By Farytude Arthur Benette stood by the window of his cottage, watching the last leaves spiral down from the old oak tree. November had carried a weight for him these past four years. It was the month his wife, Margaret, had passed away. He had loved her dearly and could not seem to forget the … Continue reading Chapters of November
Planet Love
By Gail Brown Kara slowed the spaceship in orbit around Planet Loreia. Loreia was the destination for those who needed a break from the mental stress of daily life, as if there were so many of those these days. Or was it cycles? Truly the cycle on a ship was so different from a planet … Continue reading Planet Love
Horcones Glacier
By Jed Neill My hand stopped working ten minutes ago. I hope I’ve written everything down. It’s so hard to tell, the damn page betrays me each time I hold it. Shaking as if scared of taking note. The pen is somewhere here, let me have a look, hold my intentions will you. In the … Continue reading Horcones Glacier
Stung
By Anne McPherson Arthurs On a hot Saturday in mid-September, Roger stood near the only shade tree in the backyard, loosely gripping a beer while meat sizzled on the grill. The sky above was a deep, restless blue, cut with shards of thin grey clouds that lingered but offered no relief from the heat. A … Continue reading Stung
Cassandra’s Portrait
By Jordan Miller CW: Self-Harm Deborah’s heart felt a warm pang of pride watching her daughter enter their new house. The house was beautiful, with a red brick roof, white panel walls, and a blonde awning delicately dangling over the gray wooden porch. The walls had large white windows with green outer trims. An array … Continue reading Cassandra’s Portrait
Redside Ride
By Abe Margel ‘Redside Ride,’ a charity bike race, was to take place in the unspoiled countryside an hour’s drive north of Toronto. Mike had been volunteered by his sister to drive her son, Rory, and his costly bicycle to the start line. She and her husband were going to be out of town attending … Continue reading Redside Ride
The Election
By Lewis Brett Smiler Dylan could not believe he had such godlike powers. When it came to political elections, he could unilaterally decide who the winner would be. Any candidate that he met, even for a minute, was doomed. But if he avoided interaction with only one candidate, that person would be guaranteed a victory. … Continue reading The Election
Morning After
By C. Inanen I’m always amused by the contrast between a show and the morning after, the next day. On stage it can be electric on a good night, the next morning maybe not so much. Sometimes it’s like the aftermath of a storm. We’d gathered for breakfast in the Navy Gateway Inns & Suites … Continue reading Morning After
The Recording
By J.S. O’Keefe The sunset bleeds into the hills as if the sky had been chopped up with a pickax. Mid-autumn; the tree leaves have turned gold, light yellow, rusty red. It’s picture-card beautiful. Then the ground trembles. It’s an earthquake, or divine judgment. Or something worse. What could be worse? At the far end … Continue reading The Recording
The Adventurer
By Fred Klein Troy was excited to finally get his adventure started. He had planned this exploration of old mine sites in the Eastern Sierra Mountains for months. He had his high-clearance, Four Wheel Drive, Range Rover with all the supplies he would need for several weeks. He had a full-size spare tire, a winch … Continue reading The Adventurer
Academy of the Heart And Mind 