by Chris Scott

“There are other videos from other people -- copycats, some call them -- in similar circumstances. In locations that should be humming with crowds, but are suddenly completely, weirdly empty.”

by Clay Waters

“The family companion had wriggled himself underneath the covers of the guest bed and it seemed clear he would spend his last hour there. “

by Genevieve Methot

“Then, the warm summer breeze lifted the hot air balloon like a dandelion seedling taking flight. And in these last moments, Mary Cleft’s laughter tumbled softly down to earth, as she turned her face to the deep violet sky and waved.”

by Dan Berick

“She definitely had gotten fat, there was no getting around it.  She was fat fat.”

by Mileva Anastasiadou

“My shrink does her best but she’s tired. There’s some kind of subtle wisdom in cartoons, but it’s not what I think it is, she claims. She says I don’t miss him, I miss the game.”

by Keith Burkholder

“Connor is a huge fan of beer.  When he was alive in his first life, he loved to drink beer daily.  He never drank beer.  He just loves to have a can of beer each day.”

by Margaret Cahill

“Not everyone can paint,” he said, “but everyone has the potential to be a performance artist.”

by Allister Nelson

“God comes hungry to your table. The crops have rotted. Tins of bean, ash in the cornbread. He asks you for food.”

by Jane Berg

“The word for three or more celestial bodies arranged in a straight line is called a ‘syzygy,’ from the Greek syzygos meaning ‘yoked together.’”

by Ya Lan Chang

“I button up my coat. I should say something in parting, but I don’t. I emerge into the fresh air, the city roaring all around me, leaving you to wonder what misfortune, what calamity, I have chosen to spare you. “

by Silas Coghill

“The boy grabs the guitar’s neck, the cold steel strings pressed into his palm, and he looks to his mother. He strums the muted strings, and at his fingers, a cascade of colors sparks.”

by Jessie Atkin

“All that is required is a retina scan and a thumb print and a, “please have a seat in the waiting room,” message flashes across the screen along with a registration number.”

by Tinker Babbs

“‘Mr. Snuggles will be waiting for you. Open paws.’”

by DC Diamondopolous

“In the predawn, lampposts picked up glitter of broken glass strewn across sidewalks and streets. Like diamonds, they glistened. A light breeze ruffled torn pieces of cloth. Interwoven like a giant quilt lay crushed cans, a high heel, bricks, left-overs in food cartons, a wig, orange peels, Styrofoam cups.”

by Svetlana Tomlin

“Luck should turn for Capricorns that week, the Sun loves the Virgos, and the Moon takes pity on the Pisces, despite whatever they messed up. Arises are all bitches though, so they shouldn’t make any financial decisions on account of not deserving either a little treat or a big one.”

by Katie McHugh

“The potential was so tangible I could weave it from shadows. The monster drooling beneath my bed, the love interest napping peacefully atop the frame, the hero—who looked so much like myself—grinning at me from the mirror.”

by Cameron Carter

“As I pulled the child back, he kept yelling slurs at the gay couple. I wondered who had taught them to hate. Had they learned these words from listening to angry adults, who saw the world around them teeming with so much love— a love that always passed them by.”