The garage door creaks open, and Ned, who probably shouldn’t be driving, eases his car in. The headlights slice through the cluttered garage, revealing a teetering stack of Amazon boxes piled on a wobbly sofa table against the wall. The headlights also illuminate the garage walls, plastered with our old posters of punk bands we … Continue reading Love Song Competition Fiction Winner: “Easy Like Manicotti” by Angie Curneal Palsak
My Lost Diary
By Mubita Joseph Mubita I sat at my usual table in a coffee shop, my fingers dancing nimbly over the keyboard of my laptop. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the sweet scent of freshly baked pastries, and the buzz of conversation from other customers provided a soothing background noise. As I typed … Continue reading My Lost Diary
monogamy
By Morgan Larkins He’d bought the ring from a mall kiosk for four-hundred dollars in cash. It’d taken him eighteen shifts at the diner to save the cash, some of it going into other envelopes tucked around the double wide for rent and groceries, for the vacation they’d been trying to plan for four months. … Continue reading monogamy
Trnava
By Griffith Pound “Why not stop in Trnava?” suggests Juraj. “Where the hell is Tranava?” asks Kyle. “Trnava,” corrects Juraj. “It’s where my aunt and uncle live. You can stay with them for as long as you like, yes?” Kyle holds the socks he was about to place in his suitcase and looks at Juraj … Continue reading Trnava
The Shadchan
By William Hogg It was a day at the end of summer but for Wilmington, North Carolina, a gift. Almost noon and the temperature was not yet seventy. Alan was sitting on a concrete bench, breathing slowly, relaxed, and at peace. He glanced over at his nine-year-old grandson, Tommy, who was sitting at the other … Continue reading The Shadchan
Soft Whispers: Jill & Jake
By Nancy Lou Henderson Jill reached for her cell phone when the alarm began to play softly. While turning the alarm off, she sat in bed, wishing she could finish her dream but knowing it would repeat. For some reason, the dream had come to her every night for a week, stopping at the same … Continue reading Soft Whispers: Jill & Jake
Is She Paying Rent?
By Thomas Payne Birgit was arriving on the 8:32 flight from Chicago. Nathan had asked Jon to drive him to DIA, and asked if they could pick up Heather on the way to make it less date-like. I-25 was clear and Jon was trying to keep it under 85. Nathan lit him a cigarette. “She’s … Continue reading Is She Paying Rent?
Cold Love
By Katie Lane Dei Originally published by cc&d magazine at scars.tv I step out of the warm Australian bungalow and am slapped in the face by a gust of cold air. I pull the collar of my jacket up higher and my beanie down lower. I squint my eyes and see her standing there in front … Continue reading Cold Love
Death Doesn’t Kiss Back
By Ben Cromwell I saw a cartoon, once, in some magazine, or maybe it was online. It said life was in love with death, and that over the years, life had sent gifts to death. A little cartoon turtle walked across the frame, going from young to old as it went. A dark robed figure … Continue reading Death Doesn’t Kiss Back
Tristan Clattery
By Ben Coppin “Tristan Clattery?” This was becoming infuriating. Tristan craned his neck but couldn’t see anyone in the crowd that he recognised. He made a last minute decision and left the auditorium. The keynote was about to begin, but he’d already heard everything the speaker had to say about noise pollution. Besides, he hadn’t … Continue reading Tristan Clattery
Academy of the Heart And Mind 