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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…

Virtually every New Yorker believes that the worse the weather, the harder it is to get a cab. Tonight was bitter cold, and the only taxis Esther saw had their “Off Duty” signs lit. She had just about decided to walk the two long blocks to the subway station when she heard a car horn honking.

The driver pulled over to the curb and rolled down his window. He looked familiar.

“Esther, right? You were at the party.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s me, Artie Finger. I’m a friend of the lady who gave the party.”

“OK.” She wondered who would ever want to be named Artie Finger?

“Look, if you’re going downtown, I can give you a lift. I’m headed back to Brooklyn.”

Oh, why not? It would be a lot better than waiting on a deserted subway platform.

He reached over, pushed open the door, and she climbed in. She thanked him for giving her the ride.

It was such a relief to get into a warm car. He had the heat turned up full blast. She leaned back and closed her eyes. After just a few seconds it hit her – that godawful smell! What was it? Rotten eggs? A dead fish? Whatever it was, she began to debate which was worse – the smell inside the car or the bitter cold outside?

Luckily it wasn’t too far to where she lived. Obviously she couldn’t just hold her breath. Maybe she could breathe through her mouth. Then she began to wonder how Artie Finger could stand the smell.

Seemingly completely unaware, he was making small talk. She tried not to listen, but she did need to be polite. Fortunately, when he asked a question, it required just a simple yes or no. He was quite content to do all the talking.

Mercifully, they soon pulled up in front of her building just as she felt a wave of nausea coming on. As she reached for the door, he leaned over to kiss her. That’s when she discovered the source of that smell.

Esther managed to extract herself from the car, but not before his lips brushed against hers. She slammed the door shut and he pulled away. Had he checked his rearview mirror, he might have seen her doubled over, puking her guts out all over the sidewalk.

She then felt much better. She got out her key, let herself in, and trudged up the four flights to her apartment. Her roommate was away for the weekend, so she had the place to herself. She stripped off her clothes, leaving them all over the floor, and took a nice long warm shower. As she was getting into bed, Esther knew that first thing in the morning, she would take her clothes to the cleaners.

When she woke up, the sunlight was streaming in. Before she was out of bed, Esther was thinking about the strange dream she had had. She was in a TV commercial – with Artie Finger.

Esther: (holding her nose) You have bad breath!

Artie: I do?

Esther: Listen sewer mouth, You need to spray this into your mouth. (She hands him the spray.)

Artie accepts the spray from her, and after Esther leaves he vigorously sprays his mouth. In the next scene, he is surrounded by a group of beautiful and adoring young women.

 

From time to time through the rest of the day, Esther would smile as she remembered her dream. She was smiling when she went to bed that night. Soon she was dreaming. She and Artie Finger were in another commercial.

Esther: (holding her nose) You have B.O.!

Artie: B.O? What’s B.O.?

Esther: B.O. stands for body odor, you moron! (She hands him a large canister.) Here, use this!

After she leaves, he pulls off his shirt and sprays himself liberally under each arm, and then works his way down his torso. Then he loosens his belt and aims the spray down his pants.

 

The next morning, Esther began to seriously consider a career change. Perhaps there was a future on Madison Avenue making bad breath and B.O. spray commercials. She certainly had the requisite life experience.

Once she began receiving huge residual checks, she would get her own apartment. This place was just too damn small! That’s why she and her roommate, Arlene, scrupulously honored one basic rule: no sleepovers! Not that either of them had had all that many “hot dates.”

Since tomorrow was a workday, she went to bed well before midnight. Just as she was falling asleep, she wondered why Arlene hadn’t gotten home yet. Her last conscious thought was that maybe Arlene had gotten lucky.

The next thing she knew, Esther felt herself being shaken awake. She heard Arlene’s frightened voice. “Esther, wake up! Wake up!”

“What? What is it?” The light was hurting her eyes.

“Esther, I just got home! While I was coming up the stairs, I heard you. You were screaming! I was terrified!”

“Is that why you’re holding your pepper spray?”

God only knows what could have been happening to you!”

“Arlene, you say I was actually screaming? That I was screaming in my sleep?”

“I even heard you yell something like, ‘Stay away from me!’ You must have been having a terrible dream! Can you remember anything?”

Esther broke into a big grin. Soon she was laughing. Arlene stared at her, and then she started to giggle. “Esther, can you let me in on the joke, so I’ll know why I’m laughing?”

“OK, let me start from the beginning. You know that I was going to Heidi’s party, right?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“So there was this guy there who gave me a ride home.”

“What was his name?”

“Would you believe his name was Artie Finger?”

“Oh my God! You mean Halitosis Hal? He’s disgusting!”

Now you tell me!”

“So what happened with him?”

Esther told her the whole story, even the strange dreams she had had.

“So on Friday night you dreamed that the two of you starred in a breath spray commercial. And then on Saturday night, you were in a B.O. commercial.”

“There’s more, Arlene.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tonight, just before you woke me up, when you heard me screaming?”

“What was it? What was so frightening?”

“I was making another commercial with Artie Finger.”

“Yeah, what was it for this time?”

“Viagra.”

End

Bio: A recovering economics professor, Steve Slavin earns a living writing math and economics books.

 

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