Sigh and fiction
Shirt
In a room above a pub I lay my things down.
I lay my things down after business meetings.
I lay my things down before I lay myself down
For anothe ...read more January 27, 2024 The Doctor and the Case Against Sickness and Death
I woke up in a medical-type room. What do you call one of those? A medical-type
room was all I could think of, my mind was so woozy. It was one of th ...read more December 20, 2023 LLM, a liminal creator
An LLM is a computer construct which people in the year 2023 use to generate
text. They ask it to create emails, stories, lists of ideas, tasks, and ...read more July 29, 2023 Create!
I was tuning the radio to catch some music when my father popped his head into
the room and said:
"Listening to the radio is great, but you could sp ...read more July 14, 2023 Disappointing afterlife
The life after life is a big apartment building which I think you might have
seen, maybe in a dream. At least if you are like me, born in this time a ...read more July 9, 2023 The Yellow Sign
I woke up in a hospital room and the rain was pit-pat-pattering against the
dirty gray-yellow reinforced glass. The place was dark and damp, and smel ...read more July 8, 2023 The feeder
"Hey, so how's that feeder working out for you?"
"Pretty good. Why? Are you thinking of getting one too?"
"Maybe. Do you recommend it, though?"
"I ...read more June 29, 2023 Silvery grass
When I stepped out of the pharmacy, a homeless-looking man said to me:
"Excuse me, do you believe you have a soul?"
He did not look like a preacher ...read more April 29, 2023 Htrae
I emerged on the other end of the wormhole and a sigh of relief escaped my
lungs. Htrae, also known as Reverse Earth, I was finally here.
It was a p ...read more April 18, 2023 Give it up!
It was early in the morning when the fire broke out. I was on the 46th floor
when I got the message. My daughter was on floor 366.
I ran towards the ...read more April 14, 2023 Not wishing you would die
Valentine got lots of birthday cards, and they were all on the table, basking in
the afternoon sun. Valentine was basking in the warm wishes he got.
...read more April 8, 2023 Same dream
Now tell me this, professor, and I keep coming back to this, why do people on
this planet all have the same dream every night?
The people listening ...read more April 6, 2023 Bioresonance
I went out to see some live music, but everyone at the club had succumbed to
really bad bioresonance, so I caught it too.
"It's those Wallaces," my ...read more April 5, 2023 Underground butterflies
The greatest discovery he ever made! In a lifetime a man can only have one of
those. Only one thing that can make a difference and make other remembe ...read more April 3, 2023 Mr. Sandoval
Oh, Mr. Sandoval, you are always so busy, running from meeting to meeting. Your
work is very important and people rely on you, so you have to be ther ...read more April 3, 2023 Tea house
A traveler came into the tea house. It was late, dark outside, but cozy and warm
inside, so no surprise he wanted to come and join us. He brought a l ...read more March 25, 2023 Oracle stones
"I stand before thee, my lords," said the Elder, "To ask your advice. My people
are in need."
The boy stood there, weary-eyed, expecting silence. He ...read more March 13, 2023 A trip
Harr wanted to take a trip with his friends. That was his first thought when he
woke up and he decided that would be his major task for the day.
He ...read more March 6, 2023 Engram
"Daddy, I want to be a designer. I want to design things."
It was very strange when my one-year-old said her first words. She was looking
at me acro ...read more November 4, 2022 Follow the machine
It is an honor and a privilege to walk in the first line, right behind the
machine. The rock walls are steep and tall, and the path before us is peri ...read more July 27, 2022 Body Horror Clinic
"Hullo," I said into the receiver, "Is this the body horror clinic?"
"The Body Reformation Oversight Clinic, yes," said the young on the other side. ...read more July 26, 2022 It's not the end of the world
"And so I told her," said Reginald, "That we cannot move the recital. We are
going to have to move Christmas," and everybody laughed. "But anyway, yo ...read more July 28, 2020 Web developers
Clakkata-clakkata-clakkata. That's the sound of keyboards. Everyone's typing.
The office is all three major colors: #423B0B, #B5FED9, and #7BA098. T ...read more July 27, 2020 Picking up music from the past
Not sure how it was even possible, but we picked up an old radio transmission
from Earth, and it was some really old music. It undulated and frizzled ...read more July 26, 2020 A gate of ghosts
They put up a metal gate at the front of the hospital, and they only closed it
at night. The gate was there for many years, so naturally, there was a ...read more July 26, 2020 Pastrami
I want a sandwich. I want the bread to be white and crunchy, and I want a lot of
pastrami. I also want greens and tomatoes.
I enter a deli. There ar ...read more August 16, 2019 Spider Mutant
As you know, the recent nuclear war did a number on our neighborhood. It is
nowhere near the wonderful community it used to be. Granted, bombs didn't ...read more February 25, 2019 Bus Stop
Within civilization, people are expected to spend their free time in rooms
together. In rooms, so they do not roam the dark like animals. And togethe ...read more November 7, 2018 Flower Circle
There is a place in our town which belongs to flowers and nobody is allowed to
go there. It is a round piece of land surrounded by a low decorative f ...read more October 12, 2018 A Place Where Time Stopped
During my time as an explorer, I visited a place where time stopped. It was a
small island where people rejected the Aid after the War. My friend Ser ...read more August 15, 2018 The Experiment
I walked down the gloomy corridor and into the dark room. The man was sitting in
a chair. He was old, looked tired and scared. His skin was grey, pap ...read more August 13, 2018 Spooky Wingman
"...and that's why we are all born... screaming." Scott leaned back in his chair
with a satisfied grin.
"Whoa, that's pretty spooky," I said.
Outsi ...read more August 10, 2018 Hobo Icon
We just bought a house. I was in the backyard with my son. He thought there were
probably some treasures hidden there, so we were on a quest.
The fa ...read more August 3, 2018 Last Stand
The good guy fled and the bad guys followed. Well, he was good relative to the
bad guys at least.
The last anyone ever saw the good guy was in a tow ...read more July 25, 2018 Heart to heart
During the last war I was drafted. But I was lucky and got a desk job at Fort
Freedom. I was away from all the fighting, nice and cozy with army desk ...read more May 6, 2018 Allergic to you
My skin itches, my nose is runny, and I cough. When you are near me. I cannot
explain it any other way. I am allergic to you.
Back in school, I wasn ...read more April 23, 2018 Friends
"When you travel, do you ever wake up and not know where you are or, for that
matter, who you are? It happens to me sometimes, and I panic. Just for ...read more April 22, 2018 Best job Ever
I got fired from a lot of jobs. I used to sell this brand of yogurt to shops,
but I got fired for pissing off the shop owners, whatever, they were id ...read more April 22, 2018 Make it Simple
This is how I started biking to work. One morning I got into my car as usual,
but it wouldn't start. So I figured I would take it to the shop later, ...read more April 21, 2018 Crabs
We always went out to eat on Fridays, and the meals were great. One of her
favorite restaurants was Rabo's Baked Meat, run by a bearded Armenian guy. ...read more April 21, 2018 Business trip
The hotel had guns up front, turrets, sandbags. But inside the breakfast was a
buffet and the lady asked my room number. And then I got coffee and a ...read more April 21, 2018 Watercooler
"How are ya, Dick?" Gregory approached me at the watercooler.
"Quite all right," I said, "Good meeting?"
Gregory rolled his eyes and mimicked a man ...read more April 20, 2018 Just Trinkets
After my uncle died, I inherited a lot of small things. In life, he was not so
much a hoarder, as a sentimental man, so he kept ticket stubs, buttons ...read more April 19, 2018 Radio Brains
I had a friend named Monica once, who believed human brains were like radios in
that they emanated electromagnetic waves and could tune into electrom ...read more April 18, 2018 Writing is Hard
David was having trouble getting on with his lessons because the sun was shining
outside, and the warm grass smelled like adventure. It was the middl ...read more April 1, 2018 Samuel's Cat
After Samuel died, we met in my apartment to figure out who would take care of
his cat.
"So who wants it?" said Jessie.
The room fell silent. Jacob ...read more March 31, 2018 Basic
Basic pants have two legs, just like basic humans. But we never call them basic
humans, we just call them humans, and we don't have room for other hu ...read more March 31, 2018 Humans
I woke up as usual and sniffed around the apartment to make sure everything was
the way I left it. Then I played with Jimmy the Sock until My Love wo ...read more February 23, 2018 Relieve Some Tension
I was in Amsterdam again. After the a day of client meetings, I took the tram to
the red light district. I selected a girl and went back to her place ...read more February 18, 2018 House Guest
Lucy got out of her car, past the mailbox, past the two stone frogs on the lawn,
and into the house. She put her car keys on the painted wooden tray ...read more February 17, 2018 They Lied
We were on a spaceship from the Belt to Mars. We were waiting in line for the
washroom, when Jim said:
"It's not real, you know."
"What's not real? ...read more November 4, 2017 The Storms
Anyone catch the storms this morning? Ugh, they were amazing!
I woke up to the beautiful sound of rain and thunderclap. It was so nice after
the hea ...read more August 12, 2017 Iron
Look, eating with metal utensils is the literal worst thing you can do.
I mean, just look at the science of it. Metal knives and forks are made of
s ...read more August 12, 2017 The Holy Lock
The knight's body fell to the stone floor with a rattle of armor. Useless. The
prince stood there, breathing heavily after the long fight. He was wou ...read more July 30, 2017 The Place Part 15
There was no light anywhere, completely black. When I held out my hands in front
of me, I could not see them, so, after a little bit, I started suspe ...read more July 25, 2017 The Place Part 14
I got up in the dark to see who it was. I sneaked up to the door of the spare
bedroom. The pacing was there.
I heard plates crashing in the kitchen. ...read more July 24, 2017 The Place Part 13
My wife and I used to spend evenings with this other couple, Greg and Lisa. We
went bowling twice and to the museum once, but mostly we went to the O ...read more July 23, 2017 The Place Part 12
This is a note of mine I found. I am putting it here, because I wrote it after
we got out of there.
_I did some reading. The extra dimensions from s ...read more July 22, 2017 The Place Part 11
After the mechanism stopped working, we both collapsed on the couch in our
living room. My head was still spinning from the noxious gas, but at least ...read more July 21, 2017 The Place Part 9
My wife does this thing when she walks in the door. She says "Honey, I'm home...
Whoops! I forgot I wasn't married." It's what Michelle Pfeiffer says ...read more July 19, 2017 The Place Part 8
The box found a new home on a shelf in our living room. My wife put it between
the angel she bought in Las Vegas and the door handle she took from a ...read more July 18, 2017 The Place Part 7
I read this theory about density shifting, and it puts things right with all the
parallel dimensions. I mean, it didn't make sense in the first place ...read more July 17, 2017 The Place Part 6
I had never been to Morocco, but I kind of had a feel for it. Warm and gold,
with beautiful radiant light during the day. Very fine ornamental bars i ...read more July 16, 2017 The Place Part 5
Carcosa! If I heard it in any other context, I would have thought it was just a
place in, maybe, South America. But I heard it in the place and I kne ...read more July 15, 2017 The Place Part 4
My research first made me think that it was all make-believe. That visiting
other worlds and "alternate dimensions" (I still don't know what that mea ...read more July 14, 2017 The Place Part 3
My job is pretty dull, but I get to read a lot. Used to be on paper, and now
it's all electronic. I think electronic letters have their own charm, li ...read more July 13, 2017 The Place Part 2
It was dark and stuffy there. My wife thinks there was a giant boiler just
outside the wall and I think she's right, even though we could not see it. ...read more July 12, 2017 The Place Part 1
We discovered a strange place. When people say "alternate dimension"... I never
really knew what they meant. Dimensions are width, breadth, height... ...read more July 11, 2017 The World of Tomorrow
I am a bit drowsy before I have my morning 72 coffees, so please bear with me. I
will tell you about the world in 3017.
In the future, everything is ...read more July 5, 2017 The Haunted Park
Klaus committed suicide in the little park on the edge of town. But that was not
enough for him to haunt the place.
You see, unbeknownst to Klaus, h ...read more June 24, 2017 My Secret
I have a little secret, and I will tell you.
I saw a beautiful woman at the airport. She was stand offish, probably used to
men hurting her. I would ...read more June 19, 2017 What's in Hell
They put me on the table to do the lethal injection. They strapped my arms and
legs in. My mouth was dry, like there was something stressful ahead.
...read more June 16, 2017 Student Accommodation
I got a bed at a slaughterhouse for twenty a week. It is a pretty good deal,
despite the smell and the noises.
My bed is one of sixteen stacked one ...read more May 27, 2017 On Our Bus
I like our bus! The road is not too bumpy, the driver is a funny man (when he
talks on the intercom), and we take turns standing and sitting. There a ...read more May 27, 2017 Old Love
"So, what's happening with Veronica?" he asked me.
We were having lunch at a seafood restaurant in a small seaside town. A tourist
spot, great for v ...read more May 20, 2017 Two Creatures at the End of Time
"Hello? There is someone here, isn't there?" the lonely creature quickened with
excitement.
"Yes," a shy voice responded.
"I can't believe it! I ha ...read more May 17, 2017 What's the Difference?
Have you seen that Australian version of Alien? They say it's exactly the same
as the original.
Some people put the two on a couple of screens side ...read more May 13, 2017 What's the difference?
Have you seen that Australian version of Alien? They say it’s exactly the same
as the original.
Some people put the two on a couple of screens side ...read more May 13, 2017 Glass Slipper
"Hullo, Hugo," the younger guard hollered tubally, "Shall we convene for whiskey
and cigars later?"
The older guard did not respond with a smile, he ...read more May 9, 2017 Danger!
I entered the room. There was a woman sitting in the armchair, and a cup of
coffee on the coffee table. It was a little dark, so it took me a little ...read more May 7, 2017 Boylston Social Club
Sitting on the balcony overlooking Boylston Street and the Commons, Mack was
smoking. It was a sunny day, and concrete was radiating heat, but the ba ...read more May 2, 2017 Another Cocktail
"Another one, please," and the waitress shuffled away to get me another
candy-flavored drink.
"Three with lunch is enough," said Monica, but that wa ...read more May 2, 2017 Your Guide to Enlightenment
This paper is provided to all of you still left behind on Earth who could not
achieve enlightenment on their own. Please read these instructions to j ...read more May 1, 2017 Killed Everyone in the World
Jackson worked tirelessly, until he killed everyone in the world.
Killing a lot of people had been his dream since he was a little boy. And he
fanta ...read more April 30, 2017 Dapper
Jake got a new old-looking suit and a trilby hat. He stood in front of the
mirror for a good few minutes, admiring the result. Jenny was on the couch ...read more April 28, 2017 Resolution
She put her hand in his and looked out into the night. She was not afraid of the
dark when she was with him, an assurance that only teenage love can ...read more April 2, 2017 Fashion Advice
"If your wore a jacket once in a while, you would look more handsome," she said.
They were having coffee together.
"Yeah?" he said, "Not really my s ...read more January 28, 2017 My People
I was on the train to work, drinking a cup of coffee, when I got the text. My
brother said the test results were back and he had liver cancer. Again. ...read more January 27, 2017 Bowling shirt
"Hey," the girl sat down next to me at the kitchen table. It was a party and it
was 3 am. "Do you bowl?"
"Oh, the shirt?" I said, "No, I thought we ...read more January 24, 2017 The Waitress at El Restaurante
The waitress at El Restaurante saw a significant customer. He was significant,
because he looked nice, like he was part of the foreground rather than ...read more January 23, 2017 After I am Dead
If you are reading this after I am dead, know I am not up there somewhere
looking down on you. I am not on my knees worshiping the Lord. I am not in
...read more November 18, 2016 The End of the World
It is the end of the world, but there is no fire in the sky or people screaming.
There is almost no fire anywhere and everyone is already dead or slo ...read more October 31, 2016 Behind the House
The front of the house was for normal things, like cars pulling up, and saying
goodbye before going to work, or saying goodbye forever when she moved ...read more October 28, 2016 Unexpected
That one night in Venice changed my life.
My laptop made the e-mail noise, so I lifted the lid and the ancient Venetian
hotel room filled with brigh ...read more September 27, 2016 I Love You
She rolled over to her side of the bed and closed her eyes. Her face was calm
and relaxed. The sheets were white, her black skin in stark contrast. T ...read more September 15, 2016 Drifting Away
She was sitting at the kitchen counter drinking her afternoon coffee. He came
into the apartment, flashed her a smile, came over, kissed her hello, t ...read more August 30, 2016 Talking about Dreams
When she felt more confident with me, she started talking about her dreams.
"They're really weird sometimes," she said, "Like this one time I was in ...read more August 25, 2016 My Friend Was Wounded
My friend was badly wounded. My friend is my phone, actually, and the display
glass cracked. This would never have happened in the future!
It was in ...read more August 23, 2016 Helping the Crazy Kids
Dear diary, today I begin my internship at the Stone Pines Asylum, the
children's wing. I will be helping Dr. Frost with art classes for those poor
l ...read more August 7, 2016 Dealing with the End of the World
We all had our ways of dealing with the end of the world. Some denied it, others
fought it, but my family took it as an invitation to create art. I t ...read more August 7, 2016 Got a Text
I got a text this morning which said: "Please, please tell me there is a chance
for us to be together again." It was from an unknown number. I though ...read more August 1, 2016 The Real Pinocchio
A long, long time ago there was a carpenter living in a village outside of Milan
and his name was Alberto Geppo. He was not rich, he was not poor, he ...read more July 30, 2016 Neighbors
# 1.
Tommy and Becka had gone to school and I was enjoying some quiet breakfast with
Melanie, toast and jam, eggs, and coffee. I was reading somethi ...read more July 26, 2016 Omega 7
I meet all sorts of people in my line of work, and I have conversations with
them. That is my job, basically. I ask them what they do and I hope they ...read more July 25, 2016 Bad News from Ganymede
A terrible ring shook the observatory and I was jolted back into consciousness.
I had about 1.3 seconds to feel confused and try to remember who I wa ...read more July 25, 2016 I think...
I think they just said on TV that there is a zombie invasion. What do you call
one of these? A zombie apocalypse.
Nah, that's too crazy, I'm sure it ...read more July 19, 2016 Special Lizard
There is a special lizard living on the outside wall of the lighthouse, although
it does not consider itself special. What is so special about it? We ...read more July 16, 2016 Giving Himself Up
"Explain it to me again," said the policeman, "Like I'm seven years old."
They were speaking across a high counter, so the policeman was looking dow ...read more June 18, 2016 Going Up
The old man climbed the rusty ladder and I followed, around us the night was
windy and rainy. The ladder lead up a pylon that used to be yellow with ...read more June 14, 2016 Anyone There?
"Hello," I said into the house, "Anyone there?" Particles of dust were floating
in the hot air.
"In here," a man growled.
"Hi, I'm looking for Eliz ...read more June 13, 2016 Non-standard Sound
The best sound effects guy in town was called in. As he arrived, the director
was pacing back and forth between his office window and his Zen garden. ...read more May 25, 2016 A Long Journey for a Small Box
"This box," said Weathers, "Made its way here all the way from Marakesh." He was
blowing grey smoke and the ribs of the window blinds showed in it. I ...read more May 19, 2016 Home
"Mom, I'm home," I said, like I used to when I got back from school. The house
was empty, no furniture except for some old cracked plastic chairs in ...read more May 17, 2016 Archaeologist's Agony
The expedition had gone terribly wrong and I was all alone now in the ruins. I
had fallen down a passage. I had used all my supplies. I had cut my le ...read more May 2, 2016 Rusted Knife
When renovating the house, we tore up the floors and Skip found a rusted knife.
It was a French knife, the kind chefs use in the kitchen, with a plas ...read more April 9, 2016 Diamond Mine
Out of boredom I think, we dug around one beggar patient's brain and found a
diamond. We thought we should check and, after a few useless skulls with ...read more April 7, 2016 My Shiny Bully
Jeremy C. Shepherd was a classic bully. He took our lunch money, he beat on us,
he made fun of us for being nerds, and he had a host of followers who ...read more March 27, 2016 Suddenly Born
Pete suddenly came to life in Machine City and he wondered the block for a
little bit until he stumbled into a little shop where somebody was making ...read more March 25, 2016 Junkie's Life
"And here we are again, in my office, talking about the same thing," the
substance abuse counselor said. And we were in his office, tiny little offic ...read more March 20, 2016 Crawling Threat
## Monday
The detectives were all called into the briefing room for a special announcement
from the captain. Apparently, they were all being assigne ...read more March 19, 2016 Lots of Space
The house where we grew up was very calm and empty. There was very little
furniture, perhaps not enough.
In many ways, it was a philos ...read more March 18, 2016 The Exalted One
I woke up and I knew immediately it was going to be a horrible day.
"Father, father," my apprentice screamed as he came running into my bedroom,
"It ...read more March 17, 2016 Raven's Bridge
"Hurry up," he said, "We're almost there."
She huffed and puffed up the hill, smiling all the time. When she was next to
him, he put his arm around ...read more March 4, 2016 Without You
His wife was out of town, so he could finally sleep in. She would always get up
a 6 and that woke him as well, and even if he tried to get back to sl ...read more March 3, 2016 Shopping Bags
She was walking back from the store, carrying brown paper shopping bags. She
tried to imagine herself as seen from the houses. She pictured herself w ...read more February 18, 2016 Guitar Player
Can you make a better first impression than when you walk down the street with a
guitar on your back. Say it is a rainy day and your longish hair is ...read more February 3, 2016 The Rope
I live in the cave with my parents and I am old enough for rope duty. It is a
privilege of age.
The cave is this: There is a big shaft, and it seems ...read more January 29, 2016 The Kenosha Kid
It was my third day at the record store. The colors seemed faded as the sun
began to set. I missed the beach and living to the beat of night and day, ...read more January 14, 2016 The Girl Who Started Talking to Me
It was a birthday party at a bar. I was in a circle of people talking about
health, but everybody gradually went away, until one girl was left. She w ...read more January 14, 2016 Humans
Humans were a carbon-based life form which arose in the Original Solar System
(space coordinates 0,0,0) sometime before recorded history began. They ...read more January 3, 2016 Working Before the Holidays
The office was not as busy before the holidays, because we did not want to start
any new projects. Mark came up with the idea of office poetry, and h ...read more December 22, 2015 He's Coming!
"He's coming," I said into the phone, "I have to go."
I rushed to the intercom, it rang again before I got there. I pressed the
button. "Who is it?" ...read more December 19, 2015 Raped
She was nice to me and her hair smelled like bubblegum. But she gave me a lot of
attention and I do not react well to that, so I left her and mingled ...read more December 7, 2015 Motivation!
"Ms. Vernon," said the young girl in jean overalls and pink-rimmed glasses, "I
loved your talk."
"Thank you, but please, call me Jane."
They were ...read more December 4, 2015 She Looked Sleepy
I was working behind the counter at the gas station. It was really early in the
morning one fall and everything outside was a wall of grey mist. A di ...read more November 29, 2015 The Day She Left
It was a lazy Sunday morning and I was still in bed when I heard her get up. The
bed sang a goodbye as she stood up. I heard her stretch and yawn and ...read more November 23, 2015 Ass
I am an ass man, definitely. I have dated a lot of girls and only one of them
had big breasts, but all of them had large round asses.
I like to cons ...read more November 23, 2015 Not really in the Mood for Sleep
When summer nights got hot, I used to go up to the roof. I was in high school
back then. If there were no clouds in the sky and the stars were bright ...read more November 22, 2015 Last Man on Earth
Last man on Earth, alone in a room. What would he do?
Wake up regularly every morning, work out, go on a food run or use some of the
organic food he ...read more November 2, 2015 The Lady Who Drops Leaves
My mom was a special woman. Other moms attended bake sales and prepared lunch
for their little boys and girls, but my mom was in the vast underground ...read more November 1, 2015 Society is a Hole
"And the motherfucker cut me off. No blinkers, he just jumped lanes and cut me
off. He could've gotten me killed. People think they are good drivers, ...read more October 27, 2015 Strictly Speaking
"Hey, how are you doing?" said the guy at the bar. He was kind of handsome, but
a little creepy, like a child molester trying to fool everybody by pi ...read more October 26, 2015 Skeleton Crew
We were shocked to see a skeleton sitting behind the desk. We thought it was a
bad joke, a Halloween decoration, until we realized the skeleton was a ...read more October 24, 2015 I'll Take It From Here
"She's probably gonna be hungry," said the text from my boss, "So take her out
to dinner and keep her company and I will get there after this thing." ...read more October 22, 2015 Lifehacks
I calculated that I wash my hands, on average, seven times a day. That is why I
have seven paper towels in my bathroom. I use one each time I wash my ...read more October 21, 2015 The Chamber of Mystery
Archbishop Cavalieri was in attendance of the Pope for the week. He just entered
the papal chambers with this morning's newspapers (all mention of pe ...read more October 19, 2015 Alice on the Wrong Side
## Morning
Alice was sitting in front of her mirror. She was getting ready for school. Had
to look her best if she wanted to be asked out, the prom ...read more October 15, 2015 She Was About To
The Skype signal made her snap out of a reverie. "Jason is calling..." popped
up. She clicked "Accept" and the video came on. Jason was smiling wide. ...read more October 11, 2015 Shared Bug
Ralph got home early and saw his wife was in a mood. It was pretty strange,
because she was a very level-headed, cheerful person, and Ralph would hav ...read more October 6, 2015 Last Day
Friday was Jake's last day and he sent an email, inviting people to say goodbye
in his cube. Melly did not know Jake that well, but he was a colleagu ...read more October 3, 2015 By the Golden Light
It was a late evening and Kate was lying in bed with a book. It was the cabin
where her father used to take them when she was little, now it was all ...read more September 30, 2015 Getting Back Home
So tired. I was walking back home in the rain after a double shift. I did not
have my umbrella with me, so I was all wet and I had to take my glasses ...read more September 27, 2015 Tens of Years
She was making dinner and she did not have a job for him. That was fine, he sat
on a kitchen stool and talked to her gently. She was a good listener, ...read more September 20, 2015 Sickly Glow
Ben's face, the upper part of his chest, and his left arm were the only
things visible in the dark room, levitating in the blackness. The only light ...read more September 17, 2015 Liberal Services
The young man was wearing a colorful bow tie and shirt. He had a bluetooth
headset on and was holding a clipboard, very lower-management like. "Now, ...read more September 3, 2015 What Would You Do?
"Do you know why you are here, Mr. Holiday?" the inspector, or whoever he was,
was leaning forward. He seemed like a man who was tired but tried to s ...read more August 30, 2015 Homeless Guy's Chocolates
I was taking the morning train to work. It was pretty empty at this hour, so I
could sit back with my book and relax.
A homeless guy climbed aboard ...read more August 18, 2015 Change of Plans
Not so sure you were pretty, not sure you were ugly either. You had a woolen hat
on, your mascara was flowing down your cheeks. Was it the rain, or h ...read more August 18, 2015 Octopus Pendant
I gave her the pendant on our first month-iversary. My look back then was a tank
top and combat pants. I tried to impress her, make her think I was a ...read more August 12, 2015 Too Busy
She called Frank. "Hey, Frank, you got a minute."
"Sorry, I'm too busy," he said.
"Oh, that's too bad."
"You know what, maybe I can find some time ...read more August 10, 2015 Running
I went out to have breakfast with my friend Todd. We lived in a walk-around
neighborhood, so we walked to the restaurant. On the way there, a guy jog ...read more August 10, 2015 Two Life Stories
At the county fair, there was a "hydration station" set up. Specifically, it was
a table with water bottles set up for everyone to take. The sheriff' ...read more August 9, 2015 Things People Have Written on Their Shirts
Kiss me, I'm Irish. Animal. Live free. FBI - Female Body Inspector. Doctor Who.
Nike, Adidas, and other company names. Be free. I know who _you_ are, ...read more August 6, 2015 The Girl Who Was Afraid
"Amanda, this is Jake," that's how I introduced them. Now we were sitting in my
apartment, listening to music and going through some materials for ou ...read more August 6, 2015 Glass of Wine
"The point about Balzac," said a blond guy, "Is that he wrote all the time. If
you do not write all the time, you lose the hang of it. That's why I ...read more August 4, 2015 In Love with the Dawn
The sun was rising over Nogoori, the capital city of the planet Joom. Our hero,
Nimori, woke up in his dank basement and wobbled off his cheap bed an ...read more August 3, 2015 Chapter 4: The Messenger
The mysterious stranger had such beautiful eyes. He stared at me, and it became
awkward. The fact that this was a supernatural occurrence did not mak ...read more July 20, 2015 Chapter 3: The Gods Come Down to Earth (Possibly)
When the mysterious stranger opened his eyes, my brain was flooded with strange
unknown hormones and my mind was sent on a journey across the soul ne ...read more July 18, 2015 What Sticks In My Mind
I remember things she said throughout my life. When we first met, it was at
school. She was new, but not at all shy. The teacher asked her to say a f ...read more July 17, 2015 Class Three Civilization
On Kardashev's scale, a class-three civilization is one that can control its
entire galaxy. To humans, meeting creatures from a civilization like tha ...read more July 16, 2015 Chapter 2: How, In All Actuality, She Loves Me
Anyway, as I was saying, years later I moved to America. I fiddled with this and
fiddled with that, and sorry if I am disrespectful, but I also fiddl ...read more July 9, 2015 Chapter 1: The Sidekick?
A girl sometimes seems interesting when she is, in fact, boring. We see things
that are normally connected with things of interest and are fooled. Sa ...read more July 5, 2015 Prologue: Of Cups and Men
My thirteenth birthday was a weird day for me.
Do not worry, this will not be a book about a child. It is just the prologue
that talks about my chil ...read more July 3, 2015 Last Man on Earth
So there I was, last man on Earth. I do not need to tell you what had happened
to all the others. Suffice it so say, they were no longer there, so I ...read more July 2, 2015 No More Fun In Fundamentalism
When I was growing up, there was a playwright in town. He was quite popular, and
his plays went on tour around the country, bringing joy and tears to ...read more July 1, 2015 Ella
Ella got my attention pretty quickly after I met her and she kept it for quite a
while. It was not because she was physically attractive. She was, in ...read more July 1, 2015 Puzzlefaced Man Gets Bombed
I was very little back then, so I did not understand what was happening. I know
most of it from stories they tattooed on my brain as I grew up and la ...read more June 27, 2015 Late for my Bus
I was standing outside the Anthropology Building, hoping to see her, and there
she was. She came out with a guy.
"Hi Jeremy," she said, "Nice to see ...read more June 23, 2015 Google It!
Chaz and Melissa were having brunch by the marina. The food was: shrimp
cocktails, California rolls, tuna tataki, seaweed salad, grilled teriyaki
sal ...read more June 21, 2015 Could Not Understand
Bob was by the bar, ordering beers for the table. As he was waiting, he looked
across the crowd to catch a glimpse of Gina. The table was well visibl ...read more June 19, 2015 Retaliation
[A man](./on-holiday) was sitting alone in a penthouse suite. There was an old
leather-bound book in his lap. He was wrapped in a blanket, there were ...read more June 18, 2015 The Cathedral
The cathedral was full of people, inside and out. The crowd surrounded the
enormous building, including the sides and the back where you could hardly ...read more June 17, 2015 Thank You for Your Service
Ronald P. Winter was just finishing his last day at Wilson Industries. He had
his coat on, a hat in his hand. He was ready to go.
"Hour long has it ...read more June 10, 2015 Sirens of Mars
"What would you like for birthday?" she asked me.
"I don't know," I said, "I guess I don't need anything." We were in the large
empty living room of ...read more June 9, 2015 Trying to Wake Up
Munch, munch, munch, I was eating the meat they prepared for me. It was ground
beef which they fried in a pan and seasoned with salt. It was good and ...read more June 7, 2015 Daisies and Coffee
Daisy took a sip of coffee and looked at Marcus with her big cow eyes. She
smiled and he smiled back.
"I like to drink a lot of coffee before I go t ...read more June 7, 2015 What Does She Look Like?
I have a friend on Facebook whom I do not know. She invited me once and I
accepted, thinking I had met her at a party or somewhere else. She is not
a ...read more June 2, 2015 Do You Feel Fantastic?
https://youtu.be/rLy-AwdCOmI
Jeremy got out of bed with his head spinning, his ears still filled with the
music from his dream. He would make that m ...read more May 27, 2015 On Holiday
We were sitting in a gazebo in a seaside resort on a tropical island. It was
what they always describe as a dream holiday, we were in an exotic local ...read more May 26, 2015 Last Date
I am on a date with Tara. Some people do not have much to say, so they just talk
about themselves, and I can clearly see Tara is that kind of person. ...read more May 21, 2015 Confidant
"He is the strong type, a business shark, but also a real man," Dora said. "The
type of guy that would make me feel safe because of how strong he is. ...read more May 21, 2015 Check Her Makeup
She was leaning against a wall. The wall was big and blank, and she was tiny,
with her hair done nicely. At least I assume it was done nicely because ...read more May 21, 2015 The Book
I am a writer, maybe that is why my dreams are so stable and complete, like
stories. This one was no different. I found myself in a house on the edge ...read more May 16, 2015 Days of Longing
Where are you, my Alice? The sun is setting over the treeline making everything
seem more vivid. Soon it will be dark and the demons of doubt will cr ...read more May 12, 2015 Everything Is Fine, In General
"He is not a burglar _per se_," I said, "I mean, he did break in, but he did not
steal anything. He just sort of... moved in."
"What does your wife ...read more May 8, 2015 The Barbarian
Seth was out with his friends again. He came straight from the gym, so he was
still pumped up and high on endorphin. He felt like a tiger strolling a ...read more May 5, 2015 Haunted
It started about 4 am one night. I woke up and heard a soft moan, as if somebody
was having sex on the other side of the wall. Except there is nobody ...read more May 2, 2015 20,000 Years Old
"Mr. Johnson," said the reporter, "You were not among the first to become
immortal, but you are currently the oldest human in the Universe, is that
c ...read more April 30, 2015 Before Clocks
Balthazar was shifting in his cot. It was nearly 2 AM, per the clock in the
barracks, and he still could not get any sleep. He was angry because he w ...read more April 29, 2015 Let's Race!
It was a sunny day and there were lots of people by the river,
friends picnicking, painters kissing their models, seniors sitting on benches,
athlete ...read more April 23, 2015 Wash It Down
She had to drink a lot to get all those pills down. She had never tried to
swallow so many pills at once, a full bottle. She knew it would be tough, ...read more April 21, 2015 But Moooooom...
"But moooom, why do I have to go?" she said to the phone, "I don't like these
events, never did. In fact, I think nobody likes them, people just go b ...read more April 18, 2015 Anything for Love
It was late, it was Paris, and they had a wonderful day behind them. She looked
into his dark eyes.
"I never knew I could feel this way," she said, ...read more April 16, 2015 I have a Surprise
"Honey, I have a surprise for you," the husband bellowed from downstairs.
"What is it," she said.
"Come down here and I will show you," he hollered ...read more April 13, 2015 In the Corner
"I'm going to be honest with you, Mr. Baker," said the therapist.
"Terry," I said, "I want us to start this on a friendly note. And be friends. I
wa ...read more April 12, 2015 Crafty
The number four streetcar rolled away just as I reached the stop, so I missed
it, but I was lucky because another number four rolled right behind it. ...read more April 8, 2015 Ageless
Two ageless women were sitting across from me on the train. As soon as they got
on, one picked up a book and the other put her headphones on to liste ...read more April 7, 2015 Got a Call
The phone rang. She hesitated to answer because she knew it was him. She knew he
would say he still cared about her and he was sorry. He would say he ...read more March 31, 2015 Best Teacher Ever
Mr. White was one of the greatest teachers we knew, but his love for apples made
him rather fat so we decided to make the world a better place by des ...read more March 26, 2015 Unemployed
When I was little, we would play all day and live off the land all day. Tommy,
Derek, Lisa, Hugh, and I, all the kids from the neighborhood. We would ...read more March 24, 2015 Ghost Stories
All ghost stories are bullshit. I know, because I have seen real ghosts in my
life and it is nothing like what people describe.
See, in ghost storie ...read more March 19, 2015 Real Jealous
Veronica was climbing up the stairs of her apartment building. Jeremy was not
home, he was working late that night, so she would have the apartment a ...read more March 17, 2015 Something New
The man looked in the mirror. He was getting more handsome with age, and the
beard was a good idea. He turned sideways. Unfortunately, a tummy was be ...read more March 12, 2015 Lonely Writer
Howard finished another story. He put the period at the end of the sentence of
the revised ending. He would read it through again, but he knew it was ...read more March 10, 2015 Just Blinked Out
I do not remember what I was doing on the day some of the stars disappeared from
the sky. I did not even know it happened because you cannot see the ...read more March 7, 2015 Hastur!
So I have been granted the privilege of becoming a Dreamer, or whatever. And I
do not mean I have plans and aspirations. I am a Dreamer with a capita ...read more March 5, 2015 No Way to Break Up
I was having lunch with my girlfriend.
"You're always mean to me," she said. "Why do you always make fun of me?"
"I guess I am tired of you. Maybe ...read more March 3, 2015 Contractors
I got my mom a new house. Well, it was pretty old, but it was new to her. She
moved in happily, and I hired a young girl called Nadia to be her nurse ...read more February 26, 2015 Pairs of Things
I was walking through the park, wearing my Sunday suit and a hat. I managed to
get the hang of it by now. That is walking with only one arm and one l ...read more February 24, 2015 The Surgeons
Every night I go to bed, the surgeons drag me out. One of them grabs me by the
leg and pulls me away from, my wife, my family. I cannot do anything b ...read more February 19, 2015 Erica Sawdust
People travel from all over the state to see Erica Sawdust's garage. They have
never even dreamed of having their cars repaired here, the lines are a ...read more February 17, 2015 Political Poetry
"Of course her poetry is political," said the critic, "What else is there left
to any of us these days." I was impressed by the critic's red skirt-su ...read more February 8, 2015 Bucket of Razors
Somebody had left a bucket half-full of shaving razors back stage, the
old-fashioned kind of razors that you open like a jack knife. I had a lot to d ...read more February 7, 2015 The Magic Merry-Go-Round
There was a magic merry-go-round down by the pier when I was little. The man who
inspected your tickets and operated the levers always smelled of win ...read more February 6, 2015 Man and Wife
"I wish I could quit my job," he said.
"So quit," she said.
"What? And you would support us?"
"Why not," she said, "Women have been known to."
"A ...read more February 4, 2015 Lost Treasures of Akhmun-Ra
We woke up before dawn, excited to be reaching the last stretch of our long walk
across the jungle. It was only Jacob and I now, Matilda had turned b ...read more February 1, 2015 Spiders Are Everywhere
I was bit by a spider. It was round and chubby, all red with black spots. Quite
small, but the bite was painful. I walked across the trading post to ...read more January 31, 2015 Shoes Tied and a Pocket Full of Bills
Josh was walking down the street, looking for something to do. There was a
clothing store, so he went in to try a few things on. He liked himself in ...read more January 31, 2015 The Glory of the Milky Way
It was winter, so I was not very keen on going outside, but Jacob wanted to
speak to me and he wanted to speak to me outside. I climbed down the stai ...read more January 30, 2015 Party Prep
Jill was chopping up the vegetables, and Jack was frying up the meat. They were
preparing food for the party.
"Hey Jill, can you make them finer?"
...read more January 30, 2015 I Had a Great Time
I walked her to the porch.
"Well, I had a great time," she said. "Will you call me?"
"Yeah," I said eagerly, "Yeah."
And then we stood awkwardly f ...read more January 29, 2015 The Actor
The actor was alone at home. He just got back from a meeting with his agent who
told him the actor would now work on the set of a major film that wou ...read more January 28, 2015 She's Not Pretty
Gil and Deb were sitting at the bar, having some beers after work.
"Look at that waitress," said Gil, "I wouldn't mind..."
Deb's face turned into a ...read more January 27, 2015 The Library
After the war, Everett made it a habit to go to the library every day. It had
free WiFi, magazines, and movies, plus there were usually no other peop ...read more January 26, 2015 Intruder's Beak
Those beaked creatures were intruders on Earth at first, but then we learned to
love their quiet presence. I saw one in an alley on my way to work an ...read more January 25, 2015 Confessions of a Monster
The viewers held their breath as the face of the criminal came into focus again.
"I also had a hook in my apartment in one of the rooms, hanging fro ...read more January 25, 2015 Mom's Nose
The mother sat the child in front of her across the kitchen table. She spread a
towel on the table. She was wearing her pink bathrobe.
"Mommy needs ...read more January 24, 2015 Bag of Bones
I was nervous before going to the party, mostly because of the movies. See, in
the movies, people drink a lot, there's like drinking games and all th ...read more January 23, 2015 Staring Contest
He was dropping her off. The car pulled up by the curb.
"So I'll talk to you tomorrow," she said, "I better get out of here before you
get a ticket. ...read more January 21, 2015 Groceries
In the hallway on the way to my apartment, there were groceries in a paper bag.
They were in the middle of the floor, I had to step over them. They w ...read more January 21, 2015 Writer's Block
He was sitting in his study in front of a blank electronic page. It was his
special area for writing, where he had plenty of inspiration. There was n ...read more January 19, 2015 That Lingering Feeling
"So where's Kevin and Mordecai?" asked Kelly. She was alone with Bryan in the
bright conference room. He was wearing a fresh green sweater that remin ...read more January 16, 2015 A Background Character
I wish magic items were possible in life. Key items that move the plot forward,
or allow us to overcome obstacles. Like a magic knife all covered in ...read more January 10, 2015 What Answer Did You Expect?
"It's very gross. I mean just thinking about it makes me wanna puke. What kind
of a guy would do something like that?"
"I guess it's kind of okay. I ...read more January 2, 2015 Everybody Screams
When I died, everything seemed so abrupt that I closed my eyes and did not open
them until I was high above the clouds and everything around me was e ...read more December 22, 2014 Differences
Everybody knows school sucks. But still, generation after generation people make
their kids go through the same thing. I do not understand it. Will I ...read more December 22, 2014 The Unboxing
It has been tough without my wife, but over the past two years, we learned to
celebrate Christmas without her. That is my three kids and I. Ben, Kell ...read more December 21, 2014 In the Stall
It was a few weeks into the end of the world. People were gone. I walked through
an abandoned subway station, big letters on the wall said WELL OF SW ...read more December 20, 2014 Boathouse
She lived with him on a boathouse for one glorious fall. She would rush out of
the prestige European university halls into romantic medieval streets ...read more December 6, 2014 It Speaks
I borrowed a book from my friend and at first I was amused by the comments she
had made in pencil. Every few pages or so, there was a little remark i ...read more December 4, 2014 Awoken by Thunderclap
I am so glad I survived the night. Thunder woke me up in the morning.
My dad thought it would be hard to survive the night and I think he was right, ...read more November 29, 2014 Cemetery Moment
He stood over the grave. It was a sunny day, the grass was green, the birds were
singing and it seemed like a perfect time to do this. He wanted to s ...read more November 25, 2014 Not Her Type
"You're handsome, just not my type."
That is what she actually said to me. Does she know what that means? It is
equivalent to my mom saying that I a ...read more November 22, 2014 Midnight Games
It was late. I think it was about midnight when I finished work. I closed my
laptop, my mind still full of images of car dashboards. I am a designer ...read more November 20, 2014 The Thief
When I was on the train a few years ago, I saw a girl steal a phone out of some
guy's pocket. I looked her straight in the eye. She returned a playfu ...read more November 19, 2014 Flash Fiction
It was a slow day in non-fiction writing class. The professor had prepared a
story about a sax player, but nobody was getting into it because the exa ...read more November 18, 2014 The Voice in the Night
I heard a voice calling me in the night, so I woke up. There was nobody there,
but the voice kept calling.
"James."
"Who is it?"
"It is I, your Lo ...read more November 10, 2014 The Commute
Two men were riding the train into the night.
"Well, it sure is good to be out of the rain," said one, "And almost home." He
looked outside at the g ...read more November 8, 2014 Other Mom
I tucked my son in and gave him a hug. As I got up to leave, he said:
"Mom, I liked your hugs better before."
"What do you mean, honey?" I asked.
...read more November 3, 2014 Clash of Titans
Liz had a weaponized ass. All her features were in harmony, but her backside had
the type of curvature that bends gravity and space-time. Naturally, ...read more October 28, 2014 Another Misunderstanding
We were out in a waffle house, all of us, and it was hard to talk to her because
everyone would hear. Luckily, I caught her on the way to the bathroo ...read more October 25, 2014 Keep a Record
On Jim's birthday we all went bowling. He looked at me three times the entire
evening. The first was when I asked him what he wanted to drink. The se ...read more October 22, 2014 My Dream
"My dream?" Jack put out a cigarette and lit up another. The place was empty, a
retarded boy was cleaning the tables.
"Yes," she said, "What was you ...read more October 20, 2014 Mosby's Guitar
Mosby was relaxing in the sun when the Rag Tag Gang stole his guitar. The
feathery little creatures picked up the instrument by the strap and lifted ...read more October 20, 2014 So Dark
I sit in my cubicle, and I am bored. These tasks are too easy, a monkey could do
them. It is a good cover though, for a man like me. I get up and tak ...read more October 8, 2014 Dissociative
She was sitting on her bed, talking into a camera. She stopped when I came in.
"Hey, Amber," I said, "Didn't mean to interrupt you. What are you up ...read more October 5, 2014 Never a Shame
It is always a shame when you are rejected, I thought as she started talking.
"I would love to, but I don't think this would be good for our friends ...read more September 30, 2014 Ancient Love
He looked her in the eye with love and smiled brilliantly. He touched her
shoulder and there was electricity. He kissed her and she welcomed it. He
s ...read more September 27, 2014 Workouts
Ben was jogging. He was dressed well, although he was way past the "I need to
look good to impress the guys" phase. He was focusing on keeping his fo ...read more September 11, 2014 An Unquiet Mind
Jim was cooking up some franks and patties at a barbecue. He was wearing one of
those KISS THE CHEF aprons and whistling along with the music on radi ...read more September 9, 2014 Music Mush
The boy was carrying a guitar. A bunch of rednecks stopped by as he was walking
on the side of the road. They got out of their pickup truck to tease ...read more September 8, 2014 Time Travel
"Time of death, 11:22 PM," I heard them say.
The doctor stepped out of my wife's room, he looked at me sympathetically and
told me she was gone. The ...read more September 6, 2014 Singer's Coke
I was cleaning up the place, picking up all the beer bottles from all the
tables, all the beer glasses, too. It was a good job, made the place all ni ...read more September 6, 2014 Uncertain
My girlfriend, before she even became my girlfriend, was a barista at the coffee
place I used to stop by before work. We were friends on Facebook and ...read more September 5, 2014 Things Men Say
Have you noticed we never run out of things to talk about? Your hair looks
beautiful. You seem to be the only person who understands me. I'll be hone ...read more September 5, 2014 My Little Helper
"Most of the time," said Jacob, "The disorder is in check because of the
medicine. I take my pills and I don't get none of the symptoms. I don't twit ...read more September 5, 2014 A Look Back
Life is a series of backward glances. We were on holiday, walking down a narrow
ancient street. She was a few step ahead, talking softly about classi ...read more September 2, 2014 Sex Doll
"Striker, snap out of it, man," Toad's voice sounded distant and distorted, like
a sub-band transmission gone awry.
"I'm out already," said Striker, ...read more August 29, 2014 If You Like This Post, Share and Comment
Eating poisonous fish was the last thing he ever did. It was the end of a very
eventful night which started with a bungee jump. He went to the peer w ...read more August 29, 2014 They Could Not Stop
My boss told me that when he was on a business trip, his wife would call about
once an hour just to make sure he was okay. He laughed when he said it ...read more August 6, 2014 Young at Heart
I was sitting at the kitchen table with my laptop powered down, a cup of coffee
in front of me. The sky outside was getting gray-blue, the sun would ...read more August 2, 2014 The Night Fish
Sam and Mary were sitting on the dark beach. Sun had already set, then the sky
was alight for a while, but it had grown darker and darker until you c ...read more July 27, 2014 Irregular
He was a completely unimpressive man. Average looking, nothing special. Not
muscular or fat, not handsome or ugly. He had a plain old job and was oka ...read more July 26, 2014 Doomsday Scenario
Imagine yourself speeding. You are in your car, going just above the limit,
trying to get home as soon as possible. There is no emergency, it is just ...read more July 25, 2014 The Mannequin
Frank was walking down the street when he saw a topless mannequin in a shop
window. Its perfectly shaped plastic breasts with no nipples shone in the ...read more July 19, 2014 None of This Junk!
The distant future, the year 20XX, night time in a large city. Jeremy was
walking down the street briskly, his buttocks clenched. All around him peop ...read more July 18, 2014 A Distraction
It was about two hours into the meeting, just me and Natalie from the
legal department. She was going on and on about how legally a method is not a
m ...read more July 17, 2014 The Belly
Tamara put on the black tank top with the Jack Daniel's logo and stood in front
of a mirror. It was tight. Maybe too tight?
She stood sideways. What ...read more July 16, 2014 Demonic Possession
Through a one-way mirror, the doctor and the mother were looking into playroom
B, watching little Timmy play. The boy had just finished spelling the ...read more July 15, 2014 I Feel Holy
Theo was sitting on the porch, looking at the rain. It was hot and the rain was
only slightly refreshing amidst the heatwave. The street was empty, e ...read more July 12, 2014 The Great Attractor
Our Sun is falling towards a supermassive unseen object known as the Great
Attractor. The speed of this event is 600 kilometers per second relative t ...read more July 9, 2014 Gas Chamber
This new club is really popular with the youth. It is preferred to places like
the The Guillotine and The Drowning Place because it offers slow agoni ...read more July 9, 2014 Mom
People say some young folks took a road trip once. They took out a van, packed
it full of supplies and drove off towards the horizon. A couple of day ...read more July 8, 2014 Creepypasta
"I am so happy," said a man to his wife, "When I am eating your face."
...read more July 7, 2014 Just Idle
I sent this beautiful creature a text: "Will you join me in the plaza?" but did
not wait for a response, I just went. I sat at one of those round tab ...read more June 27, 2014 Impressed
I stand in front of a mirror after a workout and I am impressed by God's work.
The abs, the pecks, the arms, I am a masterpiece. Now I have to take a ...read more June 22, 2014 A Handful of Petals
We were having a great time playing tennis in the garden. And when we sat down
to catch a breath and drink some lemonade, we talked. I tried not to s ...read more June 22, 2014 Mary
"Tell us more about Mary, Tim. Go ahead."
"She was the kind of girl that always made you feel good. She did it mostly with
her smile, but her whole ...read more June 21, 2014 Experience of Time
Hello, listeners, lost souls, wanderers, laborers and bored people, you are
listening to Late Night Radio with Jim Baker. For those of you just tunin ...read more June 20, 2014 The Body
Your eyes are beautiful, your smile is brilliant, and I love the way you play
with your hair. You have the perfect figure, but I know your buttocks w ...read more June 19, 2014 Beneath the Streetlight
"I met him when the bars were closed," she said. "I wanted to get a drink but it
was too late. Our town is small. Most people go to bed early to get ...read more June 18, 2014 Adrian's Night Out
Adrian noticed that after a few drinks, the place got a lot more classy. The dim
barlight, the music, especially the company. She leaned closer to Ad ...read more June 16, 2014 No Confirmation
Ian was a writer by calling and a writer by passion. He had a little space in
his house especially for writing. He set at least an hour aside every d ...read more June 12, 2014 Night Terrors
I am a mother. Or I was a mother, I do not know anymore.
It started one June night when I woke up and saw my husband standing at the foot
of the bed ...read more June 8, 2014 Zombie Statue
On holiday in France, I visited a small church in Bar-le-Duc and saw a statue of
a decomposing man with his hand raised high in a theatrical pose. In ...read more June 6, 2014 Haunted House
You know what it is like to be young and in love. Jenny and I met during our
freshman year in college. She was abstinent at first, but love dissolved ...read more June 6, 2014 Business Trip Tagalong
Clara was getting ready to go out to work. I flung myself across the bed and
said.
"Hey, I was thinking about your convention next week. I was think ...read more June 6, 2014 Where Did Your Tattoo Go?
The guys were drinking some beers, relaxing after work. There were five of them
at the table. Jim said:
"Hey Mike, I was wondering. You're gay, righ ...read more June 5, 2014 Riverside Picnic
Do you remember that picnic we had on the bank of the Yenisei? It was windy but
warm. We had cakes and hot tea from the thermos. It was the last perf ...read more June 1, 2014 Blackout
Almost late for work, night shift today, I got out of the apartment and started
briskly down the hall. Suddenly, the lights went out and it was pitch ...read more May 30, 2014 I Would Have Killed
The doorbell rang. I opened and saw the girl. She was a ghostly blonde now, she
always changed her appearance and managed to make herself even more f ...read more May 25, 2014 Can You Stay?
He was buttoning up his shirt. She reached her hand out.
"Can you stay?" she said.
"I can't. Promised my wife I'd be home for dinner."
"It's eleve ...read more May 18, 2014 Guys Talking
It was hot, it was a an outdoor cafe, it was summer. Two man were drinking
coffee, looking at the girls walking by.
"We need to make a move on the H ...read more May 16, 2014 Hellkey
"I hate my life," said Becky, "Mark keeps talking about other women. He says
Deborah is so great, or that whore from his office, he keeps saying how ...read more May 13, 2014 The Syndrome
The hospital room was dark and the wife was standing by the husband's bedside.
She had an irritated look on her face.
"Where is this doctor?"
The d ...read more May 10, 2014 Nothing Wrong
It is going to be a cold night on deck, boatswain. I know you are not in
rotation for night watch, but you could come up and keep me company. I thoug ...read more May 8, 2014 Give Me A Kiss
Give me a kiss, my dear friend.
Here, in the ancient halls of my ancestors, under the portrait of my maternal
great grandfather, the lord of this es ...read more May 4, 2014 The Arm
When we are children, we learn to name emotions. We all know what sad is, and
happy, and scared, and in love. Those are all common feelings that we c ...read more April 20, 2014 Another Thrilling Day
Natalie was sitting at the hotel cafe enjoying a light breakfast when she saw
the familiar broad shoulders clad in a fashionable bright jacket.
"Jac ...read more April 19, 2014 After Three Years
I just found out my girlfriend has the annoying habit of eating raw parrot meat.
It is making her sick and I can tell her hair is beginning to fall o ...read more April 19, 2014 We Seven
I just got into bed, getting ready for a good night's sleep. I was alone, my
wife had gone on a business trip, so I figured the whole entire bed belo ...read more April 16, 2014 The Doll
I bought a doll from an antique shop on Upper East Side. It had a white china
face and beautiful silk clothes. It was centuries old, but extremely we ...read more April 8, 2014 The Holy Cave
Brian was finally allowed to enter the Holy Cave. After the bumpy flight with
bad food, the mix up with hotel reservations, the long ride on a crowde ...read more April 6, 2014 You're Embarassing Me
I was playing Xbox with my friends one evening. It was already dark outside and
we were getting into this new game, even though all of us were preten ...read more April 1, 2014 Everybody Loves My Baby
Matthew rushed over to his fellows. It was a hot night and they were taking air
in the garden just outside the dance hall. Their jackets on the raili ...read more March 30, 2014 Help Me, Rhonda
Jim thought he could find his way in a European city but he did not take into
account the insane street plan that grew across the ages like a schizop ...read more March 27, 2014 An Evil, Evil Man
Emily was so lucky to be married to Lord Havisham. She was scared at first, when
mother told her she was to be betrothed. But then he arrived at thei ...read more March 27, 2014 Our Future Together
They were sitting at a cafe, waiting for their orders of coffee and apple pie.
Actually, she was only having coffee because she was on a diet.
"I th ...read more March 25, 2014 Love Is Lost Forever?
Riding on the train, I was reading text messages from my ex-girlfriend. There
were definite signs of me becoming too clingy towards the end, but I mo ...read more March 24, 2014 When I Was a Child...
The three of them were sitting together one evening, drinking wine and talking.
There was candle light and soft music in the background.
"Do you rem ...read more March 16, 2014 It Was the Summer of Love
It was not a date.
I met with Emily just outside her apartment building where she hung out with the
squatters and the musicians and we talked a litt ...read more March 15, 2014 Open the Door
The sound of someone banging on my door awoke me from fitful sleep. It was the
middle of the night. I scrambled out of bed and walked down the hall. ...read more March 12, 2014 The Machinery
Jake was twelve and his life was great. But that day he wanted to go for a walk
with Mandy and play by the river, and he could not.
Her mother had t ...read more March 11, 2014 Become a Patron of the Arts, They Said
I was enjoying the art show I paid for. The venue was properly located, the wine
and cheeses were excellent, and the art was adequate. The artist, Lu ...read more March 10, 2014 The CEO
Mr. Wiletzky was a very successful man. He had a beautiful wife whom he loved
very much and a mistress who made him feel young. He had two sons, Bill ...read more March 9, 2014 Of Angels and Men
Every schoolchild knows the basics of cosmology. The world exists in the corpse
of a dead angel. Everything that is will die and become a spirit. Spi ...read more March 9, 2014 Evil Babies
"Okay, so what's next?" asked Derek.
Marshal looked at the list, "We have two scenes left. One is called Evil Babies
and the other Gay Machines."
" ...read more March 6, 2014 It Was Nice to Meet You
"Anyway, it was really nice to meet you," I said, reaching my hand out.
The man shook my hand, "A pleasure," then he took a business card out of his ...read more March 5, 2014 Whiskey Bent
It was two years since my wife had... died and I was still looking at Sue with
longing. She was the kind of girl every guy would fall for, and they a ...read more March 3, 2014 Step on Me
After the art show, we walked six blocks to her apartment. At the end of the
journey, she said "Do you want to come in?"
My heart was pounding all t ...read more February 28, 2014 Hotel Sex
I was having supper at the hotel restaurant. I noticed a couple, he was a
business type in a suit, she was young and sexy. I figured they were about ...read more February 26, 2014 Life During Wartime
She had had an okay day at work. Got a little tired but not too bad, had some
conflict but not too much, and had some success, but not staggering. No ...read more February 25, 2014 Confessions of a Star
Cue music.
A wide shot of a large city late at night, could be New York or Boston. Closeups
on people in the street doing local stuff alternate with ...read more February 12, 2014 So many Times
How nice her hair is, Joe thought, and how graciously she brushes it back with
her fingers. Her eyes are so bright, they make me happy.
He was looki ...read more February 1, 2014 Get to the Back of the Line
She was standing in a long line, in a gray corridor, in a drab old building.
When it was somebody's turn, they said a person's name and they found ou ...read more February 1, 2014 Car Crash
Jacob saw somebody get hit by a car every day since he was ten. The first one
was his mother. She was walking across the parking lot of a shopping ma ...read more February 1, 2014 Looming Shadow of the Man
Sarah just got off the phone about a new job. They liked her during the
interview and they would like to hire her. She was straight out of college an ...read more January 29, 2014 Mechanical Memories
This new guy came to work with us the other week. His name is Ivan, and he is
this real bad motherfucker. I am talking tattoos all over his arms, rea ...read more January 18, 2014 Crazy Person
I was standing in line for a coffee. There was a shabby lady in front of me.
"What will it me, ma'am?" said the barista.
"Last night a had a dream ...read more January 13, 2014 Being a Man
My father was dying. I flew to New York and took a cab to Manhattan. I rang the
doorbell to his apartment when it was getting dark outside.
"Oh, goo ...read more January 7, 2014 Honesty
I cannot say I was not hoping for the opportunity, but also I was definitely not
looking for it. Nevertheless, there she was in my hotel room, slight ...read more January 4, 2014 Words of Love
"When would you compare a girl to a winter's morning," I asked, "Or say her hair
was like the song of birds? Her eyes like white fire?" I pronounced ...read more January 3, 2014 My Secret Desire
**1.**
"So what are we going to watch?" somebody said. We were all taking places on
three red couches a Manhattan apartment. I sat down with my girl ...read more January 3, 2014 Studded with Souls
I remember my last moments. There was some pain, but a lot of relief. I was not
alone, my children were there. It was a clear day outside, the bedshe ...read more December 31, 2013 Sigh
"Does everything in San Francisco happen on rooftops?" I asked.
She looked at me and smiled, then she took a sip of beer. I looked above her
head, t ...read more December 29, 2013 A Hurricane of Words
I was trying to write, so I leaned over my laptop but I could not focus because
there was a dragon outside the window. I closed the blinds, but I sti ...read more December 29, 2013 The Perfect Temple
When I found myself cast away on Hispaniola, I did not trek to any of the cities
right away, but I roamed the uninhabited areas for a while until I d ...read more December 27, 2013 Two Houses
In California December sun, the house was getting ready for Christmas, but Jason
could not put all his heart into it. He kept thinking about his othe ...read more December 23, 2013 Adulterer's Sleeplessness
I cannot sleep, so I shift. You are next to me, very warm. Too hot. When I lie
next to you, I think of her. When I lie with her, I think of you. I so ...read more December 11, 2013 On the Job
"Hey, Vinnie," Tony asked me to come over with a gesture and then he told me
about a job. We left the club and walked the streets of Brooklyn on our ...read more December 9, 2013 A Dialogue with Two Philosophers
I was walking down the street. It was cold and tiny snowflakes filled the air.
They looked very jolly, but they were not doing anything for me becaus ...read more December 6, 2013 Voicebox
She was walking down the street back from work. It was a November night, cold,
and she was alone. At times like these, she liked to talk to herself. ...read more December 4, 2013 One Memory
Father, you died when I was five. That is what they tell me, I cannot possibly
remember how old I was. And I have only one memory of you. It was arou ...read more December 2, 2013 Mr. Johnson
Hey, Mr. Johnson, you may be sitting at a bar, leering at women, looking for one
drunk enough to make with you. You may be too drunk to perform but s ...read more November 24, 2013 Wacko
I was working security at a big office building. It was late, reception was
about to close up for the day and pass over the desk to us when a man wal ...read more November 18, 2013 Dick's Diary
I know what this city is really like. Every night, kneeling in its own filth,
choking on the cock of corrupt politics, with heartless policemen in se ...read more November 16, 2013 Childhood Defender
I was crying, even though I promised myself I would not. I had known this
conversation was coming, but here I was, snot and the shakes and everything ...read more November 16, 2013 Complaints
Every morning, I drive to the Department Building and set up in my cube. I open
the blind and light up the sign: "Complaints." The sign used to be ne ...read more November 15, 2013 Late Evening Walk from Work
When you leave the office building it's a cold November evening. The first thing
you hear is car tires rolling on the pavement, and you click that th ...read more November 14, 2013 Faux Pas
"We're taking heave fire, we need backup," said one of the teenagers matter of
factly.
"Roger that, I'll take my guys and flank them," said the othe ...read more November 13, 2013 Fake Emotion
I am feeling so good, smiling so nice, I lay my head on the table. The club is
loud and all my friends are here, some of them taking a break at the t ...read more November 13, 2013 Elephant Parade
We were sitting at a diner, eating burgers. I had decided that would be the best
way to celebrate my new citizenship, so American.
"Look outside," s ...read more November 6, 2013 Nobody Is Perfect
The first girl I loved was really mean to me in that she never really noticed
me. Her complete lack of interest taught me I am not as exceptional as ...read more November 2, 2013 Key and Lock
We've been living in this office building for generations. Desks have been our
tables, filing cabinets our house walls, rooms our dominions. They say ...read more October 30, 2013 Cream
It was late in the evening when Brenda and Sam were working on burritos for
their guests. Sam was moving around, getting all the ingredients together ...read more October 27, 2013 Enjoying the Closeness
It was a Washington DC party, a white tie occasion, with all the senators and
lobbyists. I was a campaign manager back then. She had been a girl I kn ...read more October 24, 2013 The Life of a Sausage Eater
I remember when Mr. Pericault, the maths teacher, first arrived in town. He
moved into a small apartment opposite my shop, so I saw him when he was t ...read more October 14, 2013 Petals
Mary was sitting on the wall. The sun was bright, the day was warm, she was
remembering Mark and picking petals off a daisy.
"He loves me, he loves ...read more October 14, 2013 After Work
She was preparing supper. Whatever she made was always bad because she was a bad
cook. However, Norm, her husband of fourteen years, always ate it al ...read more October 10, 2013 A Way to Understand
Two guys were waiting on the pier. The boat was far away, they could not hear
the motor yet. They were both young, but one of them was a year older. ...read more October 5, 2013 Made You Look
He noticed her bright eyes the first time he saw her. There was no reason to
look longer than a few seconds, so he did not. But he remembered the eye ...read more October 1, 2013 A Million
"A million candy bars to win," Jake read the wrapper. They were sitting on the
curb in front of a 711. Two hip kids on a quest to become cool, an ado ...read more September 30, 2013 Pop Quiz
1\. Which is the most tasty?
a. muffins
b. hot dogs
c. cupcakes
2\. Whose eyes were the first you saw?
a. your mother's
b. your doctor's
c. ...read more September 26, 2013 Universal Love
Party, the music was loud, everybody was drunk dancing falling over the couch
and doing redundant beer runs. I ended up in a hippie circle, next to a ...read more September 24, 2013 Cleaning Up
The hotel I worked at was huge but there were not many guests, I only had a few
rooms to clean, and the rest of the crew had a day off. I was walking ...read more September 19, 2013 this is my religion
on the verge of **uncanny events**, i remain **vigilant**
on the precipice of **pain**, i stay **strong**
on the edge of **death**, i **rejoice**
...read more September 12, 2013 Where Do Books Go When They Die?
Jim was walking down the street with a half-open book in his hand. He had been
reading it on the subway and he wanted to keep reading on the bus. It ...read more September 10, 2013 The Perfect Girl
I was on the subway, sitting by the door when she boarded. She was blind, using
a cane to find her way. She made the first step with uncertainty, lik ...read more September 4, 2013 Summer's End
Ivan was sitting by the pool, watching the sun set slowly over the buildings of
the country club. All the towels had been put away and locked, as wer ...read more September 4, 2013 One of those Suicides
One time when I heard the song, I decided to kill myself. My reason was the
usual feeling of inadequacy and hopelessness. I thought people around me ...read more September 1, 2013 Lonely
They were done shooting for the day, the crew were turning off the powerful
lights and disconnecting a few of the millions of black cables. She was s ...read more August 22, 2013 mai fewcher
i woz slingin by the streats, lookin to get hi, an i woz wiv mai frend, dedzon.
he was neimd dat becoz he woz born in der. he woz yappin ohl de taim ...read more August 21, 2013 Five Senses
Before we were married, she called me one Sunday to pick her up. I came over and
she had a picnic basket and a smile on her face. We went to the park ...read more August 16, 2013 They Still Live
It was late at night, but she was still up, going through some old papers. Her
living room was well-lighted and spacious, her entire New York apartme ...read more August 11, 2013 Fever
I remember it vividly, as if it was real. Perhaps it was real, I cannot say for
sure. I was ill, with high fever, lying in bed in an empty house. I w ...read more August 8, 2013 Travel Time
"We're leaving for Taiwan," I said. "Everybody, take just one thing."
They were ready in under a minute, I like a good, disciplined family. Everyone ...read more August 4, 2013 Mr. Cool
I sit down with a pack of cigarettes. I think about taking one, and then I put
the pack on the table. I quit two weeks ago, have to make it a little ...read more August 4, 2013 Everything Has a Beginning
She was twenty four, but I guess I was her first. We never had actual sex, you
know, the way people define it most of the time. But we did stuff. She ...read more August 4, 2013 One of Their Breakfasts
He was already sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal. She came in
and got a yogurt out of the refrigerator. She sat across the table. Th ...read more August 3, 2013 Cherry's House
I opened the screen door, the front door was ajar. Music was playing inside the
house. "Hello!" I said loudly, "It's me, Dave. I'm here." Then I walk ...read more August 3, 2013 Beyond the Mountain
Hunting was not going well. The two boys laid their bows by the river and
rested.
"All the deer are gone," said one.
"We will find some," said the ...read more August 3, 2013 Duty
The whole family was sat around the fire, the mother, the daughters, the little
ones, the grandpa, and the boy.
"Nice and warm," said the grandpa, " ...read more August 2, 2013 White Sheets
I opened my eyes and saw her lying next to me, wrapped in white sheets, awake.
She smiled brilliantly and whispered a good morning. I grabbed her and ...read more July 28, 2013 Snow
I hardly remember what life was like before the revolution, but I remember
people in the streets shouting all day and all night, and police fighting. ...read more July 27, 2013 The Whimsical
I was doing my homework when my dad leaned inside.
"Hi," he said, and he immediately receded behind the half-open door. I could
only see a part of h ...read more July 22, 2013 Parties to Come
I was was done with the delivery, about to leave, just had to get a signature.
The guy was sitting by the pool with some people.
"Hey, why don't you ...read more July 20, 2013 Gammy Ruth
I remember visiting grandma Ruth, she always smelled like herbs. As I grew up I
learned what ganja was, back then I thought it's the smell of wisdom ...read more July 16, 2013 Lost Soul
It was late in the evening, one cold November evening in New York when Timothy
knocked on my door. I had not seen him in a long time, must have been ...read more July 15, 2013 Two Sides of the Story
**1.**
First time I saw her, I thought she had the cutest brown eyes. I also thought
she must get a lot of attention and have a lot of friends. Then ...read more July 11, 2013 Proof of Concept
The two men boarded the spacecraft. It left the planet's surface noiselessly and
zoomed into space, defying all laws of physics. It is true what they ...read more July 10, 2013 Welcome to Hell
You are the kind of guy who always kicks his tires before he leaves. So to
speak. And yet, here you are, no money, no credit card, no cell phone, in ...read more July 9, 2013 In the Back Row
The movie theater was hot, or was it just him? The hero on the screen was a
chisel-chested dandy, not one of those Humphrey Bogarts of old, thought M ...read more July 9, 2013 Here We Dwell
When we retired, we got an apartment in Paris. If the night was clear and warm,
we would sit on the terrace. No need to sleep that much anymore, so w ...read more July 1, 2013 Cookout
It was a hot day in the kitchen. I was washing some pots when the boss came up
to me.
"Ivan, I need you to work this Sunday."
I was glad for the op ...read more June 23, 2013 Wanting
Come.
...read more June 22, 2013 Make a Difference
He came back home, dropped his keys on the side table, regretted the noise, and
then walked softly into the bedroom. She was lying motionless, her ey ...read more June 20, 2013 Diary
Day 7778:
A bird perched on the window. Made me look outside, onto the restless sea
crashing its waves against the cold shore of my former motherlan ...read more June 19, 2013 The Coming Attractions
They stepped out of the theater. She said: "So did you enjoy the movie, baby?"
"I couldn't really get into it," he said.
"What's wrong, is it work? ...read more June 11, 2013 The Princess
You're not the kind of girl to be bossed around, after all, you are a princess.
Nevertheless, when your father died, your stepmother accused you of w ...read more June 10, 2013 Hail
I was almost home when I was caught in a hailstorm. I ran the final stretch and
reached the porch completely wet and sore from the tiny barrage. My u ...read more June 10, 2013 In a Loop
"Why thank you kindly. You're a good man, I can tell. You never know where
you're gonna meet a good man. I was coming back from a job up in Minesota ...read more June 8, 2013 Multiverse
"Now think of the implications," he said.
"Uh-huh," she nodded. Her tea was getting cold. Good. She was trying to make
herself seem completely absor ...read more June 5, 2013 No Damsel In Distress
I had to press my contacts real hard before I got it. And by real hard I mean
nuckle feeding, knee to the stomach, face through glass door, head agai ...read more May 31, 2013 I am a Boring Guy
I happened to me in a shopping mall when I was on a business trip a million
light years from home. I stumbled into a food vendor's, weak and weary.
...read more May 27, 2013 The Awkward Truth
"Let's start again, Jeffrey," said the police officer. He had his sleeves rolled
up, he was smoking. The room was stuffy.
"I've already told you."
...read more May 24, 2013 Shrimp
He took her to a fancy restaurant on the 900th floor, the view was breathtaking.
Everything was perfect, the wine, the flowers, the food. And then th ...read more May 22, 2013 A Writer's Eye
During my time in Paris, I found a nice little bookshop and I went there every
two or three days. I would pick up five or six books each time and jus ...read more May 18, 2013 A Deadline Cynic
She was biting her nails in front of the laptop. She worked for a news blog
which posted twelve pieces a day, including one really big. Only six hour ...read more May 12, 2013 Coffee, Black
"So, did you talk to Frank," I asked him.
"I went over to see him," he replied, "But he was not there. His wife told me he
was at the doctor's. I st ...read more May 7, 2013 The Notebook
The car garage was waiting to be become the setting of a scene. There were tools
and parts, and a car half-disassembled. Or half-assembled, if you pr ...read more May 2, 2013 Always the Same
I was on a train back home and the world was whooshing by. I was tired, could
barely think, so I decided to let someone else control my mind for a mi ...read more April 30, 2013 Warfare
Veronica was an unexpected ally, I have to admit. I it were not for her, I would
have been long dead or worse, demoted and scrubbing bathroom floors. ...read more April 24, 2013 The Gorilla Act
Lucy was eight when she saw the Gorilla Act. She went with her mom and her
brothers, they set up a blanket on Sagan Point, on the lakeside. The whole ...read more April 21, 2013 Good Night
"I'll walk you to your room," he said, "I'm just down the hall."
"Thanks," she replied. "So we have that nine o'clock tomorrow, remember?"
"Yeah. I ...read more April 20, 2013 The Big Promotion
Larry was walking down the long hallway beyond the stadium's maintenance area.
He was wearing his white shirt and tie. That morning, he had gone into ...read more April 18, 2013 Those Last Moments Are Sometimes Sad
Olivia was dying. She was in a haze, stretched mercilessly between pain and pain
medication. She could not tell for sure what was real and what was n ...read more April 17, 2013 Poem Report
Zoe was washing the dishes. There were a lot, from her friends coming over for
dinner. She was a single mother and she had friends, so things were go ...read more April 13, 2013 What's On?
Okay, so TV was no good. Reruns of _Friends_, _Dancing with the Stars_, some
nature show, some fake history show, pregnant teens set on fire or somet ...read more April 11, 2013 Disappointed
John got up in the middle of the night and stepped out into the unfamiliar
terrace. It was one of those final nights of summer and the cold was almos ...read more April 6, 2013 One of His Last Phone Calls
He had to wait two signals before she picked up. "Hello, it's me," he said.
"Oh, it's you," as if she had been expecting, "So what's going on?"
"No ...read more April 5, 2013 Autumn Snails
Rebellion makes a boy cool. Revolution makes him a god. I was never part of any
revolution, but I was still a god in the eyes of a few.
I was walkin ...read more February 14, 2013 Iambic Pentameter
He had always been a good boy, so he climbed the steps of his parents' porch and
knocked on the door without hesitation. But nobody answered, so he k ...read more February 11, 2013 Drunken Nights
We got out of the bar, drunk and rowdy, into the night street. We sang some song
about white power and made yuppie scum flee from our heavy boots. Th ...read more February 10, 2013 Ambushed
They were just friends hanging out after work, they both had somebody. He was
being a rascal, and she was being sassy. At some point she made a joke ...read more February 8, 2013 Things I Think About When I Am Falling Asleep
Eating pizza with my wife. Riding a bike when I was little. Riding a bike when I
was young. Riding a bike now. Swimming in the cold white sea when th ...read more February 1, 2013 Lip Balm
I got out of the club and realized it was light outside. What time? I checked my
wrist, my watch had gone missing, but I was too shitfaced to even kn ...read more January 30, 2013 Sometimes
It was the last scene of the third act. The lights came on with that theatrical
buzz and the room set appeared. Jessica as Margo was standing on the ...read more January 29, 2013 Paper Talk
Scott and I were restocking the shelves. We were on toilet paper when he said:
"What is monogamy, really? Is it when I don't want to fuck other peop ...read more January 28, 2013 The Eye of Fear Is a Blind One
When I was still in primary school, I used to be afraid the old elm on Jane
Street would snatch me up. Its boughs were so dark and its leaves rustled ...read more January 27, 2013 Remember Me
She came to my book signing. I did not look up when it was her turn, I just said
"Who should I make it out to?"
"Daisy. Daisy Jones."
"Oh my God, D ...read more January 19, 2013 Blank Wall
Two old men shared a hospital room. As it all took place in a world where people
can live out their days in hospitals peacefully, they spent all thei ...read more January 12, 2013 As Good As Gone
She was standing in the kitchen door, looking across the hallway into the living
room. Watching her husband play with their son in the living room. T ...read more January 6, 2013 Poetry of Every Day
Mark changed his desktop background. He smiled at it, and then looked around his
cube; there was nobody to share his joy.
All black and white, the p ...read more January 5, 2013 On the Deathbed
When I was little, I used to think the deathbed was a special place they moved
you to when they knew you were about to die. I thought the sheets were ...read more January 1, 2013 The Prerequisite for Action Is Inaction
I was part of a hardcore online gaming commune once. We lived in an old house in
a suburb of Salt Lake City, derelict but fitted with top-of-the-line ...read more December 19, 2012 A Glance Inside
I was working the cloak room at an opera house in New York. People hand me their
coats, I give them a number, and _vice versa_.
One night, a classy ...read more December 19, 2012 Three Devils
John murdered his wife when he found out she was cheating on him. He did not
catch her in the act, but his friend Mike confessed over his ninth beer. ...read more December 16, 2012 Chanting
I would rather be out there in the streets with junkies looking for fixes in the
back alleys behind the Chinese restaurant, where the owner, the last ...read more December 15, 2012 The State
In Brainesia life was not always easy. The country used to be just like any
other place in the world and people's lives were just ordinary. But then ...read more December 14, 2012 Queasy
He managed to get on the last train, and it was still a forty-five minute ride
before he got home. Commuting was a drag to Bradley, even though peopl ...read more December 13, 2012 Brain Junk
It was a San Francisco party, so it was on a roof. Below, the street was going
to sleep, while up here with us, music was playing, people were mingli ...read more December 12, 2012 The Prude
They were kissing and he could tell she was getting hot and wet. Or at least he
was hoping she was, because he was ready to tear all her clothes off. ...read more December 11, 2012 Up the Mountain of Madness
A twitch ran down his body and came back up, causing his head to bob. Somebody
noticed, but did not react, being polite. He contained the reflex and ...read more December 9, 2012 Tall Order
The doorbell. Annabelle waddled down the hall yelling "I'm coming." At the door,
she stopped and asked "Who is it?"
"Clancy's Groceries, for Ms. Lee ...read more December 8, 2012 A New Emotion
John was done writing the report. The office was almost empty, just a few lights
in a few of the innumerable cubes. He switched off the computer, the ...read more December 8, 2012 The Route
The postman was coming back now and the couple were still standing there, by the
car, their goodbye still unfinished. The girl was slim and tall, her ...read more December 3, 2012 Always Want More
"You're one lucky bastard," said one of the guys, and I just nodded, looking
over his shoulder at the girl with the long black hair.
"What's her nam ...read more December 2, 2012 Too Hot to Sleep
They were both completely naked, and the sheet was rumpled up between them. The
stars were shining on their naked bodies. They were both drifting in ...read more November 25, 2012 Two Poets
It was poetry reading night at Dragon Circus Cafe, so Natalie took her new
boyfriend, Mark. He was never much into poetry, he spent most of his time
...read more November 24, 2012 In the Bushes
Once upon a time, in the bushes, there was something very interesting.
...read more November 21, 2012 Some Kind of Monster
Praised be the name of the LORD who delivered Moses from the hands of Aegypt. I
am Eli, the son of Elijahu, a prophet of the Almighty. I studied the ...read more November 19, 2012 Happy Birthday
Wei was in trouble. He was trying to pinch a sweet bun from a stand and the guy
saw him, screaming thief which caused some upstanding citizen to catc ...read more November 18, 2012 4 a.m.
It was the devil's hour. Two cool kids were coming back from a party, still
sweaty from all the dancing, their hearts still pumping to the rhythm of ...read more November 18, 2012 Knock, Knock
I was standing at the urinal, doing my business, and all of a sudden I knocked
on the wall. I do not know what made me do it, maybe something I was t ...read more November 16, 2012 Speed
He had to get out fast. She was right behind him, but he did not care. Around
them, the music was booming. He opened a metal door and leaped outside, ...read more November 12, 2012 On the Road
Ike was stretched out on the bunk of the tour bus. The road was fast and light,
the unbearable sun did not penetrate the dimmed glass, it was nice an ...read more November 8, 2012 Boardwalks and Bridges
I was on holiday again, almost out of season this time. It was a seaside town in
Maine, but not the one my parents used to take me to, or the one whe ...read more November 6, 2012 Bye, Grandpa
That morning grandpa took his pill and felt better right away. He walked
downstairs on his own and joined us at breakfast. He had eggs and toast, eve ...read more November 4, 2012 Woke Up
I woke up in the middle of the night and, for a second, I did not know which of
them was lying beside me. I pieced my mind back together slowly and f ...read more October 31, 2012 She Listened to the Singer's Voice
Young and in love, I followed the girl to the ends of earth. We were in the
middle of our Great Adventure Across Asia, stranded in a small town in Mo ...read more October 24, 2012 The Ruffian
I was sitting at Harley's Diner with Matt. We were about to make a deal that
would later cost us more than it made us. But that was later in the nigh ...read more October 23, 2012 Longings
Can a man be friends with a woman? He noticed her looking, but then she turned
away. The gallery was a-buzz, interns and photographers running around ...read more October 23, 2012 In the End
A day is a day is a day, and in the end, a girl needs to make money. That is
what Micah was doing. Just making money.
You could see her in the parki ...read more October 12, 2012 Shake Your Paranoia
I was feeling like such an asshole. The sight of her crying was etched into my
retina and came back each time I blinked.
It was nice and dark in the ...read more October 11, 2012 Flash!
The storm was raging outside, but the two of them were tucked in a blanket on
the couch, listening to each other's voices.
"It's so good to be in he ...read more October 11, 2012 Guilty Pleasures, Haunting Pleasures
We are at a shopping mall, she needs to get some new clothes for a trip she will
be taking with her girlfriends. I should tell her today, she should ...read more October 10, 2012 Faltered from the Path
I got into my car, tried to calm myself. Those girls, they were nothing but
whores, shaking their hips like that, dancing to the music. The devil's m ...read more October 9, 2012 Why Are You Doing This To Me?
She was waiting for the train, her toes neatly on the line. She got all the
attention from all the men that day, except the one. They all laughed and ...read more October 5, 2012 The Redhead
I often saw her on the subway on my way to work. She was not beautiful, but she
had a certain charm. We sometimes exchanged neutral glances.
One tim ...read more October 5, 2012 Intense Eyes
He entered and saw his wife's new secretary. Their eyes met, and he might have
lingered a little too long.
"Hi, I'm Thomas... McClintock. Amanda's h ...read more October 3, 2012 Acid Harsh
Mark had a mark on his face. It was a little circular scar on his left
cheekbone, and his daddy had given it to him. The mark was one of the things
t ...read more October 2, 2012 The Feeling I Cannot Name
I have seen you so many times, and you wore so many faces. I remember you as the
harpy, the valkyrie, the priestess. I will never be able to wipe you ...read more October 1, 2012 Scaredy Cat
Not entirely sure what she would say, Tom approached Kate to invite her to the
party. He had made it his business to always know where she was. Whene ...read more September 30, 2012 The Wall of Guilt
Tom and Sharon had to share a dressing room, and that was fine, because they
were good friends. After a performance, they would often take a long tim ...read more September 26, 2012 Underappreciated
Phil was more confident than his usual self, joking all the time and maybe even
flirting a bit. And the girls at the office must have taken notice.
...read more September 25, 2012 My Uncle
My name is Darren and I am 14 years old. I want to tell you about my uncle Jim.
You see, he was different before the war.
Uncle Jim never used to ha ...read more September 25, 2012 Wife
She rolled over to look him in the eye. She smiled. They were lying together in
the warm comfort that comes after sex. He smiled back.
"Are you some ...read more September 24, 2012 Same Shit, Different Day
Marcus Polonius entered the taverna. The interior was dimly lit, smelled of of
wine and herbs. It was a warm spring evening of the second year of Cal ...read more September 22, 2012 Kevin
Kevin was a weird kid and I could never relate to him. There was a bunch of us
who never took the bus after school because we lived so close. We alwa ...read more September 20, 2012 The Ballerina
He was wrapping the long scarf around his neck, getting ready to go out. It was
too late to catch the train, he would have to walk down to the bus st ...read more September 17, 2012 A Pack of Gum
I was leaving the motel, locked the door, then wondered if I should have left it
open. Does not matter. I walked over the parking lot to the office a ...read more September 16, 2012 The Ideas Into Practice Club
Classes were over, the teachers had gone to their own wing, leaving the boys to
spend free time as they pleased. In the seniors' dorm, a group
of mys ...read more September 12, 2012 That Orifice
Jack's wife was standing over him, the smoking gun still in her hand. The roar
of gunshot still sharp in his ears. The pain in his chest getting stro ...read more September 10, 2012 Late Night Pictures
When I was 17, I drove Dora to the movies and we saw two sci fi flicks back to
back. We sat in the back row and it was the best ever. When we were dr ...read more August 17, 2012 Sharing the Bible
Ben rushed into the classroom last minute, just as sister Mary was closing the
door. He apologized and sat down. Prayer went smoothly, then homework, ...read more August 12, 2012 Pasta
She was still on the couch, but it was about time to take action. She switched
the TV off and rolled over into a back flip and into upright position. ...read more August 12, 2012 Protein
An ounce of nuts, how much protein is that? Brad was wondering as he was
preparing the third snack. He needed four snacks to get through today, plus ...read more August 5, 2012 The Suicide Note
First of all, it has nothing to do with any of you. I was happy with you,
Claire, right to the end. I loved my job and everybody in it. I had wonderf ...read more July 31, 2012 Night Shadow
We were at the park at night, sitting on a small wall, waiting for nothing,
looking at the stars. There were no more classes this semester, and summe ...read more July 30, 2012 Where Is My Mind
Mark had never taken drugs before, so he did not know how to behave. He decided
to sit in the armchair and wait for the worst part to be over. He was ...read more July 29, 2012 Where Is My Mind (The Real Story)
The real story is too scary to tell, so let us assume that Mark was sitting at a
cafe with two girls. One was pale with black hair, and the other was ...read more July 29, 2012 The Scope
"God damn birds are all over the God damn tree again," Joe remarked and raised
the rifle scope to his eye. He took his time aiming and then fired. Th ...read more July 28, 2012 The Museum of Jurassic Technology
"What is it called again?" she asked. She was driving, we were getting off the
highway and into Culver City.
"The Museum of Jurassic Technology," I ...read more July 27, 2012 Of All The Cuties
I drove to her house to pick her up. At the screen door, she greeted me with a
half-face ironic smile, but then turned it into a cute frown.
"Are yo ...read more July 27, 2012 The Nightwatchman
The girl took a shortcut through an alley. Big mistake. Freddy was pretty horny
since he was trying to kick the habit and tonight was the night he wa ...read more July 21, 2012 Soda Breath Promises
Their eyes first met when they were at a burger place with their respective
groups of friends. He noticed her because she looked at him too long. Fro ...read more July 21, 2012 Blue Jeans
She wore blue jeans and a denim jacket. She lifted the shades to look me in the
eye.
"Excuse me, is this the train to Yorkville."
"Yes," I said.
I ...read more July 20, 2012 Ginsberg
When I was fourteen, my dad moved out and left my mom, my sister, and me in
Manhattan. He stayed at hotels for a while, he could afford it, and then ...read more July 17, 2012 The High
It was like a pink mist of happiness. And then a soft come-down to the smelly
apartment, the unwashed dishes, the accumulation of pizza boxes. She wa ...read more July 15, 2012 The Contract
"...and this will be on a monthly basis. Now as for concert fees..." the
producer's lawyer was going over the details of the contract. Peter and Moll ...read more July 15, 2012 Main Street
Bill was twenty-five that day when Mr. White, his former maths teacher, saw him
riding a bicycle down Main Street.
"Well I'll be damned, what happen ...read more July 14, 2012 Never Stop
The sun was high in the sky and the farm was quiet. It was the perfect time for
a nap, so Earl was lying on a hard wooden bench on the porch, a nice ...read more July 13, 2012 Art and Bread
He placed the bag of groceries on the counter and smiled at her. She looked up
from the TV Guide, annoyed.
"What's the problem, baby?" he asked as i ...read more July 13, 2012 Train Station
I was at a train station in a place I hardly knew, far away from home. The
building was an old brick one, probably from back in the days of Civil War ...read more July 8, 2012 Ardaze
I would like to put two pieces of writing together. The first one is a story I
wrote. The second is a letter from a friend a received not long after, ...read more July 8, 2012 All About My Mother
"Mr. Black, Anna Hetch is here."
"Send her in, please."
Anna was a tall blonde with big brown eyes full of focus, small freckles in the
corners. Sh ...read more July 7, 2012 The One That Got Away
Everybody was hanging out, eating pizza, taking turns playing Xbox in pairs. The
conversation was about professors, classes, student loans, cars, apa ...read more July 6, 2012 A Necessary Death
The Roman soldier jumped off the pier onto the beach. The screams of the siege
were dying down over Syracuse. The sandy stretch was almost empty, exc ...read more July 5, 2012 Pillowtalk
The evening was hot, almost unbearable. They were lying in bed, looking out the
skylight at the clear blue sky. She rested her head on his chest, wra ...read more July 4, 2012 Hard to Say
They came to the corner of the street.
"Well, this is the end of the line for me," he said.
They both stopped. Her eyes were bright as a blue flame ...read more July 4, 2012 The End of the World
The asteroids were clearly visible during the day as well. Fragile electronics
began to fail and everything became more analog for a little while. At ...read more July 3, 2012 Drugmind
I was on the phone, so I was able to take control of the project. Lucky! I think
it can be finished within the next seven days, two days before the d ...read more July 3, 2012 Bombed Again
The music died suddenly. The dancing figures stopped in mid motion, an arm
cranked here, a head full of curls bobbed there, but overall they turned i ...read more July 3, 2012 Depression
She could not get out of bed for five days. She felt so tired and the thought of
getting up was just too much to bear. When the five days passed, she ...read more July 2, 2012 Always in a New Town
Jake turned a corner and was surprised at what he saw. He was expecting a park,
but it was just a back alley. The park had to be around there somewhe ...read more July 2, 2012 Sidewinder
It was in the eastern forty-sevens in New York, just like Truman Capote's
_Breakfast_. I was out in the street, waiting for a cab, looking at an old
...read more July 1, 2012 If You Really Loved Me
The car pulled up, but he did not get out. She opened her own door. When they
got to the theater, he let her pay for the tickets and did not offer to ...read more June 29, 2012 Disturbed
He finished the presentation, fixed his tie. "Any questions?"
The big boss nodded with approval, making the "not bad" face.
"Damn good job, Stanley ...read more June 28, 2012 The Visible Kid
Someone pushed Jim back into the circle. His nose was pulsating with pain, there
were tears of anger in his eyes. The other kid was looking tough, bu ...read more June 27, 2012 Blistery Mike
Mike was a painter, and he was working on the latest one. It was called: the
freaking garage wall. That's right! Mike was in the middle of a painter' ...read more June 27, 2012 Sunset Boulevard
They were walking down the street.
"What did you promise her," asked Pat.
"Nothing, man. I never promised her anything. She's just... Fuck!"
"Easy ...read more June 26, 2012 The Blackout
We were walking down the street after dinner and a movie. She was talking about
something, and I thought it was really interesting, the way she was t ...read more June 25, 2012 The Greatest Thing About It
"So what's so great about being straight anyway?" Jervais was teasing Scotty all
nigth, and this was just one of the things. I hung around to listen ...read more June 23, 2012 The Listener
The music coming from the radio was soft, it was putting Tony to sleep. He was
sitting behind the wheel of his parked car, fighting to stay awake. Re ...read more June 22, 2012 Still Life
Jacob and Mary were in the conference room, going over the monthly statements.
He was looking at her legs and she could tell he was distracted. He co ...read more June 18, 2012 Invasion of the Puppet People
I ran down the street, chased by the pale lights and fear. I turned a corner,
but there they were. Six of them, moving thanks to invisible strings,
f ...read more June 13, 2012 In the Hallway
Fred was on his way to apartment 2E. He was holding the paper shopping bag in
one hand, the unfamiliar keys in the other. He was just two doors away ...read more June 13, 2012 Love Mistakes
She was fragile, tearful, I could tell she had been crying. She was not dressed
in black, but seemed like it, and she decided to cover the cleavage. ...read more June 12, 2012 Nothing
Mark was leaning on the window sill looking outside. It was the middle of the
night, the street was quiet. Her house was dark, everyone had gone to s ...read more June 9, 2012 Names
"Hey, welcome. What's your name?" said the male interviewer.
"Johmmy"
"Johmmy with an m?"
"Yeah, double m actually."
"Gotcha. Why do you think yo ...read more June 9, 2012 Childhood
The sun was setting over the Ocean and three people were sitting on the terrace,
all dressed in white and reminiscing.
"Before I came to Hollywood, ...read more June 9, 2012 By All Means
"What is up with that girl," said Vlad. He and Jamal were sitting on the curb in
front of the repair garage they were working for.
"What girl?" Jama ...read more June 9, 2012 Downright
The man was the bulky biker type. Not fat, but not all muscle either, he was
just a bulldozer of a guy with a red face and giant hands. He spoke with ...read more June 5, 2012 Secret Veteran
I was sweeping the sidewalk in front of the store and I could see a beggar on
the other side of the street. He was crumpled up by a garbage can, wear ...read more June 4, 2012 Parallels
O'Reilly's Bar was dark and damp. Perfect. After a few drinks, the two men were
shooting the breeze like they were old friends.
"My job is horrible, ...read more June 4, 2012 Mistletoe
"Happy Christmas everyone!" Julia screamed for the fiftieth time. She was really
drunk by then.
Mark had been watching her from afar throughout the ...read more June 4, 2012 First Date
I pick her up and try not to make the greeting awkward. When we get into my car,
I call it my batmobile and she laughs, so we find a few things to ta ...read more June 3, 2012 Deadboy Adventures
"A comic book?" she smiled, "I didn't know you drew comic books. Let me see."
We were whispering, it was the campus library. The vast reading room w ...read more June 2, 2012 Old Friends, New Conversations
The well-dressed man was walking down the street when the homeless man asked:
"Excuse me, sir. Spare some change?"
The well-dressed man stopped cas ...read more June 1, 2012 Listening to Tears
I was there for the famous Bill Hicks speech about the roller coaster. I heard
him talk about the eyes of fear and the eyes of love. Twenty years lat ...read more May 31, 2012 Julian's Glasses
"Hey, Monica," Sarah kissed her friend on the cheek. They hugged for half a
second, but tenderly.
It was a sixties-style cafe, with colorful furnitu ...read more May 31, 2012 Borderland
It was a cold day. Mike and his dog Barkley were out on a walk in the woods.
They got off the path for a little while to look at the frozen river, th ...read more May 30, 2012 Running on Empty
The car rolled smooth across the desert. The landscape was immobile, only the
yellow lines on the black road indicated progress. Matt was driving, th ...read more May 29, 2012 Music Lady
I leaned on the bar, the music was booming. "What am I doing here, I hate
clubs." But still a night out was a night out and there was money to be mad ...read more May 29, 2012 Dave
The apartment was empty. He threw his keys on the counter, right next to the
book and staggered into the living room. It was time to go to bed, all t ...read more May 29, 2012 Crackpot
"I am not really a man," said Jesus, "I am older than this world. I am Apollo,
the son of Zeus."
Josiah shook his head in disbelief, he turned to Jo ...read more May 28, 2012 A Threesome with and Old Lady
The bus was full. Tom was sitting next to Anna and they were talking cheerfully
when the old lady got on.
"Excuse me, why don't you take my seat," h ...read more May 28, 2012 Slingshots and Snails
Jeannie was sitting on the couch, Jake was playing a video game.
"Urgh, Jake. What is it with you and this game. Can't you spend some time with
me? ...read more May 25, 2012 Harder, Faster, Better, Stronger
Hank was under the car, looking for the torque wrench, when he realized he
couldn't take it anymore.
"Why don't you turn that shit down, huh?"
"Yea ...read more May 25, 2012 He Packs Quite a Swing
"Come one, Tom! Come on!"
The fathers were sitting on the bleachers watching little league baseball. One
had his cap turned backwards. One was weari ...read more May 24, 2012 Papers
Benjamin and Tara were sitting on a park bench. The leaves were falling off the
trees and you could feel the first chill of winter coming. They both ...read more May 23, 2012 Last Two Liters
Silas ran a system check, everything was working fine. He had the computer
re-calculate fuel and the results from the previous run were confirmed. He ...read more May 23, 2012 The Way Over There
"Well, here we go," said Marshal as the plane was taking off.
"Here we go," said Mary, smiling the sweetest of sweet smiled.
They were holding hand ...read more May 21, 2012 Never Stops Beating
It was a hunting trip, so the two of us were dressed in pseudo-military garb and
my dad had some war paint on his face. We were moving quietly in the ...read more May 20, 2012 What a Twist!
Jack was alone in his tiny dorm room, sitting straight in front of his tiny
laptop. He had a soda can on the side. He had a $900-textbook open, passa ...read more May 19, 2012 The Night's Poet
It was dark when Jim climbed the front porch and walked the length of the roof
to Melissa's open window. She was doing homework at her desk.
"Hey, c ...read more May 17, 2012 Don't Leave
He was not sleeping, he was not sobbing anymore either. The apartment was full
of daylight, inappropriately, and he was curled up under a blanket in ...read more May 16, 2012 Sleeplessness FM
"Good evening, folks," he said into the microphone, "This is Jake O'Reilly,
broadcasting live, all night through, on KBFM. If you know me, you know I ...read more May 15, 2012 Zelda
"You look happy," said Irene when she finally noticed Marks broad smile. They
were cataloging new albums for the international display. "You're not u ...read more May 9, 2012 The Ritual
Sarah read a short short story online. It was weird, it made little sense and
seemed to fall apart in the middle. It ended with two little poems that ...read more May 8, 2012 Last Stop
Vinnie woke up as the bus was pulling into the bay. It was the last stop by the
College of Mt St Vincent, just outside Bronx, dead empty at this time ...read more May 8, 2012 Bellboy (Attrition)
He opened the door and carried the bags in. Then he turned around, but the guest
was not there. He stepped into the corridor, but it was empty.
He t ...read more May 8, 2012 Tommy the Glutton
I remember Tommy from high school. He was very skinny and weak; there was no fat
or muscle on his pale body and his eyes were much too large. Everybo ...read more May 5, 2012 Years Later
Steve was sipping on some latte at a cafe when Molly walked up.
"Steve? Steve Warynsky? Oh my God, it is you!"
"Hey, Molly, it's been years," he go ...read more May 4, 2012 A Bad Joke
"So what do you do?" the stunning red-haired girl asked.
"I'm an attendant," Morris replied.
It was a Hollywood party, with Armenian artists, some ...read more May 2, 2012 Turtleneck
Paul got himself a new turtleneck. It was white, so he got a white jacket to go
with it. He went out to meet some girls.
"Hey there, gorgeous," he s ...read more May 1, 2012 Just One
The haematology department was getting empty, there were no more visitors and
the doctors were leaving. The nurses station was almost empty too, only ...read more May 1, 2012 Under My Boots
I kicked the guy's teeth in. He hit the floor. He must have passed out before he
did, though, because he fell like a rag doll. I turned to the other ...read more April 30, 2012 Christmas Presents and A Nice Time
The house was bustling with activity on Christmas Eve. Erica's three sons and
two daughters came to visit, each with a family of at least three, so i ...read more April 30, 2012 Bring Me a Plate of Grapes
The hotel suite had one of those large sitting spaces with two couches and a few
armchairs. Truman was sitting comfortably, Regis was standing by the ...read more April 30, 2012 Windfall
Janice and I were over her laptop, waiting for the page to load. First the
banner, Bank TD North, then some blue frames, which finally filled with nu ...read more April 29, 2012 He Resurrected
Jesus felt the final pangs of pain as the electrical activity in his body ebbed.
He was nailed to a cross, his head hanging down, blood and drool ooz ...read more April 28, 2012 The Quest Master
The sun was rising over the land and the city of Dragonport was just waking up.
The streets were slowly filing with individuals from all across the S ...read more April 26, 2012 Clay Boss
I used to pass by this artsy cafe on my way to a construction site I was
working. I saw the artsy people with their gadgets and lattes and philosophi ...read more April 25, 2012 All the Parties
Zack tossed a beer bottle in the air spilling the frothy goodness all around.
Everybody gazed up at the sky; it was full of stars.
"It don't get lik ...read more April 23, 2012 Chocolate Mousse
"So how did you guys meet?" I asked. The four of us were having dessert.
"Ooh, do tell," said my wife.
Deb and Mike looked at each other, she smile ...read more April 21, 2012 Elevator
He got on and pressed the top floor, as usual. The ride took about 90 seconds,
give or take, and he had been taking it for the last ten years working ...read more April 20, 2012 Fiction
The writer was having breakfast at a waffle house when a young man approached.
"Hi, I'm sorry. Are you Jeff Wilkowsky."
"Yes, that's me."
"Oh my G ...read more April 19, 2012 Berkeley
"Hey, so this campus is really nice," I said.
We were standing in a cafe-library, a fifth of sixth spot on this sightseeing
tour. Jim was wearing a ...read more April 14, 2012 The Dragon
Jenny was just a little girl before the dragon came. She was afraid of it before
she saw it. But then she loved it and could not get enough of it. Th ...read more April 13, 2012 Little Tinkering Shop
Mr. Black's wrinkled fingers put the two tiny elements together. He was
squeezing the tiny metal ball, waiting for the glue to set a little. He raise ...read more April 12, 2012 Misunderstood Rose
He was walking her back to her place. He had given her a rose, she had asked him
to carry it for her.
"You should not walk me all the way to the por ...read more April 4, 2012 Heavy Metal
The music was dying down, the frontman was saying a final Thank you from the
stage, and I was recovering from the rage of the last song.
There was n ...read more April 2, 2012 Gods Aren't All Right
Discarded by generation after generation, the rusty cars piled up sky high. The
morning was cold, the desert sun had barely lifted from its resting p ...read more April 2, 2012 Doing
"Bless your faces," said the reverend, entering the podium. It was a steamy
afternoon and I did not feel like going to church. Nevertheless, my mothe ...read more April 1, 2012 The Truth
The flickering light made the hospital room look ghastly and unfriendly. The
other patients had green faces, like the dead, and their gowns and sheet ...read more March 31, 2012 Father's Heart
I was with Jake and Amanda when she was giving birth. It was an abandoned
apartment building, a remnant of the previous administration, from back whe ...read more March 31, 2012 How He Wants to Go
Norman was hard sitting at his desk, going over the Henderson report and making
little notes on the margin. It was a complicated case, lots of things ...read more March 27, 2012 Dead Highway
A car just flew by, not even slowing down. It was not quite the desert, but
almost. Hot as Hell. I was stranded.
I would like to say a girl dumped m ...read more March 22, 2012 Underground Fear
Clive was walking through an underground tunnel beneath Checker Street. The
tunnel always smelled of Chinese Food, it was warm in winter and cool in
...read more March 20, 2012 I Want To Be a Writer
The sun had set and night was falling. Steve was carrying a bag full of copies
of his latest story, _On the Verge_. He entered the well-lit lobby the ...read more March 19, 2012 Drunk
The party felt pretty wild to the four guys who were drinking heavily. They
seemed like kind of a curiosity to the rest.
"Hey, Raul you ever played ...read more March 17, 2012 Sessions
"How are you feeling, Hal?" asked doctor Peters.
"I'm angry."
"Why? What made you angry?"
Jeff and Bertha. You know, our next door neighbors. They ...read more March 16, 2012 Fist Fights
"Oh my God, what happened to you?"
That's how he was greeted on Monday morning when he came into the office. You
could tell he was suppressing a tri ...read more March 16, 2012 The Last Supper
"Jesus, you don't look yourself tonight."
They were all in the upper room, lying on cushions all over. James was playing
the harp. The others were t ...read more March 15, 2012 Make My Stand
"Listen up," Sarge was crouching with his back against the wall, the team were
in a semi-circle around him. It was a back street in a desert town ove ...read more March 15, 2012 Kitchen Man in a Kitchen Land
They Hispanic guys were shouting something in Spanish, and the Polish guys were
shouting something in Polish. There were two camps in the kitchen. No ...read more March 14, 2012 Darker
"Hey, you got a minute?" Bill was standing at the entrance to her cubicle. She
turned away from the computer and smiled.
"Yeah, I'm going to be leav ...read more March 14, 2012 Damn It!
"I wish I could be in two places at the same time," said Frank, putting the beer
glass down. The bar was crowded, it was game night.
"Why is that, F ...read more March 14, 2012 Off Topic
Juliana was lying in her hospital bed, more or less ready to die. Nothing had
been settled yet and her cancer was not really terminal, but still, she ...read more March 13, 2012 The Past and the Future
My brother's homecoming was like in the movies. He got off the bus in a uniform,
a large bag over his shoulder, and he immediately got the respect of ...read more March 11, 2012 Slingshot
Mark had a great slingshot. It was painted red with the leftovers from that time
dad was painting the mailbox pole. It had great range and piercing p ...read more March 11, 2012 Make It Quick
Mr. Jefferson was a history teacher at Thomas Jefferson High. He was not
related.
He enjoyed staying after class. The school was empty and there was ...read more March 11, 2012 Quadruplegic
Sam was paralyzed from the neck down. Sometimes, he felt like just a head lying
in a bed that is much too big. That is when he was in a good mood. Th ...read more March 8, 2012 Tiberius and Nina
"Wat you playin' at, girl?"
Tiberius was sitting on the stairs leading up to the second floor. Somebody had
written WATCH YOUR STEP on them. Nina wa ...read more March 6, 2012 The Finding in the Temple
The people gathered were mostly older men, well versed in the scripture. They
could hardly believe what they were hearing. A young boy took to the pu ...read more March 5, 2012 Tyranny
The bearded guy leaned over the kid. The kid was on the ground, spitting blood.
"That will teach ya," said the man.
"Fuck you," said the kid, but t ...read more March 4, 2012 Banana Lunch
"So what kind of music do you like, Rox?"
The girl looked as if her brain got stuck for a second. Then she twitched, her
red curls bounced around he ...read more March 1, 2012 Deranged
So he was a deranged killer. So what!
Nobody cares. Move on. But why did he do it? Now that is interesting. We want to
know.
He killed several peop ...read more February 29, 2012 Carnal Knowledge
Emily was still recovering from the orgasm, it only just reached her that Zack's
arms were around her. She smiled and turned her head backwards to gi ...read more February 28, 2012 On the Phone
John stirred in the dark. Right after his sudden awakening, came the sound of
his phone vibrating. He picked up quickly.
"Hello?"
"John, is it you? ...read more February 27, 2012 Bus Ride
The bus was going from Golden Gate Bridge to the Embarcadero. Jake was coming
back from work, sitting opposite two elderly immigrants talking in Russ ...read more February 26, 2012 We Are Different
"Excuse me, is this the way to the meeting hall," the girl asked.
"Yes," the metallic voice was emotionless.
"Thank you," she was about to leave, b ...read more February 25, 2012 World of Ruin
Stuck to the cold coffee, Jack was waiting for Jill to come back. He raised his
eyes at the shy barista with a pimply face, then to the wall of fame, ...read more February 24, 2012 This Is The End
The boy was sitting in alone in a car. It was night time, the middle of a
half-empty parking lot. Nothing was coming up, except the shift at 6 a.m. t ...read more February 20, 2012 Philosophy
"Hey, nice jacket. Got a minute?" said the religious guy. The writer stopped and
nodded politely.
"Sure, what's up." He could see right away the oth ...read more February 20, 2012 Remember
Jim was old and sick. He could no longer get out of bed without help, so they
had a nurse take care of him. They put him in a nice white room with a ...read more February 18, 2012 Just Banter
Bang! A stiff's head exploded in a cloud of rotten meat and black clots. Bang!
Another one got his face blown up. Bang! Clive unloaded his last bulle ...read more February 16, 2012 Brothers and Sisters
"Hey, can I get that coffee?"
"Coming right up, sweetie," Selma reassured the customer in the corner. "I'll be
right back, Vlad," she said to me.
I ...read more February 13, 2012 The Sickness
On day one, Jeff came in a little late. His eyes were all red, his nose was
runny.
"Hey, everybody. I think I have the flu. Don't come near me, or y ...read more February 10, 2012 Shades of Grey
"Hey, you see those two? That's Saturn and Jupiter," she said, pointing at the
two dots in the sky.
"Oh yeah?" he replied, "Those are planets?"
The ...read more February 8, 2012 Hotel Royal
"When was the last time you went to a party where people did not talk about
hedge funds, and real estate, and 401k?"
The two men were sitting in the ...read more February 7, 2012 Friction
Jake rang the doorbell. Normally, he would just walk in because this used to be
his girlfriend's house. Well, it was still the same woman's house, bu ...read more February 7, 2012 The Ocean and Mandy
I was dozing off in a rocking chair on the ocen-side proch of a small hotel in
Maine. I still had about fifteen minutes before my shift in the kitche ...read more February 6, 2012