Rita Hayworth Didn't Eat Burgers

by Morgan Case

Rita Hayworth stretched her long, stockinged legs on the train from Eastbourne, drumming her fingers to "Put the Blame on Mame" on her iPod. She peered through the rain-streaked window at the receding town and the orange glow in the sky above the home of the lying bastard she was leaving behind. Read more.

Four Shorts

by Adam Jeffries Schwartz

You Say, Shh

You wake up in darkness, in Thailand. You wake before the gong--an overachiever still: Read more.

Two Worlds

by Simon Maslin

It took about half a second to realise that I had, once again, fallen victim to the spastic twitching of my big mouth; that tremendous organ of self-destruction which has led me into so much trouble before. Your face, which I had always thought beautiful from its unusual symmetry, began to twist and dissolve into a raging mask of disgust as you screamed at me in your characteristically pure feminine fury. Read more.

Surface

by Deirdre Abrahamsson

I protect myself. Rock shut like a shell. Turn off. The ice queen. I have full control of the emotional valve--testing the air, the elements, the crowd before I ... emote. A smile here, a witty comment there. "Tut tut. Oh my God. Really? No way. Wow. That's great. Yeah." Nothing. Mostly nothing. The surface seems still. But underneath! Cyclones, tornadoes, tsunamis. Inferno. Color. Metaphors. Laughter. Conversation. Sorrow. Joy. Expression. Spontaneity.
On the surface.
Uh-huh. Read more.

Expecting Monsters

by Jolene Dawe

Belladonna awoke the instant her wards were broken. Breath rushed out of her lungs, stolen as if something heavy had landed on her chest. She sat up in bed and, after a moment, sucked in a gulp of oxygen. She looked around her chamber for the intruder and would have missed him completely if he hadn't blinked. Read more.

Tuesday Night at Powerman's

by Ian Healy

Some days it doesn't pay to get out of bed. Others it seems like everything is going your way. I was having the latter. My name's Harry Blaine. I'm a cop in the East Bay Police Department. I also happen to be a paranormal, but that's my little secret. I'm strong enough to toss cars like shotputs and tough enough to laugh off bullets. Most days those abilities don't make a difference in my job. A day like today and I didn't even think about them. Read more.

Gravensteen

by Songül Arslan

When Lily heard where they wanted to go, a strange, undefined chill crept up her spine. For a moment it felt like all the breath was cut off from her body. Out of all cities within driving distance, Gent alone had a strange familiar sound to it, although she knew she had never visited there. She looked at the map that was spread out on the table and wanted to convince her husband and their friends, Elise and Marlon, to go somewhere else, but their faces were so full of expectation that she could not refuse them the experience. Read more.