the trouble is: behind him,a crowd of whispers saysyou can, it is of worth, you can. do you not see how sick i amdo you not see what happenedto all the other chances, this body,this heart. the grass roadsidehas gone from green to brown.do you not see the waste heatthat’s become of me there’s good […]
Sisyphus, Mid-Flight, by Leah Bobet Keep Reading »
One From the Vaults Genevieve asks: Have you ever dug anyone up? Surprisingly enough, yes. Or at least, I’ve witnessed a disentombment—removing someone from a mausoleum niche—and bits and pieces of several disinterments, or exhumations—opening a grave. Working at a funeral home attached to a cemetery has its advantages. All the corpse relocations that I’ve
Ask a Necromancer, by Amanda Downum Keep Reading »
OCTOBER 2023, SHORT STORY, 2900 WORDS Prefer to read this as an EPUB or PDF? Join our Patreon and instantly download issue 30: The frightening thing about Aunt Tae praying was that she never prayed, not anymore—not since Padilla flooded, she always said. Flooded. An absurd word. Flooded means that water moves, that it has
All the Things I Know About Ghosts, By Ofelia, Age 10, by Isabel Cañas Keep Reading »
Día de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Mexico and wherever Mexicans living abroad can be found. Normally falling on November 1 and 2, in some regions such as Oaxaca it can extend for much longer, being traditionally celebrated from October 31 to November 6. You need that much time if you are going to do
When I pole my boat off the shoals I see her:wavering, rip-step, shadow of arms.I can pierce her with a thought.I trail her off my broad back, I drag her body—slim as it is, made of air and memory as it is—across the shallows as I turn the craft about.Her open mouth eats up the
Kagewani, by Betsy Aoki Keep Reading »
OCTOBER 2023, SHORT STORY, 4200 WORDS Prefer to read this as an EPUB or PDF? Join our Patreon and instantly download issue 30: The girl watches the forest taking over the street and changing buildings, people, and rubbish into trees, bushes, and animals. The world elongates, darkens, and gains shades of green, brown, and burnt
In the Forest of Talking Animals, by Makena Onjerika Keep Reading »
thistle she’s a princess who romances thornswears necklaces of needle-sharp pearls plucked from her father’s brow strung on mother’s graying hair if you try to steal a kiss she will give you her lips plucked fresh from the stemtwin pink shells of flesh sitting soft in your palmwhispering hallelujah notes to your shame her shameis colorblind // ravens are her
Bathsheba’s Corsage, by Elena Sichrovsky Keep Reading »