Mr. Launder
By Roberto Ontiveros When Lisa walked into room 207 to get away from her boss Tammy, she noticed a faint but obvious scent of what she thought must be aftershave. … Continue Reading Mr. Launder
The Ghost That Haunted Your House
Trigger Warning: child abuse Your family moved in. Your parents marveled at such a good house. Right next to the brick factory, yet empty. Through the roof was made of … Continue Reading The Ghost That Haunted Your House
A Notorious Prick
Trigger Warning: mention of imprisonment, abduction, threatened execution In 1975, under the collective labor system in China, Ritang Village launched the “Learn from Dazhai in Agriculture” movement. The plan was … Continue Reading A Notorious Prick
My Sister
Trigger Warning: emotional neglect, toxic parent Military Training Camp Years later, I saw a photo of my sister, who was two years my senior, in the yearbook of a military … Continue Reading My Sister
My Father Coming Through
Trigger Warning: mention of parental death It was always the same routine, more or less. ‘Your father’s coming through next week,’ my mother would say while she making our breakfast. … Continue Reading My Father Coming Through
Voyager
Trigger Warning: mention of suicide The Noon sky seemed possessed of supernatural clarity with its perfect San Franciscan blue. It was an invigoration to Archie on the first day of … Continue Reading Voyager
CONTEST HONORABLE MENTION: The Skin She Lives In
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of miscarriage, suicide, murder, and slight gore —- “You never told me your name,” the woman says. She smiles, just like my late wife. She licks her lips. Her dark cherry lipstick shines in the pale moonlight.
“I’m not sure why you need to know my name,” I say, fiddling with the black lighter in my hand. “We’re not friends.”
“Really?” the woman asks. She drops her finished cigarette and puts it out before she digs her heel into my sneaker. I wince.
The Fish
The fish looked up at him with the eye that faced the shore. The eye that faced out to sea came in and out of view with the waves. He … Continue Reading The Fish
Heaven is a Plate on Earth
My husband and I are out on a hunt. With a machete in hand, I cut of three-headed mushrooms that run rampant in this part of the woods like some … Continue Reading Heaven is a Plate on Earth
“Boris, is that you?”
By Kylee Walton Boris, is that you? I watch the man cross the street several times. He goes back and forth, sidewalk to sidewalk. The street is … Continue Reading “Boris, is that you?”
“The Last Session”
By Zachary Holt The Last Session A knock came from my open door and I looked up to see Jansen standing there. “Jansen, come in,” I said. He stepped into … Continue Reading “The Last Session”
“MY HAIRDRESSER WEARS COMBAT BOOTS”
By Karen Regen Tuero My Hairdresser Wears Combat Boots The first thing I noticed about my new hairdresser was not the stylish joggers, but the combat boots. They gave me … Continue Reading “MY HAIRDRESSER WEARS COMBAT BOOTS”
“Tiger Auntie’s Dinner” and “Lost Youth”
By Huina Zheng Tiger Auntie’s Dinner Under a moonlit night, my brother and I, jolted awake by fierce knocks, tiptoed to our door. Isolated in our forest home, with Ba’s … Continue Reading “Tiger Auntie’s Dinner” and “Lost Youth”
“Redemption”
By Hyun Woo Kim Richard haunts me after all these years when my husband falls asleep. I had every right to turn down his crush on me; looking back, it … Continue Reading “Redemption”
“A Tulip And The Switchblade”
By Gwen Lombard A Tulip And The Switchblade An arm wrapped around her waist, and a sinking feeling grew in the pits of her stomach. Evelyn bit back a … Continue Reading “A Tulip And The Switchblade”
“Perklety and Kilsmaddeny”
By Jessamyn Rains Perklety and Kilsmaddeny They wore matching pink-and-blue sweaters and carried purple and silver Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers on the first day of seventh grade. They sat … Continue Reading “Perklety and Kilsmaddeny”