The ocean feels far away in the dry redness. The succulents and cacti and scrub are too brown or too washed-out green to cut through the aching and endless brightness. Dilapidated fences of powdering wooden stakes and ancient strands of barbed wire run parallel to the road. Asphalt is bleached white by the sun and … Continue reading
Category Archives: Fiction 2017
Joy—Josh Patrick Sheridan
A group of boys lines up on the third-base side of an overgrown ball field, kicking sneaker toes at the chalky earth and chewing on the sides of their fingers. The sun above them pulses and stares, the wind having died to nothing, but the boys stand still and content and thirsty, waiting to be … Continue reading
Encounters with the Man Inside My Wall—Jason Namey
Twelve months after Jose vacated the second bedroom, twelve months spent eating peanuts and microwave pizza under the hum of reality TV—Fourteen months after he found me jerking off to Facebook pictures of his sister, taken when she could still walk, and he punched me in the face, and she stopped coming over to watch … Continue reading
Horses—Bill Vernon
A series of storms trapped him inside so long, he envied the animals’ freedom to roam in their pastures. Within a day he felt like King Tut, Cincinnati Zoo’s silverback gorilla, whom he identified with, pacing back and forth in a cage. He was full of oats, as his farmer-father and mother used to say. … Continue reading
Springtime Ride
Year 1941 The hot sun was balanced out the spring sea breeze as I lay the sand—my feet bare. I had my eyes closed, already having the island’s scenery memorized, perfectly content with the peaceful atmosphere. I listened to the birds’ songs, the waves crashing, and the palm tree leaves rustle. “Are you asleep, Mrs. … Continue reading
