The Desert Calls by Ramona Scarborough Cacti and coyotes. Dust devils and tumbleweeds. Rattlesnakes and prairie dogs. Heat shimmering across asphalt. Miles of scrubby sagebrush. Too much empty space. She’d only seen pictures of...
Big Purple Boxes by Caroline Smith Picture a self-storage company called Big Purple Boxes, situated just off the grey and grimy North Circular Road on the outer edge of Cricklewood in northwest London. It’s...
EDITOR’S NOTE: Reader discretion is advised. This is a work of fiction set in a different era of 1960s. Culture and society and propriety has changed since then. Scenes, characters, actions and words in...
There at the Show by Steven Robnett A bumpy, unpleasant ride later, the shuttle bus finally drew up to a stop in front of the Madeline Hotel. Traveling light, with only a garment bag,...
Riptides by Pierce Scranton Tyler Michelson was eight the first time he saw Useless Bay. It was the biggest sandbox he’d ever seen in the whole wide world. The pristine beach stretched from their...
Reacquaintance by Barry Garelick Claudine lost her vision when she was four, starting with blurring and dimming, gradually worsening until she saw nothing. When she was told that she would eventually be blind, she...
What was I thinking, returning to education at my age? I’m ridiculous. I look around at the other students. They’re so confident, with tattoos, ripped jeans, and skin-tight tops showing pert bud breasts. Their...
Paradise Lost by Julie Holland Blood had splattered red and vicious over the hot dunes. Milton was working the C-P district. Legend claimed the area was once parkland. It was now a dreadful place...
Early Justice by Kevin Van Den Berg My name is Ross Ferguson. Today I have volunteered to do something I have not done before, but since I will most likely be doing it more...
Ecotone by Oindrila Ghosal “The Swamp” “Is it going to rain?” I mumbled without looking into the eyes of the otherwise well-meaning tourist in a bright yellow and red shirt sitting next to me...
Autumn, 1980. After leaving Ahanu and Lleyton, Raith did not go directly home but rather visited an elder of a tribe who was an expert in things mythological. He wanted to find out about...
Do Selkies Have Souls?A Christmas Storyby Shawn Reynolds Usually, teenagers, when they are dating, do normal stuff together. They go out for ice cream, play miniature golf, or go to the movies. There is...
Dujuan and the Discovery in Hamrick’s Creek by Bruce Buchanan BLRRING!! 3:05 p.m. Another ninth grade Tuesday in the books. Teenagers flood Shelby High School’s halls. Sneakers squeak against polished tile. I stop by...
I Aint Doin That by Richard Wolfe Peters swings, misses Wong and catches me on the jaw and rings my bell “Ow!” I try to push them apart, but Wong is slippery. Just another...
The Saltness of Time By Randy Attwood “I like these kinds of snows. They cancel things out.” The voice that broke the silence in the cold room had that gravel-grumble smokers get...
Santa Muerte by Evan Conaway Crimson droplets rained down from Miguel’s shoulder as Peter kicked the door of the adobe house open and carried him inside. Peter was frantic, breathing hard but trying...
African Dream by Fikile Dlamini There are two things I remember about that night. The gold stars dotted across the winter sky and your voice permeating the darkness. You sat on the slope of...
After the Breakup by Nicki Youngsma A woman had a breakup and called her best friend to tell her about it and then said, “Let’s get tattoos together,” because she heard once that feeling...
The Last Good Place by Fred DeVecca I wasn’t supposed to be there. No one was supposed to be there. No one was supposed to be anywhere. But I don’t often do what I’m...
Editor’s Note: Allegory, as this one signifies, is commonly experienced but rarely understood. A very unique story of conflict in society caused by no external forces other than what’s inside each one of us....
Leave Only Footprints by Kyle Arivett-White I’d stalked this house for a long time. Hunted it like my prey. Been tempted by similar houses but discarded them. Knew this one was mine. Tonight, I...
Enjoyable tale of a young girl's angst at her parent's divorce. I thought the prose was lovely, with wonderful metaphors.…