Flash Frog
Small. Brightly colored. Deadly to the touch.
Category: Uncategorized
Kaysera Stops Pretty Places by Jamy Bond
We do not see her at Crow Fair when officers beat her younger brother and she films it to bear witness; when she vanishes two days later and they call her a runaway, a drunk, an addict, a slut; when her picture goes missing… Continue Reading “Kaysera Stops Pretty Places by Jamy Bond”
Dragon’s Teeth by Elizabeth Caswell
A man named Phil showed up at our house one day with clipboard and binder in hand, an army of pens in his pocket. I was twelve and therefore unseen as he shook my father’s hand, told my father that as he’d explained on… Continue Reading “Dragon’s Teeth by Elizabeth Caswell”
Room No. 5, Albergo Dolce Vita, Florence, Italy by Cheryl Pappas
The flowers by the window have faded to dusty brown, your letter sits on my desk, read a thousand times . . . The roses lasted the longest. The sun in the afternoon hits the wall next to the bed so the whole room… Continue Reading “Room No. 5, Albergo Dolce Vita, Florence, Italy by Cheryl Pappas”
What We Know About Broken Things by Kristin Kozlowski
Dad cooks Thanksgiving dinner and Mom handles cleanup. She cries while loading the dishwasher, but nobody says anything, not even Dad. This is when I learn about broken things — people, marriages. Grandma is psychic. She works in a tent by the DuPage River… Continue Reading “What We Know About Broken Things by Kristin Kozlowski”
The Nicest of the Popular Girls by L Mari Harris
The popular girls will see the star quarterback talking to one of the nobody girls, his foot hiked up against the locker door, shoulder pads slung over one shoulder, and their bodies will tense, ears cocked in their direction, shushing each other with a… Continue Reading “The Nicest of the Popular Girls by L Mari Harris”
And This is How You Fade Away by Tyrel Kessinger
Every day Mary comes in to work we see her less and less. We’ve decided she’s about 60% gone now. See-through enough to almost read the signs on the break room wall behind her but still solid enough to perform her favorite party trick… Continue Reading “And This is How You Fade Away by Tyrel Kessinger”
All the Ways We Tried to Kill My Father by Shannon Layne
We have been trying to kill my father for a long time. The first attempts, admittedly, were clumsy. My sister and I pushed him off the edge of Longdrop Gorge, which was his first request. It was a long fall. When we reached him… Continue Reading “All the Ways We Tried to Kill My Father by Shannon Layne”
Man on the Moon by Patricia Q. Bidar
My mother and I nurse small wounds on our fingers. We’re sweating at her kitchen table making daisies out of can lids she’s saved all month. On the black and white television we’ve moved to a kitchen chair, history unfolds in space. Apollo 11.… Continue Reading “Man on the Moon by Patricia Q. Bidar”
Dermatographia by Amy Barnes
My mother sleeps in my bedside mirror, primping and shuffling missives from my prince who writes to me only in spy green ink. There is never good sleep there because of my pea-filled mattress she fills from the freezer every weekend to help with… Continue Reading “Dermatographia by Amy Barnes”
Mom’s Pumpkin Boyfriend by Francine Witte
Carved out jacko on the dresser. Mom first learned to do this last Halloween. Scooped the goo out of a pumpkin head when Dad was out on a drunk. Mom’s own head a beehive of regret and wondering how on earth their marriage went… Continue Reading “Mom’s Pumpkin Boyfriend by Francine Witte”