Blog Archives

Chuck Wants More, by Virginia Ashberry

27/10/2023

Charles (Chuck) wants more.
A job a family, and maybe even a house.

But ‘more’ has never been part of his life.

Chuck grew up with a single mom, and no other relatives. He figured out how to be a man by watching family sit-com tv shows.

On the television, even poor families had cars and vacations.

So, here he sits, on a hard chair, in a line of other men on chairs, waiting their turn at a casting call for a new funny family show.

Chuck knows he’ll get the role. He’s been living this joke his whole life.

Competition, by Teri Wright

27/10/2023

Bill picked up his pint. “So, how often do you…you know,” he asked.

Abdul blinked nervously before whispering his reply. “Weekly. I only get the urge on a Thursday.”

A flush crept up Simon’s neck. He wiped his forehead with a paper napkin. “Once a month if I’m lucky. My job’s quite demanding, so I tend to just watch TV in the evenings.”

“I do it every day,” Bill announced. “There are so many on the internet- some are even free. Look!”

Oblivious to the gasps from the pub’s regulars, Bill showed his friends a website detailing forthcoming writing competitions.

Don’t Mess with Old People: A One Sentence Story, by Sue Katz

27/10/2023

I secretly put in my old hearing aid, suspecting my niece Dani would confiscate the new one, which she did, lying to the hospital nurse – “She gets frequent ear infections” – so I could still hear Dani telling the social worker she reluctantly felt it was time for me to be declared incompetent and for her to take over my financial responsibilities, but I had prepared the social worker for Dani’s perfidy during our daily chess game, hence he called the elder abuse folks about her, ordering me a cab home on the same day as Dani was due in court.

Death of an Actor, by Stephen Goodlad

27/10/2023

The service was a mix of comedy and tragedy as though he had fallen into one of his father’s plays. A backdrop of stark concrete unrelieved by colour. There would be no mossy cemetery and compensating beauty and peace. The effusive plastic flowers could not disguise the ambience of a factory.
With typical choreography, the music kicked in late. The wheels of the coffin trolley squeaked along. A self-proclaimed “dearest friend” looking like Alice Cooper wept make-up.
Then he wobbled away from the thin, duty-bound congregation on rollers, through the foul flaps and the curtain descended for the last time.

Transition, by Louis Kummerer

27/10/2023

5:00 o’clock. I’m closing the shop when she walks in. Young. Blonde. Gorgeous. Short overcoat buttoned up to the neck. Great legs.

“Can I help you?” I ask.

She unbuttons her overcoat and flings it open to reveal that she’s wearing nothing underneath. I stare in stunned awe at her naked body.

“Do you like what you see?” she asks.

“Absolutely!” I stammer.

“This body can be all yours for just $100.” She smiles alluringly.

Brain off, libido on, I hand her a $100 bill.

She waves her hand and…Poof!!

That’s how I went from being Elliot to being Emma.

Mel's Delivery, by David Sydney

27/10/2023

Dr. Franzblau was frustrated. Sheila, the obstetrical nurse, checked her watch. Why was Mel's delivery taking so long?

Halfway into the birth canal and Mel had second thoughts. Who could blame him? It wasn't called labor for nothing. Soon, he would be with the other newborns crying in the nursery.

Still, he resisted. Mel slammed on the brakes and tried to crawl back inside. It had been a pleasant nine months.

Dr. Franzblau? Sheila? The nursery? And then childhood and adolescence, never mind what comes after?...Had he asked for any of that?

Paddle Potion, by Rani Jayakumar

27/10/2023

Isadora sprinkled in the fish scales and dusted off her hands. She stuck her broom bristles down into the cauldron. Then she spoke, “Ar in aqua paxillum velox, setae remus mox!” She removed the gleaming paddle and set off for Lake Chatfield. On canoe she wove among pretend witches all chittering, until she saw her friends. “Grand finale?” offered Camilla. Arabella conjured a glorious sunset. Isadora added pinpoints of light winking from darkness. Camilla gathered the birds to sing. At the other bank, humans dressed as witches stood in awe. Three witches stood, incognito, their October handiwork visible to all.

Every Witch Way, by Susmita Ramani

27/10/2023

Flynn didn’t fit in at her new school in Colorado. The other fifth graders had sized her up based on her not-”in” hair and clothes, and cast her out: a social leper.

In October, Flynn’s mom, Belinda, heard about an event in which people dressed up as witches and paddle boarded on a lake. She signed them up. Lest Flynn protest, Belinda found a charity they could paddle for: an animal rescue.

Word spread.

At the event were several of Flynn’s classmates and their parents, all dressed as witches, paddle boards in tow.

That broke the ice; Flynn was in.

From the Corners of His Eyes, by Krystyna Fedosejevs

20/10/2023

“You hear children?” Arlene whimpered.

“No,” replied Gilbert. “I’ll soon be back.”

He stepped outdoors into the misty darkness. Girls scurried to a motel room down the way. The last greeted him with a grin before entering.

Having purchased refreshments at a diner, he commenced the drive back. A candlelit procession advanced towards the seashore village cemetery. He pulled over to watch.

The last person seemingly passed through the gate, turning to grin. Gilbert gasped. It was the girl seen earlier at his motel.

Blackness returned to the cemetery— home to countless children; victims of the 19th century cholera outbreak.

Exposing the Subconscious, by Stephen Goodlad

20/10/2023

Full-beam headlights approach at speed. My car swerves erratically. A car horn blares. I’m on the wrong side of the road, alone, in the back seat. My heart pounding, I lunge for the wheel and try to divert the car, noticing a resistance. I’m trying to climb over the front seat to gain control. I pull the hand brake and the car swerves up a side street, slowing up a steep hill. Just as I think I’m safe, the car rolls backwards.
“What does it all mean?”
“I think you should quit your management job.” Said my dream analyst.”

The Yahrzeit Candle, by Tony Covatta

20/10/2023

Semester abroad, spring break, Hoosier Holly met Jersey girl Debbie on the train. In Florence, they found a room with vaulted columns, frescoes, putti.

Next afternoon, Debbie exclaimed: “Dad died last year, today. I have to light a yahrzeit candle.” They searched. No luck. Dusk approaching, Holly spotted the Star of David on a store window, shutter descending. Debbie raced, pleaded, bought her candle.

At their villa, Debbie lit the candle, recited the Yahrzeit prayer. By shimmering candlelight, wide-eyed putti watching above, the girls spent hours trading father stories.

Forty years on, Debbie and her father live for Holly still.

Always Wait for Backup, by Jo Riglar

20/10/2023

Enjoying Chris Potter's saxophone, Miller noticed the van. Number plates confirmed his suspicions. He pulled the radio.

“Detective Miller, badge 2887, chasing a Chevy, license 2AAR676. 187 Suspect.”

The van stopped in West 11th.

Parked by plane trees Miller used his binoculars. Dispatch confirmed the owner was the killer ‘Baldman’.

The house smelled and Miller gagged.

“Armed police. Put your hands over your head. Kneel on the floor.,” he said.

He pointed the glock.

The Baldman made a very sudden move.

Miller shot once. Baldman went down as the sirens sounded.
Moving towards the body he couldn't see any weapon.

A Favor, by Brian Taylor

20/10/2023

They lay silently in the dark, neither one sleeping. Heavy thoughts on both their minds.

Finally, he said, "I know you don't love me."

She answered uneasily, "What?"

He sighed, continuing. "I know you love somebody else. I don't know him, but I feel you needing him. It's hurting us both, you being here and me not being who you want. You can leave tonight if you'd like."

Stunned but calm, she replied, "I'm not sure what to say."

He struggled. "You're not... listen, just go. But please, a favor? Don’t look at me or say goodbye when you leave."

Open Marriage, by Bruce Gunther

20/10/2023

The sunlight through the blinds woke Suzanne up. She looked around. The walls were unfamiliar, as was the young man asleep next to her. Who was he? She slipped into her clothes and left without waking him.

She scheduled a Lyft, which took her home.

Her husband was on the porch at the front door, fumbling for keys in his pants pocket.

“How was your night?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” she replied. “I have to quit doing this.”

“Me, too. And I have a killer hangover.”

He opened the door.

“I’ll make some coffee,” he said.

“Thanks, honey.”

Getting a Snap, by Penny Rogers

20/10/2023

‘Look over there mum,’ Freddy pointed across the crocodile enclosure ‘it’s that bloke off the telly.’
‘Shush. That’s our Prime Minister. He’s here on a day off with his family. Don’t stare at him, it’s rude.’
‘But he’s famous. If I get a selfie with him I’d get a certificate in Show and Tell.’
Freddy’s mum saw the PM was surrounded by people obviously there to guard him and his family. ‘Just take a photo from here.’
‘No. I want a selfie.’ In a flash he ran towards the entourage.
Eventually Freddy and his mum were allowed to go home.

Shiver, by Cheryl Snell

20/10/2023

“Beautiful!” the anesthesiologist said as he peered into my open mouth. Nobody had ever complimented me on my airway before, and I could feel a blush begin. It rose from the commas of my toes, unbuttoning the canals of my veins, my blood-caves and bone-shelters, capturing yellow heat in the back of my throat, daring me to swallow. By the time it kissed the roots of my hair, I smelled smoke. The doctor, surprised that my goose bumps were answering his words in another language, said, “I’ll ask the nurse to bring you a blanket. You look a little chilly.”

Flying Solo, by Elizabeth Allison

20/10/2023

She pushed a red pin through Sandakan. Once, they had both dreamed of seeing orangutans in the wild. She had made it happen. She had stood on fertile ground and watched them feast and frolic inside a breathing jungle. When it was time to leave, she had flown over palm oil plantations encircling the rainforest, encroaching on the unaware.

Enola released the pin and stepped back to study the full map. Amidst a sea of blue “Our Travels” pins, the red stood solitary. She thought of the romping apes, oblivious to the lurking threat, and cried the tears of communion.

The Lures and the Lies, by Alyce Clark

20/10/2023

I’m not sure what to say, what to feel, how to act… I’m numb. I took him at his word. And he lied to me. Again.

The role of the dice. The lure of the roulette wheel. The belief that this time, the pull of a lever will bring flashing lights and jangly music. Losses recouped. Fortunes gained…

Instead, my heart is broken. Trust depleted. And my purse lies in tatters. The hidden lining (with the last of our savings), exposed. Emptied.

No victories tonight. Our love and his promises came in second. He bet and lost everything. Including me.

Heaven on Earth, by K.G. Song

20/10/2023

“Why are you so grumpy all the time, Oliver?”

“Because my life sucks. This town sucks. It is full of old geezers like you and my grandma.”

“You’re lucky to have your grandma. Without her, you would be in an orphanage.”

“Well, maybe it would have been better than living in these sticks.”

“Let me assure you, it isn’t. I grew up in an orphanage.”

“How did you end up here?”

“I ran away when I was fourteen and came here to work on the farm. For me, this place is heaven on earth.”

“Heaven? This boondock?”

“Yes, it is.”

Rat Stew, by Lisa Williams

20/10/2023

Meals were haphazard. Life was haphazard really, we’d pretty much moved into the basement by November. The summer had been full of dandelion salads. Blackberries and apples warmed by the autumn sun had just run out.
Our cat, Lucky, saw to herself and always had. Our neighbours, long gone now, had eaten their pets. We hadn’t: she brought us the occasional rat and was another warm thing to snuggle up next to at night. Besides, we had hope for Christmas. Hope was essential in these unprecedented times. We were looking forward to having her as part of our feast then.

Gossiping Gulls, by G. Lynn Brown

20/10/2023

Over and again, the waves lapped at her ankles as she walked the shoreline. With each step, her toes sunk into the wet, spongy sand. Damp clumps of the beach stuck to her skin, between her toes, and her heart raced with hopes of things to come, of him.

Seagulls circled above the crashing waves, laughing as though they knew the secret behind her unrelenting smile. She placed a silencing finger against her lips and glanced at the footprints that formed beside hers.

She'd follow him anywhere. But it was still too soon, she wasn't ready for him to know.

Angel Soft, by Daniel Hybner

20/10/2023

“You have lovely taste in toilet paper.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your toilet paper choice. Angel Soft. Exquisite.”

She looked at me with the blankness one would expect after being complimented on toilet tissue choice.

“Are you seriously hitting on me based on my toilet paper?”

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“Is it working?”

“Absolutely not.”

Five years later, we were married.

Six years later, we had our first kid.

Sixteen years later, we had our fifth kid.

Angel Soft clearly works.

The Sun Room, by Pamela Kennedy

20/10/2023

Editor's Choice

Believe me, an enormous amount of effort has gone into Pam's submission. And by the way, it's also a deep, thoughtful story. It took me a moment to work out what was going on – Editor.

And so I sit and wait. For what? There's never any promising news. I, along with the others, wear a lonely countenance. We try our best to offer each other an optimistic smile along with an encouraging nod, but we know it's a facade. So many of us are contemptuous of our circumstances but yet we still come and wait. There are some new faces which still bear the signs of hope. We wish them luck. But mostly we sit and wait as time goes by until time abandons us forever.

Nature's Way of Telling You, by Stephen V Guidry

20/10/2023

A scientist develops a method of communicating with animals using sounds they make naturally; he experiments with it on his parrot, who teaches it to the family dog when they’re alone together.

The two pets begin modifying the system so they can interact undetected, and soon make their way out in the world where they can spread their message to other animals, covertly organizing to save the planet from mankind.

Only the scientist suspects what his furry, feathered proteges have been up to since he first facilitated their ability to communicate -- who won’t try to stop them if he’s right.

The Neighbor, by Elizabeth Elder

20/10/2023

“Keep your distance from Alvin,” Sonny’s mother often said.
Dusk deepened around the small boy watching Alvin silhouetted in a lighted window, Alvin’s hulk leaning over something, a flash of knife in his hand, a thrust into something on something, a table maybe.
Sonny crept closer, climbed the broken lobster traps below the window, and pulled himself up by the sill. Then he saw.
He ran. Up steps, into his own kitchen.
“Mom!” he said, panting. “I saw . . ..”
“Sonny, what did you see?”
“It was not bad, Mom. It was a big, smiley pumpkin. A good one!”

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