Don’t feed the monsters under your bed.
And never confuse monsters with what they eat.
They’ll tempt you to think your wife is a monster who’s using your stepmother’s exact tone of voice.
Be wary, or you’ll feed her to them.
Is it already too late?
You have my number.
Charlie B. is an emergency room nurse in the Ozarks. He placates the monsters under his bed with peanut M&Ms. The crunching sounds help him fall asleep after a long shift.
Her fingers shrank in winter. The engagement ring slipped off as she scurried from car to door in the blizzard. A snow storm gathered in his frosty brow. In the morning her gloved hands pawed the ground for one diamond tear among millions. She could only wait for a thaw.
Sarah E. Morin has published two books, Waking Beauty and Rapunzel the Hairbrained. Sarah E. is a past Premier Poet of Poetry Society of Indiana, Secretary of Community Education Arts, and editor of The Polk Street Review. Visit her at sarahemorin.net.
The story of the week for February 24 to 28 is…
Return of the Muse by Bob Thurber
The warrant for arrest is written in the stiffest, most official of legalese on the stiffest, most official of solemnly weighted paper: it is signed and sealed, stamped and sent on a Wednesday.
And returned unserved on a Friday.
“The suspect is buried at Rosemouth Lawn Cemetery.
“Current whereabouts…
Unknown.”
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.
Mother spray-painted the car; “voices” told her to hide.
Psych meds scattered everywhere, memories of lullabies linger, Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird, before grabbing you from bed, at six, screaming, “Lord, take us!”
Now, if sleep comes, you snatch that swift, dark bird from clouds, to hear it sing.
Angela Carlton’s fiction has been published in Every Writer, Everyday Fiction, 6S, 50 Word Stories, Spillwords Press, and Paragraph Planet. In 2018, her story “The Roommates,” was made into a short film. In 2023, her story “Swallowed,” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. See more at Angela Carlton Stories & Art on Facebook.
Morning after graduation: pink dress, crown of diamonds, and expectations.
Rituals.
Cereal before milk, skincare before makeup, appearance before identity.
Her phone buzzed: “Send the pics,” he said.
In each photo, a familiar black shadow clung behind her. Cold hands, widened pupils.
Mirror.
“You’ve changed. We’re done.”
She finally understood.
Joanna is a junior in college with a strong interest in writing. She prefers non-fiction over creative writing, enjoying the clarity, structure, and real-world impact that factual storytelling provides.
She moved methodically, cautiously, taking slow steps as if giving him time to react. She came straight to where he stood, and when he didn’t turn away, she opened her arms and pulled him into a soft embrace. “I missed you,” she said and squeezed, her breath in his ear.
Bob Thurber is the author of six books. Regarded as a master of Flash and Micro Fiction, his work has appeared in Esquire and other magazines, been anthologized 60 times, received a long list of awards, and been utilized in schools and colleges throughout the world. He resides in Massachusetts. Visit his website at BobThurber.net.
Author’s Note: So, I ask, which character is the muse?
A Detroit casino’s sign beams above the garage where two children sleeping in a van are quietly freezing to death. Ann can see the sign, not the warning, from her kitchen three blocks away. She lowers the blinds and goes back to slicing the tender yellow flesh of a pineapple.
Lauren is an Assistant Professor of Mortuary Science. She enjoys writing poetry that leans into short fictional fragments.
Joe Smith sizes up the pizza delivery guy through the peephole: manicured mustache, uniform too tight, possible U.S. Marshal. He slides twenty-five bucks through the mail slot.
“Keep the change.”
“Thanks. You gonna open the door?”
“Set the pie on the porch.”
“There’s ants.”
“A little extra protein won’t hurt.”
Hawkelson Rainier dabbles in prose and poetry. His novel, The Lake Erie Lights, is available online.
“If all the world’s a stage and we’re all merely players,” Jemimah railed, “then why’s my life such a dumpster fire in the theatre’s back alley?” Jem had always been known for such drama, usurping her own agency for the opportunity to perform for the cheap seats with a flourish.
Chelan Kingfisher loves dogs. She lives on a beautiful island in the Pacific Northwest with her two best friends, Arrow and Bella. Chelan is the author of one novel and several guided journals. You can visit her website at chelankingfisherauthor.com.