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Latest Stories

March 19, 2024
Fantasy Stories Wondering Monk

Just My Imagination

The alarm clock went off and started playing an awful tune. Tom opened his eyes and closed them back, squinting. He reopened one eye and stood up to stop the torture. The phone was on the desk, in the furthest spot from the bed. Although he changed his way of…
March 19, 2024
Science Fiction Stories Ocelotlzin

Earth Is Dead

Recording… It doesn't matter who I was; I probably lived a long time ago, and I am now just a voice someone added to the audio-visual records. What is essential is the recollection of events that lead to the current state. So, a little history needs to be…
March 08, 2024
Flash Fiction Benoit

Some Enchanted Evening

It was a rugby tackle with tears: Chrissy burst in, sobbing and babbling, hugging James. Her face was all wet, eyes wild. What…? My parents split up, Dad has moved in with his boyfriend and I cannot join them. I am shut out. I have lost my dad. Torrent of…
March 08, 2024
Horror Stories Marvel Chukwudi Pephel

In The Hands Of My Legs

The car pulled up in front of the large salon. The neon sign, that sexy broad thing, on the salon'sroof read "Mr. Gil's All-night Salon". The exhaust pipe of the car was pumping solid smoke, theswirls moving from the car and towards the salon.…
March 07, 2024
Mystery Stories Vanessa Leigh Giles

Casualty of Love in the Time of Coronavirus

Chapter 1 Until Death do us Part ‘Ring, ring!’. I answered the telephone and asked, “Hello, good evening. Who’s this? “Hello.” This is Dr. Smith from Red Cross hospital. “Is this Mr. Locke, John?”, he asked, hesitantly scratching his bald head. “Yes, doctor.…
March 07, 2024
Crime Stories Robert Pook

Bar Room Trigger

Another return journey on footpaths so familiar. He strides across each crack in each paving stone. Regular loose drain covers sidestepped. Mapping long ago mapped in Richard’s desolate mind. His pace hastened by the sight of the oncoming storm. Quickening…
March 04, 2024
Horror Stories Ano Chinemerem

Sanctity

Where should I begin? I could begin by telling you about this comely boy, whom every notable person around the streets agrees his smile could charm the bills off one. Between one smile, there was his goodness, his dreams and humanity—a little far ahead?— but…
March 04, 2024
Flash Fiction Emanuel Diaz

Et Mortui Partium

As Rafael stepped out into the rain, it wasn't the ordinary drops that fell from the sky. Instead, it was a storm of souls, each one taking the form of shimmering jewelry as it cascaded toward the ground. Rubies, diamonds, and sapphires twinkled amidst the…
February 29, 2024
Poetry Jing Li Ava

London

‘Am I in London?’ "I am." Where is Elizabeth? Happy living story All of your chapter Bounlance joy Please my heart Power hand Wise mind Our baby Vow vow Love all love Miss I miss Endless wonder Bring us together Love all love Miss I miss For everything My…
February 29, 2024
Flash Fiction Rob Pook

Life Sentence of The Smith

Born nine months after his country won the World Cup.A child prodigy.Cast off at age twenty-four.Husband, father, emigree, away on the other side of the world.The blue-collar life.The dreams of success.The search for fulfillment.The long years of empty…
February 29, 2024
Mystery Stories Joshua Lowther

The Operator

Jason looked over to his right, his eyes barely able to focus themselves on the subject of his attention. His neck ached terribly from the strenuous movement. He was tired. The captain’s gaze came to rest on the rookie sonar operator sitting tense at his…
February 29, 2024
Flash Fiction Salvatore Difalco

The Chute

At dusk, we left our unit with a soft pink bundle. I carried it through the wet streets and into the black woods. I said I’d take it all the way, the bundle, but that we had to drop it in together. My wife’s green eyes flashed. “Don’t make me do that.” I…

My cousin Thelma thinks she knows everything, but she believes all kinds of crazy shit. About once a month I go to a fortune teller with her. I don’t believe any of that crap, but I go with Thelma because I like her. She keeps trying to get me to go to church with her, but I don’t believe that stuff either.

Then Thelma got this computer program called Your Fortune. You answer a lot of questions on the program, and then it will be able to make predictions about you based on what you had said. It sounded like a lot of hog wash to me, but Thelma insisted it was really good. PC Magazine had given it a good rating.

It took about an hour to answer all the questions. In the end it knew more about me than my mother did. Then Thelma said, “Go ahead. Give it a test.”

“Okay,” I said. “Fortune, tell me what I will be doing five years from now.”

In less than a minute the answer appeared on the screen: “You will be doing a low skills job.”

“What’s that mean?”

“You know, something like flipping hamburgers.”

Well, that was ridiculous. I was in the second semester at Weymouth Community College. My first semester grades hadn‘t been that hot, but I was sticking with it. My father had told me that I should study business, so I was majoring in accounting. I had a good future ahead of me. There was no way that I would be flipping hamburgers in five years.

“Give it another chance,” Thelma urged. “Ask it something else.”

“Okay,” I said, “Tell me about my love life.”

The machine said, “You will meet a short, blonde stranger.”

“That don’t mean a thing. Everyone is going to meet a lot of strangers.”

“No. Based on your age and other stuff, it knows you will be in a relationship soon. Since you’re only about 5’ 6”, it knows you would want someone shorter than you. Beside you told it that you liked blondes

“I don’t believe this crap anyway. How can a computer figure out personal stuff about you?”

“It asked a lot of questions about your beliefs and stuff. It uses that to figure out the kind of choices you’re apt to make. The more it knows about you, the better predictions it can make.”

“Okay, tell me if I am going to pass my mid-term exams.”

Thelma fiddled with the computer a little more. Then she said, “Sorry, Roy. Your Fortune says you will fail your exams.”

I didn’t believe that either.

A week later I was in the library, studying for my mid-terms. Sitting across from me was a cute blonde. Every time I stole a glance at her, I became less interested in debits and credits. Finally I said, “I’m getting tired of studying. How’d you like to grab a pizza?”

When she stood up, I saw how short she was. The machine’s words came back to me: “You will meet a short, blonde stranger.”

When I failed three of my mid-term exams, I realized that there was no way I could pass the semester, so I decided to drop out of college. I had been working part-time in a Quik-Mart, and there was an opening as a shift leader. I decided to apply for it.

Before I applied I went to see Thelma. She asked the machine if I was going to get the promotion. It didn’t answer the question, but it did say I was going to have a change. I figured that meant I would get the shift leader job.

When I went to Qui-Mart, I found that instead of me, they promoted Jeff Simpkins. Simple Simpkins, I used to call him. He was such a jerk! It really pissed me off. I gave the boss a piece of my mind, and he fired me.

I hadn’t eaten all day, so I stopped at a MacDonald’s to get a burger. As I walked in I saw a sign: Help Wanted. Apply Within.

I said a silent prayer and went in to ask to see the manager.

 

 

 

BIO

 

CARL PERRIN started writing when he was in high school. His short stories have appeared in The Mountain Laurel, Northern New England Review, Kennebec, Short-Story.Me, Mad Swirl, and CommuterLit among others. His book-length fiction includes Elmhurst Community Theatre, a novel, and RFD 1, Grangely, a collection of humorous short stories. He is the author of several textbooks, including Successful Resumes, and Get Your Point Across, a business writing text. The memoir of his teaching career Touching Eternity, was a finalist in the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Award.

 

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