All Stories, General Fiction

Missed Connections by J.D. Strunk

On that day, as on most days, the 8:22 was right on time. Book in hand, I boarded a nearly empty car and secured a seat facing west, so as to avoid the blistering fire of a Colorado sunrise. The city burned amber and rose as the doors dinged closed and the train lurched forward. I gazed out the window as we glided out of downtown, past campus, and under 6th Avenue. At Broadway we met I-25, which we would parallel for the remainder of the journey south.

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All Stories, General Fiction

Always, Winona by Hannah Richardson

Her name was Winona. Winona on damp, drizzly school days when she raised her hand fearless of appearing callous or insufferable. Winnie on wine-dark nights she downed canned gin cocktails and let her nose go runny under porch lights. Nona inside her honey-sulked home where windows overlooked fields of magnolias whose petals sunk under the weight of thunderstorms.

But she was always Winona to me.

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All Stories, Crime/Mystery/Thriller

Creep by Boshra Rasti-Ghalati

The turbulence on the plane makes my skin creep. I hate airplanes, motion that I can’t control. Two lanes down I see the back of a punk’s rainbow colored mohawk. What makes someone decide to get a haircut like that? The air hostess is giving him some advice about transferring at the airport. He’s transferring, he wouldn’t be allowed in Doha looking like that.

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All Stories, Crime/Mystery/Thriller

The Sicilian by James Hanna

typewriter

Ask any shrink or probation officer, “What is the most troubling kind of client?”  You will hear the same answer every time: stalkers.  Not the run-of-the-mill stalker—the jilted boyfriend type—but the schizo who obeys no authority save the voice inside his head.  Lecture him, he will not listen.  Warn him, he will not be impressed.  Put him in jail and when he gets out he is likely to stalk you.

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