Author: literallystories2014

All Stories, General Fiction

Get Away by GJ Hart

literallystories2014

In the kitchen of a cottage nestled among oak trees they waited – for neighbour, for colleague; for broken doors and strangers with zip-lock bags. Jay was long gone, whipping across fields, toward the blockhouse he’d carved with nails and fire. He crawled into peace and wished he could stay, wished he could curl up on the soft, wet earth and sleep. But if he did they would find him, find him without looking and he wasn’t ready for that medicine, for any medicine – just now his liberty was a sickness he refused to cure. He dug up his plane ticket, kicked things quiet and headed toward the airport.

Continue reading “Get Away by GJ Hart” →

All Stories, General Fiction

The Milk of Human Kindness by Frederick K Foote

literallystories2014

“Hey, nigger, you about ready to die now, or you want to put that shit off until the sun look you in the eye?”

Big Smoke’s loomin over me sweatin and hackin open coconuts with his keen machete. He stoops to hand me a half a coconut full of milk. I lean back against the palm tree and try to accept the natural bowl but my hands start shakin, and the shakin ripples up my arms, across my shoulders, and my whole frame’s throbbin and bobbin.

Continue reading “The Milk of Human Kindness by Frederick K Foote” →

All Stories, General Fiction

After the Party by Andrew Miller

literallystories2014

Her chiming phone, the ring tone meant to be soothing, shattered their sleep. Alice sat straight up. “Yes-yes, what is it?”

It was Mrs. Johnson, two doors away. Her daughter had not returned from last night’s party at the beach. Did Keith know what beach? Could he go down there? It was almost light.

Continue reading “After the Party by Andrew Miller” →

All Stories, General Fiction

Profiteers of the Second Chance Saloon By Titus Green

literallystories2014

I shiver in the darkness and clasp my precious cigarette in my fingers. It is the last of a carton bartered the hard, humiliating way and purchased with filthy favours given to foreign men with sweaty skin and dark complexions in the twilight shadows of the prison latrines. I dropped my self-respect into a volcano long ago, where it burnt to cinders. I have no possessions, and no assets to bequeath the wife and children I don’t have. Time is the only property I have left, and it is soon to be foreclosed. Days are the only currency I hold, and they are wasting away like the British pound. Time is just an empty word, drained of its relevance. Getting to the end of each day is my raison d’etre now, because I am a death row prisoner waiting for my summons.

Continue reading “Profiteers of the Second Chance Saloon By Titus Green” →

All Stories, General Fiction

Departures by Lewis Carter

literallystories2014

We’d been drinking for hours when he asked me about her. Normally we talked about the rugby or pussy. It’s not that we didn’t have anything meaningful to say to each other; it’s just that when most guys get together they need an hour or two to talk shit before getting to anything real.

Continue reading “Departures by Lewis Carter” →

All Stories, General Fiction

The Business of Saving Souls By Mitchell Toews

literallystories2014

The small Hyundai coupe crept around the church parking lot. Obviously anxious, Jason Halpnuscht peered about as he drove, his head swiveling back and forth. He surveyed the area around the dumpster and the large hot air outlets on the rear of the building with care.

Pastor Penn Benner hated to see homeless people on the property.

Continue reading “The Business of Saving Souls By Mitchell Toews” →

All Stories, Humour

Sandra’s Christmas by Raymond Hopkins

literallystories2014

We love Christmas, Sandra and me.  We love all its traditions, like mince pies, and getting presents, and stuff like that.  The best bit as far as I’m concerned is the swilling down the booze so I can’t remember what happened the  morning after, but Sandra says that’s not very healthy and I have to ease up a bit this year.

Continue reading “Sandra’s Christmas by Raymond Hopkins” →

All Stories, Humour

From the Mouth of Peter Dowd by Fred Vogel

literallystories2014

Man: Hello. I’m Peter. You are a lovely lady.
The lovely lady seated across from Peter: Well, thank you, Peter. I’m Georgia.
Peter: You are too pretty to be a state.
A courtesy smile.
Peter: You have perfect teeth.
Georgia: I brush between meals.
Peter: Good concept.
Georgia: You should try it.
Peter: I believe I will.
Georgia: Tell me, Peter, why are you here?
Peter (after a brief moment of reflection): I believe religion to be an archaic concept that caters to the insecurities of fragile, ignorant people. And you?
Georgia: Goodbye Peter.
Peter: Goodbye Georgia. Continue reading “From the Mouth of Peter Dowd by Fred Vogel” →

All Stories, General Fiction

This is the End by Adam Kluger

literallystories2014

When it came it was sudden.

There had been a bunch of false alarms and near misses.

Paul Buckington had avoided the inevitable for as long as he could and at some points he thought perhaps, Providence played a part, and at others he credited himself with simply persevering against daunting odds.

Continue reading “This is the End by Adam Kluger” →

All Stories, General Fiction

The Inescapable Touch of Sunset By Leila Allison

literallystories2014

 

The atavistic avatar dropped from space:

“I did it only to see the look on our face.”

1

On his way across the short overpass that unofficially connects Corson Street to Torqwamni Hill, Holly glances down at a small house below. It’s an ugly little fist-like rental that had gone up during the Second World War—as had countless others of its kind in Charleston. Like the caw of a crow or a bit of dandelion fluff getting stuck to your cheek, this house exists only in the moment you share with it. Yet nearly thirty years gone by, the same house had once unclenched and gave Holly a touch of honesty; thus it had it had earned in his mind its own small history.

Continue reading “The Inescapable Touch of Sunset By Leila Allison” →