By: Jim Bates Alicia Jorgenson set the cup down and said, “Here you go, Blake. A nice cup of chamomile tea for you.” Blake held up a hand, smiled his thanks, and said in a low voice, “Come and…
By: David Leonard Thankfully the privacy curtain blocked his daughter’s view of her hospital room’s doorway. Dave knew his wife had called her Priest, she was very active in the church and knew him well, their daughter was not expected…
By Mike Hickman I’ll admit it came as a surprise to see it on the agenda. I had thought – perhaps we all had – that Ben had forgotten to ever ask; that it wasn’t part of his job description;…
By: Ryan Thier I was talking to my Cousin Tommy when my mother grabbed me halfway between my shoulder and neck so hard it made my Cousin Tommy laugh and me writhe, squeal, and tilt like a de-winged fighter plane….
By Balu Swami Amanda was holding Brad’s hand when he breathed his last. For almost an hour before he died, he kept saying, ‘I don’t want to die’ and sobbed uncontrollably. Each time, she coaxed him, saying, ‘It’s for your…
By: U.S. Khokhar The Sun removes the starry, dark blanket as a caring mother. But just as a normal kid, it takes a lot more than just uncovering to break the sweet dreams. The emerging sound of the city that…
By: Ken Kapp A long time ago in a small Carpathian village there lived two cobblers, Davut and Radut. They were cousins and had been taught their trade by an uncle who had no sons of his own. Both…
By: Duane L. Herrmann My name is Marut, the same as the god of the wind, and my family name is Jafari, which is Sanskrit and means little stream. My father said that, once upon a time, our family lived…
By: Matt Nagin All day the phone rang. Bill Cartwright owed everyone: Wells Fargo, Visa, Home Depot, even a gastroenterologist on Madison Avenue who charged exorbitant prices for the snazziest colonoscopy in town. Bill intended to pay them all back….
By: Dennis Vannatta They’re our secret desires, Freud said of dreams. If so, why does this endless night of dreams keep bringing me to such wretched places? Empty streets under dour gray skies in one. Heat and dust in another. …