By Nicholas Woods Image Courtesy of Nicholas Woods Some mornings start off slow and light and easy. And some mornings, a man gets his heart ripped out. Cliff Fonseca stood in the corner of his bedroom staring at several bills, each tagged with ominous red letters of warning. Menacing words like overdue, interest, and account…
Read moreHappybot
By Caridad Cole I watch myself sleep all night. At least, what I understand sleep to be. It is when the body becomes dormant and the mind is shut off from the outside world. If this qualifies as sleeping, all of us are participating. The figure next to me is as still and unblinking as…
Read moreBoat Ride
By Henry S. Reimert Photo provided by Patrick Shaffer Kari’s bicycle tires crackle and pop as they roll over the crushed oyster shells of the parking lot. She lets the bike coast to a stop and performs a practiced dismount. She lands with a little puff of white dust that spurts out from beneath her…
Read morePROTOCOL THREE TWO SEVEN
By Paul Stansbury “Captain McKennon, why don’t we land in the canyon?” Colvig asked. He looked at the science tech, Palmer, hoping to get her support. She shrugged, remaining silent. “Sure would save Palmer and me a lot of time and effort. I don’t look forward to lowering the equipment down the cliff walls.” Captain…
Read moreThe Way of the Chapels
By Ken Foxe Once, they used to race bicycles up the hill. Sinewy men and women, engorged calves and thighs, on near weightless machines resolutely climbing at what must have seemed like superhuman speeds. They called the race La Flèche, the Arrow, a coincidental harbinger of what the ascent has since become. The hill itself…
Read moreA Daughter’s Choice
By J.F. Sebastian Trigger Warning: Suicide is discussed. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, help is out there. You can call, chat, or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Nathan watched his daughter as she trotted towards a river that spurted from a crack…
Read moreTake My Place
By Nicholas Woods IT WAS FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, and Alexander could recall a menacing feeling in his gut that later he deduced as a warning. Whether from his body, or God, or an otherworldly cautioning, something was trying to tell him that where he was headed was not where he should be. But,…
Read morePack Animals
By Leland Hames Editor’s Note: This is a continuation of “The Bodark“ Mike heard the howls of wolves echoing through the nearby forest as he stood enjoying the warm afternoon sunshine on the house’s front porch. As a field researcher on wolves and wolf behavior for most of his twenty-odd-year career with The U.S. Forest…
Read moreDead Man’s Lake
By J.B. Polk Denis Burbank checked and rechecked his canvas rucksack decorated with what seemed like a zillion pockets and zippers to ensure he had everything he’d need during the trip. The rock hammer. The reactive strips to measure the levels of salinity in the lake. The Ziploc bags and glass tubes to put samples…
Read moreDevil’s Bargain
By Denise Longrie “I’m not worthy. I—I’m not a virgin.” Gods help me; it was the truth. A few gasps escaped from the people gathering outside our front door. Other people tittered. My beloved Vane, the cobbler’s son, stepped away toward the edge of the crowd, but he did not escape Papa’s glare. “The lot…
Read more