And the Editors’ Choice Is… “Dad” by Prospero Dae Congratulations to Prospero Dae! I know he has been working hard on his writing. In fact, he just finished the 101 Challenge. Secret Prize If you don’t know about our weekly book giveaway, now is a good time to know about it. I buy one lucky…
Writing Contest - Issue 12
A Lousy Goodbye
She screamed, watching the sailboat motor from the harbor. He didn’t look back. The engine. He can’t hear me. She’d known it was over when the bed was empty that morning. Did he know her plans? How? Silence on the water. She looked up. He stood, one arm holding a middle finger aloft, like a torch. She dug…
The Journey
By Mike Haran
He steps inside the cabin, spotting funny windows with four round brass screws surmounted by curved turning handles. He places a hand on the fixture, as if to open it, but he’s blocked by a slave who screams, “The ocean is only three feet below us!” Thick glass distorts the casting off from shore, as thick ropes are taken…
Hangover
By Perry McDaid
Stephanie’s kitchen was small, dingy, poorly lit, and the full bin made her stomach lurch. She grabbed the sink to steady herself. The sound of bare feet on tile made her look down. Mistake. She grabbed the edge of the filthy sink tighter, and snatched her gaze back to eye-level. Stephanie had noticed she was naked. She…
The First Man
By Jon Sindell
The first man—tall and good looking—had rescued the woman. Now they were engaged. The woman—dramatically pretty and lithe of limb, once destitute, and marooned in this land—knew that men were men here as everywhere, and showed scandalous skin at the community pool. The second man—taller and better looking— approached the woman as she stretched in…
Rencontre
They met in Paris for the first time and spent four days together. She was crippled by her past, incapable of trusting anyone. So she played a role she’d once invented for herself. Even though she enjoyed her time with this particular man, she felt abnormal—out-of-sorts—scared her real self was fading and soon to be gone…
The Meal
By Simon Hole
He had been living alone since his wife left and this was his regular Thursday meal: boxed macaroni and cheese. Was real cheese ever that color? He shoveled some in, chewing slowly, trying not to think about the metallic taste that would be left in his mouth. Instead, he imagined a scrumptious feast: fish smothered…