By Jessica Ricks Jacob, Chrissy, and Marcus made their way to the end of the long, winding street. It was getting late. Houses were starting to turn off their lights indicating that they were done giving out candy. The streets that were busy with kids, and some teenagers, going from door to door in their … Continue reading Academy Classics: Halloween’s End
Soul Cakes
By Stephanie Greene I’m making soul cakes for Jesse, my lost brother. In times of turmoil, we turn to charms. I don’t have fingernail clippings or tender little bouquets of his hair to include in some spell; I’m improvising here. The medievals have us beat, reaching as they did, beyond death. On All Souls’ Day, … Continue reading Soul Cakes
Smoked Salmon for Lunch
By Luke Beling I was biting into a smoked salmon sandwich, watching my shadow, when Pretty walked up to me. I wouldn’t have looked at her if she hadn't spoken. My shadow made me appear bigger than I was, and by moving in specific ways, my rail-thin arms became bodybuilder-like. "That's a nice tie." She … Continue reading Smoked Salmon for Lunch
The Vignette
By David R. Topper I was faced with the task of choosing a picture to put in her obituary. Where to begin? You see, at my age I read the obits every day. And I must say that I often look at some of the pictures and mumble under my breath, “Couldn’t they find a … Continue reading The Vignette
Nitrogen
By Jim Bates Twenty years ago, during the spring of the 2020 lockdown, Mom announced, “We are planting a garden.” I was thirteen and my brother Jay was nine so, of course, we complained, me being the loudest, “Aw, Mom. No!” “What, you’d rather play video games?” Well, yeah, of course, but I couldn’t say … Continue reading Nitrogen
Lesson Learned
By Dawn DeBraal More and more, my body betrayed me. My voice faltered, and hair grew in places seen and unseen. I felt like a gorilla looking at my hairy legs that seemed to get apish overnight, and I questioned why this was happening at the least opportune time. Yes, we had the movie where … Continue reading Lesson Learned
A Thousand Years
By Peace Nkeiruka Maduako "A Thousand Years" has been previously first published in a Sweetycat press anthology "Stories And Poems In The Song Of Life" by Steve Lester Carr. The melody rose to the ceiling, resounding as everyone keyed their best voices into the song. Mr. Peter smiled satisfactorily, "You all sounded almost perfect this … Continue reading A Thousand Years
Oxygen
By Jim Bates The summer when I was eight years old a new highway began being built about a mile from our farm. My older brother Lewis and I were fascinated by the huge, noisy machines: road graders, dump trucks and bulldozers. When our chores were completed, we’d ride over to the creek, go for … Continue reading Oxygen
Tongi
By Mehreen Ahmed Tongi It was a glass room, Tongi. Literally, a room which was made of glass built on stilts in the far shade of a village pond. The pond's algae reflected its green on its glass walls. On rainy days, slanting rains fell on it and left its droplets to slide down the glass. Tongi … Continue reading Tongi
Esme
By Wendy Taylor It sat on a shelf in Dad’s wardrobe and each time I went in to grab a jacket to put on him when we went out for a walk, I saw it there. A bible. I had never really given it a second thought assuming it to be a family bible which … Continue reading Esme
Academy of the Heart And Mind 