Flash Frog
Small. Brightly colored. Deadly to the touch.
Category: Uncategorized
Uniform by Marijean Oldham
We gathered at recess and stared at Jessica standing there in a pair of Guess jeans. We put our fingers to our lips and blew clouds of hot breath, pretending we were our ancient aunts with their menthols. Coats over our uniforms, our bare… Continue Reading “Uniform by Marijean Oldham”
Twelve Miles Outside Kindred, North Dakota by Molly Weisgrau
I get a text from a friend saying that the woman from the internet, whom neither of us know, whose husband every day would update his page to say that she was still fighting, had died. I stop at a gas station, one of… Continue Reading “Twelve Miles Outside Kindred, North Dakota by Molly Weisgrau”
Submerged by Pegah Ouji
It’s raining hard when my daughter slams open the front door, another day at first grade done, gone are cloth diapers and fitful naps, her slam rattles the house, rattles the still lake outside, and in my head it feels even louder, it always… Continue Reading “Submerged by Pegah Ouji”
When I Graduated From High School I Applied to Five Colleges and None of Them Accepted Me by Shayla Frandsen
I was so desperate for work that I wanted to shout Hallelujah the very second they hired me over at the 7-11 and not only was I desperate but I didn’t know any better because I took the night shift which is when the… Continue Reading “When I Graduated From High School I Applied to Five Colleges and None of Them Accepted Me by Shayla Frandsen”
The Barter System by Gary Fincke
The morning their neighbor Mike Polkovich stuck a shotgun into his mouth, Quinn was picking red raspberries from the bushes that ran a boundary between their yards. His father was three hours into sleep after his night shift at the bakery where he had… Continue Reading “The Barter System by Gary Fincke”
Our Baby is Born the Day the World Ends by Sarena Kuhn
First, we video call my parents, show them our new girl: her tiny pinkies, her alien face. Mother is delighted. Father asks if we’ll make it to a bunker in time. I show them my baby’s feet. Ten toes like little peas. Both of… Continue Reading “Our Baby is Born the Day the World Ends by Sarena Kuhn”
The God of Tongues by Jennifer Wortman
One day, Ronny Mahoney, walking to school with his buddy Will Naylor, whirled around and stuck out his tongue at me. At seven, I was old enough to understand the gesture’s nuances: it could be playful or a big fuck you. Back then, I… Continue Reading “The God of Tongues by Jennifer Wortman”
The Girls by Shawn Nocher
One is sensitive, the other wild. Efforts are made to toughen up the sensitive one and calm the wild one. They are both girls and so they are both too much of whatever it is they are. On the outside, they are identical twins.… Continue Reading “The Girls by Shawn Nocher”
The River of Glass Apples by Brad Barkley
During thunder and rain at night in Texas, a little boy dreams a river of glass apples. Red on their surfaces, clinking like crystal, they quiver as if floating on the water, and then somehow they are the water, their red shine and roundness… Continue Reading “The River of Glass Apples by Brad Barkley”
Shadowboxing by Andrew Siegrist
I came home in the fall. Leaves were raked in small piles beneath the dogwoods. The pool was drained. My father was drinking wine in the deep end. A push broom propped against the steel ladder. He raised his glass when he saw me.… Continue Reading “Shadowboxing by Andrew Siegrist”