No Direction Home

by Fred Bubbers

“At first, his voice was calming, but after listening to him for some time, you felt as though you wanted to grab him by his bony shoulders, shake him, and yell at him to wake up.”

The Mouth on Her

by Emily Choate

“I am strange to myself but calm inside my fear. The hot weird prickling starts inside my lips, at the back of my throat and my tongue, along my gums, buzzing the root of my loose tooth.”

The Faces of Boys and Dogs

by Kevin Grauke

“Now I’m older than Grandmother was on that day, and all I have is my saggy, wrinkled reflection to stare at. When I brush my teeth, my jowls quiver like a bloodhound’s.”

Saint Anthony in West Hollywood

by D.A. Hosek

“Maybe it was the element of doubt in your mind. He might be a crazy person. He might be a monk. He might be Saint Anthony. This set up a pattern for all your future conversations with Saint Anthony. You always talk sitting on the steps.”

Contact High

by Gabrielle McAree

“Sometimes, Shell wishes she were shower water so she could cover every inch of a person’s skin.”