All Stories, Crime/Mystery/Thriller, General Fiction

The Swamp Tour by Adam Kluger

typewriter

“… There’s a little green frog swimming in the water a little green frog doing what he ought-a … Alright all you gladers… there are 15 species of frogs and snakes in this here swamp and the most deadly of all is Captain Dwayne’s trouser-snake responsible for breaking hearts and busting up trailer parks on both sides of the Okeefenokee. This here’s injun land compadres. You’re on an Indian Reservation and the spirit of the hawk and the water dragon oversees these waterways. Now you calls em gators but we calls em draaaaagons… and if you let old captain Dwayne rev up this here rusty metal wildebeest to 150 miles per hour we’ll just see if we can rustle up some draaaagons for ya … ”  [vrooooom!]

Continue reading “The Swamp Tour by Adam Kluger”

All Stories, General Fiction

She Has Brown Hair, Brown Eyes, and Freckles by Dylan Macdonald

typewriter

Kendall comes home from work at five, takes off her winter coat, takes off her shoes, smiles at me, washes her hands, eats a banana and half a chocolate bar, pours herself a glass of water, sits down next to me on the couch, and puts her glass of water on a coaster. She kisses me.

“You know I drink eight gallons of water every day,”  she says with such certainty.

Sometimes she can believe even the most impossible things.

“You definitely don’t.” Surely, that would be impossible.

“Yes I do! Don’t say that.”

Continue reading “She Has Brown Hair, Brown Eyes, and Freckles by Dylan Macdonald”

All Stories, General Fiction, Romance

A History by Nina Loard

typewriter

“Good luck.” Peter kisses the top of my head and walks out the door, turning his key in the lock. I sip my coffee, curled up in the leather chair by the window. Finally, the house is quiet. If I prayed anymore, I would pray. The job would mean more stability. Peter hadn’t wanted me to work when we married, but we are past that as an option. As much as I want to be excited for a new start, doubt rolls in and blankets everything. I’m not qualified for the position. I have to go through the motions to show him I’m trying. I hate wasting time. I drain the cold remnants of my cup and allow for one slow, arching stretch.

Continue reading “A History by Nina Loard”

All Stories, Crime/Mystery/Thriller, General Fiction

Passed On by Hugh Cron – Adult Content

typewriter

 

“Paula! Come in! Sit down beside your old Granny Lizzie… I want to tell you some things.”

“Another one of your stories gran? Are you not too tired?”

“Tired? Not now. I’ll be dead soon, so even if I wanted to sleep, I’ve not got the time. You need to hear this.”

Continue reading “Passed On by Hugh Cron – Adult Content”

All Stories, General Fiction

The Other Woman by David Jordan

typewriter

Jason and I watch the morning news as we get dressed to go for a walk in the snow. There is a warning of a coming storm. The weatherman says a foot of snow could fall tonight.

“Did you buy gas for the–” I begin to say, but the last word won’t come to mind. I try inserting different words in my head to see if they fit: gas stove, Toyota, lawnmower-no, not the lawnmower during winter. My body shakes with frustration, and my head begins to ache when Jason suggests:

“The snowblower?”

“Yeah,” I say, “the snowblower.”

“It’s ready when we need it,” he says.

“Okay,” I say, and I relax again as we finish getting dressed.

Continue reading “The Other Woman by David Jordan”

All Stories, General Fiction, Horror, Humour

Blood And Bigotry by Hugh Cron – Adult Content

typewriter

The two rather dishevelled men walked up the street. They weren’t very big, they weren’t very handsome. They certainly weren’t very clever. Normally fate would decide that due to these short-comings they would have been given very interesting characters or gracious manners. But no! Not these two, they were both arseholes.

Continue reading “Blood And Bigotry by Hugh Cron – Adult Content”

All Stories, General Fiction

The Crossed Star of Bethlehem by Irene Allison

typewriter

“’Don’t move’? ‘Stay put’? Best mark thy lollipop-hole, Mouthy Munchkin, lest I break a ruby slipper off in your—”

Last Words, Wicked Witch of the East (Harriet Shelby’s Epitaph)

Continue reading “The Crossed Star of Bethlehem by Irene Allison”

All Stories, General Fiction, Humour

The Amalgamated Union of Pennames and Imaginary Friends by Leila Allison

typewriter

There may be organizations more useless in the universe than my union, but I’m at a loss to name one. Just this afternoon I was seated at the wrong side of my rep’s desk; and although the gent eventually professed sympathy for my plight, I could tell from his er-ing and hmmm-ing, uh-ing and you-don’t-saying, that when it came to fixing a grievance, he’d be as effective as a chimpanzee pitted against Einstein in an equation smack-down at Math Camp.

Continue reading “The Amalgamated Union of Pennames and Imaginary Friends by Leila Allison”

All Stories, General Fiction, Romance

An Easy Choice to Make by Hugh Cron – Adult Content

typewriter

Mary closed the door behind her, the third chime from the grandfather clock was just a memory from her hall. She walked down the front path into the darkness. It was cold, so cold. Her gloved hand held them tightly; the reason for her torment.

Continue reading “An Easy Choice to Make by Hugh Cron – Adult Content”