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Submitted to Contest #337
It is 6pm-2pm-4am.4am and it is the millionth day of the millionth year and somehow, I am not a second older.Younger.I don’t know what came before.Only that this has always been. The sun is rising-Setting-High in the sky.The sun is setting on the beach, and I am wondering what it would be like to be that boy holding that girls’ hand.He takes it.He lets it go.He takes it.He pulls her to him.In slow motion they bring their lips together.I can see the seagulls, hovering in the air behind them.The drops of water running slowly down their skin.I ...
Submitted to Contest #335
I am sitting at a café reading Cat’s Cradle. I take a moment to sip my coffee and when I do, I lock eyes with him across the room. He is looking at me above his laptop and while I have never really believed the truth of the statement that the world can fade away with the right person, that is exactly what happened. The world disappeared and all I could see was his face. And beyond the attraction, beyond the instant pull I felt looking at this man, there was something else. The feeling of looking into a mirror. Of seeing myself. And when he t...
Submitted to Contest #334
Never leave, my son. Do not go. For down the road lies trouble. Nothing but sorrow. Never leave, my son. For out there they will never see what I see. They will never understand. They will think you are just a monster. They will not see the man. Never leave, my son. Stay safe within these walls. Let these arms protect you always, and I promise, you will never fall. I am five years old, and I am playing outside the cave. My mother is out hunting and even though I am not allowed to go outside when she is not around, when I hear her coming, I ...
Submitted to Contest #332
CONTENT WARNING: This story includes the death of a loved one. Hola mijo, It’s me. Your mother. Just leaving this message to tell you that I love you and to have a good day. Remember that we have your nephew’s birthday this Sunday. And he’s 14, not 4, so don’t buy him another stuffed animal. He stopped playing with stuffed animals years ago. Ok. Love you. Bye. Hi Mom,It’s me. Your son. Thanks for the unnecessary reminder about Tito’s birthday. And, I know he’s 14. I just like fu…screwing with him. It’s fun. I always get him a real gift, so ...
Submitted to Contest #329
The sound of a door being slammed jolts me from a deep sleep.I look at my phone.3am.“Kevvviiiinnn!” I groan against my pillow, “Why? Why, huh? Why, NOW?!”Another door slams.Opens and slams.“Kevin! Please!”There is a pause and for a moment I think it’s over. That I’m being shown some mercy.And then there is the sound of multiple doors being opened and slammed shut. Over and over again.I jump out of bed and fling open my bedroom door.I watch as multiple doors down the hall open and slam shut on their own.“KEVIN! STOP IT THIS INSTANT!” I roar.T...
Submitted to Contest #328
A trick of the light, I say.Just a trick of the light.But my whole body tingles on edge.That feeling of falling or about to fall.A feeling I haven’t felt in years.I go inside.I lock the door.I double and triple check that I have locked the door.And slowly, as I take a bath, as I change into my nightgown, as I go over the happenings of the day, that feeling disappears.And I am once again myself. Some people said that he was faking. That the person everyone had known for years was the real him. Not this joyful charlatan. But they didn’t see wh...
Submitted to Contest #326
My parents sat across from me, my mother glaring into my eyes, my father looking at the floor. They sat there waiting for me to respond. But what could I say? It wasn’t like I had any choice in the matter. It wasn’t like I could defend myself, say that I’d be better, that I’d work on it. I knew I couldn’t work on it. I knew I couldn’t “be better.” This was the third time it had happened. Well. The third time I had been caught at least.“Well?” my mother asked, “What do you have to say for yourself?”“I’ll do whatever it is you want me to do,” ...
Submitted to Contest #325
Even for those of us who love the solitude, being alone too much can change a person. It can shift the way we see the world. The way we see ourselves. It can make us believe in a magic that doesn’t exist. It is difficult to believe that the year is 2025 from where I am. A small island in the North Atlantic ocean with a couple of goats, John and Paul, and my cat, Mrs. Danvers. Mrs. Danvers and I manage the lighthouse, making sure the boats don’t crash in the night. But no one ever stops here. This isn’t a port. Everyone just passes us by. It’...
Shortlisted for Contest #323 ⭐️
It began when I was six. The New Years Eve walk that started at our house in Altadena, California. That had us walking out of our door and onto the Hahamongna trail, where we would hike up and down dirt roads, over sometimes treacherous terrain, one year almost falling off a cliff. It used to be him, my brother, and me, but once my brother moved to college, it became just us. And if we’re being honest, and what’s the point of being dishonest, he and I were always closer. A parent isn’t supposed to have favorites. And neither is a child. It’s...
Submitted to Contest #322
ItzelLa Gringa. The White Girl. It used to be my nickname growing up. My light hair and light eyes and thick tongue that struggled to formulate anything Spanish. As a 10th generation Mexican American, with parents who are proud Chicanos but very Americanized, I didn’t really stand a chance in my schools filled with first-generation kids who looked at me like I didn’t belong. So, I decided to do something about it. I dyed my hair black. I studied Spanish intensely, training my tongue to learn the nuances, the cadence. I only read books by Lat...
Submitted to Contest #321
I have always been a fan of the enemy to lovers trope. The Pride and Prejudice structure of going from I Despise You to Marry Me Now. It’s sexy. It is undeniably sexy. There is an established heat from the beginning. A very thin line between seething hatred and lust, and then the sweet transition into something softer. Something lovely. When I was younger, I didn’t really believe in love. But I read about it. Oh, did I read about it. Most of the books I read were romance. The same story told over and over again, in different ways, with a hap...
Submitted to Contest #319
Content Warning: Gore, and mentions of domestic abuse. The cave is wet. The bodies we have eaten are piled high. Not many people know the dead can die twice. But we do. The cave is dark. We never knew it was dark until she came. Master told me to let them go. To let them crawl out of the cave. I watched as the man crawled in front of the woman, a small lantern in his hand to guide the way. Master had told them they could leave, as long as the man didn’t look back to make sure she was following. Master told them that if the man looked back, ...
Submitted to Contest #316
“Never show them what you are. Never. Do you understand me?” she asks, her grip tight around my shoulders. She’s squeezing so hard that it hurts, but I can’t tell her that. I can’t tell her because I don’t know how she’ll react. I don’t recognize this woman. This woman with wide eyes staring at me, pleading with me to agree, to promise that I’ll keep silent.I’m scared of her.For the first time, I’m scared of my mother.“Never, Daniela. Never. No matter how hard it is, never show them. Tell me that you understand what I’m telling you,” she whi...
Submitted to Contest #314
I wake up in darkness, bathed in my own sweat. She rolls toward me in her sleep, her arm outstretched, reaching for mine and I pull away. The thought of skin on skin is enough to make me get up. I walk to the kitchen, turn on the light, but it won’t go on. “Power is out,” she says from behind me, making me jump. I turn and watch her walk to the bathroom, her hair messy, her face scrunched up from having just woke up. She leaves the door open when she pees. A habit I find equally endearing and off-putting.I open the fridge and wince against t...
Submitted to Contest #313
CW: Themes of violence and mental health issues. Rosa was sitting in her living room when the knock came at the door. The sound jolted her out of a trance she didn’t know she was in.How long have I been sitting here, she thought.The knock came again.She got up wincing at the ache in her knees, and hips, and spine.She opened the door to see her son, Jorge.“Hi, ma,” he said.“Hi, mijo,” she replied, giving him a kiss on the cheek.She watched as Jorge sat down on the couch.“Are you hungry?” she asked.“No,” he replied, “I need to tell you somethi...
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