Humor
The forest on the highway
Cold moves through the world in a thousand forms, in a thousand ways: at sea like a herd of stampeding horses, in the countryside like a swarm of swooping locusts, in the city like a sharp knife cutting off the road and burrowing through the cracks into unheated homes. That night, the Markovados used up the last of their firewood, and the whole family, wrapped in their coats, looked at the small charcoal fading in the heater, and with each breath, clouds of mist rose from their mouths. No one spoke again, the clouds spoke instead of them: the wife exhaled long clouds as if sighing, the children seemed to concentrate on blowing soap bubbles, and Markovado jumped and gasped towards the sky, as if a fleeting moment of inspiration.
By sissytisha4 years ago in Fiction
The fat and the skinny
At a railroad station on the Nikolaevsky railroad, two friends met, one fat, the other skinny. The fat man had just finished lunch at the station, his lips were still oily and shiny, like ripe cherries, and he smelled of white wine and fragrant orange blossoms. The skinny man had just gotten off the carriage, straining to carry boxes, parcels and cardboard boxes, smelling of ham and coffee grounds. Behind him, a lean woman with a long chin probes, his wife, and a tall high school student with one eye squinted, his son.
By sissytisha4 years ago in Fiction
The unattended bagels
This is a true story about bagels. Feldman, an agricultural economist, led a research institute that analyzed weapons spending for the U.S. Navy. The institute's income came from a variety of research contracts. Whenever he got a research contract, Feldman always bought some bagels to share with everyone as a reward.
By sissytisha4 years ago in Fiction
Miguel & the Marker
Every night at midnight, the purple clouds came out to dance with the blushing sky. A sparkling object fell from the air. One day while riding his bike home from baseball practice, 12-year-old Miguel Taylor heard a strange whistling sound coming from the local woods. I wonder what's that? Miguel parked his bike to the side and ventured deep into the woods where the whistling grew louder by the second. He soon arrived at the source and found a small box glowing silver. The curious boy picked up the box and examined it. This is what was making that sound? I wonder what's inside it? Miguel unlocked the box and opened it to find a shiny silver marker. A marker? Ah man I was hoping it was diamonds or something. What I'm supposed to do with this, I gotta get home whoever wants this marker. I'll draw a big circle saying they can have it. Miguel drew a wide circle on the ground and dumped the marker next to it. He walked away, then suddenly the circle started to shine and Miguel noticed the light behind him. Whoa, okay I was not expecting that. The circle formed a spinning portal and Miguel picked up the marker and cautiously walked through the opening.
By Kylecovey Smith4 years ago in Fiction
The Social Contract
It was never my intention to destroy an entire household. But maybe that’s the origin story of every villain. The one thing I can say in my defense is that refilling the ice cube tray was not on my list of priorities. And therefore, not a habit. It never occurred to me that my reckless lack of care would ever harm the fabric of society. But that just shows you what wanton selfishness will lead you to.
By Jordan Parkinson4 years ago in Fiction
Janet and Jimmi
Hits never last as long as you want them to, no matter your personal poison dishing them out without the decency to hop back or put up defenses. For months, Jimmi and Janet have been looking for the longest high they could, telling themselves that it’s only until the pain goes away. Only until their world’s splattered with events poisoning futures to blackened ooze seems a little less bleak. Only until the past was something they could laugh about on a beach, where drinks are brought directly to you, and the ocean caresses your feet as it comes to steal away the land. For now, their beach will have to just be a hotel room paid up for the next three months, unlimited cable television, and opioids with MDMA glittered amongst each of the 23 smugglable packages. Didn’t matter what form it came in, just as long as the shit cooked their minds.
By Willem Indigo4 years ago in Fiction
