FLASH

Small but mighty, these short, incisive pieces cut to the core in a just a few words.
Out of the Harbor and Into the Open Sea

I’d never heard of anyone having a second baby right after the first one, but everything was so strange in those early days of motherhood that I just acted on instinct.

Post Pregnancy Examination (Shortened Form)

Infant’s Name: A
Delivery Date: August 1, 2002

Alan Rickman and the Mermaids of the Conch Republic

Sound engineers believe Alan Rickman possessed the perfect male voice. Early acting teachers told him he sounded like he was speaking from the back of a drainpipe.

Familiar Territory

Could someone hating you really cause a physical unease? Sure, why not.

Forest Walk on a Friday

Every time I come to the forest, it’s different, but so am I.

Rose By Any Other Name

Kate Winslet always reminded me of my mom. Maybe that’s why, even to this day, I get defensive of Rose from Titanic when people call her stupid or shallow…

forest fire
When The Ten Thousand Ton Trilobite Attacked

We said, Heck, that’s really something.

The Bird That Carried One Hundred Messages To America

At the end of the meeting, the villagers agreed to contribute shillings and pounds to sponsor Elochi to a university in America.

Wilderness

The land here is scarred and wrinkled.

dead roses
The Cycle

It all started with the curse of my tits. Women’s bodies are cursed. Everyone tries to look at them, everyone tries to ignore them.

Junk

It was spring and the hills were irradient, like they had to get out all their green in one short burst before catching fire.

Athena, the Octopus, Solves a Puzzle

The new octopus at the children’s aquarium was named Athena, and as we waited for her to emerge, I thought of the almost-too-faint second line on the pregnancy test three days before.

Theoretical Debate

On the first day of our new life together, my husband realized that I was not interested in theoretical debate. He said it was okay by him and went out to get some pancake mix.

rotarty phone
My Wife’s Phone

Sex is not a thank you card in this house.

Swoon

Jenna says that he typically goes for redheads, so I run to Target and buy a box of hair dye.

The Sweetness

I’m dancing with my best friend’s husband, under the influence of his jaws and thighs.

Little Cow

A man with a fistful of showbags said, “That cow sounds like a person trying to sound like a cow.”

view of earth from space
The Scattering

Allanson looked out of the viewport, at the ragtag flotilla of ships trailing behind, some of them slow to catch up. It was to be expected with the little time that they’d had to cobble the fleet together.

The Rift

None speak of how the streets collide in coarse seams like scars, the fresh cobbles unable to level with the ones shaken from their mortar by uncountable seasons.

Teeth and Boyfriends

With great reluctance, I agree to meet a cousin for an outside lunch…