By Abe Margel ‘Redside Ride,’ a charity bike race, was to take place in the unspoiled countryside an hour’s drive north of Toronto. Mike had been volunteered by his sister to drive her son, Rory, and his costly bicycle to the start line. She and her husband were going to be out of town attending … Continue reading Redside Ride
The Election
By Lewis Brett Smiler Dylan could not believe he had such godlike powers. When it came to political elections, he could unilaterally decide who the winner would be. Any candidate that he met, even for a minute, was doomed. But if he avoided interaction with only one candidate, that person would be guaranteed a victory. … Continue reading The Election
Morning After
By C. Inanen I’m always amused by the contrast between a show and the morning after, the next day. On stage it can be electric on a good night, the next morning maybe not so much. Sometimes it’s like the aftermath of a storm. We’d gathered for breakfast in the Navy Gateway Inns & Suites … Continue reading Morning After
The Recording
By J.S. O’Keefe The sunset bleeds into the hills as if the sky had been chopped up with a pickax. Mid-autumn; the tree leaves have turned gold, light yellow, rusty red. It’s picture-card beautiful. Then the ground trembles. It’s an earthquake, or divine judgment. Or something worse. What could be worse? At the far end … Continue reading The Recording
The Adventurer
By Fred Klein Troy was excited to finally get his adventure started. He had planned this exploration of old mine sites in the Eastern Sierra Mountains for months. He had his high-clearance, Four Wheel Drive, Range Rover with all the supplies he would need for several weeks. He had a full-size spare tire, a winch … Continue reading The Adventurer
AHM’s 9th Anniversary: “Leatherwork” by Jim Bates
Ernie Schaefer undid the twine and rolled out the leather onto his worktable. His practiced eyes scanned the surface, noting some prominent stretch marks, deciding at that very moment to incorporate them into the project he was starting. Before he began, however, he took a moment to think about the cow whose hide he now … Continue reading AHM’s 9th Anniversary: “Leatherwork” by Jim Bates
AHM’s 9th Anniversary: “A Bronze Candelabra” by Callie J. Smith
The dark-haired monk turned to Gembira. She dropped her hand to the knife at her belt only to remember she’d left her knives upstairs. Damn. “Welcome home, Sister Allard.” The monk bowed with hands clasped before him. Gembira straightened. She flexed her hand, glad that it hadn’t found a weapon. She needed to remember where … Continue reading AHM’s 9th Anniversary: “A Bronze Candelabra” by Callie J. Smith
Between the Teeth
By Wu Yu Lilian wakes up in the stomach of night. Again. It is not even 5 am yet. The first lesson begins at eight, and she needs at least one hour getting dressed and wandering around the apartment purposelessly, trying to figure out what to do next. Minutes marching on, Lilian closes her eyes. … Continue reading Between the Teeth
Rattlesnake Mountain
By Bernard Martoia The drumming of rain against the Deer Head Inn’s windowpane stirred Waffle Print from sleep. After twelve straight days of sun in Pennsylvania, the weather changed, mirroring his challenging endeavor to cross New Jersey. Then, he remembered the crowded streets as he made a frantic trip to Manhattan to buy himself boots. … Continue reading Rattlesnake Mountain
Imitating Imperfection
By Laurie Nguyen Paul’s mother called him her “special little boy”, so special his teachers diagnosed him with an emotional disturbance disorder, autism, attention-hyperactivity-deficit disorder, and the occasional antisocial personal disorder without any medical knowledge whatsoever. His doctors disagreed. They were helpful, but his mother was always fiercely independent of the healthcare system; she hated … Continue reading Imitating Imperfection
Academy of the Heart And Mind 