It was embarrassing, sprinting in his shiny funeral suit, trailing the paper kite over the hillocks. And from this he gained some sense of the ridiculous and the infantile that fathers persevered through for little-ones too young to recognise it as anything other than wondrous.… more
Author Archives: Ben Drevlow
Three Stories
FLASH FICTION by Rebecca TigerMark smells the shit before he sees it. Mrs. Friedman is naked on the beige carpet, leaning on her loveseat covered in flowered upholstery, her silver hair staining red. She is holding a dirty diaper in her hand. “What were you doing out of bed, Mrs. Friedman? Looking for a midnight snack?” “It’s none of your fucking business.”… more
Child Zombie
FICTION by Maliha MannanHow does one become a zombie? Hmm. All of us have unique stories, but one way or another, we end up losing our homes and possessions, so we take to the streets. Street life is hard. Some zombies get better, their situations reverse, but most of us keep getting worse. Our memories fade, speech gets slurred. It’s a common story, really. There are more of us around than you think.… more
The Feminist
FICTION by Läilä ÖrkenHe called out sexism and misogyny everywhere; occasionally even in his own family. Once, he stunned his mother by explaining how she had been the victim of domestic abuse. “You don’t understand,” he told her. “Father manipulated you into thinking you wanted to stay home. That was his way of keeping you under control. He was a textbook emotional abuser.”… more
On the Architecture of the Divine
FICTION by Steve PasseyThere is, in an anthill, a logic, an architecture, beyond what humans can conceive of. The ants, without thought, build from the order in their souls placed into them by the divine.… more
No Business
CREATIVE NONFICTION by Lindsay MicheleForty-seven-year-olds got no business dating thirty-four-year-olds. But at this point, you have no idea he’s only thirty-four. You sense he’s probably younger than you, but y’all had the Inspector Gadget moment, and melanin is a bitch for age identification. You want a man, but you don’t want to rob the cradle. The apps suck, but at least they provide basic information, like education, location. Age.… more
Jeffrey Aldeen
FICTION by Lloyd Alimboyao SyThe tabloids liked to point out his “shining good looks.” What good looks he had indeed. His smile was not quite natural—by design. Jeffrey knew that a true smile would not play well on screen. People wanted to see themselves in your teeth; you had to let those bad boys out.… more
Through the Wasteland
FICTION by Á. D. Canareira, Translated by Clare GauntThere was no need to ask why he was crazy about her again, in his romantic, foolish, desperate way; in a world where trying to persuade someone that love without irresistible physical attraction is possible, was like preaching in the wilderness.… more
Jacob Under God
FICTION by Jennifer Maritza McCauleyI struggled under his weight and felt his hardened muscles press into mine. I let out a long breath. Here we were. Just two almost-men molded and shaped and starved for this moment, to trade nasty heat and fear and fury.… more
Dry Rot
FICTION by Helena PantsisThe wind seemed to grow colder. John’s breath was held. He stayed entirely still, unmoving even at the will of the thankless, dry gale. In a jagged clash of metal against snake leather, the snake was stopped short.… more
