-
Purebred Hustle
Fiction by Evan Morgan Williams They arrested Benito Luna in the principal’s office Friday afternoon. Arrested him for the murder of Jontiel Robinson the week before, the corner of Yamhill and 199th, the apartments beneath the tall firs. To be clear, there would be no flowers left on the sidewalk for Jontiel Robinson—such a punk,…
-
The Psychic’s Apprentice
Fiction by Esmé Kaplan-Kinsey The boy needs a job. It’s unfortunate, really. Really, what he’d like to do is sit on a park bench and watch the leaves change from green to ghost. But this foolishness is out of the question, so the boy gets on his computer and loads Craigslist recent job postings. The…
-
Losing Marbles
Fiction By Mikki Aronoff You frown as you watch the cat’s eye, the comet and the clearie spill out from the purple and gold Crown Royal pouch your grandmother gave you decades ago and track them rolling far under the bed. Damn, you think, your bones too stiff to manage, so you remove the chalk…
-
The Race
Fiction by Lisa Thornton I thought no way he’d do it. He was all talk, all the time. He’d always been like that. In high school, it was about how many girls, how many Miller High Lifes. He didn’t need to tell us how fast he could swim back then because he showed us. For…
-
Found Missing
Fiction by Coleman Bigelow It was windy that day, and I remember the chill I couldn’t shake. We were headed to the falls, a favorite hangout above town and the perfect spot to get high. My bike wobbled and I struggled to pedal forward on that county road. Every time the wind gusted, I felt…
-
What’s Left
Fiction by Laura Leigh Morris A woman in a mask cups the baby’s butt, grips her neck. She holds the squirming purple body above the sterile drape, says, “Congratulations, Mom and Dad.” She says the baby’s lungs are full of fluid, that they need to keep an eye on her. I watch, helpless, as they…
-
There is a Season
Fiction by Emily Addis All of my children turned into rocks. Just plain rocks. You’d hardly notice them. I mean, you wouldn’t notice them; I would, because I’m their mother. Lucky for them, too, because if anyone else had found them they’d still be outside right now, getting run over by cars and pissed on…
-
Dear Lazarus
Fiction By John Woods I find my dad in the woods. He stares out at an ancient lake and wanders along the stone shore in his bathrobe, naked underneath, his manhood frozen to a nub. We’ve searched for 36 hours. The hunting party consists of me and his friends equipped with flashlights and cellphones, others…
-
Ask Your Mom
Fiction by Kristi Ferguson Leah stepped through the automatic doors and breathed in the cool air with a sigh of relief. She gave a self-conscious smile to the teenage boy who muttered “Welcome to Walmart,” as he handed over a shopping cart. Sweat dripped down her neck and frazzled hair escaped a makeshift bun. She…