Ordinarily, Anzu would not have tarried from the errand his master had assigned him, but there was something oddly alluring about the stranger performing magic tricks in the bazaar, something that wouldn’t simply allow him to walk idly past and go about his master’s business. Try as he did to ignore the spectacle, his eyesRead more…
Archive for the ‘Fantasy’ Category
Tale of a Fox
| by Kate MacLeod |
For the first time in four years of marriage, Asuka did not find her husband’s awkward manner and shy smiles endearing. She watched in annoyance as Masuyo got to his feet in a lurch, the movement too hurried to be graceful, and then entangled himself in his long sleeves. The bunkan sokutai she had soRead more…
Rainbow’s End
| by Aubrie Dionne |
I stared at the neutral blossoms, trying to decipher shades of darkness and pale light. The language of colors eluded me, like a distant notion of another world I couldn’t touch. I’d played along, listening to my mother mouth the words and point to objects, but I never truly understood.
Continue reading...»Seeds
| by M.M. Bergstrom |
“This is your new baby brother,” said Shala’s mother as she pressed the small girl’s hands to the warm, teardrop shaped fruit. “See how heavy the pod is? He will open soon.”
Continue reading...»The Bread of Ruth’s Unhappiness
| by Francesca Forrest |
“Blood, sweat, and tears, that’s your recipe,” said the dog. “The sweat’s in the kneading, as well you know. The tears–you’ve shed plenty already, and they’ve dried out and lie in the dust under your bed, so you must knead them in. As for blood, just a little will do. Your own. Can you manage it, or do you need my help?” Its mouth pulled back to reveal sharp white teeth.
Continue reading...»The Conquest of Space, and Other Dreams
| by Lawrence Buentello |
Some propositions were fairly simple; for instance, cooking breakfast, scheduling the car for regular maintenance, or visiting the beach on a Sunday afternoon. Becoming a space explorer was an example of a profoundly difficult proposition, one that required any number of complex steps, the least of which was a background in aeronautics. Herbert Wilhelm possessedRead more…
Duet
| by Bill Beauviche |
Remard One of the courtiers asked me today when I first knew that I loved the Huntress. I shook my head and span a very pretty yarn about how love does not come in a blinding flash accompanied by a thunderclap, but grows gradually over time. It was a good speech, well constructed and wellRead more…
My Friend, the Zombie
| by Regina Glei |
I was desperate. I had always boasted it could never happen to me, but now it had. I was lost. I didn’t have the slightest idea where I was or how to get back to civilization. I had wanted to get away from stress at work and I had wanted to find out whether IRead more…
Chanlis and Desira
| by D. Kiplan |
Each man held a torch in his hand, only waiting for Garet to give the signal to burn the ships. Garet looked over where Chanlis hid in the oak-leaf bushes. Chanlis shuddered. His eyes shifted from side to side, trying to catch a telling sign of movement. It was all too easy. By the nervousRead more…
The Girl (Heart That’s Healing)
| by Shawnee Heimpel |
-1- Destry’s mind wandered out over the half-frozen lake. He was half-way bundled up for the freezing February weather; the heavy coat, hat, and gloves were warm, but his jeans were not. His butt was so cold he wouldn’t have been surprised if, on getting up, he found himself half-stuck to the metal bench. WhoRead more…
The Only One He Ever Feared
| by Patty Jansen |
The blare of trumpets cascaded through the Great Hall. Every voice fell quiet, from the lowest servant to the noble lords and ladies and the king himself. Taking his dear wife’s arm, Sir Berthold the Brave stepped onto the red carpet, holding aloft a dragon’s claw. Whispers followed him across the hall. ‘He tore itRead more…
To Each A Song
| by Christopher Johnstone |
The craft of the air always flew west, the direction of the war. They never flew back and perhaps this was because the wounded were sent back by train or perhaps it was because the great ships of the air were too desperately needed at the front. Audrey was not very good at following theRead more…
The Wall
| by Cort L. Lynn |
At the foot of the wall, Nia dug for clams. The smooth gray jewels burrowed away from her probing toes. She scooped fast with her hands before they could escape, then sifted the sea-soaked sand from the shells and dropped them, clattering, into the pail. Hot clam soup would make Mother feel better. They’d haveRead more…
Wielding The Knife
| by Damon Shaw |
Faina was going to complain the dust would stain her dress but the falcons took her breath away. On every rock, every dead bush, they perched and preened, eyeing each other with savage intent. Inez pursed her lips and spat between the stones at her feet. “Watch,” she ordered. After six long months with herRead more…
The World in Rubber, Soft and Malleable
| by Aaron Polson |
Before he disappeared through the extra doorway in his basement, Jarrod Ponton was my best friend. He was thin and pale, almost an afterthought of a boy. Some of the seniors called him Bird. We never understood the joke, but I guess his nose was a bit beak-like. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember his face.Read more…
On Desperate Seas
| by Kate MacLeod |
It all started with Jane’s letter. Our Penelope was deathly ill, and I must come at once. The letter went on, of course. In typical Jane fashion, she filled a page and a half with the various inadequacies of Dr. Mansley. Only Jane would argue the science at length without ever once considering I mightRead more…
Pu’ukani’s Song
| by Hannah Steenbock |
Pu’ukani took a deep breath, allowed himself to sink back under again and angled his head downward. This was a new song, one he had only sung once before. And yet, it sounded through his heart and through his bones and reached out to the corners of this ocean, telling everyone who listened about theRead more…
The Size of Things
| by Clare Deming |
Krinak squinted in the glare of the desert sun and tried to ignore the repeated jabs of the spear points against his rubbery skin. He was not sure what had upset the horde, but they were herding him toward a village – a cluster of low mounds that dotted the outskirts of the rocky gorgesRead more…
Rites of Passage
| by Ripley Patton |
As I flew down the hill, my bare feet slapped the packed earth. My chest surged forward, my upper body threatening to over-end me. I had done it before; flown head-over-heals into the ravine and lay there at the bottom, bloody and breathless. This was what the village boys called “Wooing Mother”. If the earthRead more…