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Latest Stories

May 27, 2023
Science Fiction Stories Daniel P. Douglas

A Course Toward Hope

Like countless times before, Braemore took to the smoky skies in his camo quadpod with another load of food and meds, all of which awaited a warm welcome in the camps west of the big river. He tapped his throttle pad with a gloved forefinger until it reached…
May 27, 2023
Flash Fiction Paweł Markiewicz

The Druid

In a Druid´s soul: gold of rainbow. A druid wanted to go into a forest and pick some fungi, to cook a magic super decoction from them. In the Druid´s soul: the Golden Fleece. He gathered some mushrooms such as the red-capped scaber stalks-fungi, a boletus…
May 27, 2023
General Stories Emanuel Diaz

Avoid The Blōðan

Amid a world brimming with clamor and chaos, Ivar Gunhild remained an enigma unto himself. A man perpetually shrouded in the veil of introversion, he navigated life with trepidation, his spirit burdened by an innate fragility. Fear seemed to be his constant…
May 25, 2023
Flash Fiction Frank Talaber

The Eyes Don't Lie

The bell jingled above the screen entrance door of the twenty-four hour Esso truck stop alerting the three of us sitting there that someone had entered. It was around two am, he was muscular, partly unshaven, smokes hung from his jean jacket waiting to be…
May 25, 2023
Poetry Paweł Markiewicz

The Responsive Awakening Of Springtide

The springtime wakes up in may glory and dreams in May-tender homeland O! Dreamy moony spring immortalize the enchantment of the Naiad forever! the pensiveness of a feather from crows you are black such a muse-like falchion thinker with many oboli I listen to…
May 25, 2023
General Stories Frank Talaber

Kodak Moments In Rose

I’d agreed to clean out some of dad’s stuff after he passed away. As I looked through his college journals, a picture fluttered free and fell to the floor. A black and white photo of a young woman leaning against a Harley. Black stiletto leather boots rose…
May 25, 2023
Science Fiction Stories Alyssa Gonzalez

Movement

“Don’t you know it’s rude to turn up in a woman’s bedroom uninvited?” The visitors quivered. It was hard to read that as an expression, taking place as it did on masses of slightly wet tentacles that occasionally flicked, waved, and rubbed against each other.…
May 25, 2023
General Stories Armita KH

Black Like Golden

In the maddening dark depths of the ocean, under a small boulder, lived a lonely little fish. As long as he could remember, his entire life had been spent under the same boulder .Sometimes when he opened his eyes, boredom and loneliness forced him to take a…
May 24, 2023
Romance Stories Stephanie Dolan

The Poop Deck

Sitting in the too-warm classroom, I drummed my fingers on the desk. Staring out the window, my vision clouded. I didn’t really see anything aside from the far-off horizon-line of the ocean. I thought I could almost hear the surf rolling in as I focused on…
May 21, 2023
General Stories George Primov

The Customer is Always Right, Right???

The dreadful phone rings, jolting me like a vicious Taser and its high-pitched tone drills straight through my head. I have exactly 5 seconds before it rings a second time and this is when the soulless mainframe in the bowels of a nondescript, huge…
May 21, 2023
Flash Fiction George Primov

Nia

Nobody at the ward knew where she came from, or if that was her real name. She appeared one hot May morning from nowhere, barely dragging her exhausted feet on the scorching asphalt, rib cage protruding in the air, tail hanging loosely between hind legs,…
May 21, 2023
General Stories George Primov

Alexandra Takes Care of business

A dark shadow knocking loudly on the windshield ended his afternoon nap in the shade of the cathedral. Startled, he rubbed his bloodshot, sleep-laden eyes, and was ready to bless the intruder and his immediate womenfolk, when a red paper showing a man with an…

“So…I’m not really sure what to do here? I’ve never had a professional talk with you.”

“Why don’t you start with your name?”

“Uh, Kathryn…”

“Your full name.”

“Kathryn Marie Edslar.”

“And why are you here, Kathryn?”

“Because…I’m scared.”

“What are you scared of?”

“Life.”

“What about life scares you?”

“Everything…college…bills…being a real adult. Everything.”

“Okay. Let’s start with college. What are you majoring in?”

“Vet Science.”

“You want to be a Veterinarian?”

“Yeah.”

“Is there anything else you want to do?”

“Play basketball.”

“What position do you play?”

“I’m a two. The university’s coach said I’m good enough to make the team, but I gotta try out.”

“It sounds to me like you’ve got a good foot in already. Why are you scared?”

“I don’t know. I’m just scared. I want to go to college, it’s not that. I just…I’m scared that I’m going to fail. Everyone in the family has at least a Bachelor’s. I don’t want to be the first to flunk.”

“Anything else?”

“…I’m scared I won’t make the basketball team. I’m scared of having a psycho roommate…classes…moving away from home.”

“Are any of your friends going to the same school?”

“Just my boyfriend’s, but I watch a lot of T.V. I’m scared he’s going to find someone prettier than me and cheat on me, or something. I’m scared that nobody’s going to like me.”

“Keep going.”

“I’m scared something bad’s going to happen while I’m at school. And even if I make it through college, I know the economy sucks right now. What if I can’t find a job? I don’t know how to buy a house. What if I don’t have enough money for bills? What if something happens to my car? What is something happens to me!?”

She began to get emotional and stopped. Tears streamed down her face as she covered her mouth with her hand. I offered her a tissue from the box on the coffee table between us.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Take your time.”

“I’m fine.” She blew her nose. “I’m just scared.”

I nodded. “Scared of life.”

She sniffled. “Yeah.”

I sat back in the chair. “Do you want my personal opinion or my professional diagnosis?”

“I don’t know. Professional.”

I shook my head slightly. “You’re not crazy. You’re a high school senior. Would you like my personal opinion?”

She nodded, obviously relieved that she was not a mental case. “Yeah.”

“I think it’s good to feel these feelings. It means that you care about your life. I think that if you use these feelings to drive you, to make sure you do your very best on the court and in the classroom, you will be a better student and athlete. As far as your boyfriend goes, things will work themselves out, for better or worse. Who knows, you might even get married.”

“I hope so. I love him.”

“I know. Life after college is not something you need to worry about right now. Just take things one step at a time. You’ve already been accepted, just worry about getting there, getting to class on time, and trying out for the team. I’ve got a feeling that once you get there, you’ll learn that it’s not as terrible as you thought. They say it’s the best years of your life.”

That brought a smile to Kathryn’s face. “Okay.”

“Do you feel better?”

“Yes.”

Together, we rose from the comfortable couches in the middle of my office. She collected her flower backpack from the ground next to her seat and walked toward the closed door at the end of the hallway behind her chair. Before she reached the door, she turned and smiled at me.

“Thanks Mom.”

I smiled and winked. She opened the door, disappearing into the busy hallway of students walking to their next class. I sighed as I sat behind my desk, swelling with pride at the possibly life-changing mother-daughter heart-to-heart conversation. Being a high school counselor had its perks.

 

Author Bio: J. K. Miller II was born in Mountain View, CA and began writing at age ten. His debut novel, Reborn, is scheduled to be released March 1, 2012.

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