Tag webzine

POOR CHARLIEby Alex Desiderius Then she died. She was old. I had to find out how old from mum. “Eighty” she said. That was an impressive number back then. A thousand wouldn’t have been much more impressive. Even after she…

CORDELIA’S CURSEby Priscilla Bettis Five-year-old Cordelia’s little knees trembled as she crouched in the tiny space. The bricklayer had given Cordelia an apple and her very own candle to chase away the darkness if she’d be a good girl while…

JUST A HIKE IN THE WOODSby Morgan Hazelwood When Pat pulled into the slim line of parking spots on the side of the road near the trail, he was a bit startled that there were any spots available, much less…

A BOWL OF SHADOWby Stephen S. Power The only lights in the low-ceilinged basement were a votive candle on the dirt floor, its reflection in the bowl of liquid beside it, and the glow in the eye of the woman…

TAPESTRY OF SCARSby Holley Cornetto “It is perfectly normal for a woman at your stage in life,” the doctor said, wringing his gnarled hands as he revealed to Esme the secrets of being a woman. As if the letters MD…

WENDIGO, GOING, GONEby Adrian Ludens “Mr. Ziebart? I’m Jacqueline Swift. Feel free to call me Lin. I’m one of the resident directors here at Great Lakes Funeral and Cremation Services.” She shook hands with her final client of the afternoon.…

VECTORby Jen Downes There’s something alive in the litter box. Bugsie wouldn’t go near it. I noticed the trouble when he started using a plant pot instead. The first time I scolded and he glared. Second time, I took him…

REPLACEMENT RATEby Robert Beveridge The birth was uneventful. The Junior Nurse swaddled the Child, laid him on the Mother’s sweaty breast. The new Mother struggled to stay awake. An uneventful birth does not mean an easy one. But she fought…

ACCIDENT-PRONEby Chrissie Rohrman The shop’s door opens on a gust of wind, smacking the wall, and Sadie drops the earrings she’s arranging in a countertop display. Cursing the building’s old latches, she sidesteps clothes racks and shuts the door. The…

SHOULD HAVEby Dan Le Fever The hole will always be with you. There wasn’t much else to look at before . . . It was a gash or a tear, tapering down near the earthen floor. Moss grew over the…

LITTLE BOXESby Connie Millard It’s Maya’s birthday, the one after the “big one,” the one she will never forget. Her husband, Greg, hands her a smallish box that is, sadly, too big to be jewelry, though the wrapping is sublime,…

DIVERSION TO FAHLA BHA’LAby Ray Daley We were less than ten miles from home when the call came, across the radio. “Bean, are you there?” Damn it! Why had I let them persuade me to tell them my nickname last…