Issue 5, Autumn 2021
Flash Nonfiction
The Coats in Summer People | Christi Krug
There’s something wrong with you if you wear coats in summer. It means you don’t live with the people who have tan arms and hair kissed by sun, hair that flashes yellow and almost-white even when you don’t put Sun-In on it. There’s something wrong with Mother putting on her wool coat to walk to Safeway, slow like in another time zone, like walking on the moon, somewhere cold and dark, while children are shouting and riding bikes and running through sprinklers.
The Code | Laurie Guerin
You forced yourself to go to this party. You figured external noise would be a welcome respite from the internal dialogue that has played on repeat since the night you found out your husband had been cheating. I mean, you knew he had a rich fantasy life. You knew he objectified women- always had. You were one of them early on, back when being objectified seemed a worthy goal. There had been more to the marriage, of course, but the bottom line is you gave your heart to a man whose heart belonged to longing.
Unravel by Caitlin Matheis
Blue–navy, royal, sky. If we were speaking in general terms, I would tell people that this is my favorite color because I love all of the different shades that make blue, blue. Purple–plum, violet, a bright orchid color. His favorite. But he likes the bolder shades. I tend to favor the shyer, more muted, shades like lavender.
I pick up the spools, unwind the different colored strings, trying to make them even in length for the friendship bracelet I am about to create.
Other Good Stuff…
