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Latest Stories

March 19, 2024
Fantasy Stories Wondering Monk

Just My Imagination

The alarm clock went off and started playing an awful tune. Tom opened his eyes and closed them back, squinting. He reopened one eye and stood up to stop the torture. The phone was on the desk, in the furthest spot from the bed. Although he changed his way of…
March 19, 2024
Science Fiction Stories Ocelotlzin

Earth Is Dead

Recording… It doesn't matter who I was; I probably lived a long time ago, and I am now just a voice someone added to the audio-visual records. What is essential is the recollection of events that lead to the current state. So, a little history needs to be…
March 08, 2024
Flash Fiction Benoit

Some Enchanted Evening

It was a rugby tackle with tears: Chrissy burst in, sobbing and babbling, hugging James. Her face was all wet, eyes wild. What…? My parents split up, Dad has moved in with his boyfriend and I cannot join them. I am shut out. I have lost my dad. Torrent of…
March 08, 2024
Horror Stories Marvel Chukwudi Pephel

In The Hands Of My Legs

The car pulled up in front of the large salon. The neon sign, that sexy broad thing, on the salon'sroof read "Mr. Gil's All-night Salon". The exhaust pipe of the car was pumping solid smoke, theswirls moving from the car and towards the salon.…
March 07, 2024
Mystery Stories Vanessa Leigh Giles

Casualty of Love in the Time of Coronavirus

Chapter 1 Until Death do us Part ‘Ring, ring!’. I answered the telephone and asked, “Hello, good evening. Who’s this? “Hello.” This is Dr. Smith from Red Cross hospital. “Is this Mr. Locke, John?”, he asked, hesitantly scratching his bald head. “Yes, doctor.…
March 07, 2024
Crime Stories Robert Pook

Bar Room Trigger

Another return journey on footpaths so familiar. He strides across each crack in each paving stone. Regular loose drain covers sidestepped. Mapping long ago mapped in Richard’s desolate mind. His pace hastened by the sight of the oncoming storm. Quickening…
March 04, 2024
Horror Stories Ano Chinemerem

Sanctity

Where should I begin? I could begin by telling you about this comely boy, whom every notable person around the streets agrees his smile could charm the bills off one. Between one smile, there was his goodness, his dreams and humanity—a little far ahead?— but…
March 04, 2024
Flash Fiction Emanuel Diaz

Et Mortui Partium

As Rafael stepped out into the rain, it wasn't the ordinary drops that fell from the sky. Instead, it was a storm of souls, each one taking the form of shimmering jewelry as it cascaded toward the ground. Rubies, diamonds, and sapphires twinkled amidst the…
February 29, 2024
Poetry Jing Li Ava

London

‘Am I in London?’ "I am." Where is Elizabeth? Happy living story All of your chapter Bounlance joy Please my heart Power hand Wise mind Our baby Vow vow Love all love Miss I miss Endless wonder Bring us together Love all love Miss I miss For everything My…
February 29, 2024
Flash Fiction Rob Pook

Life Sentence of The Smith

Born nine months after his country won the World Cup.A child prodigy.Cast off at age twenty-four.Husband, father, emigree, away on the other side of the world.The blue-collar life.The dreams of success.The search for fulfillment.The long years of empty…
February 29, 2024
Mystery Stories Joshua Lowther

The Operator

Jason looked over to his right, his eyes barely able to focus themselves on the subject of his attention. His neck ached terribly from the strenuous movement. He was tired. The captain’s gaze came to rest on the rookie sonar operator sitting tense at his…
February 29, 2024
Flash Fiction Salvatore Difalco

The Chute

At dusk, we left our unit with a soft pink bundle. I carried it through the wet streets and into the black woods. I said I’d take it all the way, the bundle, but that we had to drop it in together. My wife’s green eyes flashed. “Don’t make me do that.” I…

Two hobos walked by the side of the road, both were thirty-five, unshaven, and wearing denim. One of them was wearing a red bandana. They were on the shoulder of the road and a truck flew by them; they made no attempt for a ride. They walked single file, the sun was beating down, and the men sweated. One of the hobos stopped and wiped his face with his shirt tail. He’d been in Vietnam and his life hadn’t gone that well since. He looked up into the sun. The second hobo waited for him, a pasture was all around them. The first hobo started to walk again, he walked a ways before the second one started again. The second one fell to the ground and didn’t move.

The first hobo saw lights in the distance and felt better. He kept walking; he didn’t know where Tyrone was. He was getting on his nerves anyhow so maybe it was better they split up. Every man for himself - he learned a long time ago. He was coming to a town. Once in town, he looked for the camp. There were around ten other hobos, and drifters and vagabonds around a couple of fire pits and some lean tos made out of scraps of wood, sheet metal and cardboard. He sat by a fire and another tramp handed him a cup of coffee. One or two of the men asked him questions, and one of the men asked him about his brother who he expected any day now. The hobo answered he travelled alone. The man said his brother wore a red bandana. The hobo wanted to change the subject and asked about work and a man told him about the orchards about a half mile away. The man told him women from the church came and wanted to have meetings. He said a preacher came one time but couldn’t get anyone to listen to him. The townspeople didn’t like them much so they stayed either in camp or at the orchard if there was work. He said there wasn’t any work right now but he hoped that would change soon. There were blankets to sleep with - the old and sick got the lean tos, and you could eat from the “pot” for five dollars a week otherwise you were on your own. A man played a guitar and the music made him wistful.

He heard a train whistle in the distance, he remembered the time he hopped a train from Oklahoma to Texas. He felt hungry but didn’t have five bucks. He thought he had something and went through his pockets and found three dollars. He gave it to the man who’d talked to him and he said he could eat for three nights. He went to where the man was cooking over a fire and he told him to take a cup. He picked up a battered tin cup from the table and the man filled it with stew. He said he could fill it one more time. The hobo went back to the fire, and tasted the stew, but it was too spicy so he dumped it back. That other man was there too and he asked him again about what road he came to town on, and talked about how his brother was travelling the same way, and the hobo figured he was talking about Tyrone, but didn’t let on. The other man watched him for a long time, and the hobo was silent.

The man said he talked to his brother the other night on the phone at the filling station, and he started whittling; he shaved the bark off a stick with menacing purpose. He told the hobo his name was Thomas and he was looking for his brother, Tyrone. He told the hobo he thought he was Tyrone because he came to camp at the same time he expected Tyrone. The hobo spread his hands and shrugged his shoulders; he felt Thomas’s distrust of him. Thomas played with the knife in his hands. The hobo had the idea to tell Thomas he’d passed a stiff on the road with a red bandana, but didn’t. He asked Thomas where the train ran and Thomas pointed. Thomas played with the knife. The hobo wanted to sleep but felt unsettled; Thomas was making him anxious. He thought again about telling him he passed a hobo with a red bandana, but realized that would only make him more distrustful.

He couldn’t go back; he had to stick to his story that he didn’t know who Tyrone was. He realized he had to move on; maybe in the morning he would hop a train and go anywhere away from Thomas. That the way it was for him when there were problems – he moved on. He loved Sandy and she broke his heart and he took to wandering. He enlisted for Vietnam to make her proud and she broke his heart. The music made him sorrowful. He worked and never begged from no one; he took pride in that, but didn’t like interacting with others; it was always hurtful somehow so he kept moving. There were kind people in the world and there were devils, and he was wounded by both. There was a time when he tried to figure that out, but he’d given up. He understood there was something wrong with him, but he didn’t hurt anyone else so he had nobility. Other hobos would talk to him about Jesus and he would walk away. He had moments when he stood by a lake or in the forest when he felt connected to something greater than himself, and that would calm him, and all he could figure was it must be God in some form or other. He almost killed himself a couple of times; once in Vietnam, and a couple of times after he got home. After Sandy betrayed him he got in a bar fight and was in the hospital for a month. He saw young couples and it reminded him of him and Sandy and he couldn’t free himself from that; the only thing was to keep searching, keep searching. Thomas was staring at him from across the fire. He wanted to sleep. He stood up and went and got a blanket. He found some thick grass and lay down and tried to sleep.

He felt the coolness on his face and heard voices. It took him a few seconds to realize where he was. He sat up. He saw the back of a man with a red bandana, and knew he had to get out. He grabbed his denim jacket and headed in the direction from where he’d heard the train whistle. Soon he was in some woods and stopped running. He found a path and walked on that until he came to the tracks. His stomach was empty. He walked the tracks until he found a mail drop and waited. He didn’t know where he was other than he was in Pennsylvania somewheres. He sat off the track and waited; the sun was beating down. He wondered when Tyrone came into camp. He fell asleep for how long he did not know.

He woke and from the sun knew it was mid-day. He thought he heard something in the woods and tilted his head to hear better. He heard something rustle, then, it was quiet. He pictured Thomas and Tyrone with knives drawn tracking him in the woods. He figured a train should come along anytime now. It was hot and bright. He thought he only had so much time before the brothers found him. He flinched when he saw a snake near him; he watched it slither away. He wiped the sweat from his brow, and his stomach ached.  He wanted some water. He looked up and saw birds circling in the sky, he felt light-headed and heard the babbling of water nearby. He stumbled when he stood up and looked for water. He found the stream and dropped to his knees and the stream disappeared. He was on his hands and knees looking at the ground. He heard the whistle, and told himself to get up. He got upright and went back to the tracks and saw the smoke of the train in the distance. After some more time, he heard the whistle, and saw the train in the distance. He watched the train as it got closer and closer, and it was slowing down to make the mail drop. He started to run along the side of the track. The engine went by him and he looked for an open door and the ladder to jump onto. He saw the open door and ran along with the ladder next to him until, instantly, the train disappeared. He stopped running and was panting. His senses were playing tricks with him and he was light-headed. He sat by the side of the track; sweat was on his face, and nothing was in focus. He needed food to get stronger; to be a hunter and not quarry.

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