The Day of Judgment

By Archit Joshi In the desert city of Akhmenrah, peace was finally settling after a ferocious battle between King Gohäd and King Dahemòn. The battle had raged on for a decade, causing pitiable destruction of infrastructure and resources. That’s the thing about war. Willing or unwilling, each life is affected, be it a peasant’s or …

Makeup

By Jegadeesh Kumar Vijayalakshmi alias Vj showered, dried her hair, brushed away the thought of having a ponytail and decided to keep a loose hair style. With larger earrings, it’d look graceful if the hair overflowed the ears. She scanned her image in the mirror. The hair was straight, shiny and bubbly. Yatra’s hair was …

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.  …

The Handmaiden

By Mehreen Ahmed Eliza stood in front of her bathroom mirror and squeezed the end of a nearly empty tube of toothpaste. Between her thumb and her index finger, her fingernails turned an inconsistent color of white pink, the plumpness of the tip of her skin diminishing. Breathing short and tight, her lips were thinning …

Tails, You Lose

By Leslie Knibbs He maintains stiletto like eye contact with each of those playing the game. Never looking down, his sharp eyes dart from one player to the next in staccato-like movements.  Under a crude canvas canopy, the crowd gathers eagerly, all placing coins on the table. Standing…... Like some shifty sleight of hand artist …

With Hands Tied

By Fernanda Poblete Gonzalez The door opened, and he entered quickly. He had a coffee cup and a few papers in his hand. He stood in front of me as he adjusted his crooked black tie. "Miss Martinez?" He addressed me. "Yes," I replied, with my hands wet from my anxiety.  “I am Detective Patricio …

Kidnapping

By Fernanda Poblete Gonzalez Robert lifted me into his long arms, as he usually does, and put me in the place that he had been painstakingly preparing. I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen; every hair on my body stood on end, while my pupils slowly dilated. With their false smiles, …

The Oracle

By Mikhail Gladkikh It was dark, dry, and scary in the long corridors leading to the Hall of Corina. The familiar smell of rotten eggs and some other unidentifiable substances filled the dusty air. Jutta visited this place within the Shrine of Hepe every day, yet each time she felt goosebumps on her skin and …

Zinc

By Jim Bates The head of Parks and Recreation, Fred Nicoletti, extended his hat. “Good luck, kid, he winked. “You’re going to need it.” Nothing like a little intimidation to add to my already jangling nerves. I was standing on the north beach of Lake Harriet, getting ready for my final test. I’d passed the …

Reframing Walter

By Russell Richardson Tom felt true affection for his therapist Walter. Unlike confused parents, expectant girlfriends, and demanding employers, Walter accepted Tom unconditionally. For years, the silver-haired man had nodded sagely while Tom talked on the office’s leather couch. When Tom’s ramblings developed into a meaningful thought, Walter expressed satisfaction; when the babble went nowhere, …