By S.E. Slaughter I blinked, realizing I’d been watering the same tomato plant for the last five minutes. I released the handle on the hose and the force of the water stopping made my hand jolt. The tomato drooped and water puddled around the bottom. A ripple of panic rolled through me. My eyes drifted … Continue reading The Tomato Song
The Tale of Sam Cain
By H.L. Dowless Once there was a man named Sam Cain. Sam was born in Burlington, on the south bayou. He had been raised to hunt alligators for hides and to forage from the countryside. He once went on long camping trips far back up in the bayou, searching for gators, deer, fish and beaver. … Continue reading The Tale of Sam Cain
Fish-Dream
By Sam Zarenmark Twinkling lights, wailing winds: the hour before sunrise was alive with a muted, nervous energy that made the herring churn the black water and the dry grass rustle angrily. A party walked slowly along the edge of the beach, zigzagging lazily along the hazy border where brown foam obscured the sand; they … Continue reading Fish-Dream
Not Emily
By Gaby Holly Emily sat in her office, reading the resume on the laptop, about to send an email to schedule a phone interview, when she read the name again. The cup of coffee she held in her left hand froze in the air between her the top of her desk and her mouth. The … Continue reading Not Emily
Pixie Dust: The Magic Weight Loss Ingredient?
By Kathleen S. Zoll A scientific debate was recently introduced in my best friend’s home, when her son and I discussed the various fae and their historic role versus their representation in various games and movies. While Taylor and I were quite serious in our conversation, Christine asked, “So here’s what I want to know. … Continue reading Pixie Dust: The Magic Weight Loss Ingredient?
The Path Well Traveled
By Alexandra Tbare Her name was Elinor. She had done life exactly right. She had been married, had children, divorced, and remarried. A life is not exactly right unless there is at least one divorce. Her children were from her first marriage, and they felt Elinor had grown selfish after the divorce, but Elinor had … Continue reading The Path Well Traveled
Salt and Iron
By Adelaide Miller The beach is cold. Sand beats at your clothes in the breeze. Cloud cover washes the world in duller hues. Not even the sun peers out from behind the fog. In the distance, the lighthouse teeters on the edge of a rocky plunge. You wonder how it doesn’t falter. What it would … Continue reading Salt and Iron
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
Cezanne Road
By Bernard Martoia Although the twenty-seat transit bus was adapted to the narrow and winding Cezanne Road, an oppressive silence smothered small talk inside the cabin after crossing the town’s limit. Every passenger could not help but monitor the bus’s progression above the ravines. Regardless of the danger requiring his undivided attention, the bus driver … Continue reading Cezanne Road
Hissy Fit
By Glen Donaldson Sssssssssssssssssssss. Lenny Harris knew that sound like he recognised the sound of his own daughter’s voice. Air escaping from the front tire of a bicycle was never a good thing. Especially never good when you were here, where he was. A funny feeling was already beginning to creep up his leg. Lenny, … Continue reading Hissy Fit
Academy of the Heart And Mind 