The story of the week for September 9 to 13 is…
The Pilgrim by Ed Walker
JON NIXON: He’s Eclectic
She loved her favourite music genre, Indie.
He did too. But he loved others equally.
That’s just the way it was.
From grunge to hip-hop, electronica to folk,
the fifties to the nineties and onward…
Even Dua Lipa .
Eventually it became a problem. She just couldn’t accept his polyjamorous lifestyle.
Jon is getting old. He still writes occasionally. Mostly when asked. He should do it more regularly.
KL MILL: Midway Magic
The old man’s hand trembled, but the token landed square on the plate.
“A prize for the pretty lady!”
“And on your first try – what luck!” Her eyes crinkled.
“Lucky you said ‘yes,’ my dear.”
The couple shuffled off down the midway, arms linked. Smiling, the carny disconnected the magnet.
K. L. Mill is a voice actor, another profession that revolves around words. Most recently her work has been published by Black Hare Press, Atomic Carnival, and Crepuscular Magazine.
NISSA HARLOW: What It Isn’t
It isn’t fog.
It’s white and inspissated, obscuring old questions with a new truth.
But it isn’t fog.
You went outside and breathed in.
You didn’t come back inside.
You didn’t breathe out.
I watch you from the window as you stand with all the others.
It definitely isn’t fog.
Nissa Harlow lives in British Columbia, Canada where she dreams up strange stories and writes some of them down. She is the author of a number of novels and novellas, all embellished with a touch of the fantastic. You can find her online at nissaharlow.com.
NELLY SHULMAN: The Roof
What bothered Friedman most were the bird droppings. Washing them away from around the hotel pool, he gazed at the sea, mesmerized by his urge to take a plunge. However, the roof had been fenced off for safety, which struck him as ironic since the war had begun in earnest.
Nelly Shulman is writing in Berlin.
TEODORA VAMVU: This Is Not A Love Poem
They say love is always
patient
and kind.
But your fury
sometimes knows
no self-control.
They say it’s better to love
and suffer
than to not love at all.
But my bruises
beg
to differ.
They say a lot of things about
love,
but they’ve never loved
someone like you.
A marketing specialist at a Romanian national radio station, Teodora Vamvu lives in Bucharest, Romania. Her microfiction and short prose have been featured on 101words, Spillwords, and MetaStellar, and her first non-fiction piece was a finalist in F(r)iction’s Creative Non-Fiction Sprin 2024 contest. She is also part of two prose anthologies published through Amazon, available in Kindle format and print-on-demand, and an upcoming poetry one.
ROBIN BLASBERG: Daddy’s Girl
“It’s just a calf.” Daddy made it sound like it was no big deal. Giving it up. I was such a Daddy’s girl. It never occurred to me to say “No.” Later, I learned that Daddy had already promised it to someone. But this prosthetic leg doesn’t look too bad.
Robin Blasberg loves a good laugh. Expect the unexpected because clever twists and surprise endings are trademarks of her work.
STORY OF THE MONTH: August 2024
The Story of the Month is chosen from the Story of the Week winners announced from the past month.
The finalists for August were:
In the Course of the Investigation by Bob Lucky
Anniversary Gift by Meg Pokrass
The Case of Upside-Down Carassius Auratus by Rachel Hapanowicz
Ever the One Moon by Karris Rae
The winner of the August 2024 Story of the Month, and the $10 prize, is…
The Case of Upside-Down Carassius Auratus
DEBORAH TAPPER: View from a Cliff
He’s impatient, insisting she experiences this fantastic view. It’s spectacular, definitely worth the strenuous climb. Turquoise sea, golden rocks, shy wildflowers. Swooping boat far below, sails billowing. He’s standing right behind her, laughing, pointing everything out. She suspects his uncharacteristic enthusiasm. Sidesteps just in time.
He barely makes a splash.
Deborah writes at an old desk surrounded by five hundred pet bugs.
RAN WALKER: Strange Toy
There was something about the doll that was just a little off: its eyes asymmetrical, hair wild and wiry, lips a little too pouty, skin mottled. Still, her daughter loved it, playing with it often, embracing the creepiness of the strange toy in the way only a lonely child could.
Ran Walker is the author of over 30 books, including Apollo’s Toy Box. He teaches creative writing at Hampton University and lives in Virginia with his wife and daughter.