KAI GAITLEY: Stuck in a Rut
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...
View ArticleMARY SHEEHAN: Peter’s Secret Snip
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...
View ArticleCHRISTA PLANKO: Not All Men Are Dogs
Bitten badly once, Linda felt twice shy. Yet Bob seemed safe. The night he invited her over, she pecked his cheek as he opened his door. His response: “Whoa—down, boy!” Was she too forward, she...
View ArticleMELANIE CRANENBURGH: Work You Can Sink Your Teeth Into
My cousin, a dentist, became bored with mundane extractions, fillings, and teeth whitening. So he decided to specialise in crafting vampire fangs for niche clients. I asked him, “Why the change?” His...
View ArticleDAMHNAIT MONAGHAN: Modern Love
They met on Tinder and their relationship blossomed on Snapchat and Instagram. But when she watched a concert he live streamed on YouTube, she saw him kissing her BFF. OMG! She unfriended them and...
View ArticleJOEY TO: Wish
You put me on the cake and light my wick. I want to make you happy. But then you huff and puff to extinguish my flame. I cannot grant your wishes this way. Then you relight me because someone else...
View ArticleJO WITHERS: Mature, Passionate Recluse Seeks Similar
She should have paid attention to the warning signs, but single men were scarce. When he said his name was Count Christoph in a drawling European accent, she thought he was being eccentric. He didn’t...
View ArticleBILL COX: An Invention Too Far
Sitting in his laboratory; the phone rings. Puzzled, Alexander Graham Bell picks up his prototype. “Hello sir, we understand you recently had an accident. Have you thought about seeking compensation?”...
View ArticleJOEY TO: Death’s Meal Deal
Amy dragged her feet and luggage. The 22-hour flight was a killer. She needed food. Bad. Bright, colorful photos lined the overhead menu. “How much damage for Burger Meal #4?” asked Amy. Behind the...
View ArticleIAIN YOUNG: Wandering Off
I pulled over, rolled down my window. “What’s up?” I asked my mind. “Waiting for a bus. Can’t wander far enough by foot.” “Where are you headed?” “Boston.” “Good luck.” I drove away. That evening, I...
View ArticleMARK FARLEY: Sir Prancelot’s Bad Day
The dragon was expecting him. Huddled against a crag, silver scales blending perfectly with the mountainside, she watched his approach. Her claws flexed. A tongue of flame curled at the back of her...
View ArticleCALEB FITTING: Old Habits
My frog body sprouts into a prince thanks to the kiss. I kneel to lick a mosquito off her wrist. “Come live in the palace!” I squat in the royal garden. The first sign of trouble. “It’s just not...
View ArticleE.O. HARGREAVES: Stay
In the deadest hour of night, a tangerine-colored torrent arrives. My girlfriend’s terrified; I drag her half-clothed from the blanket to shield her from the forest’s scathing flames. Wholeheartedly...
View ArticleMICHELLE DINNICK: The Gingerbread House
The dismembered gingerbread house invades our house every year, and oh how I dread its arrival. Pieces requiring assembly, that do not ever stay where they are supposed to stay, no matter how much...
View ArticleSARAH K KRENICKI: Airtight Logic
According to Wikipedia, werewolves possess an excellent sense of smell, which enables them to locate and pursue their victims. If they can’t smell me, then I’ll be safe. As the howls grew closer, Jerry...
View ArticleTONY JASNOWSKI: Hard Times at the North Pole
“I won’t be gone long this year.” Santa and Mrs. Claus stare at the nearly empty sleigh. “More elf layoffs?” she asks. Santa nods, holding up the “Nice” list, covered with crossed-out names. “Well,”...
View ArticleMARGARET HENNEY: Mother/Daughter Time
I came off the slopes to join my mother in the lodge. Instead of cocoa, she bellied up to the bar, ordered a beer, and took it to a high-top. She winked at me from her perch as I looked on from the...
View ArticleISRAELA MARGALIT: Found and Lost
After an extensive search I found a great piano tuner. He showed me pictures of his paintings. I said he was very talented and he should be working on his art rather than tune pianos. Two years later...
View ArticleVIV BURGESS: Frequent Flyer
After years of business suppers, his wife put him on a diet. The benefits were obvious. The uniform was looser and his delivery route was quicker. He could go in and out of buildings faster and travel...
View ArticleALANNA DONALDSON: Lucky
When Mrs Brain’s dog bit off her thumb, the whole village soon heard about it. As the rumours spread, the thumb became all five fingers, which in turn became her hand. In this way, the village devoured...
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