The older man unfolded a towel and set two worn gold bands side by side on the table. He polished the first with slow, deliberate strokes. The younger man watched. “Wedding rings don’t prevent anything,” the older man said. “They don’t protect you. They just mean you chose someone.” He finished the task. The rings gleamed. “You…
Groundskeeper
By Adam Chabot
I received my death sentence from Wayne, the groundskeeper. We’ve been friends for years: him mowing around my trunk, raking my fallen leaves, and sometimes, sitting at my base in early sunrises, a coffee in hand, speaking of Marjorie, gone now. The course persisted quietly, dew not yet burned off, and Wayne just stood there,…
Missing You On Monday
By Faith
Ugh—it’s Monday morning and my mind is racing while tallying up my to-do list. Sighing, while stretching my gangly limbs, I realize nothing else matters except I miss you like crazy! I lick my lips remembering the sweet taste of yesterday’s challah bread French toast drenched in pure maple syrup. Oh, and I still feel…
Drowning Reflection
By Alex Sun
He sprinted till the lake cut him off and fear dropped his knees onto the sand. He looked down at the water. He saw a miserable, slender figure wearing a green hoodie with bright red stains all over him. He broke down. He just wanted to tell Jordan to stop spreading rumors about his sister,…
Hegydd Arfor
By David Reabank
She looks, wondering, breathless, up the soft, sharp, bright face of the dune. For a birthday in early May, the sun can hardly be relied on; six previous birthdays taught her that. But today is glorious, breathy, and just warm enough to encourage the climb to the dune top, among the swaying seahorse scrub, to…
At a Loss for Stars
By Jordan Miland
The stars turned off. There were no clouds in the sky either. No nothing. “Where did they go?” I asked. “Where did what go?” “The stars,” I said. He frowned. “The stars? Oh, you mean those white dots? They weren’t supposed to be there. They were glitches in the sky, lights that didn’t function properly.…
Cribbing
By Desiree Friesen
Tucked into a human cage, Windsucker can’t get comfortable. He thinks up every excuse to get out. Does he have a hangnail? Need a drink of water? Does anything hurt? Just lie there and you’ll fall asleep, Mother sternly insists. The silence and the pressure increase. Windsucker wiggles his leg—it’s not enough. He twists and…