The report of my death was an exaggeration. –– Mark Twain By Michael Keith Ellie Murphy was finally leaving on the trip she had dreamed about her entire adult life. Her fascination with the Far East was born of a desire to track her great-grandmother’s roots in a tiny village…
By Frank Scozzari The door swung open and the silhouette that appeared was undoubtedly that of a ballerina. The figure was sublime and had the fanning outline of a tutu about the waist. “Can I use your phone?” the silhouette cried out. Marge, the fifty-something waitress-proprietor looked over at the…
By Meryl Healy My wavy red curls lie in a pile on the floor; my bloody gold crown lies in a small wooden bowl, and my new brown loafers were ripped from me—in the same way that the bastard Nazis took Mama and Papa. My forearm is crimson and throbbing…
This animal is very bad; when attacked it defends itself. –– Anonymous By Michael Keith Old Doc figured it could be the end for Sweet Breeze when the 6-year-old limped into the stable after the last race. Indeed, the mare herself knew that a racehorse that could no longer run…
By Debra Hanley We arrived before the hearse. Heads turned as the deafening sound of twenty motorcycles rolled through the cemetery. Dressed in jeans and t-shirts layered beneath our vests, many were decorated with military insignia. We parked with precision dismounted, and gathered our flags. Solemnly we took up positions…
By Jennifer Bower How long have you been hiding in those bushes, friend? Lord, you must be freezing. Come on now. Quickly, quickly! Follow me up to the house. It’s a good thing Sister Draper’s baby was delivered without complication, or I might have been out all evening. Is there…
By Jenny Andrews Thank you all for signing up for the Fourth Annual Revive Your Marriage cruise. You will acquire communicative intra and interpersonal interfacing strategies designed to maximize your marital longevity potential factor. Please refer to your participant participation packet. Within this packet you will encounter supportive statistical data,…
By Melissa Stanziale “It looks like a dried up snake,” said my seven-year-old brother William. We stood on the thin, dreary strip of beach, staring at the straight, four-foot-long silvery object. I knelt down to examine it. It was smooth, cool, and odorless. Was it the walking staff of a…
Fate. Time. Occasion. Chance. Change. To these all things are subject. –– Percy Bysshe Shelley By Michael Keith Emil Barry had the usual debate with himself at the gym–whether to use the treadmill or elliptical machine. Each had its benefits, but the treadmill was less demanding, at least the way…
By Carolyn Wright Enshrouded by the black chasm of night, my spirit awaits. The crackling of the grandfather fire and its wood smoke, intoxicate and call me to a time I no longer know. The scent of pine mixed with cedar surrounds my body as it wafts up on its…