by Bela Seitz What makes you human? I ask everyone that when I first meet them down here. I’ve heard so many different answers at this point. Perhaps it is our mastery of technologythat sets us apart, the great cities that we have built which invade clouds and continue to expandoutwards and up. As a…
Read moreNot Gone Yet
by Ryan Steven Reed Edmund leaned against the split wood fence and watched Isabella shoe her horse. He spit tobacco flake into the soft, persistent prairie wind and exhaled a line of smoke to the east. The October sun, diligent in its watching, puddled shadows below the feet of Edmund, Isabella, and her horse, Ozy. …
Read moreCold Comfort
by Carol Willis Summer barked and scratched at the back door. The dog’s woofs rattled the windows in their little farmhouse. Maia glanced at Dan, still asleep next to her, his breathing even and regular. She reluctantly peeled the covers off and set her feet down on the cold hardwood floor, wrapping a robe across…
Read moreThe Graveyard Gardener
by C. K. Bickford Sunset was the only time Rose understood what others meant when they said the cemetery was spooky. Shadows reached out from the tombstones like fingeres, searching for loved ones who had lost track of time. The pinks and purples of the sky clashed horribly with the grey stone, like a skeleton…
Read moreBorn Under a Bad Sign
by Lannie Pihajlic I stood there drenched to the bone in my underwear, with only a tenuous hold on reality. For some reason, I thought back to meeting Ronni. It was totally a random thing, meeting Ronni. She would say that it was Destiny, with a capital D. I didn’t believe that kind of thing….
Read moreThe Haunting of Piedras Blancas
by DC Diamondopolous There is no end to my love for Jemjasee. I pace the ragged cliffs, searching the sea for her ship. My longing will not cease until I am entwined in her marble wash of lavender and green arms. It’s dawn. The sunlight’s red varnish stretches across the Santa Lucia Mountains. The mist…
Read moreThe Ethics of Elemental Servitude
by J. Scott King Hodge It was quiet beneath the great stone bridge. A light snow had been falling since early morning and the quay and river ice were blanketed in fresh powder. At the far end of the dock, stowermen huddled around a barrel fire, smoking pipes and warming their hands. An ice rigger,…
Read moreOne Last Thing Before I Go
by Eva Schultz Dear Charlie, I need to say a few things before I go. Captain Mayfield says it’s best to put our affairs in order before a trip like this. I haven’t said anything to you, because I didn’t want to upset you needlessly. But now that it’s time to leave, I realize that…
Read moreCrossing the Barrens
by Paul Stansbury Will was searching the skies over the Barrens. “Will, stop daydreaming,” Ryan called. He stood up, stretching his aching back. “If you want any supper tonight, we need to finish digging the blueroot before nightfall.” “I wasn’t daydreaming, I was looking for it.” “You won’t see it.” “Why?” “Because it landed last…
Read moreThe Greatest Emptiness
by James Moran “Good, I caught your attention.” “Here at the center of the galaxy, you stick out.” “And why’s that?” “The standard of cleanliness you observe surpasses that of the outlaws and murdererssheltering in these parts. Who referred you to me?” “No one. That’s how I was able to find you.” “Explain yourself.” “I…
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