Tag Archives: kindness

CHRISTA LYON-MOON: The Gift

Submissions, Touching, ,

Just another lonely morning since her husband passed.  As she pours her coffee, the doorbell rings.

“Merry Christmas, Mrs. Johnson!”

A gift? For me?

By the fire, with tears in her eyes, she opens it.

“Good for one car wash.”

“One lawn trimming.”

And in a child’s scribbles, “One hug.”

Christa Lyon-Moon has spent two decades transcribing the voices of others as a TypeWell transcriber for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community in higher education. She lends those same attentive ears to her writing, crafting stories that listen closely to silence, love, and the small moments connecting her family and lively collection of animals.

KIRSTEN KELLEY: Ready

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

There I was, face to face with Death. He was polished, dressed in a suit and tie, and wearing spectacles. He didn’t look how I’d expected. He had kind eyes. “Are you ready?” he asked. I shook my head. Was anyone? He carried me away, whispering apologetically as we went.

Kirsten Kelley wrote this story.

STEPHANIE MORDI: They were human first

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

Ti’ci is bullied, so she feeds the monster in the mirror and it gurgles excitedly, learning, repeating:

“You’re so ugly”
“Toothpick”
“That skin though”

When Ti’ci disappears, the monster escapes the mirror, lumps of flesh convulsing. It grows limbs, a glare, and a snarl, and replaces her.

The cycle persists.

Stephanie is just a girl who enjoys reading manhwas and writing about things she observes. She has short fiction in a few places including 101 words, but otherwise she’s just a young’un.

KAREN SCHAUBER: Weasels, Skunks, Badgers and Otters

Artistic, Submissions, , , , ,

They ate us out of house and home. Martha and the children would arrive in the middle of the night, Frank left behind in a drunken stupor. We would hear the Volkswagen coasting up the driveway, the engine running on empty. And after a couple of weeks, we were too.

Karen Schauber writes flash fiction and curates Vancouver Flash Fiction: an online resource hub for flash fiction writers and enthusiasts. Read her at KarenSchauberCreative.weebly.com.

ELEANOR YOUNG: Love

Submissions, Touching, , , , ,

Even at three you have his back, with your arm around his shoulder. Your chubby little fingers enfold him with love, selfless and caring. When he cries you give him the toy, sad to see him upset. Will he learn from you, or will he always expect such empathy?

Eleanor Young is a mother of four, retired health visitor, and grandmother of two, who loves writing.

CATE COVERT: Survivor’s Guilt

Artistic, Submissions, , , ,

She rescues children, puppies and kittens, sunstruck basil, and five-legged stick insects.

A raggedy beggar at the gate asks for jelly with his peanut butter sandwich.

They loved jelly. Jelly made it bearable. They’re gone. She remains.

She blushes. How could she forget? A glass of cold milk to atone.

Cate Covert hails from sunny Idaho, U.S.A. She has been telling stories since she could talk. Cate has been a Christian pastor and teacher for 25 years, speaking, teaching, and writing bible class curricula. She is a gardener and amateur herbalist, plays guitar and piano, and loves baking bread and making beaded jewelry. Most of all, Cate Covert loves to engage her reading and listening audiences. You can read her frequent inspirational writings, poetry, flash fiction, and humorous stories at Cate Covert on Chadashah.org or her Inspirational essays and Bible studies at Pastora Cate’s Corner on Substack.

THOMAS FALATER: Homeless

Artistic, Submissions, ,

I checked the aisle for cameras and slipped bologna and cheese under my jacket. On the way out, the manager looked at me suspiciously but didn’t stop me.

The next day, she saw me at the bus stop and gave me five dollars.

Funny me; I thought I was invisible.

Tom is a freelance writer from Southern California. His most recent work appeared in Half Hour to Kill and Three Line Poetry.

AJ JOSEPH: Pluviophile

Artistic, Poetry, Submissions, ,

Stuck at the bus stop,
Typhoon-like winds,
Leaves afloat, they spin.
You offer your handkerchief,
I wipe away the rain,
From my body, my skin.
You follow the path of my actions on me,
Your gaze makes me vain,
You smile at me and whisper softly,
“I love the rain.”

AJ Joseph occasionally writes at Words from Sonobe and tweets very short stories as @sonobeus.

RACHAEL MAXWELL: Undischarged Debt

Artistic, Submissions, Touching, , ,

I had enough money for the orange: $.60 on my card, plus a quarter. I tried to explain the split payment, but the cashier gave up and just told me to take it.

Years later, I want to go back and make it right, but there’s no one that cares.

Rachael lives in San Francisco and has just started writing.

CLAIRE LENG: New Neighbor

Submissions, Touching, , , , , ,

A Muslim family moves into Grandpa Clark’s neighborhood. Grandpa shakes his head. Something ain’t right.

After church, he knocks on his neighbor’s door and explains to the family they have to wax their porch floor.

He invites them for lunch, so he can show them how to do it properly.

Claire Leng is working as a technology consultant at one of the big 4 firms. English is her second language.