By Tim Law Previously published in Sweety Cat Press Sasha peered into the stage spotlight, squinting, plagued by an infestation of butterfly nerves. The stool that she sat upon was uncomfortable, one size fits none. The murmurs from the crowded bar were just that little bit too loud. Clutching her guitar like a security blanket … Continue reading A Life of Song and Silence
Wicherek Way
By Callie J. Smith My mother talked to dead people, and I hated her for it. At 10 years old, I remember pressing myself into the wall beside an old rosewood buffet in the family room. It sat by the doorway to the kitchen, where I’d hear my mother talking with her parents as if … Continue reading Wicherek Way
A Panoramic View
By Abe Margel I thought I understood how my family operated, its rules, habits, prejudices, passions. I was wrong. My sister, Nina, was born first so got the larger of the two bedrooms destined for the children. Her room had a big walk-in closet which, as a kid, was a fun place to hide. From … Continue reading A Panoramic View
Those Goldbergs
By Charlotte Pregnolato The first thing I saw was the gleaming chrome grin twinkling down the street, followed by the biggest car I'd ever seen. When the grinning monster turned into our driveway, I stopped twirling my hips, and my hula-hoop clattered to the ground. Daddy got out with a grin almost as big as … Continue reading Those Goldbergs
Escaping the Shell
By Destiny Hankerson Aretha walked down the shady pathway, right next to the park. As her Black hair blew in the wind, she smiled, feeling the sun rays against her face. It was a brand new morning, and Aretha felt blessed to experience it. Today, she was heading to the audition for her part in … Continue reading Escaping the Shell
Blue Light
By Margaret Sattler The bedroom was dim. Hazy light filtered through a crack in the plastic blinds, forming a line on his face. What time is it? His ears were ringing. Groggily, he felt for his phone on the bedside table—a strange weight on his chest. The phone wasn’t there. That woke him. He looked … Continue reading Blue Light
Period.
By Ginger Keller Gannaway Viv watched the large wall clock’s red second hand make its way toward twelve while she said one more Hail Mary before the lunch bell clanged. She slid her unused loose leaf papers into a folder and placed the morning’s textbooks in the metal cavern beneath her wooden desk. She straightened … Continue reading Period.
A Dire Situation
By Craig Borri It was a sweltering August day, but that didn’t deter the three reporters waiting outside the gate. The gate was part of a ten-foot-tall fence enclosing a 2,000 acre forest preserve. Two lab assistants had just deposited several pounds of meat inside the fence, and their guide, Dr. Anne Phillips, had just … Continue reading A Dire Situation
Alive
By Viviane Simōes You look at yourself in the mirror and you don’t recognize the face you see. You are happy. “Hey, it’s been a while”, you think. And you look at the summer reddish dress on the bed; the dress you chose last night to wear today. You take a breath, it’s an excitement … Continue reading Alive
The Bell Rings
By Danielle Nagy Monday, the bell rings, and she pulls up her navy blue knee-high socks to make sure they hit perfectly below her plaid jumper, just what the teacher wants. Morning prayers go on over the loudspeaker. They stand. They pray. They sit back down. They listen, and they learn how to be good … Continue reading The Bell Rings
Academy of the Heart And Mind 