short story

Glance of a Lifetime by Frank Powers Once upon a time, there lived an average family. The patriarch, Joe, had an average job making average money with an average company. The matriarch, Sue, had her own average job also making average money with an average company. Their house was nothing special, as you may have guessed, it was quite average, too. They hosted neighborhood … [Read more...] about Glance of a Lifetime by Frank Powers

Our Last Encounter by Brian Burmeister “What are you doing?”The patio door swung open. I panicked and jumped about ten feet. She was near me, a car’s length to my left.“What, are you stealing my trash?”“No.” I had been trying to look in her windows. I hadn’t gotten a good position and didn’t see her coming. My hands were empty and I was nowhere near her garbage. … [Read more...] about Our Last Encounter by Brian Burmeister

Winnebago by Chase Cline I sat across from Sarah in the kitchen, her dark brown hair held to one side with a scrunchy. She was wearing a pink robe, faded from years of wear. It was now past twelve on a chilly October night.“So why can’t you sleep?” she asked. I had been tossing noisily, hoping she might wake up too.“It’s that couple I told you about. The ones that … [Read more...] about Winnebago by Chase Cline

The Noise by Timothy Mowers He could hear it. Slowly, cautiously advancing .Building up pressure slowly increasing ever slightly. And then all at once exploding like a cyclone, vibrating, and tearing apart the air. It reached out and grabbed him, tore at him, shook him senseless. It slid through walls, sheets, fingers cupped over ears, effortlessly enveloping him. It … [Read more...] about The Noise by Timothy Mowers

Missing the Messiah by Paul Finnigan Leno Lennox-Rosolini was the happy-go lucky child of a mixed marriage. The boy's mother, Giovanna, was a deeply religious Roman Catholic who attended church every Sunday and was always accompanied by little Leno. Leno was amazed by the numerous ornaments at St. Marcellus but one was particularly special to him. Behind Father Foligno hung … [Read more...] about Missing the Messiah by Paul Finnigan

Spirit in the Sky by Linda Casper The mourners dispersed from the graveside in groups of twos and threes. They paused to pay their condolences to the family, some shaking hands and others kissing and hugging. I couldn’t hear their words of comfort but imagined that they included such phrases as sadly missed and will be remembered and had a good, long life; all of which were … [Read more...] about Spirit in the Sky by Linda Casper

A Picture of Home by Miranda Angelski It is louder than a train passing only inches from our faces. It splashes in our ears, surrounding our eardrums. Its continuous roar is like nothing else I have ever heard; it is persistent and it seems it will never falter. It is all around us, even though the sharp and twisting rocks of the cove contain it; it still manages to touch my … [Read more...] about A Picture of Home by Miranda Angelski

Starburst by Shashank Mane Danny fixated his eyes upon a bursting star of grandiose fireworks, sparkling with eye-catching colors outside the bedroom window. The reflective waters outside captured the images as mirrored double, sparks of red and silver shooting chaotically in various directions. Sipping his champagne, he released a deep sigh. He had been here before; … [Read more...] about Starburst by Shashank Mane

Step into the Light by Daniel Jarvis "Step into the light, I dare you," Marshall said as he struggled to contain his laughter."What will happen when I do?" I asked with trepidation."How am I supposed to know?" Marshall responded. "Just do it."Despite my reservations, I obliged my overbearing friend. He had a way with words, after all."How long do I have to … [Read more...] about Step into the Light by Daniel Jarvis

A Paper Fan I stared at the computer screen, the recipe for blueberry cobbler staring back at me as my daughter’s voice, plaintive as a puppy’s whine, pleaded, “Please, Mom, why can’t I go? Everybody else is going.”“You can go to the school lock in, or you can stay home from the prom. You cannot go to some hotel room with a bunch of drunken seniors. That’s final.” I still … [Read more...] about A Paper Fan by Bernie Brown

If a Wave Doesn't Come and Wash Me Away by Ethan Brightbill There is a ridge, almost a small cliff, made where the Atlantic bites into the sand. The waves have created a vertical face, a drop dividing the beach in two. It begins at our feet and extends before us beyond the curve of the shore, growing higher as it does. Above this ridge the shore is dry and shifts beneath our … [Read more...] about If a Wave Doesn’t Come and Wash Me Away by Ethan Brightbill

The Remnants of Love & Dinosaurs By Yaki MarguliesvAs a child, my mother used to tell me bedtime stories to help me fall asleep. With a glass of scotch resting on my bedspread, she would recount tales of her childhood in Kamsack, Saskatchewan. And she would pepper in dinosaurs, too, because she knew I liked dinosaurs.“Peggy would walk home after school and play … [Read more...] about The Remnants of Love & Dinosaurs By Yaki Margulies

The Blind Knife Sharpener by Teri Saya In Mexico there are always sounds to announce one thing or another. I especially like the knife sharpeners whistle.....A long, low fluting whistle waivers in the air. As it comes closer, you gather up your knives. A young boy with a backpack leads an old blind man by one arm. The old man clutches a cane with his other hand and leans … [Read more...] about The Blind Knife Sharpener by Teri Saya

Solitude by Samantha Lee The artist was seated at the top of the cliff when I clambered over the edge.“Did you find it on the way up?” he asked. “Fulfillment?”“Not yet,” I said. “Not this time.”The painting was the Yosemite backcountry, transcendent white and green under a crystal sky. My yellow windbreaker, earthbound, was a drop of paint drowned by the … [Read more...] about Solitude by Samantha Lee

The Bogeyman by Grey Harlowe It was going to be a long night, Kyle realized as he looked over the three paragraphs he had typed for his two page Spanish essay due the next morning. It was 8:35, which meant another hour of writing, and thanks to slacking off in language lab that afternoon, he was also ill prepared for the oral presentation expected along with the essay. Then … [Read more...] about The Bogeyman by Grey Harlowe

Save As Many As We Can  I had to save him. I couldn’t let him die.With all the ‘zombies’ in pop culture, you’d think someone would have gotten it right.Not even close.When those infected started to turn, nobody understood what they were becoming.But we learned.We learned that zombie muscles don’t decay; that the rotting flesh is replaced, like a … [Read more...] about Save As Many As We Can by Michelle Chouinard

The Transient/Hayley by Alex Schillinger Slow down Hayley says slow down, you’re speaking too fast. She says she better sit down so you find a place to sit so the room and the world will stop spinning. It just happens to be a bed, and she laughs because you probably could have found a chair.Slow down Hayley says take it slow and lays down next to you. You take it … [Read more...] about Horror Contest: The Transient/Hayley by Alex Schillinger

Yellow by Daniel Jarvis  The creature peered through my bedroom window for the third consecutive night. Except this was no ordinary creature. My classmate from Ms. Johnson's English class, Jerry Collins, had become a werewolf.During the day, Jerry appeared as a typical high school student; however, I noticed one glaring difference that nobody else picked up on - … [Read more...] about Yellow by Daniel Jarvis