By Mike Paterson-Jones The letter that came in the post was intriguing. The envelope was pale green and was addressed in the most beautiful handwriting. Inside was an invitation to dinner with Robert de Morgan on a date two weeks hence at ‘Rogues Manor’. We had only just bought the farm in the Eastern Mountains … Continue reading The Aspidistra and The Mock Turtle Soup
The Women of the Sea
By Samantha Sampson There have been rumors about the Women of the Sea for as long as I can remember. Rumors that spoke of women passengers aboard sea vessels being drowned. Drowned by sailors who believed having a woman aboard their ship was bad luck. Women who only wanted to sail, to explore the vast … Continue reading The Women of the Sea
The Rains
By Ruscena Wiederholt Kate woke to a strange sensation. Light, streaming through the blinds, cast intricate patterns on her bedspread. Something had disturbed her slumber, but she wasn't sure what, a car honking? She stirred, and lodged underneath her sternum there it was, the feeling that something had changed, profoundly and inextricably. But what? Her cat, … Continue reading The Rains
The Baker
By Zenstateofmind Jewel despised the free lunch. She’d rather starve than beg for cakes. It took her aging nights and sweating feet, to own a bakery. She was told plenty of times “you’re too ambitious for a woman.” And her answer always remains “I can’t live in the shells and shadows some women I know, live … Continue reading The Baker
The Birds and the Bees
By Dan Brook Bob technically lived alone, but that was not at all how he felt about it. Besides Bob’s two pet rabbits, whom he called Donald and Watson, Bob had a thriving garden in his backyard in Sequim — which rhymes with Swim — a little blue hole of sunny Mediterranean microclimate in Washington … Continue reading The Birds and the Bees
The Barbeque with Obama and Justin
By Leslie Knibbs Ottawa, Canada. November 22, 2019 I don't usually barbeque at this time of the year...it's been below thirty for the last ten days in a row and the winds are coming out of the northeast slamming into the house at 60 km an hour. It's cold outside. And kind of drafty in the house. … Continue reading The Barbeque with Obama and Justin
Desert Wind
By Jim Bates Dave was grateful for the final emotional push as he clamored up and over the edge of Lizard Peak onto the top, a large flat area. "Thanks, man," he said to Lyle, his life companion for the last forty years. He was nearly out of breath."I needed that." Lyle was also his … Continue reading Desert Wind
The Forbidden Home of the Ancestors
By Marzia Rahman Of all the people in the world, I least expected my brother to knock at my door. That too in the early hours of dawn. Why do I like dawn so much? I often ask myself. Is it because of the serenity? Or the quietness? The world has yet to wake up; … Continue reading The Forbidden Home of the Ancestors
Academy Classics: Thrice
By Thomas Page Everybody in town knew about the murders. You couldn’t walk down Washington Street without someone tapping you on the shoulder to confirm what they already knew. The Harrisons had lived in this little ordinary house on top of Rodham Hill about fifteen long steps away from their neighbors—the Tiffanys. Dan Tiffany was … Continue reading Academy Classics: Thrice
The Mirror
By John Page You wake up. You're thirsty and need to go to the bathroom. You get up to go to the bathroom. You remember that you had an upsetting dream but not the details. You reach the bathroom door and suddenly feel afraid. You can’t explain it so you ignore it. You open the … Continue reading The Mirror
Academy of the Heart And Mind 