One Night in Winter
by Gerri Brightwell Issue 80 As her Uber turns toward the bridge, Elise catches sight of the hospital. The walls with their too-few windows. That closed-in look. St Joseph’s—even the name brings back the odor of antiseptic, the glassy smell of floor polish, an uncertain dread. She shuts her eyes and tries to focus on […]
This Cafe I Walked into Once When I Was in the City
by G.C. Collins Issue 80 I was in the city recently, killing time at this cafe and waiting for you to get done with work. It was a Friday afternoon close to the winter holidays. We were going to grab some drinks and dinner and, if we were still up for it, catch a late […]
Ten Rules for Girls and Monsters
by B.B. Garin Issue 80 Last night, it came from the woods. Matted and musty with sour dog breath. Talia’s as prepared as she can be for it. It’s been dragging sticky, licorice-black shadows through the house for months. She’d almost feel sorry for it, like the bear she saw caught in a torn, steel-wire […]
Rock Climbing With Strangers
by Julia Moore Issue 80 During the belay check, I forget my climbing partner’s name. Orion? Blaze? Something hippie and granola. I dig through my memory, but fail to unearth a name for the lanky figure with the loose man-bun. He yanks the rope knotted to my harness and thumbs his carabiner to make sure […]
Spit
by Nicolette Ashley Visciano Issue 80 CAST OF CHARACTERS LOLITA SHANTE/ROXANNE:17 years old, African-AmericanJEREMY “REMY” SHANTE:22 years old, African-AmericanDEVON JACKSON/KID KRUSH:23 years old, African-AmericanDJ MARLEY MARL:22 years old, African-AmericanCROWD Notes“Spitting” is a synonymous term for “rapping”A (**) indicates a pauseTW: Retelling of sexual assault in Scene 4 SCENE 1SETTING: A battle rap venue in Queensbridge, […]
Mukbang Diptych
by Alleliah Nuguid issue 79 Noodles glut the baking tray and the video’s frame: a meal meant for a largefamily heaped high and red as a grade-school volcano. Beyond it are two women. In the background: coupons secured to the fridge; obeisant row of herbs in plasticplanters. “We got ten packs here, and I am […]
1/12 SCALE
by Robin Gow issue 79 In my doll-house life, we eat onlythe plastic pie and the table-top lemons. You stand at the window for weekswhile I take a dry bath in the blue tub. I tell you I want to move to the city againwhich is a lie, I just want to test how far […]
Metamorphosis
by Joel Harris issue 79 Changes of shape, new forms, are the theme which my spiritimpels me now to recite.—Ovid, Metamorphoses Papa Bois, horned shepherd of the forest,reel me in as a carp to your ungulate grasp. Entrance me with your hallowed bull horn,drown my ears in the gurgle of Ortoire’s torrent that I may […]
Self-Portrait of a Grieving Mother
by Julia Ongking issue 79 i am told i resemble my mother.ah yi traces the mountainsof my cheeks, reminiscentof grandmother’s bangka sittingoff a bicolano shoreline. the fortune-teller cups my face,whispers into kongkong’sear. flashes a terse smileas she pauses at the roundedtip of a bulbous nose, says she has never quite seen anythinglike it. it is […]
It’s Not You
by Chris Wiberg issue 79 IN THE NEAR FUTURE, SOMEONE WILL invent a bomb that can bedisguised as a credit card. Everything gets smaller and more destructive,and just the thought of something is as good as it already happening. Andthen it will be a thing that exists in the world: compact, light, commonplace,undetectable. Nuclear. The […]