By Joan Hyams Schmitz It’s been a calendar full of days since the boy entered the room, dumping his backpack on the floor as he flopped onto his bed for a power nap. This brief, impromptu trip home served one purpose—a quick trip to the dentist to repair a chipped tooth. Once the incisor was … Continue reading The Room
Desert Wind
By Jim Bates Dave was grateful for the final emotional push as he clamored up and over the edge of Lizard Peak onto the top, a large flat area. "Thanks, man," he said to Lyle, his life companion for the last forty years. He was nearly out of breath."I needed that." Lyle was also his … Continue reading Desert Wind
The Step-Mother
By Ann Christine Tabaka Madalyn did not like having to be alone with her step-mother all the time. She was irked with her father for having to travel far away from home for work so often. Her step-mother was not mean or cruel like the evil step-mother in the stories that she read, like Cinderella. … Continue reading The Step-Mother
A Tall Tower to Sleep In
By W. T. Paterson Jeremy felt like an out-of-place monster sitting in the line of cars to pick up his twelve-year-old daughter Emilia from an all-women’s coding camp. Tech giant ByteSyze hosted an eight-week summer program for young women interested in STEM careers, the final week of which happened to coincide with the one-year anniversary … Continue reading A Tall Tower to Sleep In
A Sigh of Relief
By Nancy Machlis Rechtman Leona sighed. It was the morning of Cassie’s high school graduation and Leona couldn’t have been prouder. Her beautiful daughter was about to finish high school as valedictorian of her class and was busy putting the finishing touches on her speech. Leona peeked in Cassie’s room and saw her in her … Continue reading A Sigh of Relief
Soap Bubbles
By Michal Reiben Clouds drift on a gentle breeze in an Iris blue sky. Tree’s branches sway in the warm light wind and birds in the trees chatter. An old hag wearing a moth-eaten dress with a face like crumpled paper is sitting on a bench by the side of a playground. She’s enjoying the … Continue reading Soap Bubbles
From the Depth of my Grave
By Arti Rai I'm burried under the soil now resting in peace , rains have shed flood of tears , drops seeped onto my breathless body , I thought nature cried . A headstone showing human words would console my lying layers of earth I would heap over my brutal bones getting brawn . In … Continue reading From the Depth of my Grave
The Tunnel
By Nancy Lou Henderson It was time to begin her journey, and Elsa wondered, was she prepared? Once taking the first step on to the pathway, there would be no going back. Elsa took a deep breath, then saw herself at the opening to the tunnel. A path stretched out in front of her, leading … Continue reading The Tunnel
A Happy Death
By Bradford Middleton My life goes by in black and white, The black words I type onto white paper And the sepia tinted black and white Of the old movie days. The films come And go, a new one every few days whilst The words, right now, continue to flow And it all … Continue reading A Happy Death
When the Clock Stops
By Kat Devitt I sat staring at the hands, frozen in their rotation, their ticking not filling the room. I waited another second to see if a spring might force it to leap forward. Just once. Just to prove life still grinded through the cogs in the ormolu clock, tick, tick, ticking away. But nothing … Continue reading When the Clock Stops
Academy of the Heart And Mind 