Fiction: The Beloved Comes Home
Mary rose from the grass slowly, brushing a few stray blades from her knees, using the headstone for support. She remembered a time when she stood effortlessly from a cross-legged sit, long legs unfolding like a newborn foal’s. “You okay, Ma?” her son asked. “Need a hand?” Mary allowed herself to be guided to her […]
Fiction: They Persisted
The good news is that the puppy is scratching and whining at the back door instead of peeing on Marla’s hardwood kitchen floor. The bad news is that it’s almost midnight on a frigid February night. Marla grabs her coat and the leash and heads outside to “the spot” in the partially-fenced back yard. Her […]
Fiction: How Jeff Got That Scar
Jeff hesitated outside Alice’s dorm room door. It was early morning, and he could hear faint chirps of alarms going off in some of the nearby rooms. He raised his fist to knock on Alice’s door, but changed his mind. He wanted to see her more than he’d ever wanted anything. He wanted to tell […]
Fiction: The Doorbell
Darkness had fallen hours earlier. The moon was high over the lush summer treetops. Emily, who had been drowsing on the sofa since suppertime, awoke with a start. “What? Oh, I must have fallen asleep,” she said to the empty room. She arose from the sofa and stretched, then looked around the dimly lit room. […]
A Head Full of Snow: A 50-word microfiction
By the time John walks home from school and sees her in the kitchen, his mom has gone cold. He sits down next to her on the wooden floor and touches her nose and cheek. John waits for the white powder around her nose to melt, but it never does.
The New Abnormal: A 50-word microfiction
For decades, Stacy’s bedtime was three a.m., after Channel Four played the Star Spangled Banner and signed off for the night. Now, Stacy and Channel Four are always on. At three a.m., she is spooning Dilaudid into her mom’s mouth. Stacy hums the anthem. Her mom’s eyelids flutter, then close.
Togetherness: A 50-word microfiction
They’re sitting together on the sofa, separated by the dog. The latest episode of General Hospital is halfway over. She gets up. The dog gets up too. “Want me to pause it?” he asks, staring at his phone. “Don’t bother,” she answers. “Want anything from the kitchen?” He doesn’t answer.
Feeling Stuck? Try a Writing Prompt!
Even the most prolific writers among us can’t always come up with ideas for stories. It can be very frustrating sometimes to sit down in front of your paper or in front of your laptop and just stare, waiting for an idea to come. Sometimes, we just don’t know what we want to write about! When this […]
