By Fred Krug Story originally appeared in "Unexpected Events" Emma Brooks struggled, trying to lift her suitcase onto the first of four steps that led up into the bus. Paul Harris, the driver, saw she was having trouble. He put down his newspaper and called to her as he went to help. “Hey, there, Emma. That bag’s … Continue reading Never Alone
The Diet-Soda Beast
By Pennell Paugh This story tells how two shortcomings of my friend, Jim, collided to create an unlikely solution to a major social problem. First, like a tone-deaf person singing a song, Jim had a sense of smell that managed to be out-of-sniff with the rest of humanity. Let me give you an example. When … Continue reading The Diet-Soda Beast
A Man From the Missouri Breaks
By Leigh-Anne Burley Nobby notices the dust swirling as a posse emerges from Big Sandy, Montana, pursuing a chicken and farm supply bandit. His third-grade classmates talk about a wild man who leaps over the Missouri Breaks with just one bound after devouring a raw chicken. Nobby wonders if the chicken thief has a proper … Continue reading A Man From the Missouri Breaks
monogamy
By Morgan Larkins He’d bought the ring from a mall kiosk for four-hundred dollars in cash. It’d taken him eighteen shifts at the diner to save the cash, some of it going into other envelopes tucked around the double wide for rent and groceries, for the vacation they’d been trying to plan for four months. … Continue reading monogamy
The Boar
By Vicki Smith She could hear it rooting and grunting in the yard almost every night. She was afraid to go outside because it would savage her if she got too close. Well, if she could kill it, it would provide enough food for a whole winter. But how? She didn’t own a gun. “I’ll … Continue reading The Boar
Pomegranate
By Gal Podjarny Previously Published in Cafe Lit Magazine Nothing like an afternoon light to soften childhood memories. Last week, I opened a pomegranate. I decrowned it, made two circular cuts all around, and opened it into quarters. The red seeds huddling sent me to the past. Here I am, a scrawny kid, wavy brown … Continue reading Pomegranate
2085 / Europa
By Mitchell D. Kowitz It was the year 2085. There are presently three countries that now have outposts on the Moon. The United States, China and Israel. My name is Matt and I am part of a global experimental project called “Adam”. There has been a discovery on Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. The probe … Continue reading 2085 / Europa
Funny Bone
By Reeve Chudd “Ow!” I screamed as my longtime internist, Dr. Art McLean, gently touched the large purple and brown bruise on my right side. “I told you it was tender, Art!”. “Yeah, OK, Ben, but we’ve gotta get an X-ray to see whether something’s broken or fractured in there. How did you get this?” … Continue reading Funny Bone
Grandmother’s Visit
By Michael Theroux It was late, already dark, so I was quite surprised to see my grandmother so primly dressed. Slim and pretty in her two-tone yellow frock, hair all permed, her eyes sparkled as she told me she wanted to get a good start, as she had a long way to go. Nana rose … Continue reading Grandmother’s Visit
The Tomato Song
By S.E. Slaughter I blinked, realizing I’d been watering the same tomato plant for the last five minutes. I released the handle on the hose and the force of the water stopping made my hand jolt. The tomato drooped and water puddled around the bottom. A ripple of panic rolled through me. My eyes drifted … Continue reading The Tomato Song
Academy of the Heart And Mind 