The Basket A loose straw pinches the tender flesh between my nail and the tip of my middle finger. I hesitate, unsure if I should withdraw my hand or if I should let the pain linger for a bit longer. I am unloading the basket my husband had received from the bone marrow society as…
Tag: #whatifthemeinfiction
Muesli – by KATE JONES
Muesli After you leave, I sit and stare out of my rain-dotted window, that used to be our window. I stare out at the red-brick buildings. I watch the raindrops drip from the telephone wires like the tears of jilted lovers. I stare into the windows of the apartments opposite, at the contemporary kitchenware and…
Double Trouble – by VOIMA OY
Double Trouble Doubles were supposed to make things easier, weren’t they? The truth is complicated. Jack and Jeri were the perfect couple, but that’s not so surprising. They were compatible even on a molecular level. What is surprising is that they were not happy. They wanted more time together. Jack’s job as a data miner…
The Wish – by JAE MAZER
The Wish Warmth. Wet and gritty, pooled beneath my fluttering eyelids. I opened my eyes and the heat flowed out, trickling down my cheeks and soaking my shirt. I grazed the dampness with my fingertips, then held my hand in front of my face. Shimmering crimson stained the tips of my pallid fingers,…
What If You Need A Pen? – by C R SMITH
What If You Need A Pen? It will be different this year. The words scream out from the very first page of my journal — my hopes for the future writ large. But who was I kidding, this is the last day of the year and it has turned out to be like every other….
Job Creation – by KATE BRADLEY-FERRALL
JOB CREATION HER: How’s the grilled cheese? HIM: Fine. HER: And the wine? HIM: Also fine. HER: Good. HIM: So, what do you want? HER: What do you mean, what do I want? HIM: I mean, what do you want? You never cook dinner unless you want…
The Patch of Darkness – by MARIAH SCHLUETER
The Patch of Darkness Purple cigar smoke choked the air, but the woman remained dead to the world on the corner frozen with the combined efforts of Jack Frost and General Winter. The nameless patch of darkness puffed again. He blew a smoke dragon. It slithered around the woman’s body. The shadow saw…
House of Detachment – by SEBNEM SANDERS
House of Detachment When the memory police knocked on my door, I knew I would be in trouble. “Hi,” I said in the most pleasant voice, trying to hide the painful recollections that had invaded my mind a few minutes ago. “May we come in?” Despite my unwillingness, I had to let them…
Life is Fleeting – by PLEASANT STREET
The corner of his lip curved, his fingers withdrew. She sighed her displeasure. He reached for his glass nestled between two pillows. The liquor gutted him like a machete pulled from flames and thrust into flesh. He would never tell her that the ulcer was flaring again. It was only fair. She was the one…
Butch – by ROBERT BOUCHERON
Butch After so many adventures in foreign lands, in the circus, on the moon, undersea, and that unreported incident in Brooklyn, Dr. Dolittle looked forward to a quiet life. Not retirement—he was still vigorous, at the height of his powers, as round in the middle as he was short. He still dressed as though…
Incident – by VOIMA OY
Incident He is the opposite of me on a molecular level. It’s Friday, and I hoped to avoid him, today. He spots me in the lobby, by the newsstand. “Nice hair, Bailey.” His tone is dripping with irony. I can feel the friction between us. The elevator opens. He gestures for me to get on….
Neck and Neck – by SHEREE SHATSKY
Neck and Neck The dog clears six feet of cedar fence and hits the ground moving. I bolt toward the trampoline with the rest of the neighborhood kids and yell at my brother to run. Grabbing hold of the coiled steel springs, I hurl myself onto the mat, the trampoline dipping and bobbing, alive with…
