“Take Them to Church” by Monica Brietenstein
For as long as I can remember, my daughter asked me to take her to church. . . .
Category: Original Fiction
“Free Paint” by Aaron Fox-Lerner
When we weren’t shoplifting, me and Sach 72 would go to the Bay Ridge yard and jump kids for their paint . . .
“Anguilla Day Boat Race” by Trudy Nixon
The magnificent yacht followed the racing boats into the roughest part of the channel—where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean . . .
“On the House” by Seamus Scanlon
It was a rainy day in Galway. Nothing new—Galway and rain are synonymous, along with fog, mist, hailstones, slippery footpaths, pneumonia . . .
“Tu Mejor Amiga” by Carmen Jaramillo
I felt like God, even though I must’ve been the palest lady on Vía Argentina. I was one lone gringita standing outside a bar full of red lights and Don Omar music, watching people use the tens and twenties tucked in their fingers for cab fare or a bottle of rum to mix with Coca-Cola. I was just a dirt-broke chick who sprinted out of the States like a scalded rat, hoping I’d never see certain people again . . .
“One time this was fun” by Hillary Fink
I feel myself drift away. My body is no longer mine, and the words coming out of my mouth sound foreign and out of character. The car starts to pick up, and my friend’s laugh sounds as though it is light-years away, even though she is so close her hand is on top of mine . . .
“Cranberry’s Last Dance” by Sean Gill
My rusted Pontiac bounced from pothole to pothole and swung into the factory lot. Another overcast day, all dirty snow and no sun. In Northeast Ohio, pessimism is the great common denominator—hoping for sunshine on a winter’s day is as fruitless as wishing upon a star, expecting a quiet lunch break, or rooting for the Browns . . .
“In Paris” by Jennifer Solheim
You flatten your body across the bed. The early afternoon sunlight feathers over you. You grant it permission . . .