Short Story
We Hope to See You Soon
“Hello, Dear. What treasures did you find this time?” Naomi asked as Josef, her husband of 62 years, tottered through the front door struggling with a large, wrapped parcel. Although glad he had a hobby, she always was relieved to see him return safely.
By Curt Newell5 years ago in Fiction
Dormancy
Ice clinked the side of the glass. A brief singe tickled her throat before the refreshing gin bathed her tongue. She sighed. A strong cocktail for a sobering task. She sat on the bare hardwood floor in her apartment, surveying the room stuffed with forgotten parts of her life.
By Meredith Bell5 years ago in Fiction
Buying the Fairyman
Every night at midnight, the purple clouds came out to dance with the blushing sky. A man traipsed his way through the brush beneath mauves, magentas, azures, and the ominous failing of the light. Stopping to check his copies of road maps and written directions with a flashlight, he mumbled through his beard: “What’s so bad about white picket fences…?” One side of it was caked in mud from a fall, the other still gleaming with cheap beard oil.
By Matthew Daniels5 years ago in Fiction
Deposits
The first week of chemo, Peter sits by you and rambles about everything and nothing for the sake of distraction. You’ve just learned about the money dumped into your bank account — twenty-thousand pounds that isn’t yours. It’s been there for two weeks, which shows how often you bother to check. The bank app labels it a deposit, but it’s a mistake.
By Owen Schaefer5 years ago in Fiction
The Infinite Vastness
Esteban looks at me and claps his little notebook shut with one hand. He walks over to the garage door and leans forward until his head hits the wall with a faint knock. He’s still standing there with his forehead pressed into the plaster when he begins:
By mark wilkes5 years ago in Fiction
Whole New World
Maya stepped out the glass door with a shiver. A strong breeze swept through with such intensity it made her stop and regain her footing – November in the Windy City. Could be way worse, she reminded herself, taking a deep inhale before adjusting her mask. At least the sun’s still out, she thought gratefully.
By Sneha Pradhan5 years ago in Fiction
Diamonds are forever
Susan sat on the subway bench squeezed between two large people. They weren’t overweight, just tall, overall bigger than average. Susan was tall too, but slight and wispy, kind of like a birch tree. One small birch tree wedged between two big oaks. She accidentally looked directly at the man sitting across from her and quickly darted her eyes elsewhere. He saw her. Dammit. On the New York City subway, one does not look people in the eye. One certainly doesn’t speak to anyone unless asking for directions. Directions are allowed, but only if you don't live there. Sometimes, Susan does not pay attention to these rules.
By Faith M Adam5 years ago in Fiction
Come get me, Angel
My fingers were aching, the result of being torn and chewed up from pure nerves. It was a bad habit, but one that gave me the distraction I so desperately craved. It felt like I had been sitting here for days when in reality it had only been a few hours. A few hours since the funeral, since her funeral.
By Casi Alarcon5 years ago in Fiction
A Picture is Worth 1000 words
Jim cursed under his breath as he weaved around groups people aimlessly clumped together, staring up at the skyscraper that loomed above them. He doesn't usually get so worked up. He doesn't mind tourists the way a lot of his coworkers seemed to. He actually enjoys watching people who've never been to the city see all the "tourist" stuff for the first time. The sense of awe and appreciation they have for the things he's been taking for granted his whole life remind him of how lucky he is to have grown up in the city. What he did mind was working near the Empire State Building, and-- now that he was late-- the amount of ducking and dodging it took to make it to the building's front door.
By Faith M Adam5 years ago in Fiction
