family
Logan's Jacket. Honorable Mention in You Had to Be There.
The keys jingled in the ignition as Andy turned into the school parking lot. Hands shaking, he parked the car under the solar panels that provided shade to the parking lot and then he turned his attention to his phone. The parent teacher conference was, in fact, happening in a few minutes. He had come directly from work and was still in uniform. He hesitated and left his chef coat on the driver's seat. The tshirt he was wearing would have to be enough. There was no time to go home and change.
By Andrea L Smith2 months ago in Fiction
Crisis Paper
Before he had needed a temporary job as a scorer of essay submissions for standardized tests, Phillip had known the good life once. He’d had a wife and a daughter, both happy and healthy. His wife had worked part time so she could be home for their daughter, who had just been entering the fourth grade. They’d had a three-bedroom home in Red Lodge, a small town in Montana. It had even come with a picket fence and a dog. The true and coveted American dream.
By B. M. Valdez2 months ago in Fiction
Ghosts of People
Two men in a dive bar engage in a relatively mundane discussion about contemporary politics. "Among the emerging new Lefts and new Rights, there are competing factions," Nicolae begins. "Some more or less support Ukraine, while others more or less favor Russia. Some are preoccupied with Israel and Palestine. Some focus on racial and cultural issues, while others are more interested in economics and government. They all want greater influence and support. The question is: what methods will they use to achieve their goals? Who will succeed? Will the winners absorb followers from their former opponents--or will they themselves eventually be defeated?"
By ANTICHRIST SUPERSTAR2 months ago in Fiction
Swirling
Zito Park: Autumn 1969 "Who left that toy in the tree?" Abigail Anosetti asked as she played with her friends. "I don't know, but it's tangled there and it doesn't look like it can be loosened without cutting its strings." Louie Binetti said, staring at it.
By John Scipio2 months ago in Fiction
The Last Empty Chair
The village café had only six tables. By any reasonable standard, nothing remarkable had ever happened there. No famous visitor had stopped for coffee. No dramatic declaration of love had echoed beneath its yellowed ceiling. No history book would ever mention the place.
By Alain SUPPINI2 months ago in Fiction
Lavender Girl
They sat on the dirt patches between the rows of blue and purple lavender. The English, Spanish, French, and Lavandin plants were grouped by type and planted in rows. I prefer the English type, but the girl seemed to gravitate toward the blooms of the rabbit-head Spanish lavender. Her hands gently swiped upward on the spikes as she giggled. Her mother tickled the girl’s nose with a piece; the girl exclaimed, “It smells so good, Mommy!” Pulling scissors from her pocket, she began cutting the stems, creating a small bouquet. When the girl spotted the pink lavender, she ran to the rows and sat behind the tallest plants, trying to hide.
By Andrea Corwin 2 months ago in Fiction
Ice Cream and Birthdays
You Had to Be There - The Prompt: Write a story about a moment that doesn’t sound impressive but was unforgettable to the people involved. Some moments matter more than they seem from the outside. This challenge is about capturing that difference. Write a story centered on an experience that might sound ordinary to anyone else but stayed with the people who lived it. Let the meaning come through in the details. Focus on the texture of the moment rather than trying to make it appear larger than it is.
By Denise E Lindquist2 months ago in Fiction
King of Sales
Our friends across the street joined us for a garage sale at our end of the street. Our husbands were under orders to straighten up the garages, sweep the floors, and make space for tables. My husband, Ed, moved items we weren’t selling behind a tarp. He posted a sign that read Private . He arranged folding tables in a chevron shape for easy shopping. I placed clean, creased linens sorted by colors and marked with sizes and prices, in stacks on the tables. I believe in full disclosure and post small notes stating any imperfections. Old furniture for sale was polished; antique cups and plates were displayed with starched doilies, and costume jewelry hung from a mirror. Entire boxes were marked $1 for all items of little value.
By Andrea Corwin 2 months ago in Fiction
Fixing a problem. Runner-Up in You Had to Be There.
Ever have one of those people who can solve any problem if they just sit and think about it long enough? No? I married one of those people. Mr. Fix-it. A man who was as direct as a bullet from a gun and as sharp as one, too. In the time it took me to look at him as he opened the box to the portable pool heater, he was already inside, grabbing materials to make the problem go away.
By Chel Writes2 months ago in Fiction
