You are fifteen, and you are wearing your tightest dress. You’re dancing with a guy who is probably called Mike. You don’t actually know if that’s his name because the pop music is so loud the sticky floor is vibrating, but he made a “Mike”ish kind of shape with his mouth when he said it. … Continue reading The Pure of Heart by Abi Hynes
Celia and the others drift across the playground to the school’s steps, gathering like birds. All of them waiting, eyes closed and lips parted in anticipation, their shade-bodies sliding through each other’s, tangling like mist as they arrange themselves. A ringing begins and the building comes alive: heartbeat of footsteps, breath of swinging doors. They … Continue reading Vestiges by L.S. Johnson
As I walked home after the show, there was a spot in the sky that looked blacker than it should. Alex had offered to drive me home, one hand searching for his keys while he asked me, and I’d almost taken him up on it. We’d have fallen into bed; sometimes at night, after shows, … Continue reading See Sky Sea Sky by Chloe Clark
By the sixth day I was more pain than person; unplugging myself, piece by piece, from the rituals and routines that tied me to the rest of my race. I arched and roared, swiped palms like paws across my cheeks. But still I wouldn’t let them take it. I slept in dull bursts of drunken … Continue reading Rootless by Carly Holmes
The harpoon slammed into the body with a wet thud. Muscle and skin contracted as it flinched away from the sharp intrusion. The rope anchored to the bow drew taught. The boat lurched forward as the whale thrashed its powerful tail in an attempt to get away. The second harpoon struck true and fast. My … Continue reading Narwhal by Wiebo Grobler
Barry lowered his voice so his mother wouldn’t hear him over the rumble of the station wagon. “The old man turned to the children inside the car. His eyes gleamed with an unnatural shine. When he held up his hand, it was a bloody stump covered with worms.” “Ew!” Johnny looked like he was going … Continue reading Dia de los Muertos by Sarina Dorie
Our latest issue will go live at midnight EST. That this first issue of the year features stories that pair well, and in some ways act as balance for each other, is quite unintentional. Narwhal and See Sky Sea Sky feature stormy waters, in very different ways. Dia de los Muertos and Vestiges examine a keening loss … Continue reading From the Editor’s Desk: Issue 01:2017