Archive for Surreal
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COMING OF AGE • by Rachel Green
10 Comments
My grandmother glares at me not to approach her, despite her being alone in the empty ballroom of the manor. Winter rain pounds against the picture windows, making it seem like God has elected to plunge the earth under a second flood. I shiver, wishing that the windows were double-glazed or Gran had turned the [...]
Stories, Surreal
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ALONE • by Mark Dalligan 30 Comments
Harry handed another case of clothes to the elderly lady in the charity shop, another envelope of memories. Absently chewing his knuckles as he walked, numb again at the thought of strangers touching his family, he headed for the school.
Stories, Surreal
On automatic pilot, he lectured Year 9 on the First World War. A breeze from somewhere [...]
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I AM TIRED OF BOMBS AND MY DOG IS DEAD • by Michael D. Turner 12 Comments
The lights are back on. I don’t guess it makes much difference outside right now but at least I can get back to writing. The market is a mess, soldiers everywhere, as if soldiers can do anything after the fact.
Stories, Surreal
Father called to make sure we were all right. No reason we shouldn’t be but I [...]
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THE PHILOSOPHER IN THE DARK • by Scott M. Sandridge 20 Comments
“Where am I?”
Stories, Surreal
The philosopher in the dark held a hand in front of his face. He could not see the hand but could sense its location in relation to his head. He closed it into a fist, felt the texture of his nails against his palm, then let his fingers stretch back out.
He pinched himself. [...]
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AN ANGEL IN A PLANE TREE • by Sarah Hilary 40 Comments
Here’s the thing and you needn’t believe a word I say, seeing as atheism’s all the rage with you people, but when they told me Ascend to a higher plane, how was I to know they didn’t mean a tree? We’re all for literal-speaking where I come from, don’t go for the softly-softly approach that’s [...]
Stories, Surreal
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APRIL SCABS • by Sarah Wagner 12 Comments
They gathered together in a small corner of the garage, hunkering down in the dark, chiseled faces scowling in the shadows. “Boss,” said one. “We’ve got to do something about this! It’s going to get out of hand and someone’s going to get hurt. One day could be seen as a joke, one day and [...]
Stories, Surreal
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THE MILK MAN’S OFFER • by Katie Rose 16 Comments
A woman sat in a brown cubicle, unplugged. She went to get coffee from the lunchroom. When she took out the milk from the refrigerator, the milk bottle spoke.
Stories, Surreal
“You don’t want to do that just yet, darlin’,” he said. His voice was measured and it resonated in a deeply familiar way. He had no mouth [...]
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THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD • by Robert Swartwood 11 Comments
Ask anybody in Las Vegas about the luckiest man in the world, and you’re apt to get different answers. But tell them you want to know about the luckiest man in the world, the one with the four-leaf clover, and their eyes will light up and they’ll say, Yeah, yeah, I know all about him.
Stories, Surreal
They’ll [...]
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A WEE DRAP OF HOSPITALITY • by Oonah V Joslin 23 Comments
It is a beautiful thing, isn’t it? Would you like to know how I came by it? It’s a strange tale.
Humour/Satire, Stories, Surreal
I was down at the Causeway on the North Antrim coast. Did you know that it’s a steep walk down? Well it is. And when I got there my knees were sore from holding back on the slope. It’s a [...]
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BURDEN • by Peter Tupper 10 Comments
A burst of AK-47 rounds tore through the night air, as Mohammed moved his rook into position. “Check.”
Stories, Surreal
His opponent took his last swig of straight vodka from the bottle, slurped the last bit of pork off his eightieth spare rib since the game started, and studied the board in the moonlight. “Hunh… hunh,” he said [...]
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WE • by Kevin Shamel 20 Comments
Baked to life in the belly of the sun, torn free from the bones of the Earth, and grown upon the mountain, he counted every breath. He took meaning in each moment–a grape that foresees its ultimate destination as one sip in a dark, flavorful bottle. Life’s spiral whorled around him. He sought the truth [...]
Stories, Surreal
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LOVE MADE THAT TINY HEART THUMP • by Bill West 28 Comments
The mouse trailing flowers from his whiskered mouth scampered into the zoo cage. He crouched then leapt, clung and climbed up the black-tipped tail that stretched up into the sky.
Stories, Surreal
The mouse traversed the latticed flank, ascended the curve of the giraffe’s mane.
The giraffe chewed acacia leaves unperturbed.
The mouse wove a crown of cornflowers between her [...]
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THE HOLE • by Virginia Marion 16 Comments
At first she thought it was a spot to be wiped off the sparkling countertop. The tiniest of specks, hardly bigger than the head of a pin but if she left it Danny would notice… oh yes he would. The bruises still hadn’t faded from the last time Danny had noticed something awry in the [...]
Stories, Surreal
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YESTERDAY. TODAY. TOMORROW. A FABLE • by James Lecky 10 Comments
Once, there were three towns named Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow situated on the banks of a long flowing river named Next Week.
Humour/Satire, Stories, Surreal
The people of Yesterday hated Tomorrow, the people of Today hated Yesterday and the people of Tomorrow hated Today.
Finally, the mayor of Yesterday–a man by the name of Thomas Thursday–the mayor of Today–George Monday–and [...]
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MISS MOGLEY SPEAKS • by K. A. Patterson 10 Comments
Blind and deaf, Miss Mogley sits upon a wicker rocker on her front porch, basking in the warmth of the long summer days. Fans, followers, and the curious stand upon her lawn and wait. Tourists from all over crowd before her house.
Stories, Surreal
A group of Japanese tourists, carrying flashy cameras around their necks, snap her picture. [...]
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PRECIPITATE • by Stacy Sinclair 5 Comments
It hasn’t rained for seven days. I am Cloud, and I ache.
Romance, Stories, Surreal
They, the two, walk in the long, untended grass by the stream. He takes she-sized steps with swelling calves. She breathes he-sized gulps through curving lips. He’s tall and lean, like maple. She’s short and strong, like pine.
The valley is open. A sycamore tree [...]
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WISHFUL THINKING • by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley 19 Comments
“So that’s how it works.” Jean beamed at him and jiggled her hips slightly. “It’s quite simple, really.”
Humour/Satire, Stories, Surreal
He didn’t seem to be reacting. She furrowed her brow and then smiled a bit more forcefully. “So, go ahead then.”
He was a nice-enough-looking man, dark hair, strong jaw, vivid brown eyes. She certainly didn’t think she was [...]
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PETER AND SID • by Rena Sherwood 17 Comments
When Peter hit middle age, he was not so bothered by the chatter of insects. As a child, he’d learned really fast that no one wanted to hear his translations of what the bugs were telling each other. Over the years, he’d learned to tune them out the way other proper Englishmen could tune out [...]
Stories, Surreal
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ECHO • by Michelle Klein 5 Comments
She went to Radio Shack, nymphly garments flapping in the wind, garnering stares from the other customers who asked her if she were in a play or if she ‘was one of those free love people’. They hoped for the latter, and certainly Echo had been free with her love, hadn’t she, giving it away [...]
Stories, Surreal
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MONOCHROME • by Steve Goble 11 Comments
Bob awoke to teal numbers on a teal background on a teal box that blared “Sounds of the Eighties!”
Horror, Stories, Surreal
He blinked. He opened his eyes wide.
Everything was still teal. Walls. Curtains. Carpet.
Bob stifled a scream. Don’t panic. Call the ophthalmologist. Figure this out. It’ll be OK.
He stumbled from the Sunday morning bed, disoriented. Without color, everything [...]
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THE STORM • by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley 8 Comments
The lightning flashed. Alice sat by the window and watched the storm. There would be no trick-or-treaters tonight. She smiled and lit a cigarette, watching the rain beat down.
Stories, Surreal
The house shook as thunder rolled across the sky. The storm must be directly above her. She was its center, perfect. The world outside turned white and [...]
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I TAKE IT BACK • by John Ritchie 30 Comments
It was quite strange watching the blossom of blood on Mike’s shirt gathering up its petals and disappearing back down the small black hole. His knees rose from the ground dragging his body with them. His arms waving wildly, his torso twisted to the left, he resembled some madly talented break-dancer defying the laws of [...]
Stories, Surreal
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NINJA • by Jefferson Navicky 7 Comments
I encountered the ninja on the corner of Exchange and Congress. It was snowing, no, actually it was more of a wintry mix of snow and sleet and ice, just as the weather forecasters predicted. Perhaps the foul weather affected the ninja’s disposition. I wanted to give her a hug, which seemed like a reasonable [...]
Humour/Satire, Stories, Surreal
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ALONE • by James Bloomer 6 Comments
“I just want to be alone!” screamed Katie.
Stories, Surreal
Then she was sitting in a meadow on the side of a mountain, knees up to her chest, wind blowing her hair, the valley below like a child’s play mat.
“Oh,” said Katie. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked around. The meadow was silent and empty. [...]
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STOLEN KISS • by Michelle Klein 23 Comments
You stole my kiss goodnight.
Stories, Surreal
Listen.
This is how it happened:
Every night I closed my eyes and dreamed of angels watching over me, knowing me, loving me, longing for that connection of humanity and holiness that only dreams can bring.
They brought tea.
They’d sit on my windowsill, gossiping, wings flapping slightly to fan their overworked brows.
“Overtime again, Zaphkiel? [...]
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OUT OF SIGHT • by Frank Roger 5 Comments
It was a typical Saturday afternoon, and as usual George had gone fishing and was enjoying the calm and the opportunity to let his thoughts roam freely rather than the chance to catch a few fish. On this particular day, however, the calm was suddenly shattered by a voice seemingly coming from nowhere.
Stories, Surreal
“Good afternoon. Can [...]
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STELLAR ROULETTE • by Daniel Ausema 8 Comments
Thom threw the stars, and billions of years ticked away, seeming to take forever. The universe spun around with its telltale click click click.
Fantasy, Stories, Surreal
“Check them out.” Sam pointed at the dancers, but Thom’s focus was on the spinning stars.
“Have a drink at least.”
Thom took the glass and downed the fiery liquid. Some of the stars weren’t [...]
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THE MUD ROOM • by K. A. Patterson 17 Comments
At midnight it seeps. From the cabinets, the broom closet, the washer and dryer, mud flows. Like lava from an active volcano, it pumps from every crack and crevice in our small utility room— drips from the overhead light socket. It’s odorless. Not as gritty as you’d expect. It never overflows the utility room to [...]
Stories, Surreal
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LOLITA’S LYNCH MOB • by Sarah Hilary 93 Comments
The reading group met on Fridays. Beryl baked, badly it must be said. Timothy liked to experiment with herbal teas. They convened in the living-room, by the bay window.
Stories, Surreal
Margaret, who’d never got over the end of The English Patient, said, “Why does nobody do happy-ever-after any more?”
Everyone nodded, china chattering.
“If it was up to me,” [...]
