

Indu Pillai writes poetry and fiction when she is not reading poetry and fiction. She delights in all kinds of stories, written and unwritten. During the day, she works in her design studio. Follow her on Twitter.

LAURA MARION ROSE: Anabolic Idolatry

Amusing, Submissions, , , ,

“You’re like an Adonis, chiseled in stone,” she scoffed.

Oblivious, he pulled her into his perfectly sculpted arms. She pushed away, repulsed by the rocky feel of his muscled flesh.

Heedless, he savored his god-like reflection in the mirror, flexed his bulging biceps, then reached for another testosterone cocktail hit.

A scientist by trade and writer by nature, Laura searches for fiction that is truer than life, conjuring up stories that both draw and promise relief from years spent in a fact-filled, SciTech world.

AJ PIERZ: Selfless

Submissions, Touching, , , , , , ,

Reality became clearer as the epidural lost its grip on her. She looked down at her beautiful creation, counting ten fingers and ten toes.

The room was bursting with happiness for the new addition to their family.

Her heart shriveled as she handed over her baby to his new mother.

AJ Pierz is from St. Paul, Minnesota, and is currently working on her debut novel. Follow her on Twitter.

JASON HUYNH: Pain Beneath the Ink

Amusing, Submissions, Touching, , ,

The burly biker stormed in, sleeve rolled up to expose “Christina”. One glance and I knew.

As the tattoo machine drew the line, I patiently listened to him curse at her. A long silence followed.

He winced, seeing the crossed-out name through sorrowful tears. Ink could only cover, not remove.

On a lighter note, Jason is enjoying his summer.

JENNIFER L FREED: Sitting

Artistic, Poetry, Submissions, Top Stories, , ,

Across the lawn, beyond
my gaze, my daughters’ voices
rise-and-falling, lilt-and-laughing,
while the robin in the dogwood
breaks a tiny tip of branch and flies away
then comes and breaks
again,
again, again,
his swoop so close, even
the thrumming of his wings
is in the breath that I exhale.

Jennifer L. Freed lives in Massachusetts, where she writes poetry, takes care of her family, and likes to play with clay, which she disguises as ceramic sculpture. She has taught ESL in China, the Czech Republic, and the U.S. This poem appears in her chapbook, These Hands Still Holding (Finishing Line Press, 2014). Please visit her website, Jfreed.weebly.com.

CONNELL WAYNE REGNER: The Narrative

Amusing, Odd, Submissions, ,

“I looked at her and it was love at first sight. I knew she didn’t know I existed so I hid my glances. Then she got up and walked towards me as if to say something.”

“You’re so nerdy. Everyone can hear your narration from over there. Now shut up!”

See more of Connell’s literary misadventures at paragraphplanet, home.wtd-magazine.com, and postcardshorts.com.

ELIZA ARCHER: Expedience

Amusing, Submissions, , ,

Arthur pulled at the sword stuck in the stone. It came out easily. The blade probably was dull, but Sir Kaye wasn’t exactly the brightest blade in Camelot. Maybe they deserved each other. Taking this sword would save Arthur a long walk, and no one would ever know, would they?

Eliza Archer drinks too much coffee and writes flash fiction, poetry, and longer fiction. She can be found daily at elizaarcher.com.

YASSI DOO: God Nature vs. Nature God

Amusing, Submissions, , , , ,

Their insignificant lives were in her hands now; she felt no mercy. How oblivious of them to invoke her wrath by trespassing. She’ll effect a flood and watch them drown in pleasure. She was their god.

“Maria, lunch!” her mom called.

She left the ant-infested candy jar open.

“After lunch…”

Yassi has won numerous titles in her lifetime including “tempestuously capricious” and “absurdly ineloquent”. She has also twice broken the Guinness World Record in Procrastination: once was in college during submission of her thesis, and the other, unfortunately, is taking place now, working on her writing assignment. Sad, really…