Flash Frog
Small. Brightly colored. Deadly to the touch.
Category: Uncategorized
The Ghost of Charles Bukowski Pines for His Job at the Mails by Patricia Q. Bidar
Death has done wonders for Hank’s cratered face. His phantom eyes are clear. His diarrhea and bellyache, gone. His ratty boudoir was upstairs with its view of the industrial harbor. Now it’s made over as a baby’s room. Dead Hank has no wish to… Continue Reading “The Ghost of Charles Bukowski Pines for His Job at the Mails by Patricia Q. Bidar”
Recollection by Rebecca Long
She huddled under a freeway overpass, ripping coupons from an old newspaper with shaky hands. It reeked of gas even here, even through her mask. Cases of water: BOGO. $5 off baby formula. She didn’t know if a store would take them. If there… Continue Reading “Recollection by Rebecca Long”
Mold Culture by Gabrielle Griffis
Ariel submerged a white dress in a bowl of vinegar and water. Black mold speckled the fabric. The sour acerbic smell emanated from the bowl as she dropped tea tree oil into her reflection, her face respirator mixing with the warped floral print. She… Continue Reading “Mold Culture by Gabrielle Griffis”
Facts About the Southern Cassowary by Jennifer Fliss
“The cassowary is closely related to the velociraptor,” Hildy tells her mother, whispering it into her ear as they sit at the kitchen table. Moments later, Hildy’s father tromps down the stairs and the orange juice in the glass sends out waves like in… Continue Reading “Facts About the Southern Cassowary by Jennifer Fliss”
Voices From Home by Chiyeung Lau
In a take-out restaurant eight thousand miles from Fuzhou, a stereo blared old love songs from the motherland. Under the fluorescent lights of China Garden stood Wei and his younger brother Fung, who sat shirtless behind the cash register. “I can’t stand this… Continue Reading “Voices From Home by Chiyeung Lau”
Leak by Kim Magowan
A patch of wall under the south-facing living room window is driving Polly nuts: damp to the touch, and now the paint is lifting up. The patch’s shape reminds her of one of those vertical Midwestern states, an upright yam. It’s bordered on one… Continue Reading “Leak by Kim Magowan”
Missing Person Report by Miriam Mandel Levi
This morning my husband left for synagogue and did not return. He should have been home by 11:00., 11:15 if he’d stayed to exchange words with the rabbi. But by 11:45, there was no sign of him. I’d laid the table with a white… Continue Reading “Missing Person Report by Miriam Mandel Levi”
Declawed by Allison Field Bell
She had white couches and two declawed kittens. I had never seen the process before: the declawing. The bloody paw prints she had to bleach from the fabric. The strips of newspaper substituted for kitty litter. She was my housemate, except she owned the… Continue Reading “Declawed by Allison Field Bell”
Certain Company by Lisa Piazza
The neighborhood girl comes over at nine to help with the dogs and chickens. She uses the flashlight on her phone to count the one, two, three hens. She’s careful; she makes sure. She shines and scans, guided by the light. Once she locks… Continue Reading “Certain Company by Lisa Piazza”
Surveillance by Quinn Rennerfeldt
The day Denis started being followed is a raised mark on his mind. A keloid scar. He was on the roof of a split-level home, perspiration tracing tracks down the back of his neck. He had a small Bluetooth speaker balanced precariously on the… Continue Reading “Surveillance by Quinn Rennerfeldt”