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…
Read moreChanging of the Guard
by Curtis Bass Mont Azure San Giorgio 2010 “Come,” the Grand Prince called in response to the urgent knocking on his bedroom door. It was not yet seven o’clock in the morning, when he usually arose. His personal assistant, Andre entered, a worried frown on his face. “Your Serene Highness, I apologize for awakening you…
Read moreStorm Over the Ashlands
by Garrett Kirby Two small, horrendously gaunt forms waited with building anticipation as their father climbed the ancient, rusted ladder leading from the underground tunnels to the ruins above. Both of their mouths were twisted up into large, crooked grins which clearly showcased their avid excitement. When their father assured them it was safe to…
Read moreThe Last of the Kelpies
by Valeriya Salt Geoffrey hurried to his boat, moored to the rocks, eager to get to the priory before evening prayer. The slippery path ran down the sheer cliff, leading to the shore, and Geoffrey needed to strain all his muscles to keep his balance. A heavy basket on his shoulders full of firewood didn’t…
Read moreOffload
by Michael Just It’s just that at night I have to offload, is all. If I don’t offload, I’ll get real sick by morning. Some days, I just call in sick because I haven’t done a complete wipe by the a.m. I appear normally enough. Normally? Is that a word? I have a job, an…
Read moreWelcome Home
by Dan Yokum He’s eighteen now, graduated, and ready to leave the bay. Ready to leave his father who fishes for scraps in the dirty water, and his mother who sells bread on the docks. He’s struggled enough, the misfit, the weirdo. As everyone and everything around him falls apart, he’s still always the kid…
Read moreApril Fooling
by Stephen Kyo Kaczmarek “Frida, you loser,” Rhiannon Gallagher mumbles, “untie me from this chair right now.” Blood cakes against her temple where I’d hit her. That’s got to hurt. It’s not like in the movies, where one tap and the girl goes down. Vlump! It took effort not to kill her. More to get…
Read moreThe Red Glasses
by Doug Devor She should have been hurrying, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. Instead, she walked even slower than her normal pace. Her left shoe squeaked with each step. Perhaps the reason she was dragging her feet was because she didn’t really want to see him. Her grandfather certainly was not a…
Read moreA Whole New Form of Warfare
by James Moran It was hard to locate the scent of our exact meeting spot against the barometric pressure fluctuations. Clouds wandered overhead. The landscape was desert as far as the eye could see. Terrain such as this were common enough for our showdowns. No perceptive species around to witness the flashes, smell the ozone,…
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