By Melissa Williams Midway through my second week in the ICU, I spiked a fever. My heart rate soared, and my chest felt like it might burst. Ice packs were placed under my neck, and when they thawed, I asked for more. I sucked on cotton swabs frozen in a layer of ice, convinced in … Continue reading Fever
A Canadian Tragedy
By Sherry Wong But your profile says… A friend of mine helped me with the profile. She actually changed it for me. With my old profile, nobody ever contacted me. I may as well not exist. So, this friend suggested that I modify my profile a little bit. It helped, didn’t it? I got your … Continue reading A Canadian Tragedy
Me and the Chandler Mall
By Debra White In mid-October 2001, a sprawling shopping complex including a two-level mall known as Chandler Fashion Square, opened in the East Valley area of Phoenix to rave reviews. Critics said malls were fading away and questioned whether the new mall would succeed. I shrugged off the doom and gloom. Someone always nitpicked, didn’t … Continue reading Me and the Chandler Mall
Nightmares and the Monsters that Breed Them
By Susan L. League Dreams have always been a part of my life, especially recurrent, other-worldly nightmares. My imagination was and still is that of a child. Born and raised in the deep south by an unusual mother, who was schizophrenic, undiagnosed, and untreated, so everything was real to her. There were aliens, who planted … Continue reading Nightmares and the Monsters that Breed Them
An Hour in the Life of a Five-Year-Old Pool Player
By Francine Rodriguez The parking lot in front of King Drew Place of Family on Central Avenue, was nearly full that morning in 1994. I didn’t recognize any of the cars filling the lot, stacked one behind the other. Gangster cars, black Suburbans, Escalades, and lowriders, like the ones in my neighborhood, like the 61 … Continue reading An Hour in the Life of a Five-Year-Old Pool Player
The First Date
By Ruby Pressman As we walked in to the Little Mexican Kitchen on Main Street, I leaned in to open the door, but Joel opened it for me, and I said, “Thank you!”, revealing my blue turquoise bracelet with crosses on it. I thought this might bother him, but he didn’t say anything. “No problem,” … Continue reading The First Date
Love at First X-ray
By Kunal Mehra “Move a bit closer to the board. There. Perfect,” he said, as he stood behind the X-ray machine. “Now take a deep inhale and hold it.” My chest was hurting and I wanted to let go and exhale, but I did what he asked me to. He wrapped up his work and … Continue reading Love at First X-ray
A Summer Awakening
By Nandhini Natarajan I was deleting all Facebook requests when a name suddenly caught and held me. From thirty-five years ago and ten thousand miles away. I was about to click it open, but my fingers stilled. I didn’t want to see the years on him, didn’t want to bring him into the present. I … Continue reading A Summer Awakening
Blue Fringe
By Susan Gene McCartney November 14, 2008. Into Africa I fly on a one-way ticket. Journey through fourteen countries intwenty-two months on local transportation. Learn. Rest. Change. A woman without advantage ofyouth or money. The journey has many pieces. This is one. November 21, 2008. Tozeur. Oasis in southwestern Tunisia on the northern edge of … Continue reading Blue Fringe
On the Threshold
By Ruby Pressman We’re allowed to make mistakes, I thought to myself, as I looked in the mirror at Banana Republic that day. I gazed at my face. It looked tired and grave, and there was a line above my lip from worrying too much. I was going to meet Chris, a guy I had … Continue reading On the Threshold
