KIT WERTZ: Bass Lines
Her sweet gaze froze me, yet thawed my soul Like a microwave-refrigerator, if that we’re such a thing But we both play bass Monotonous bliss Repetitive rhythm We both play bass Two strings, tethered in...
View ArticleJAMES MENGES: The New Dear Leader
A top propagandist and Politburo member in the party, the younger sister now controls the Guidance and Organization Department, aka G.O.D., the body administering ideological indoctrination, party...
View ArticleDON NIGRONI: A Gruesome Problem
We were disoriented when some blue objects miraculously turned green and various green items inexplicably turned blue. We weren’t able to differentiate blue from bleen and green from grue before that...
View ArticleLISA CHAMBERS: A Cover Story
Sam can be so stubborn… most recently, his refusal to wear a mask. I begged him. He scoffed, said it was silly, too confining. “It’s not all about you!” I snapped. “Think of our friends. It’s expected,...
View ArticleRODRIGO ORTIZ VINHOLO: Ammunition
We didn’t have enough bullets for everyone, so we had to draw lots. I lost. Typical. “You should be glad,” they said. “You’ll get to live longer. In a way, we are the losers, right?” Joke’s on them:...
View ArticleFANNIE CHEN: The Manager
He looks at the wheel with great determination. He turns it slowly, controlling the tepid temperature of spring in high heaven. Cleaner silently mops the wet floor. Thump! He slips. The wheel spins...
View ArticleHANNAH KELLEY: Fruit Boy
Walter gobbled down the watermelon. He felt the “plop, plop” as the seeds landed in his stomach. When he woke the next morning, Walter had stems growing out his nose and a green tinge to his skin. He...
View ArticleDAVID HOLLOWAY: Extra Time
I cleaned out the kitchen junk drawer, and along with toothpicks, ballpoint pens, and dead batteries, I found three hours I’d lost in 2006. Should I mow the lawn, get extra sleep, fix my life? Caught...
View ArticleSHARON GERGER: Happy Days Ahead
He forced her retirement. She used to love writing. He mocked her stories, told her he paid her to edit, not write drivel. His words ate her confidence and she stopped writing. For a while. Bookkeeping...
View ArticleSAGE TYRTLE: Fortune Teller
Madame Zolinska is leaning into the crystal ball. “…and two mortgages. You and your daughter will be estranged. Sometimes you’ll wonder whatever happened to your dream of being a pediatrician.” On the...
View ArticleGREG SCHWARTZ: Time Travel
Arthur discovered time travel quite by accident. It was surprisingly simple. He reached into his cupboard for a snack, and suddenly, with a WHOOSH, he was across the room, fifteen seconds ago. “Whoa!”...
View ArticleJOHN H. DROMEY: Sonic Signals
Without X-ray vision, I cannot say with certainty what goes on in the apartment above. I can only speculate. The tenant’s noise-making cannot be eliminated entirely, of course, but confiscating his...
View ArticleCAROLYN R RUSSELL: Reception
She found them at the bar, two men in their mid-thirties knocking back whiskey at her best friend’s memorial. She looked from one to the other. “Are you the good brother or the bad brother?” she asked....
View ArticleASH K GRAY: Blind Proposal
My eyes widened in shock as I saw him kneeling before me. A handsome gentleman was right there on his knees with a ring in his hand. I didn’t know who he was, but I was ready to accept anyways. “Will...
View ArticleCMF WRIGHT: The Tragedy of P—k
“Never look directly at the mountains,” warns Peik’s ma. “The gods will strike you down.” “That’s ridiculous!” says Peik. “They’ve no reason to hurt me. I’ve done nothing wrong.” In a fit of pique,...
View ArticleCMF WRIGHT: Magic Mirror
“This enchanted mirror shows your worst enemy’s secret identity,” said the sage. The hero leaned closer. “I’m my own worst enemy? That’s deep. Am I a split personality, or just way too self-critical—”...
View ArticleDAVID FAULKNER: Hide and Seek
“I love estate sales,” my mom said. “Me too. You find the coolest books. Like this one. It’s so old the pages are vellum!” I said, passing her the book. “Isn’t vellum usually lamb skin?” she asked....
View ArticleMICHAEL B KEANE: Like Magic
High in her tower, the witch wove her hands over the dark crystal globe. Smoke swirled and gathered. Her grey eyes glimmered as the image of her hungering desire took form. A deluxe cheeseburger and...
View ArticleLE ANNE WELDER: Oh, So That’s Why
What color is my mind’s eye? Does it match the two green orbs set in their sockets to gather and compress the world down into a space the size of a round melon? Does it blink? Obviously yes: I walk...
View ArticleSK CHYNOWETH: Crystal Baller
“What does he want?” asked the young woman suspiciously, fingering her frayed blouse. Smoke gathered and swirled, darkening the crystal ball. “The money!” her father cried. “It’s inside the urn!” The...
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