“Revenant” by Gerri Brightwell

The stink of Thames mud woke me and I knew he was back . . .

“A Sleight of Mouth” by Steve Loring

My brother looked at me. Looked right through me, in fact. An empty Klonopin bottle sat at his feet. Drugs—no big deal. I’d been here before . . .

“Inspiration” by C. Mundie

“Will you stop swearing?” yelled the father . . .

“Ain’t Living Long Like This” by Robert James Russell

“Do you understand?“ the man asked as he looked from the driver’s seat to the empty parking lot to the gas station at the other end. He couldn’t believe how quickly night had fallen. “Do you understand that this is a necessity?”

He waited for a response but got none. He looked at the large black duffel propped up in the passenger seat and sighed . . .

“Intuitive” by Carolyn Smuts

Psychics are fake. They are lying bullshitters who make a buck conning the stupid and the naïve. I’m no psychic. He thinks I’m intuitive. I’m not; he’s just a drunk . . .

“Veinte-y-dos” by Robert Arellano

All InTur would rent them was a Lada. Carlos was struggling with a sticky clutch when the tunnel’s sickening yellow glow exploded into the hostile glare of a Havana afternoon . . .

“A Little Piece of Heaven” by Steve Flam

He blew into town on a Greyhound from Cleveland. His name was Christopher McKendrick—at least that’s what his license said. He couldn’t wait to get to the beach. If he was caught, he’d snatch a little piece of heaven first . . .

“Laugh Now” by Jess C Scott

Megan—she was a stunner, the first woman I ever asked out on a date after my painful history of being the awkward nerd in high school.

I gave her my time and friendship. I even let her cry on my shoulder when she had no one else to turn to. She didn’t know I was in the next room listening to her talk to a girlfriend over the phone . . .