By Joan Leotta Last week I bought a bag of assorted nuts in their shells and set them into the carved wooden bowl my grandmother gave me. I dug out the steel nutcracker (pliers- style) set, complete with picks. I smiled as I looked at the nuts in the bowl because in my mind I … Continue reading Love in a Nutshell
The Crossing
By Michael Barrington As the ship pulled away from the pier, the people on the dockside seemed to shrink in size until they were swallowed up in the mist, as if some giant had cast his cloak over them. Joe pulled his threadbare jacket closer around himself and clasped his elbows as if the gesture … Continue reading The Crossing
Lunara and the Kingdom of Memory
By Daniela Silva There was a time when they lived "happily ever after". At Graceland lived a princess named Eudora, along with her (widowed) father, King Hadrian. She was given this name by her mother as it meant "good gift". That was exactly what Eudora represented: a sweet and beloved princess who loved flowers and … Continue reading Lunara and the Kingdom of Memory
The Barn
By Michael J. Barrington She was asleep now, her head leaning on his outstretched arm, her delicate, dainty fingers finally relaxing their grip on his huge, calloused hand. The musky scent of her beautiful, long hair, she was so proud of it, stirred up old memories of happier times. He knew every inch of her … Continue reading The Barn
The Evergreen Inn
By Alice Baburek The gloomy day was cold and blustery. Abbey Norton stood rigidly next to her elderly father, who dabbed at his runny nose. Age had finally caught up to the sixty-five-year-old man. His eyes filled with tears as the priest recited the Lord’s Prayer. Abbey never saw her father as a religious man. … Continue reading The Evergreen Inn
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
The Monster Within
By Alejandro Leopardi As Gabe lays there, the only thing on Laura’s mind is the doctors’ and nurses’ aversions to the presentation of a mirror. It’s a singular object that most people overlook daily, yet it receives such a negative reaction from the medical staff. Why? What could it possibly do to Gabe? He’s lifeless … Continue reading The Monster Within
The Monster Within
By Alejandro Leopardi As Gabe lays there, the only thing on Laura’s mind is the doctors’ and nurses’ aversions to the presentation of a mirror. It’s a singular object that most people overlook daily, yet it receives such a negative reaction from the medical staff. Why? What could it possibly do to Gabe? He’s lifeless … Continue reading The Monster Within
Moving
By Emme Oliver The frenzy of the early night haze is over. When you’re sitting content in the park, tasting the red in your lungs. It’s a feeling that I want to stop but never will. The burn in my chest isn’t comparable to the burn in my head, tasting the new atmosphere I’ve surrounded … Continue reading Moving
You Are the Domestic Help
By Zary Fekete You get off the train at the northern end of Subway Line 5 in Beijing. You make your way through the crowd. You work in this city, but your hometown is Guilin, 16 hours away by train in the south of China. You get to visit your hometown once a year during … Continue reading You Are the Domestic Help
Academy of the Heart And Mind 