AMANDA GARZIA: Statement Piece

Artistic, Submissions, , , , ,

The cross-studded cuff is my signature, now.

No hooks. No clasps. But not why.

The Knights’ octet of virtues? Not quite.

Forced forward, buffeted by Things That Must Be Done—cancel morphine, draft causa mortis, submit to rising reminders for hubby’s apparel.

Wrist adorned, I’m eight again, emulating Wonder Woman.

At age 12, Amanda created Penpal Magazine. She has written for Times of Malta and anthologies by AotFFWC, Chris Fielden’s Authors of the Flash Fiction Writing Challenges. She is one of six administrators of this global group’s Facebook page.

SAMEEKSHA V: Ghost at the Feast

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

One day, we’ll meet for lunch; surprise me! Alfredo for me & arrabbiata for you. You’ll talk like nothing’s changed and I’ll hope you choke on everything you never said. The waiter hands me the bill & your old leftover laugh haunts me. You still haven’t come to surprise me!

Sameeksha is a reader, writer, and a soon-to-be engineering student. When she’s not busy gobbling down books, you can find her drinking filter coffee or talking about drinking filter coffee. You can find her on sameeksha.me or @samvksha.

MICHAEL THEROUX: Ya Gotta Wonder

Adventure, Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

Me? I shoulda got it years ago. I’ve used up a cat and a half. When you don’t know why you’re still around, you gotta wonder. What’ll it be: one more bite, when enough’s enough? The Mundane is going to get you, when you’ve dodged all the Really Big Stuff.

He Is, therefore he writes. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t, so when he’s not, he won’t anymore. He thinks…

STORY OF THE MONTH: April 2026

News

The Story of the Month is chosen from the Story of the Week winners announced from the past month.

The finalists for April were:

Wearing Clouds by Angela Carlton
A Prescription by Jinjia Grace Hu
Life of the Party by Marc Young
Catching Angels by Alyson Floyd
Collect by Paul D’Arcy

The winner of the April 2026 Story of the Month is…

Catching Angels

JOE PEARSON: Babe, Are You Popping to the Supermarket?

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

Milk. Eggs. Sliced bread for the kids’ lunches. Those little biscuits Dave likes. Bin bags. Loo roll. Birth control pills. A road map of Europe. Some screamy death metal. Energy drink. A full tank of petrol. A glance in the rear view mirror. The horizon. A sunset. Wild, open night.

Joe Pearson is a British fiction writer living in Paris. His shopping lists aren’t this dramatic. You can find more of his writing at joepearsonwriter.com.

MEG POKRASS: Hope Ranch Summers

Artistic, Submissions, , , , ,

Gone are the summers where she stood in the downtrodden orchard picking leathery tangerines with white fuzzy splotches, trying to find a good one. Gone are the melted ice cream nights on the unmown lawn next to the golden retriever who, when she lifted his paws, danced in her arms.

Meg Pokrass lives in the Scottish Highlands. Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals including New England Review, Electric Literature and Five Points. She’s the founding editor of Best Microfiction.

MATILA ALBRIGHT: Spring Magic

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

I silently mourn the beheading of my neighbor’s flowers; my son doesn’t know why we can freely pick dandelions, but should leave the tulips alone. He sees a colorful thing suddenly growing from nothing, something magical, and thinks of me. He’ll forget this; I’ll never forget how his hair smelled.

Matilda Albright currently lives in Detroit, and is just trying her best.

MADELEINE McDONALD: When Foundations Crumble

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

City dwellers have converted derelict farm buildings into holiday homes, the fresh paintwork aggressive against their forlorn neighbours. Yet behind their steel security shutters, within their cocoon of comfort, these newcomers fear the future, aware that AI might steal their jobs and destroy a prosperity they imagined would last forever.

Madeleine McDonald’s published work includes radio stories, flash fiction and romance novels.

GOPIKA NAIR: Daydreams

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

In my dreams, the sky’s blue.

I belong everywhere, though I’m a child of nowhere. Summer comes. I snorkel in Malta and spend full days with the sun in Reykjavik. My passport is indigo; the stamps inside are free.

I awake to a view of clouds stained gray with soot.

Gopika Nair likes to write, but typically gives up on drafts halfway through. She has made it her 2026 mission to actually finish some stories.