SARA KATE EGAN: A Few Minor Quirks

Amusing, Artistic, Submissions, ,

What delicate, ornate engravings the old keys have. Erin discovers them behind her recently purchased farmhouse’s shed.

She’s captivated by their descriptions, for different cellars: root, wine, cheese, beer. Where could they be?

Digging in her overgrown backyard garden, she excitedly hits thick stonework.

Another inscription becomes unearthed: Here Lies…

Sara Kate Egan finds inspiration in a diverse natural world surrounding her in the Upper Midwest, be it wild woodlands, Great Lakes, colorful prairies, or curious critters within such special places. Writing locally flavored microfiction is her favorite thing, although sometimes a nice enough poem will strike. Watch out, world!

SHOSHAUNA SHY: Why Not Nick or Jack?

Amusing, Artistic, Submissions, , , , , ,

His mother loved the melody of leaves flapping in the woods beside Nickajack Lake where she camped on summer nights, so she named him Aspen. He’d grow up tall, she decided. Sturdy. He believed her till age six when he heard his name on boys’ lips shouted across a playground.

Shoshauna loves how flash fiction cuts to the chase, and is grateful to find stories all over the place.

JOHN HOLMES: Hiding Pain

Amusing, Submissions, Touching, , , ,

Pelvis pressed to the parquet.
Shoulder shoved against the skirting.
Back braced by the bookcase.
Calves caught in computer cords.

Legs — dead.
Eyes — shut.
Breath — shallow.
Mind — counting.

‘Ninety-seven.
Ninety-eight.
Ninety-nine.

One hundred.’

A young, cheerful voice from the kitchen:

“Coming. Ready or not.”

Find me.

Please find me. Quickly.

John’s recent work has been published in People’s Friend, Five Minutes, Paragraph Planet, WestWord and FFF. He’s the author of ‘Rough Rides’, ‘Short and Sweet and Sour’ and ‘Whole In My Shorts’, and the winner of The Times, Fusilli, Self-Pub Fest, and Microcosms story competitions. John cycles the east coast of England soaking up new stories.

ARIK M: Greeting

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

It’s only after she touches your sleeve that you realize you’ve been wet this whole while. How long were you outside in all this? An hour? An afternoon? You can’t say. But when she reaches her arms out it hits you: all this time all you wanted was the warm.

Arik M.’s work has been published under a variety of names. If you think you see him, say Hi.

KAAVYA RAJAN: Two Hands

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

Two hands entwined together. One human and cold, the other mechanical yet warm. He whispered, “I’m home,” though she could never answer. Every update preserved her voice, her smile, her habits. Love survived. She didn’t. He finally understood the difference between memory and presence at last, letting go anyway, forever.

Kaavya Rajan is a high school student from India. She has been published in magazines such as In the Mood and journals like Apotheca and Crashtest. She enjoys reading and watching tennis in her free time.

ROBERTA BEACH JACOBSON: Holiday

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

on a partly cloudy day
in an ordinary small town
in a flyover state
a parade begins at 10 am

when the batons start swinging
and the brass strikes up a familiar march
with gusto
the townspeople clap and children cheer

for one day
all feels right
with the world

Roberta Beach Jacobson is the author of Demitasse Fiction: One-Minute Reads for Busy People.

KEVIN J FELLOWS: We

Odd, Submissions, , ,

On her first visit, she turned the light on and watched him sleep. When he woke, he was alone. Dismissing her presence as a vivid dream, he turned the light off.

Her weight sank the mattress. She said, “Don’t do that.”

“Turn the light out?”

“We don’t like it.”

“We?”

Kevin J. Fellows, is a former technologist but has always been a writer. His fiction and poetry have appeared in Translunar Travelers Lounge, ONE ART, 34 Orchard, Strange Horizons, Star*Line, and others. See more at kevinjfellows.com.

MARIA CARGILLE: To Teach Unlearning

Artistic, Submissions, Top Stories, , , ,

She moved with a terrible efficiency, cutting corners within her own space so as to never, ever inconvenience. Movement that bled quiet don’t mind me, and of course, that’s more important and i’m sorry.

I soothed slowly, wordlessly: I see you; and of course you matter; and it’s alright, love.

Maria Cargille wrote this story.

LORRAINE MANTON: Mirror Image

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

Every morning she pins on a smile with thoughts as sharp as nails. She checks it carefully: is it wide enough? Are the edges too hard, are the lips too thin, too tight-pressed, too fake? (She copied the smile from a storefront dummy, but no one has to know that.)

Lorraine Manton is currently studying creative writing and literature at Deakin University, Australia, and has a great fondness for books, coffee and small slices of imaginary lives.