By Tim Law It was a scene of complete and utter chaos. There was only one word for a kitchen that was the equivalent of a culinary bombsite, pandemonium. With the last blue ribbon clutched tight in her hand, Mayor Sarah Robbins starred, gob smacked, scanning the Community Centre Kitchen in utter dismay. Maybe she … Continue reading The Kitchen Disaster
The Drunken Hero
By Tejaswinee Roychowdhury Not all heroes wear capes, some are just drunk! Well, perhaps not heroes that you may have heard of, but it rings true of at least one hero in a tiny little village somewhere in Bengal. The villagers of Hulupukur had developed different theories over the years as to why Madhu, short … Continue reading The Drunken Hero
Cobalt
By Jim Bates During the first month of lockdown, Courtney, my wife, and I had a family meeting with our three kids. She did the talking. “Okay, the school is setting up for distance learning so that’s what we’ll do. Your father and I have organized our schedules so he will be here on Monday, … Continue reading Cobalt
Base
By Jon Moray For Shane, it was one of those days, in the middle of one of those weeks, at the end of one of those months, during one of those years…and it was only May. His downward spiral of misfortune included a job demotion, a diabetes diagnosis, and constant hounding from collection agencies over … Continue reading Base
What’s in a Name?
By Joan Leotta Elena slid into the chair across the table from her friend Alda at Nettie’s Coffee Emporium. “Sorry I’m late. Overseas phone call. Did you order coffee for me?” Alda laughed. “ Of course. And a pistachio muffin too. You have the same thing every week.” She pushed one a plate over to … Continue reading What’s in a Name?
The Golden Beach
By Bernadette Kloth & Steve Warren A full moon was waning and the nursing staff at St. Mary’s Hospital were all on their toes. A young nurse’s white Nike sneakers squeaked as she made a u-turn into room 444 when she heard one of her patient’s moaning. The older lady had been admitted yesterday and … Continue reading The Golden Beach
The Woman in the Water
By J. F. Salocin A blue infinity. I float there, weightless, lunar strings connected at my back, the man in the moon is my puppeteer, pushing and pulling the waves, making me dance and sway without control. The only true power I have in this void is to stay afloat, tongue tasting the nectar we … Continue reading The Woman in the Water
Strontium
By Jim Bates Sandra Mason was a studious girl who took life seriously, much to the joy of her father, Wallace, a physics teacher at the University of Minnesota. “I’m so proud of Sandy,” he said, coming down the stairs after telling his seven-year-old daughter good night. “She’s just like I used to be at … Continue reading Strontium
I Took the Plant Out for a Walk
By Mehreen Ahmed At midnight, someone was knocking on my window pane. It was a sinewy twig, wavering in the blustery winds. Knocks persisted. The window had fogged up from the recent cold waves. I walked up and stood before it. A coal spattered night, there was the twig rubbing itself on the fog. This … Continue reading I Took the Plant Out for a Walk
The Alter Ego
By Medha Godbole Singh She was standing at a crossing on the road, waiting to get to the other side. She was lightly tapping her feet, impatient. It was getting late for her on her first day at work as a Public Relations assistant. That was not her plan. The girl looked at her watch … Continue reading The Alter Ego
Academy of the Heart And Mind 