“The Benchwarmer” by Nigel Byng

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” It’s what he was thinking. He was having a challenging time explaining to his wife what had happened to her new car. A car that he had gifted her two days earlier. A car that was supposed to celebrate seven years of marriage and help smooth away the pain of a…

“Rain” by Britta Benson

Always a realist, even in her wildest dreams, she decided to name the child Rain. Initially, Blood, seemed far more appropriate, looking at the mess this tiny creature had created upon arrival, but no. She promised herself, that she would not be a vengeful mother. When it came to naming a child, everyone had opinions…

I Was Once a Drug Lord by Nigel Byng

“Hi Jimmy.” Her voice rang in my one good ear. Sweet Jesus, she had seen me, and there was no avoiding her now. I waved and walked to her counter. “I came to renew my license.” “You could have done it online, Jimmy.” Charmaine peered at me from over the top of her glasses. I…

Two Disowned Souls by Bogdan Dragos

those were some seriously tired eyes Some people are just born with them It’s not a matter of getting enough sleep The tiredness is in the soul itself He looked forty though he was twenty-two and as she told her friends (with the family she didn’t talk) she found him in a bar, passed out…

It’s just normal in dreams by Bogdan Dragos

“Yeah,” she said, “my father was not the friendliest drunk in the neighborhood and he’s definitely not missed now that he no longer troubles anyone. But you know, I did learn something from him, alright.” Listening to her words, he poured another glass for himself and then one for her. “What could you learn from…

What you get from fucking with a writer by Bogdan Dragos

She was one pretty woman, alright, but her hands and fingers and palms were horribly messed up “It’s from drinking,” they said, and she didn’t deny It was from drinking She would drink distilled drinks only and preach about the evils of brewed drinks while doing it Then, somewhere along the way she would remember…

La Diablesse on South Beach by Nigel Byng

Cinco De Mayo. That was about all the Spanish that Jose spoke. You would think with a name like Jose Manuel Esteban Perez, he would know even a tiny bit of the language. But Jose was born in the suburbs of Pennsylvania, to a woman from the Caribbean who worked as a maid for a…

To lower one’s self to spending time with real people by Bogdan Dragos

blazing scars adorned her slim arms and her shiny shoulders and her small, round face It could only mean one thing She had a horrible fight with her imaginary friends again Whenever one of those events occurred she had to get away from them for a while, until things cooled off again To get away…

Leaving the Big Four by Joni Caggiano

During the third year of school and living on the big four, I was divided into pieces by a swift sword, perching on my safety edge.  My brown eyes must have turned black as I heard mom’s words, but I was sure I was suffocating.  “Joy, honey, we are moving to Brooklyn, New York. Your…

The Custodian by Nigel Byng

It was the monarch butterfly tattoo that got me. Occupying a corner of her right shoulder, peeking from under the strap of her vest. Ink has meaning and monarch butterflies have deeper meanings. I’d watch her for several minutes every day after that. Her air pods were playing some sort of salsa or Spanish music,…

And the blind guitarist will play on by Bogdan Dragos

for hours and hours he lies down but doesn’t sleep “Can’t sleep when your eyes aren’t tired,” he says but his eyes are beyond tiredness. They’re dead. Been fished out quite expertly a long time ago by a very unfortunate, very unhappy mother who couldn’t stand looking into them “Bitch should’ve gouged her own then,”…

Curing Writer’s Block by Bogdan Dragos

as always when he found himself afflicted with a bad case of writer’s block he’d cure it by taking all the money in the house and going to the casino He’d always play the roulette and always bet on the number 17 If he won his money would multiply by 36 and if he lost…

Sarge by Nigel Byng

Sarge was my friend since childhood. Or at least as far back as I can remember. She was different from my other friends. A rugged, nasty streak, with a dry sense of humor as a side dish. She hated most people, but when she befriended you, she was like pit-bull with a bone. You were…

The Earlier you Start by Bogdan Dragos

“The earlier you start in life, the better you’ll get,” she said. “That is, of course, if you keep going. If you don’t give up on your dream.” “Wise words,” I said She smirked at that. “You bet. So in your case, you say you started writing at twenty. That means you can’t be that…

Soul Mates by Dawn Pisturino

       The woman cocked the hammer of her .38 and aimed it at the hulking man who jumped out suddenly from behind a eucalyptus tree.        “If I kill you,” the man said, waving a knife in her face, “that’ll make number 13.”        The woman laughed and began squeezing the trigger.  “If…

The Love of my Life by Cassa Bassa

It’s my wife’s birthday party tonight. I took a day off to get ready, well, not me getting ready, it’s getting her and the party ready. I dropped her off at the spa first thing in the morning, then went to pick up the party decorations, then straight to the venue to set everything up….