Colossi
By Fred Johnson 1. What a day: went as usual to Mr Kebab Express. Ordered pizza—twelve-inch special, no olives, can of Irn Bru. Was waiting around like normal, sat on the old wooden bench and whatnot, twiddling the proverbial, when Sohrab calls my name. Nothing strange yet, I know, but wait, greedy fucker, wait— Sohrab—or […]
Maybe It’s Not Too Late
By Luke Beling, We fell out of love in a hurry that night. Suzy flipped over my dirty ashtray and tossed my empty can at me while I lay sprawled on the sofa watching the game. “You can’t just keep feeling sorry for yourself, you know. Bad shit happens. To everybody. All the time.” It’d […]
The Burn
By Alan MacLeod My Aunt Ruth piles family photos in boxes, and calls it our ancestry. Those faded images of people and places transport me like a time machine. Peaceful, sad feelings roll through my body. For years we’ve had quiet heritage talks in her parlour: clock ticking on the mantle, budgie scrabbling in its […]
The Green Witch’s Garden (Excerpt)
By Patricia Crisafulli A profusion of tiger lilies blossomed where the gravel driveway met the pitted blacktop of the country road. Pulling in slowly, Gabriela admired the red geraniums and yellow chrysanthemums that ringed the front of the small stone house with black shutters and wondered if these were the flowers Lucinda had wanted them […]
Saguaro
By Kevin Broccoli She got sent out with a basket of pecan bread and a bad cough. The flu had whipped through and nearly killed Rebecca the same way it had four other little girls in town. This was going to be her first outing since she recovered, and her mother pulled the red bonnet […]
Impossible
By David Bassano, July 16 “The speed limit is fifty-five…and do not throw cigarettes out the window!” the trooper snapped. “Yes, Officer,” mumbled Nick. He’d quit smoking two years ago. The cop let him off with a warning because Nick’s last name was almost synonymous with the town’s name. When the trooper was gone, Nick […]
The Man Who Lives in 6C
By Brian Mosher, When I first arrived in town in 1955, The Golden Albatross was run by Cassini, a fat Chinese man. No one was sure why he had an Italian name. You could ask him, but he wouldn’t tell you. The food at the Golden Albatross was neither Chinese nor Italian. It was also […]
Once Upon a Tour in Grimmsland
By Mark Gallini, “Get up! Get up you lazy one,” her mother sings, or rather recites. “It’s time to go to Grandma’s.” She leans over her daughter, who feigns a cherubic sleep. Finally her mother shouts. “Red Riding Hood, get out of bed and get over to your grandmother’s right now.” Red Riding Hood opens […]
The Blooding
By Scott Pieschel, “Excited for your blooding tomorrow?” Shadows from the weakening flames in the hearth danced across my older brother, Tommy’s, face. He sat in the wingback chair opposite mine and watched me expectantly, as if waiting for a smile, a bounce of excitement. “Is there a lot?” I asked. “Of what?” “Blood.” I […]
A Watchmaker
By Derek Alan Jones The work was nearly done. As he turned the crown to wind the spring, each click of the ratchet wheel was audibly crisp and firm. After one full rotation and a quarter of another, the balance started to oscillate, and the movement came to life. The man placed two fingers on […]