TYLOR JAMES: Blue Christmas

Submissions, Touching, , , ,

The stockings were hung with melancholy.

There had been three stockings in the decorations box. Mr. and Mrs. Jones hung up two. They dropped the third into the trash, almost sickened.

Mrs. Jones turned on the radio. Elvis Presley was crooning, “I’ll have a blue, blue, blue Christmas… without you.”

Tylor James is a twenty-five year old writer living in New Richmond, WI. He writes dark fiction and has had stories, poems, and essays published in such anthology books as ACCURSED: A Horror Anthology, Emerging American Horror Writers: Midwest Region, Emerging Wisconsin Writers: An Anthology of Non-Fiction, and Willow River Writers Anthology. Tylor is prolific, having written forty-five short stories and one novel in the year 2019 alone.

JO WITHERS: Neighbourhood Watch

Submissions, Touching, , , , ,

It happened occasionally, stray balls, wayward kites, but today was relentless.

Baubles in her birdbath, puddings thrown into petunias, tinsel in her tulips.

Angrily, she marched next door, demanded an explanation.

Guiltily, her neighbour’s boy confessed to everyone: “I hoped she’d come. She’s alone on Christmas Day. Can she stay?”

Jo Withers writes short stories and poetry from her home in South Australia. She wishes everybody a safe and happy holiday season.

MANDIRA PATTNAIK: Not Again

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

How I remember the day we met: my beagle strayed into his yard; Christmas lights; strains of music!

We became friends. Then lovers. He promised more.

Years later, his eyes welled as he took wedding vows. I stood behind his bride; relieved at not being deceived by promises twice over.

Mandira Pattnaik writes in India. Her work has appeared in Eclectica Magazine, Lunate, Runcible Spoon, FewerThan500, 50wordstories and elsewhere. She tweets at @MandiraPattnaik.

RUSSELL HEMMELL: The Bitter Taste of a New Day

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

It’s all new, each day of your life. New mornings, new challenges.
New enemies, new regrets. New reasons to leave.
New people in town, and the journeys you’ve never made.
There’s only one thing that never changes: the desire to become someone else without the strength to make it happen.

Russell Hemmell is an alien from Mintaka snuggled into a (consenting) human host. Recent fiction on Aurealis, Flame Tree Press, The Grievous Angel, and elsewhere. See more at earthianhivemind.net.

PATRICK YU: A Second Chance

Artistic, Poetry, Submissions, , ,

Blue skies
Cloud reality
I dig up
A bone
All alone
In a cave
All I need
Is a lump of coal
A bed roll and a match

Summer fields
A strawberry patch
A cool breeze
Under a tree
A book in hand
I cast the spell
And flash back

We all, at one point, need a second chance.

PERRY McDAID: Condolences

Artistic, Submissions, , , , ,

Travel had been costly, the funeral a blur.

He couldn’t recall why they’d become estranged.

A tug on the lead prompted him to release the Yorkie to belt along the lane and off into the snow-trimmed shrubs.

Movement snatched his eyes to the starkly camouflaged magpie.

Its croak seemed commiserative.

Irish writer Perry McDaid lives in Derry under the brooding brows of Donegal hills which he occasionally hikes in search of druidic inspiration. He even finds it on occasion.

MARYJANE NORDGREN: Hideaway

Submissions, Touching, , , , ,

I crept under the front porch, swiped cobwebs, crawled over broken bricks and debris, sat cross-legged, bent, chewing on my braids. Jabbed at tears on my hot cheeks with grimy hands, ignoring the scurrying and slithering around me.

Above me, Mom and Dad were showing off my new baby brother.

MaryJane Nordgren is a retired family practice physician living in the foothills of the Oregon Coastal Range. Founder of Writers in the Grove, MJ enjoys laughing with and learning from fellow authors every Monday morning. Her novel NANDRIA’S WAR will be coming out soon.

SARAH CAROLINE BELL: Illumination

Artistic, Submissions, , , , ,

Timothy traces his finger
around the shape
that once illuminated
the back of the device.

“Did they worship these?”

His grandfather recalls
long nights spent
camped out in queues
and chuckles.

“I guess we did!”

The boy struggles
to sleep that night.
He imagines the past,
when Earth had trees.

Sarah Caroline Bell is a writer based in Seoul.

CHARLOTTE McELROY: Nightmare

Adventure, Amusing, Submissions, , , , , ,

There was a low growling, buzzing sound coming from far away. Suddenly something was trying to suck the life out of me. I slapped, twisted, turned and tried to escape. Claws pierced my skin. Hot breath filled my mouth. I bolted upright.

My cat jumped to the floor and smiled.

Charlotte McElroy is an 80-year-old retired teacher. She is finally following her dream: writing!