Short Stories

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Hanging by Beaton Galafa

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Hanging by Beaton Galafa Death.It came one evening when everyone else was sleeping. It crawled in the dark outside, hissing along the night winds that were shaking leaves and branches of the big mango tree standing tall a few footsteps from our house. I knew people die. I had shed a tear when I saw mum weep three years earlier when our eldest sister finally closed her … [Read more...] about Hanging by Beaton Galafa

My Dinner with Mighty Mouse by David Lohrey

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My Dinner with Mighty Mouse by David Lohrey I once knew a fat lady in Hollywood who played tennis with Paul Mazursky, back in the days when it took artists three hours to finish breakfast. Beverly and Fairfax was the place to be, sitting out on the sidewalk, eating the $3.95 special. So the coffee was watery. This was before Starbucks and the triumph of Seattle. LA was still … [Read more...] about My Dinner with Mighty Mouse by David Lohrey

Slide by Eli Cranor

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Slide by Eli Cranor PTSD, flashbacks, whatever – it ain’t what you think. I don’t see the boys I shot head’s dripping off sideways like JFK. I don’t see Mitch “Sorcerer” Rodriguez telling me about the Tao Te Ching then pulling his final act of wizardry and exploding into a million pieces. It ain’t like that. I don’t see nothing. It’s a feeling. It’s that feeling when you’re … [Read more...] about Slide by Eli Cranor

Winner: Death into the Heart by Jesse Chapin

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Death into the Heart by Jesse Chapin “Dead?” she asked the officer standing at the door. Martha wore a shocked look.The officer explained that her husband George must have been trying to catch a light when a semi-truck slammed into the driver’s side door. “We need you to come downtown, ma’am. I can drive you.”She was riding in the back of the cruiser watching the … [Read more...] about Winner: Death into the Heart by Jesse Chapin

October 22, 2015

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October 22, 2015 by Rayma Elaine It was a chilly Thursday, sometime last November. I had very late night at the office. Since I was the last one there, I had to check all the rooms and then lock up. I turned out the last light, then was on my way out. I locked up and headed to my car. I went to unlock the door, when I see that it’s already unlocked..? I always lock my car … [Read more...] about October 22, 2015

Hello There by Cecil Wilde

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Hello There by Cecil Wilde You know those horror stories that start out with a line something like 'it was a dark and stormy night'? This isn't one of those.It's actually a pretty average night. October's a mild enough month anywhere in the world. In the Northern hemisphere, leaves are falling from the trees right now. Maybe you can hear a few of them pitter-pattering on … [Read more...] about Hello There by Cecil Wilde

Modern Day Witches by Chelsea Pifer

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Modern Day Witches by Chelsea Pifer No one believes in witches anymore, I thought as I drove to pick up my witch costume for Halloween. The realities of life are much more frightening. That's when I saw her.A woman was hunched over a sign that read: “Please Help Me Find a Cure”It was the sign that first jarred my attention. I could not see her face from her position. … [Read more...] about Modern Day Witches by Chelsea Pifer

Every Writer The Magazine

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We are now publishing Every Writer the Magazine. Each month we plan to send out a new FREE issue to anyone who signs up. The magazine is for ipad, Kindle, iphone, Android, and your computer of course. If you are interested in a free magazine subscription, simply sign up below. We will not give your information to anyone, and you will only get ONE EMAIL PER MONTH. This is not a … [Read more...] about Every Writer The Magazine

The Barmaid is a Consummate Artist by Kunal S. Modi

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The Barmaid is a Consummate Artist by Kunal S. Modi Bella watches through table-glass as Yuri executes a point-perfect chasse along the bar. Yuri is never so sad, Bella thinks, as when he is showing-off. He stirs for another performance in front of his potted audience, loudly greeting Bella with the American diminutive 'babe' so they can all hear him. This causes a chuckle to … [Read more...] about The Barmaid is a Consummate Artist by Kunal S. Modi

A second chance By Carla J Dow

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A second chance By Carla J Dow Blood. Sticky, shiny, wet. Brazen red. I blink and the desperation rises in my chest. I cannot clear the bold scarlet puddle from my eyes, it proceeds like a relentless festering floodwater.As an A&E doctor I am used to blood, this is a place where the fragility of life stares you in the face day on day, eyeball to unflinching eyeball, … [Read more...] about A second chance By Carla J Dow

Jennifer by Raymond Cothern

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Jennifer by Raymond Cothern She comes limping across the yard, the alternating and uneven areas of grass and gravel, favoring her stiff knees, twisting her left hip slightly to swing her leg out in front to avoid bending it, every step visible at the corners of her eyes, wrinkles appearing suddenly, smoothing out quickly, each step noted there like the beating of her … [Read more...] about Jennifer by Raymond Cothern

Rations by Lauren Sweeney

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Rations by Lauren Sweeney They told us all about the USO dance at the Benedict Club on north 15th Street, the white gardenia in her hair and the hard-gotten nylons that were such a luxury. Just as the first notes of Jimmy Dorsey’s “Tangerine” floated through the crowded hall, he asked her to dance and well, she never could resist a man in uniform. Afterward, when he bent to … [Read more...] about Rations by Lauren Sweeney

Short Short Stories

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Short Short StoriesI remember the first day of my first creative writing class. My professor was a very good and very old writer, who I will not name. He started the class, like many writers-turned teachers did back then, with a monologue about about literature. He began giving a history of writing and starting with telling stories around a primitive campfire, went on and … [Read more...] about Short Short Stories

Hanged By Carla J. Dow

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Hanged By Carla J. Dow  The coarse rope scratched against his cheekbones as the noose was forced over his head. It sat heavy on his shoulders like a threat, pressing against the bobbing adam’s apple that danced with fear.His body deflated as the sanity slowly dripped from him like melting ice-cream left too long on a sunlit windowsill. He had always been … [Read more...] about Hanged By Carla J. Dow

“Hi” by Lauren K. Sweeney

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"Hi" by Lauren K. Sweeney Nine-oh-eight Glenview Road was the best part of carrying the mail. Ten blocks into my suburban trek, there she'd be, stretched out on a neon towel, sweet and slick as a glazed cruller. I took extra care with her magazines and college brochures, stacking them into a neat pile secured with a rubber band. Usually, she slept through my visits. Or … [Read more...] about “Hi” by Lauren K. Sweeney

An Observation by Logan Roe

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An Observation by Logan Roe PositiveNewly furnished and with an air of luxury, the 500-seat Performing Arts Center beautifully echoes the acoustics of the teenage thespians busily dancing across the stage under the steady hand of their choreographer. Brimming with delight, the eager, beaming faces follow the dark-skinned director's hands; her delicate words guiding the … [Read more...] about An Observation by Logan Roe

Think Fast By Doug Elwell

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Think Fast By Doug Elwell “C’mon boy—high time you started earning your keep around here.”I was twelve.The old man led me out to the garage and put a three pound coffee can on the bench in front of me; full of years of old screws, nuts and bolts, had to weigh ten pounds. It was one of the old style cans you opened by winding off a strip of tin around the top with a … [Read more...] about Think Fast By Doug Elwell

Dinner Party by Marijke Hillmann

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Dinner Party by Marijke Hillmann A mining town in Namibia – early 80’sI am hosting my first dinner party in this multicultural society where the right-winger rubs shoulders with the liberal; where in the mining community one is judged by the husband’s ‘GRADE’. The latter is to be gleaned from one’s company vehicle, the company house and its location. The habitat of the … [Read more...] about Dinner Party by Marijke Hillmann

Rubber Gloves. And Lysol. by Christopher Taylor

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Rubber Gloves. And Lysol. by Christopher Taylor Three windows. A hairpiece. Seven eggs. Two loaves of bread. Meat. A dustpan.Never sneeze into pudding.Two buckets. Never mix cleaning agents. A mop. No brooms. Brooms leave scratches. One garbage can for every room. It is simply practical.A wardrobe. A refrigerator with wheels. Two beds. Two bedrooms. One … [Read more...] about Rubber Gloves. And Lysol. by Christopher Taylor

Three-Thirty Sharp by C. Gregory Thompson

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Three-Thirty Sharp by C. Gregory Thompson Three-thirty sharp. A shrieking tea kettle. Over the roof tops if floated. A constant in my life. A stranger’s daily routine. On temporary assignment in London, my American company rented me a flat in the East End. Someone living in one of the buildings out my back window and across the garden took their tea at the same time each … [Read more...] about Three-Thirty Sharp by C. Gregory Thompson

How Much Food Do You Need? by Kate LaDew

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How Much Food Do You Need? by Kate LaDew The spaghetti dropped onto the table with a fierce plop. Bob blinked. “Almost all of it got on the plate,” the waitress said. . Bob looked down and nodded. “Well, almost.” “That’s enough, I’d say.” “I did order a full plate.” “I told you, almost all of it.” She scooped up a few tendrils of spaghetti. They made a less fierce … [Read more...] about How Much Food Do You Need? by Kate LaDew

Resume by Kristin Leprich

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Resume by?Kristin Leprich To whom it may concern,I am applying to be the main hero of this fairy tale.Let me start with this, though: there are some things in this world that you just... know. You don't hear about these kinds of things in school. Books and lectures from parents can't prepare you for it, either. For example, a woman pushes and a baby squalls and … [Read more...] about Resume by Kristin Leprich

Man at Work by Marijke Hillmann

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Man at Work by Marijke Hillmann The acrid smells of cigarette butts and stale beer hover above the music blaring from the jukebox and the noisy banter on an early afternoon in the Windhoek pub.An outburst of raucous laughter as the door opens and a pyjama-clad six-plus- footer enters, an IV-device strapped to his arm. The regulars greet him. "You managed to escape the … [Read more...] about Man at Work by Marijke Hillmann

The Merger by Laura Goodchild

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The Merger by Laura Goodchild The initial paperwork was signed a year to the day after they met. This was seen as proper protocol. Both parties were far from satisfied with the partnership but the merger went ahead anyway, they both had something to gain after all.True to her side of the terms it was only once their children had grown and moved away did the female begin … [Read more...] about The Merger by Laura Goodchild

Bootlegs by Adam Daniel

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Bootlegs by Adam Daniel We told our parents we were going fishing. My brother stuffed contraband down one of his bootlegs, and we set out for the creek in the woods behind our house.Nothing good ever came from those boots. He wore them black and with a pointed toe.I asked him, “Why do you wear them with a point?”“They are best for climbing chain link fences,” he … [Read more...] about Bootlegs by Adam Daniel

First Date by John Faugno

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First Date by John Faugno He was attractive in a rugged, older sort of way. I think I heard someone say he was twenty-six. I wore my cutest red top the next day, the one that shows off my chest without being slutty. We talked after class. He flirted perfectly, and when he asked me to have coffee with him I couldn't do anything but say yes. I actually said "sure, whenever." I … [Read more...] about First Date by John Faugno

What The Murderer Had Left by Bahri Gordebak

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What The Murderer Had Left by Bahri Gordebak What The Murderer Had LeftbyBahri GordebakIt was nearly evening when a young albino came to the café that I was in and sat down at one of the tables.He was facing a teenage girl at another table whose eyes widened when she noticed him. It was apparent that she saw an albino for the very first time.I did not care … [Read more...] about What The Murderer Had Left by Bahri Gordebak

On Layers by Ron Singer

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On Layers by Ron Singer  “Penny,” said she.“Chickens. I was thinking of Jeff and Jen.”“They’re not …”“Of their chickens.”“Their hens.”“Yes, aren’t hens that lay eggs called ‘layers’?”“Of course. Hmm, do they become ‘roasters,’ ‘broilers,’ or ‘friers’ only after they stop being layers?”“Or are ‘layers’ already ‘roasters,’ etc?”“Hyphenated … [Read more...] about On Layers by Ron Singer

A Fool’s Game by Michael Karpienski

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A Fool's Game by: Michael Karpienski “Hurry, we got to go!”“No, wait, my shoe…”“Tie them in the car.”Ben took his left boot by the long laces and trotted to the car with high beams. He was always running late, forgetting items, loosing track of time.“Now you know Papa will be mad we are late. Tie them up quick and straighten up your tie, it's a mess.”Ben, … [Read more...] about A Fool’s Game by Michael Karpienski

$250 I Want it to Be Summer Poetry Contest!

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$250 I Want it to Be Summer Poetry Contest! Yes! Do you want to win $250 for 1 poem, and have it published on our site? Do you want $25o to go on a summer picnic or go to the zoo or take swimming lessons? Great! We are giving away $250 for the best poem we receive starting today April 4th 2013 until June 21, 2013. It's still chilly, and I want it to be Summer. I want warm … [Read more...] about $250 I Want it to Be Summer Poetry Contest!

Divided By Shannon Eden

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Divided By Shannon Eden The pain comes suddenly. It spears the underside of her swollen stomach and ripples outward in shock waves that rock her to her knees, months too soon in its arrival for the welcome to be a warm one. She cries out, once. The sound is sharp, scraping at the ceilings, walls and windowpanes, but there comes no reply.She presses her palm to the curve … [Read more...] about Divided By Shannon Eden

Carmel Girl by Julie Quiroz

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Carmel Girl by Julie Quiroz Carmel Girl The doctor was surprised. Looking up from his clipboard, he watched a girl rise from her waiting room chair, the arm of a seated boy gently guiding her as she stood. Without looking at the intake form, the doctor guessed they were fifteen or sixteen.The doctor had worked at the family planning clinic for over a year, but this was … [Read more...] about Carmel Girl by Julie Quiroz

The Taste of 3 A.M. by Mercel Meyers

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The Taste of 3 A.M. by Mercel Meyers "Sally, all you've got are your tits."I had a talent at being able to say some of the nastiest things appropriate to the individual. The words lacked flavor on my tongue. Her face was taken aback, mouth agape and wide-set eyes in shock at the sudden assault. Somehow the cocktail of defending your best-friend and too much to drink at a … [Read more...] about The Taste of 3 A.M. by Mercel Meyers

The Ragged-Trousered Misogynist by Sue Roff

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The Ragged-Trousered Misogynist by Sue Roff She came to know a place, a very cheap hotel, where she had no past but was only the present. Sitting on the verandah at night watching mosquitoes immolate themselves in the kerosene lamps. Listening to crickets and frogs and geckos in the garden, watching the night traffic pass. Steamed rice, coffee, cigarettes clove and American, … [Read more...] about The Ragged-Trousered Misogynist by Sue Roff

Club by Night by Vicky Hayes

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Club by Night by Vicky Hayes We lived in an apartment a quarter of a mile from the heart of the city. Our room was nestled into the back with a decent walk in closet and bathroom. We called the room  "club by day, and night by night." This had nothing to do with partying or any drunken or drugged activities of the sort; rather, the quilt we had put over the window- to avoid … [Read more...] about Club by Night by Vicky Hayes

The Fridge by Marijke Hillmann

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The Fridge by Marijke HillmannThe camper ambles its way through the Tete Province, Mozambique on a sweltering, humid late afternoon in 1975.? Our 13 months? old son is dozing off in his seat ? I sit next to him and hold the bottle he has just finished drinking.Screeching brakes:? the sliding door is opened and I stare at the barrel of an AK47. Five armed child soldiers … [Read more...] about The Fridge by Marijke Hillmann

The Lone Car by Mary Lee

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The Lone Car by Mary Lee  The lone car sits in the deep of the morning, waiting for its owner to return. The car had been parked in this same spot the day before, glistening with the moistness of the morning dew. At 4:00 a.m. the sky still shadows the darkness all around the town, hiding the sins of its citizens.The owner of the car has many sins to hide, this … [Read more...] about The Lone Car by Mary Lee

Late for the Window by Sandra Gould Thompson

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Late for the Window by Sandra Gould Thompson Carol got on the bus, sat down, and quietly wept.“Is everything okay?” asked the woman next to her. “Is there anything I can do for you, Honey?” Carol looked at the woman, who appeared to be the quintessential “bag lady,” and said, “I just can’t do it anymore. Look at everyone. They use their cell phones, text phones, … [Read more...] about Late for the Window by Sandra Gould Thompson

Jack by Victor A. Gallis

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Jack by Victor A. Gallis The front left wheel of Jack's shopping cart spun in circles, making it hard to push up the incline and over the rough asphalt. He leaned his hip into the left side of the handle, and it went more or less straight. It was time to find a new cart.The house was up ahead, on the right hand side. It was leaning a bit more than the last time he had … [Read more...] about Jack by Victor A. Gallis

Water and Ash by Abigail Russo

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Water and Ash by Abigail Russo We eat scrambled eggs around the scratched wood kitchen table, wiping the sleep from our eyes and kneading it from our necks. We slather sunscreen on the babies' puckered faces, we haul the pink-and-white umbrellas out of the garage, we crunch on grapes, we claim no interest in the lives of the celebrities featured in the magazines we devour, we … [Read more...] about Water and Ash by Abigail Russo

Herman by Marijke Hillmann

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Herman Johannesburg – mid nineties. by Marijke Hillmann  Herman, my assistant, enters data on a user-unfriendly computer system.He swears in Tswana.I look up and notice that his complexion seems very dark today and then I look him in the face.His eyes glisten.I shiver – down to the depths of my core.“What’s up, Herman” I ask.“I am sick, … [Read more...] about Herman by Marijke Hillmann

fast, eat by Jon Svec

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fast, eat by Jon Svec He knew before he entered that the sound was leaking. Fork clanging plate, glass clinking glass, laughter. It travelled under and through the door, into the hallway. It seeped through the walls and spilled off the second story balcony, mixing with the horns and engines below. It got out. It was uncontained. The smells, though, were thicker and easier … [Read more...] about fast, eat by Jon Svec

The Biggest Dance by David Kerr

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The Biggest Dance by David Kerr We burn the elephant and cow and lion every year, then we build them again the following dry season, after all the dances.  We perform the Big Dance to remember the way humans caused a stampede of all the wild animals when we invented fire.  And every year we burn the wood and grass animals to remember that first terrible forest fire.  For a … [Read more...] about The Biggest Dance by David Kerr