Ten Minutes
A siren warns of an incoming missile but the Lutsky family spot a stranger just as they are about to enter their safe room. They invite him in. By Ellis Shuman.
Mysteries of the Universe
She was a ‘bit of everything and a lot of noise’ her mom used to say but you could feel that all Alice wanted to be, was grown. By Lucie Pagé
Swimming like the Centre of the Flames
It would have been simpler if once Allison came out to them, her mother had disowned her, sat shiva like my Orthodox parents were advised by to do but didn’t. Instead, her mother hugged her, then scrutinized her closely and never brought it up again. By Danila Botha
Charles
Charles wants one final, anonymous hookup before reconciling with his boyfriend but his date has other plans.
Adventures of a Young Virgin
A 15-year-old teenager in the 60s yearns for true love like the one shared by Heathcliff and Catherine in Wuthering Heights. By Mara Thygeson.
Dr. God Awful
Dr. Richardson winced at the sight of Jerry’s feet. Was it his imagination, or had they gotten puffier, leaving large, damp footprints by the deck chair where Jerry sat alone in flamingo-patterned swim trunks, sipping a giant pink Slurpee? By Diane Bracuk
The Last Word
My name is Troy, my last name doesn’t matter, believe me. It’s going poof like everything else. Ask me if I give a flying whatever. By Gary Duehr
Space Junk Hurtling Through Rome
Sometimes when I think back on it, I feel like a professional killjoy of my own childhood dreams. By Danila Botha
Ask the Rust
A struggling writer with delusions of grandeur gets what’s coming to him.
Obsidian
Jay had a deadline but his brother’s unique condition gets in the way.
