By Enid Cokinos Lady Cavendish’s untimely passing had the manor house staff scurrying about, dispatching possessions hither and yon, as the family’s solicitor, Mr. Fielding, pinstriped and bespectacled, directed from his perch beside the library fireplace between sips of Earl Grey. “Ah, yes, crate the heirloom china for Beatrix Von Ernstrom in Switzerland.” “Deliver Lord … Continue reading With All Due Respect to Raspberry Jam
Becoming
By Sydney Frandsen The first time I teleported, I was with Hamish, and we were about to tumble from the edge of a cliff that we had ventured to close too. One second, we were sliding over the loose gravel, about to fall a thousand feet to our doom, the next, we were a heap … Continue reading Becoming
No Place for Rain
By Oliver Hickman Raindrops pecked at window sills. Streaks ran down the glass— channels between clinging mist. The clouds had slumped low, visiting the ground in person rather than by gift of drizzle. They hugged the roads, the hills, the gradual moor, laying a blindfold on the town of Teatrees. The views and vistas which … Continue reading No Place for Rain
A View From My Window
By Leslie Selbst It is snowing heavily, and the flurry at the bird feeder gives credence to the fruitless search for food. The birds are hungry, and the fluttering and chirping grow louder as each struggles to maintain ownership of the seed pile. Their techniques vary, for size is not a predictor of control as … Continue reading A View From My Window
Cloudy Day for a Run
By Megan Nicholson I have felt consciously, emotionally asleep, wanting to stay awake for some unknown purpose other than to be away on these last couple of Saturday nights into Sunday mornings, and not let another day pass to further the timeline of distance between the last time I saw you until the unknown day … Continue reading Cloudy Day for a Run
After Your Funeral
By Mike Zimmerman The five of us promised your mother we would clear out the apartment. Grief-stricken, she’d tried her best, but left us with whatever she couldn’t take or toss. So, we’d divorced ourselves into two cars, and Jessie made an appointment with a disposal company. We had until 8 pm tonight to sort … Continue reading After Your Funeral
The Bird
By Shirina Lee Edwin Elicia Burton settled into her regular spot at The Union Cafe, a corner table that offered an unobstructed view of the busy street in front of her. It was impossible for her to forego her daily journey to The Union. As a produce buyer at Whole Foods across town, it was … Continue reading The Bird
From Yonder Comes
By Joe Ducato Lopez dragged his cello case down the sidewalk. He passed some boys running through gushing water from a fire hydrant then the aroma shop where the calico cat was on the fence, its tail swaying like the pendulum of a grandfather’s clock. Not so far away sunlight blanketed the side of the … Continue reading From Yonder Comes
A Day In The Life
By Hailey Huber 3 a.m.: She cries. A sound that breaks the bubble of the world, so soft and delicate. 4 a.m.: She wakes. The blanket closes around her as she twists and turns. The wooden bars melt away as hands come down from the sky. 5 a.m.: She walks. Cameras capture her from every … Continue reading A Day In The Life
Winter Competition Fiction Winner: “Philosophy of Snow” by Gary Hardy
It was 6 am. I sipped from a mug of hot coffee while I looked out our bay window. Night lingered in the air and held down the colors of dawn from blooming. Glowing streetlights made the dim snowflakes glisten as they turned in their slanted fall and windows of flurries were held in suspense … Continue reading Winter Competition Fiction Winner: “Philosophy of Snow” by Gary Hardy
Academy of the Heart And Mind 