Arranged

By Rivka Shlesinger ‘Come out. You are going to meet him and you will like him.’ The bangs on the bathroom door increased. Jessica knew she’d have to open eventually, but for now she yelled, ‘No!’ The bangs stopped for a moment and she heard muffled voices. Her parents were out there discussing her future.  …

Southern Sweet Mint Tea

By Nancy Lou Henderson As Elsa filled the small pan with water at the sink, she looked out the kitchen window, and her mind wandered back to her childhood. (How many times had she done this same routine early in the morning of a hot summer day?) When she had filled the pan with just the …

The Happiness Tale

By Tim Law Tom met Sally on a Tuesday. He was five and she three. They both lived on Long Street in a little country town near the Copper Triangle. Long Street was a hard packed dirt road that joined the town’s heart to the main highway. Locals sped along that road like startled snakes …

The Nuptial Dance in Xs and Ys

By Michael De Rosa Melete and I were in the same college math class. I would see her three times a week at 9 AM. Coming in early but not crowding around the prof's desk as the other early birds, I would always sit in the same place. Melete, with her auburn hair and a …

Conned

By James Dunn Second Lieutenant James Dawson made his way through the Happy Hour crowd at the Charleston Air Force Base Officer’s Club bar and ordered a glass of white wine. After he took a sip his friend and squadron mate, First Lieutenant John Tamkun came up from behind and nudged his arm. “Glad you …

The Observation

By John Page I open the door to my house. I call for Christine, my fiancée, to help me put away the groceries. We have been dating for about four years and decided to move in together before the wedding.  She is a very funny and quirky person. She likes to ask people a lot …

New Neighbors

By John Page I had just finished unloading everything off the moving truck when I heard the sound of a loud dog barking. This might sound odd but I’m really afraid of dogs. I think it’s because back in my hometown there was this wizard that liked to mess with me by summoning a shadow …

Phobia

By Dawn DeBraal When Tonya met Todd, she knew she had a good one. Todd was funny, respectful, polite, and attentive. They had been dating for almost a year. Tonya felt he might be Mr. Right. Whenever she started to question her decision, Todd showed up to reinforce his good qualities. How could she doubt …

Coffee and Rain

By Mehreen Ahmed As a lightning crackled, Claudia drew the curtains apart. She stood before the long French windows of her penthouse apartment and looked down at a wet alley. The cobblestones of the boulevard shone in the falling rain of dismal clouds. It hadn’t rained for days. She yawned and then she stretched. Across …

Waking You Up

By Nancy Lou Henderson   There was an aroma of coffee perking, as the alarm buzzed loudly. Elsa knew it was time to get out of bed, but she laid there thinking, with her eyes closed, before turning the alarm off. She loved the bookstore downstairs, but as the owner, she knew it had monopolized …