JOANNE BOWERS: A Fishy Tale
The old man told the story to anyone who’d listen. “I’d seen some strange things as a fisherman, but nothing like this! A giant fish leapt from the sea, smacked my face with its tail then splashed back...
View ArticleJOHN H. DROMEY: Branding Irony
“My ranch stretches farther than the eye can see—it seems to go on forever. That’s why I chose a lemniscate as my cattle brand.” “A what?” “The infinity symbol.” He traced a ∞ in the air. “But there’s...
View ArticleROBERTA BEACH JACOBSON: Time
Work in the time of Covid Renting in the time of inflation Parenting in the time of bullying Dating in the time of social media Dieting in the time of food delivery Journalism in the time of artificial...
View ArticleCELINE GRACE: Flashing Blue and Red
We’d dated for a year before I reported him for the serial murder of his exes. “H-how… did you know?” he rasped, limp in the cuffs. I leaned forward, whispering against his ear: “Like recognizes like.”...
View ArticleWENDY COOPER: Date Night
The flickering glow of a candle illuminated their faces across the restaurant table. Hearts blazed with passion and desire. Sparks sizzled, unbound. Breathless. As he ate, she reached out her hand. He...
View ArticleCAROL TYMANN: Out with the Old, In with the New
Our first night in our first home, too hyped to sleep. We roam the halls marveling, planning. In our bright new kitchen, there gleams a behemoth of a fridge bequeathed from generous sellers. What to do...
View ArticleJA ALLISON: Cosmetics
Running my fingers through her auburn locks, I whisper tender words into the stillness. Ever since an accident months ago, she has been immobile and trapped in silence. I help with her makeup, applying...
View ArticleBRIAN MAYCOCK: Standing In Line
A single step forward ripples through the queue. I joined it long ago and it’s grown until now the queue is all I can see. I dream of reaching the front. Where waits… I never knew. But I can’t give up....
View ArticleGENE NEWMAN: The Can’t Openers
Dining for seniors is becoming uncanny. Canners now baffle both Grandpa and Granny. Soup, hash and green beans are out of our reach. We try but we fail to accomplish the breach. With one bruised finger...
View ArticleCHELSEA UTECHT: Peasant and the Pea
“Well, My Liege… she did locate the pea…” “Excellent! We have at last found a woman delicate and refined enough to – what? Oh no…” “Yes, Your Excellency. I’m afraid she ate it.” “Not another one.” The...
View ArticleROBERT LUDEMANN: The Butterfly’s Lament
I wish I could explain it; I don’t really understand it. But I know it’s true that it is all my fault. All the trouble I’ve created. I never have understood my own strength. I just can’t stop: it is...
View ArticleROBERTA BEACH JACOBSON: Bookworm
Since cats are able to see in the dark, they don’t need flashlights to read under the covers. I’ve suspected this for a while, but couldn’t prove it. Until now. There she is, Fluffers, engrossed in an...
View ArticleJOHN H. DROMEY: A Not-So-New Wrinkle
Speaking to seniors, the emcee referred to iconic moments in vintage radio programs. Jack Benny’s vault and Fibber McGee’s closet struck a chord with everyone except one stone-faced woman. “Was she...
View ArticleEC TRAGANAS: Chances
Julius Caesar surveyed the terrain before him and boldly marched across the Rubicon. The die was cast. There was no turning back. Things would never be the same. Millennia later, I find myself at a...
View ArticleCAROL REEVES: Current Connections
His big arm presses mine—spreading warmth, shoulder to elbow. His knee bumps, then retreats. Silent, yet connected, I search vainly for that place where mind and body unplug. The hours tick by. “Can I...
View ArticleSALVATORE DIFALCO: Demarco
How was I supposed to tell the guy I thought he was dead? Seriously. Heard he died in a car crash. He asked how I was doing. I said I was good. How about you? I asked. Have my ups and downs, he said,...
View ArticleDEBORAH TAPPER: The Writing’s on the Wall
Other tourists move on, but these two loiter in the pharaoh’s magnificent tomb. Selfies aren’t enough: they’re determined to leave a permanent mark. Laughing at ancient curses, about to scratch their...
View ArticleCARLTON WELLS: The Phone Call That Changed My Life
I can’t remember when it started, but it was many years ago. In the middle of the night a teenager telephoned and asked a single question before I could even say hello. There was an urgency in his...
View ArticleNICKI NANCE: Checkout Line Hostage
Someone’s ‘many greats’ grandmother held the checkout line hostage with a return, a coupon and her checkbook. After a thorough search in her purse of a thousand zippers, she asked for a pen. Dangling...
View ArticleDAVID DEZELL TURNER: Re: Enforcer Academy Application
From: Dean Plasmafist To: Hindsight Girl We regret to inform you that you were not selected for Enforcer Academy. Your ability to make people reconsider decisions, while amusing, is too mundane a...
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