by Ben Lockwood

The stone you were carved into sits in a vast forest. The evergreens have grown old around you, dying, with new ones taking their place. The men who sculpted you wore robes of red with onyx crowns. They used the word shrine, though you have long since forgotten the sound of mortal speech.

by Andrew Kozma

Joe and I haven’t been friends since he broke the front window of my car with his fist, but we were both drunk at the time, and the history between us was too heavy to ignore, even all these months later. I’d tried to explain to Sarah why I had to go check on him when he called, but couldn’t come up with the words. She’d just laughed.

by Nicholas Jay

“I’ll be yours until suns and moon become one.” An adorably silly platitude Jamyx would say. After all, we both knew I’d outlive him, even before I became immortal.

by A.D. Sui

They say that it’s a train that takes you over to the other side. In reality, it’s a bus, and it’s twenty minutes late.

by Aaron Pope

Despite the cool air, he could feel sweat pooling on the surface of his skin, begging for relief. His hands shook. He balled up his fists and spun them around in little circles. In and out. Get the medicine, and leave.

by Catherine Yeates

His smile deepened as he gleefully loaded the paper plate with grilled meat and handed it to me. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Silas.”

by Ioanna Papadopoulou

The fruit juices were around her lips and he wished he was a bee and could sting them in revenge but instead he smiled back at her and ate his too soft fruit.