Before dinner that Tuesday, I sat back in my leather-bound chair and indulged in a few moments of feeling quietly safisfied. Recently I had even felt the beginnings of optimism. After years of cloud and storm, the sun had broken through and I could at last bask in the success that I deserved. After all, … Continue reading ‘The Easy River to Success’ by Mark Lord
You don’t know me, but you know my husband. Likely, you heard about him fighting Shogun’s Bane, that undead dragon with a penchant for carrying off gorgeous but rather disagreeable virgins way back during the Year of Black Snow. Or else you read that epic poem detailing my husband’s battle against the four-armed Troll King. … Continue reading ‘The Hero’s Wife’ by Michael Meyerhofer
It's the same every night. The same nightmare every night for weeks. It never changes, and that makes it all the worse. In the nightmare, I'm only six years old. Even though I know I'm really sixteen, it doesn't matter. You can only run so fast when you've got the legs of a kindergartner. In … Continue reading ‘The Man in the Cowboy Hat’ by Jude Coulter-Pultz
Illustration: “Dover Cat” © 2007 by Robert Sorensen It exploded off of the ceiling and went crashing down with a resounding bang that echoed around the chambers and shook the woodlands outside, jarring the blue jays from their midday rest. The tower shook in response, the earth grumbled in protest. A lithe feline made her … Continue reading “The Scroll of the 7 Roses” by David Kerschner
[Illustration: “Fairyworld” © 2006 by D'Wayne Murphy.] Bobby Burns is gone, and with him the fair tongue he spoke. I pray, therefore, the ancient Celts to forgive me as I interpret the Gaelic tongue in order to bring appreciation of it to a newer time. As a babe, my ears heard the words: Ye maun … Continue reading “Thomas the Rhymer” by Resha Caner
[Illustration: "Den" © 2006 by D'Wayne Murphy.] Den had made himself a good life after leaving the service of King Alexander. He started a small farrier’s shop in the northern border town of Gladia, the kind of town that was full of a variety of passersby on any given day, but without much to speak … Continue reading “Den the Deedworthy” by Adam Hanisch
[Illustration: “Henge and Druids” © 2006 by Romeo Esparrago.] Thousands of years ago on a flat bit of land that eventually would be called Salisbury Plain, in what eventually would be known as Southern Britain, stood a ring of wooden uprights that would be compost. For generations the ring had taken many forms and signified … Continue reading “Stone Me” by Roderick Gladwish
[Illustration: “Fortune Maker” © 2006 by D'Wayne Murphy.] “Eww, there’s that creepy Johnny,” Amanda said, squishing her face up. Megan wondered why her face didn’t look that cute when she practiced that expression in the mirror. Then she was fighting to keep her balance as Amanda jerked her behind one of the striped carnival tents. … Continue reading “Fortune Maker” by Teresa S Rich
[Illustration: “Abadonna” © 2006 by Romeo Esparrago.] The Hill of Magnificence had been in sight all day, but it was only on the eve of dusk that Samuel reached it. It was tall and verdant, and standing at the base, he could not see the top, where the stone slab stood embedded in the wild … Continue reading “Dusk” by Devin Miller
[Illustration: “Like I Don't Exist” © 2006 by Romeo Esparrago.] It's not easy being a superhero. Snap judgments are what it's all about. I mean, all I saw was her, running out of her bedroom. Him, panting at her heels, his face red -- leering -- his shirttails hanging out of his pants. He grabbed … Continue reading “Choices” by Dianne Rees
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