Category: Short Story
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Johnny Ace at the Pearly Gates by Jeffrey Hantover
Johnny Ace (John Marshall Alexander, Jr.)December 25, 1954 The last week in December was always a busy period for St. Peter. Many of the infirm and the aged who willed themselves to make it to Christmas expired a day or two after the holiday having triumphantly crossed the finish line.…
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Two Black Dresses by Jonathan Ferrini
Every day at three o’clock as the afternoon sun fought through the dusty windows and the high school down the street let out, a teenage girl would slip quietly into the boutique. She never spoke, never bought anything, just wandered to the same rack and lingered over a particular black…
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Devotion by Huina Zheng
She used to believe. Obedient, gentle and considerate since childhood, Ling washed dishes, mopped floors, folded laundry, and cared for her younger brother, doing everything her parents expected. But now, for the first time, she began to doubt. She stared at the phone in her hand. Her mother’s voice still…
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The Jump by Jim Bates
I didn’t expect so many people to be standing around on the cliff overlooking the Yellow Knife River, but there were, maybe fifteen or so, mostly young folks in their twenties just hanging out, joking around and having a good time, everyone looking tan and fit. It was honestly not…
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Un ‘Ecrivain Français by Michael Grignon
Deep into a meditative journey, I find myself perched at a table in the back of Café Le Rêve. Tucked underneath a crimson awning, I have a partial, but adequate view of the boulevard that stretches in front of me. The restaurant is silent except for the sounds of another…
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Starless Skies by Bethany Webb
“You know, there’s a star in the sky for every wish on the ground,” her grandmother whispered, her wink not visible by the eye, but easy to hear from her voice. Alesia and her grandmother lay in the grass of her parent’s pasture, looking up at the sky dotted…
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Unlearning Him by Huina Zheng
My father was once the person I feared most and tried hardest to please. He ruled our home like an emperor, and we all learned to read his face before speaking. When I began excelling academically in middle school, he finally noticed me, which was remarkable for a man whose…
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Used Steinways by Jonathan Ferrini
Where’s Momma?” “Passed out cold from her morning fix. “My gang members are lookin’ for a score and think there’s money inside a storefront full of old pianos.” “How’s your gang going to steel a store full of pianos?” “Those are Steinway pianos and handmade from…
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Written Word by Gail Brown
Firelight flickered in the faces of excited children. They squealed with delight as Sabina punctuated the story with gestures. Especially if the fire sparked at the perfect time. She lengthened the pauses, to be sure the whole audience understood the message between the words. That message would be different…