By C.J. Spulak The brown, bare trees swayed slowly in the October wind. In the waning afternoon sunlight, Jessa Fromm squinted through the spots of caked dust and bug guts on the dirty window and gazed out on a yard full of dying weeds and yellowing grass. She sprayed some Windex on the dirty glass … Continue reading The Hadley House
End of the Line
By Mario Marcinko Originally published in CafeLit Magazine Following yet another failed night of forced unrest, I leave the comforts of my sheets, ready or not to face the day. The greyness of life begins its attack on my sensations before I open the window upon skies curtained with leaden clouds and streaked streams of … Continue reading End of the Line
New Tools
By Violet SH In the dead of night, in a damp, ice-cold meat packing factory far removed from society, hung hundreds of dead, soulless bodies of all backgrounds and genders. A young woman named Alice wore black jeans and a white tank top with no shoes. She hung like everyone else in the factory: by … Continue reading New Tools
Mount Shasta
By Fred Klein Edgar raised his goggles and looked over the valley, and it appeared the wind was taking his new sausage-shaped balloon to the east nearer to the mountains. He was at the helm of his open gondola. “Hans, open the hydrogen gas valve and lower us down slowly to 200 feet according to … Continue reading Mount Shasta
Three Wishes
By Carolyn Mamchur Walking alone on a craggy beach, my bare foot catches on something metal. A drop of blood on gray sand. When I rub my aching fingers against the object, vessel shaped, I feel barnacles of grime covering ancient letters etched in copper. I yearn to read what is written, but I cannot. … Continue reading Three Wishes
Our First Night in the Country
By Detlef W. Wieck I was five and a half, my sister Margaret, seven, when our father died. Our mother, Mary, at forty-four, was afraid of the prospects of raising two children without a husband to share the burden and to earn a living. After a proper mourning period, she set out to find another … Continue reading Our First Night in the Country
Blue and Green Music
By Barry Glynn It had been a long, cold night. My father woke me up at around two in the morning. He’d returned from checking the cows and found a heifer that was struggling in labor. He said simply, “I need you to wake up and help me with a cow.” I took a moment … Continue reading Blue and Green Music
A Little Boost
By Eric Vanderwall A young blonde guy wearing expensive wireless earbuds failed to rise from his back squat. I looked over from the adjacent half-rack, not sure whether or how to help. His shirt was neon green and his face was young and smooth. He dumped the bar on the safety arms—he was in a … Continue reading A Little Boost
Slingshot
By Jim Bates He was quiet that fall. Withdrawn. He’d started classes in a new grade at a new school. Old friends were drifting away. He couldn’t help it, but he felt sad much of the time. He didn’t know why. He took to walking in the nearby woods after school. He found, surprisingly, that … Continue reading Slingshot
Curse Upon a Star
By Zuha Masood A merchant was fleeting through the desert under a starry night. The dust specked wind howled past him while the stars twinkled above his head. The man shielded his face with a head scarf and staggered on the sandy plains along with his camel. As he was toiling to find safety for … Continue reading Curse Upon a Star
Academy of the Heart And Mind 