Peter hadn’t inherited his father’s disease, but a child of his could. He couldn’t allow it.
“This won’t hurt,” the doctor promised. It bloody did! He deserved that for not telling Clara, who desperately wanted a baby.
A year later, Clara announced, “I’m pregnant!”
Seemed she had a secret, too.
Mary lives and writes in southeast Ireland.
An outdoor shower was an infatuation for Jennifer. She insisted on this feature at the cabin. The idea of showering naked outside was thrilling. It spoke of freedom, and other things missing in her life.
She never did disrobe. But she could.
If Charles kept acting this way, she would.
Bill Diamond is a writer living in Evergreen, Colorado. Recently, several of his initial stories have been published.
“You can’t wear that!”
“Why?”
“It’s hot pink, and too short!”
“So?”
“We’re going to church!”
“Jesus won’t mind.”
“But your legs. Everyone will see-”
“See what?”
Silence.
“I’ll wear what I want, when I want.”
Elderly Mrs. Franks wore the dress to church, scarred legs and all.
“Oh, Mom.”
Kelsey Josephson is an introvert who enjoys connecting with others through writing and mixed-media. She lives with her husband, two young children, and a very sensible cat. She can be found on Instagram.
“You may get several more years with immediate, aggressive treatment. Are you ready?”
Bill’s wife blubbered. He’d given her jewelry, vacations, homes, children, and a 401k from a dead-end job. Now she wept as tumors crept through his body.
“Yes, doctor!” she replied.
Finally reclaiming his life, Bill whispered, “No.”
Matt McHugh was born in suburban Pennsylvania, attended LaSalle University in Philadelphia, and after a few years as a Manhattanite, currently calls New Jersey home. Some of his work is available at mattmchugh.com.
I lie awake
Dreaming, riding
Sand wet as molasses,
Smooth as dusk,
Your hair spread like the night.
I lie awake and
The ocean breathes
Inside me
Until clear light of dawn pours
Through the bedroom window
Stirring dust in the air
Like great white gulls,
Scattering your memory everywhere.
Todd is an amateur writer and poet. This poem is one of several he is working on, in his own collection called “Cravings”.
Tears flooded down her cheeks. The girl’s most outrageous fantasy had been realized: a pair of unicorns, in nature.
As she surveyed their matted, blood-soaked coats with horror, her eyes froze on contact with the victor, who, looking elated but puzzled, said: “Why do you think we have the horn?”
Kai Gaitley is pursuing an English major at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and enjoys discovering the energy that resides within every format, whether it is a sonnet, a blog, or a well researched essay. This dalliance with fiftywordism is a new and exacting path, full of high-stakes promise and brutal editing decisions.
Emily knitted dreams into every row on the socks she made for her son Frank. Thoughts far away on palm-laced shores, she knitted and purled from toe to heel, ribbed a cuff of tropical sunsets.
Frank complained they made his feet itch.
He runs a bar in the Bahamas now.
Karla Dearsley’s stories, flash fiction, and poetry have appeared online and in print on both sides of the Atlantic. Her fantasy novels are available on Amazon and Smashwords. Find out more at ksdearsley.com.
“Oh, he loves me,” she said, “in that vague, distant, save-the-whales sort of way.”
She stared off into the emptiness of the world, then sighed.
“Yes, he loves me. He tells me so, endlessly.”
She pulled her thoughts closer and waited for his words to ring true, just once more.
Anita Reynolds is a writer in the wilds of Tennessee, though it’s not too wild, unless you count the four children.
At the family’s yearly Seder, Mom farted.
Dad farted to deflect her embarrassment. Grandpa let one rip, and grandma came out with her silent but deadly. My brother nodded at me and we doubled down.
A cousin, the youngest, asked if these could count in place of the four questions.
Paul had a micro story, “Brother Speak”, selected for the 2018 Norton Microfiction Anthology. His published story website is paulbeckmanstories.com.
The story of the week for October 16 to 20 is…
Surprise by John Fowler