Glitter
It took Lydia five minutes to pry Pointer away from the door, where he growled and barked incessantly. With one hand buried in his silken gold coat she cracked the door with the other, the dog howling in distress. “Can’t you read?” Lydia yelled over the wails from Pointer, and then flung the door open. … Continued
Fiction contest winner: Braedan Zimmer
“This narrative has been compressed and pared down to its essentials; the result is an original and distinctive flash fiction in many ways akin to a poem. It’s a story that has a powerful emotional effect. I admire the way the writer has taken our current terrifying situation—inaction on climate change—and made it into a … Continued
For your safety, please hold on
Stop #117 — Kingly and Seventh — 6:54 AM He woke and slowly detangled his body from hers, folding her limbs back on herself like origami. Lost in her dreams, she murmured softly into his shoulder, her hair a tangled veil across her face. He paused, and trailed his fingers down the dinosaur ridges of … Continued
Charged, with love
We met in the local mall. I was hanging out in a department store when he walked in. I noticed him immediately. He was tall, clean-shaven. He wore dusty Carhartts, and his steel toes echoed loudly across the linoleum floor. He looked at me, smiled, and sauntered over. He reached out his hand and touched … Continued
Sunflowers
In the belly of the Blue Moon room, two young prostitutes thrashed on the soiled floor, unable to fall asleep. “Anna? Anna?” “Shh. You’ll never fall asleep if you keep talking.” “Anna, I can’t stop thinking about her.” “Who?” “Theresa.” “Ugh, don’t think about that,” Anna stifled a yawn and sat up, pushing her greasy … Continued
Retirement Planet
It was a quiet Sunday morning, the skies grey and dripping, so Gerald decided to skip his morning walk. Instead, he settled into his favourite armchair with a hot cup of tea and his favourite book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Gerald picked up the book, caressing the spine and the worn yellow-leafed pages … Continued
The velvet flag
I jingled the keys to my Grandmother’s house as we walked up the driveway. The heritage house in Esquimalt sat neglected. There were more weeds than gravel. Some kids had impaled a pumpkin lantern on the wrought iron fence; rusted spikes pierced through the orange flesh. Once yellow and white, it was in bad need … Continued
Backstage
Yannis skipped the line with the appropriate aplomb, glancing over his shoulder to notice it stretch down the block. He shook the hand of the head bouncer, Rufus, who was about the largest, ruddiest Englishman outside the world of professional rugby. He hugged the squat, balding promoter Pablo Carlito Jiminez, and sauntered into the venue. … Continued
U-Lock
“Roll Sound!” Robert Murray shouted as he sped along, while beside him Knuckles ripped through traffic with no apparent care for his life or well-being. At a red light, Knuckles slowed into a track stand, balancing on his pedals while he rummaged through his messenger bag before pausing to shotgun the beer he removed. Then, … Continued
Three’s a crowd
Charlie knew it was his when he saw it. He looked straight past the patches of black paint. All the time his fingertips had spent surfing the endless waves of Craigslist ads and postings in used car Facebook groups had finally yielded the car he yearned for. Kurt nudged his shoulder. His best friend, more … Continued
Sustenance
The kettle whistled on the kitchen stove. Alice took the tea towel that was hanging on the handle of the oven door and wrapped it loosely around her hand. She lifted the steaming kettle from the ring. On her mug were a dozen or so cat-faces. They stared up at her as she dropped a … Continued
The swift epidemic
Scott sits on his light blue arm chair and sips a steaming cup of coffee–this coffee is more bitter than what he drank in his youth. The morning news comes into focus. Sounds from the television start to make their way to Scott. He looks to the window to catch a glimpse of the sunrise. … Continued