Try to remember that you’re happy. Running track brings a mental hum, in which you can talk to yourself.
Scenes of the Sixth Grade by Rae Kim
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Issue #13
The Sting and the Tale by Anne Summerfield
That holiday I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and escaped to a place of stoops and eaves where a tiny stump of tree was the only touch of green.
The Hive Vandal by Carolyn Oliver
They executed the hive vandal at noon, just as the crickets had warmed enough to make the long grass sing.
Afterglow by Clio Velentza
Early in the morning, Sis took me to watch the volcano. I slept on her lap in the bus. We got to the heath just as the sun was rising, just as the pillar of smoke began to thin and gleam.
Homebody by Epiphany Ferrell
He loved the house. Its idiosyncrasies. The things that made it difficult.
ZOO by Jeff Landon
We’re a family, but the only thing that binds us now is blood. We are western lowland gorillas, displaced in the Virginia Beach zoo, but no complaints.
Please Do Not Smoke at the Funeral by Robert Shapard
My father came home a war hero, quiet and handsome in his leather flight jacket, with souvenirs—an enemy sword, a dented helmet.
Tiny House by Nancy Stohlman
After the rapture I decided to buy a tiny house. The realtor met me in the driveway.
Two Girls Contemplate What Gorillas Do at Night by Angela Readman
They stand outside the enclosure, just like last Thursday. Ever since her father won passes at work, Neko drags May to the zoo after school.
Matter of Time by Claire Polders
I dig up a lint ball from his belly button. Roll it between my fingertips.
Guilty by MJ McGinn
“You think he deserved it?” My kid brother shrugs at that and looks out the window which I figure is a yes.
The Goldilocks Zone by Christopher Allen
Inventory day in the bunker. On Daddy’s Excel sheet, canned tomatoes, peas and peaches are a month past expiry.
The Cricket by Ron Burch
She woke me up from sleep to tell me that the chirping from the cricket was keeping her awake.
The Fissure by James Coffey
Dad is staring at the back of the house where the wall has been repaired. He is worried that the house is going to fall down.
The Last Recommendation by Tasha Cotter
That morning, she got in the car before him, as usual. On Friday frost had only left its breath on the glass.