Category: General Fiction

All Stories, General Fiction

Life on Life’s Terms by Penny Faircloth

literallystories2014

Jean-Pierre had been an engineer of Swiss watches. He had retired at forty-five after a very successful, brief career of twenty-two years. The thing on his arm looked like an aqualung. It weighed enough to make him feel it resisting his movements. Its face was extra thick, and the chunky bezel shone like a chrome grille. He had puzzled out its inner intricacies himself; he had made it as complicated as he could do. That had been his goal: the most complicated watch I can make—for no other reason than that. Just to do it.

Continue reading “Life on Life’s Terms by Penny Faircloth” →

All Stories, General Fiction

Morbidity by David Flynn – ADULT CONTENT

literallystories2014

John Martin was hired by a funeral home.  Retired, poor, he was to be night watchman.  Alone in the former mansion, a Victorian, all he had to do was wear his uniform, walk around the four stories, including the attic and the basement, and make sure nobody had broken in.

Continue reading “Morbidity by David Flynn – ADULT CONTENT” →

All Stories, General Fiction, Short Fiction, Writing

Collars And Cuffs by Hugh Cron – Strong Adult Content

gwencron

“You’ve never told me why you and Chris split up?”

“Does it matter?”

“No, but you’re hurting.”

“Don’t say that mum, I’m not fucking hurting.”

“…Sounds like your fine.”

Continue reading “Collars And Cuffs by Hugh Cron – Strong Adult Content” →

All Stories, General Fiction

Seeing Music by Melissa Feinman

literallystories2014

Between 2000 and 2011, 215 people in America died from objects falling off buildings. And no, in the scheme of mass shootings and domestic homicides and car accidents, this statistic is nothing. Irrelevant. Flaccid, lifeless. The likelihood of a carpet bag filled with steel hammers falling twenty-nine stories, making contact with your skull, and fusing a metal-and-brain sandwich into hot concrete is nearly zero. For the most part, you should feel inclined to leave your protective headgear at home.

Continue reading “Seeing Music by Melissa Feinman” →

All Stories, General Fiction

Blowing Across the Top By Michael Foy

literallystories2014

Maya waits on the church stage in an ankle length black dress with white stripes holding a flute. She stares at a giant window covered in coloured plastic panels that play with the light. Looking at all those colours, she can’t tell if outside is cloudy, raining, or sunny. One blue panel has a spider web crack across its surface.

Continue reading “Blowing Across the Top By Michael Foy” →

All Stories, General Fiction

On a Balcony in Bucharest by Irina Popescu

literallystories2014

He lights a cigarette on their small balcony that overlooks the main children’s park beneath. It’s dark already, so the only rumbling he hears is from lonely street dogs and teenage couples. He takes long deliberate drags from it, letting the smoke settle on his lips for a moment before deciding to blow it out. He watches as the smoke meets the air, blurring the horizon underneath him. His wife approaches the balcony from their living room. He hopes she would not scold him again for smoking. He knows it’s bad for him. As soon as she steps out, he starts,  Continue reading “On a Balcony in Bucharest by Irina Popescu” →

All Stories, Crime/Mystery/Thriller, General Fiction, Short Fiction

 A Little Bit Toasty By Ben Gamblin

literallystories2014

“Reload the story,” Harry said.

“Harry, I just—”

“Please?”

Kenneth sighed and clicked the arrow icon. Their network connection was slow in the mornings and the page reconfigured slowly. First came the bold, enlarged headline, followed by the ads. The smaller print loaded last. Kenneth and Harry skimmed the entire article again but it read the same as before, no updates or revisions of any kind. The suspect is in a blue Volkswagen Passat heading southbound on I-5. Police are urging other motorists to avoid—

Continue reading ” A Little Bit Toasty By Ben Gamblin” →