Standard-Bearer, Part 2

VIII. The young soldier learned the art of war easily. Camouflage and high shoes were his; once upon a time, his father and brother gave them to…


Dog Days

The heatwave had drawn the two women together again. Had it not been for the heat, would Flora have called Eve? Flora could not be sure. No words had…


Black Stains, Part 1

I. Sunrise. A knock came at Nick Braxten's door. "Sweetie, I'm going to bed now. Can you get the trash when you get up?" "Yeah, Mom." "Thank you."…


Power Cuck

Hello, my name is James H...hold on, my grandson is shouting at me. Okay, he says I’m not supposed to use my real name on the Internet. He says it’s…


Wideness, 1910

I behold a painting of my elder sister, Tanya. It was commissioned last year, before her disappearance from our homes and lives. She is 22 in this…


The Potato

Carlos stood staring down at the potato he had just pulled from the bag as though he had never seen such a thing before. Turning it around in his…


Retail

July It is five o’clock, which means in half an hour, it will be five-thirty, and that’s only one hour from when I get off. So at five-thirty, I’ll…


On Earth as it is in Heaven

The bullet struck him in the forehead when he stopped to look back. Jeff Book went down like a ton of bricks. A woman screamed. People scattered for…


Standard-Bearer, Part 1

I dedicate this story to the Gonakov family, who left this frail life... I. Since childhood, Gonya dreamed of becoming a standard-bearer. He imagined…


Dreams of the Red Skull, Part 2

The Dramamine has kicked in. What have I got to lose? I hear good things about Dramamine. How did I get here? I’m in the office. I’m sitting on the…