By Violet SH In the dead of night, in a damp, ice-cold meat packing factory far removed from society, hung hundreds of dead, soulless bodies of all backgrounds and genders. A young woman named Alice wore black jeans and a white tank top with no shoes. She hung like everyone else in the factory: by … Continue reading New Tools
Mount Shasta
By Fred Klein Edgar raised his goggles and looked over the valley, and it appeared the wind was taking his new sausage-shaped balloon to the east nearer to the mountains. He was at the helm of his open gondola. “Hans, open the hydrogen gas valve and lower us down slowly to 200 feet according to … Continue reading Mount Shasta
Three Wishes
By Carolyn Mamchur Walking alone on a craggy beach, my bare foot catches on something metal. A drop of blood on gray sand. When I rub my aching fingers against the object, vessel shaped, I feel barnacles of grime covering ancient letters etched in copper. I yearn to read what is written, but I cannot. … Continue reading Three Wishes
Blue and Green Music
By Barry Glynn It had been a long, cold night. My father woke me up at around two in the morning. He’d returned from checking the cows and found a heifer that was struggling in labor. He said simply, “I need you to wake up and help me with a cow.” I took a moment … Continue reading Blue and Green Music
A Little Boost
By Eric Vanderwall A young blonde guy wearing expensive wireless earbuds failed to rise from his back squat. I looked over from the adjacent half-rack, not sure whether or how to help. His shirt was neon green and his face was young and smooth. He dumped the bar on the safety arms—he was in a … Continue reading A Little Boost
Slingshot
By Jim Bates He was quiet that fall. Withdrawn. He’d started classes in a new grade at a new school. Old friends were drifting away. He couldn’t help it, but he felt sad much of the time. He didn’t know why. He took to walking in the nearby woods after school. He found, surprisingly, that … Continue reading Slingshot
Curse Upon a Star
By Zuha Masood A merchant was fleeting through the desert under a starry night. The dust specked wind howled past him while the stars twinkled above his head. The man shielded his face with a head scarf and staggered on the sandy plains along with his camel. As he was toiling to find safety for … Continue reading Curse Upon a Star
The Promise of Another Day
By Vanja Malathy “Today I have to speak.” He said to himself, amidst million thoughts that were revolving around his mind. “ Does a light blue or green striped shirt look good on me?” He disproved a dozen shirts which lay collected in a pile on the floor. ‘I shall walk to her place. This … Continue reading The Promise of Another Day
The Photo
By Chris Vrountas Harry just got off the boat. Already dark in the Port of Piraeus when he stepped down the gangway with his old duffel bag from the Army and a picture in his pocket. Feeling the photo in his hand, her image hung in his head. Dark hair, smooth skin, and big dark … Continue reading The Photo
Entre Familia
By Eduardo Jáuregui Martínez Situated in the lush hill countryside of northern Guanajuato, hidden in the peripheries of the peripheral municipality of Xichu, there stood Matusalén de Jiménez. It was not much bigger than your average small town, centered around the towering red-brick walls of the church, a bronze bell, paid by the remittances from … Continue reading Entre Familia
Academy of the Heart And Mind 