Fiction - Year IV - Number 27 - August 2019

LECHERYby Alex R. Encomienda Gene and Phillip walked into the tiny, tin-box shaped coffee shop uptown of Ithaca and picked a quiet spot by the window. As they sat down, Gene realized that he had...

SHOPby ML Paul Like a photo plucked from developer too soon, she appeared underdeveloped to herself as she looked in the mirror of the third floor bathroom.   To correct this problem, she opened her laptop,...

HOW TO BUILD A BRICK WALKby David Landsperger     It was a beautiful Sunday morning in July and he knew exactly what to do with it. Doing nothing would give him too much time to think,...

SAFETYBy Victoria Harris Keep your distance from her. That’s what has always kept you safe. Sane. Next time she tries to draw you into a conversation about yourself, steer it elsewhere. And don’t have so...

A BORING LIFEby Barbara Borst “You’re not really going, are you?”Laura wasn’t sure which of the guests milling about her living room had lofted that question over the din.“Of course not,” she replied to them...

PUNCH DRUNKBy Annabelle Baptista I clutched my jaw as if I’d been sucker punched.  Genevieve looked up from my case file, her piercing grey eyes like pressed pickleloaf from some kindergartener’s soggy lunch sack. Over...

THE YOUNG WARIORSby Steve Slavin 1The day before I left for basic training, I sat in Katz’s, a massive family style delicatessen on the Lower Eastside. Widely known for its delicious pastrami, corned beef, and...

GHOSTSby David Rogers When the ghosts started to appear, I knew it was only a matter of time til Stephen would show up. Again.#“Laura, you’re out of uniform,” Jimmy Neutron said. Like Joe’s Mexican Restaurant...

STREET OF ANOTHER WISHby Judson Blake They discussed it several times. How it would be straightforward and might even be fun, moving, really, only across town. There would be more space than they had now....

THE DAY OF THE FIREby Jeff Bakkensen There’s a special smile when they see you walking a dog. Like, Yep, one of the tribe. Mei’s said pregnant women get it too, earlier than you’d think. But...