A Word from a Lonely Gen Z

by Leah Maitland Am I alone? Because lately my phone has been drying up, the Cracks in my screen are filling with sand that’s Dropping down to the carpeted floor.  Ever been in the desert, deserted with  Four messages seen, no response and a  Growing brittleness on your lips, nobody saying Here have a sip, some social Interaction will clear that up in a  Jiff, for the desert grows with…

Inferno

by Alexia Lindsley I recoiled from the blistering grip of my older brother’s fingers on my forearm which interrupted my deep slumber.  “Piper,” Darin wrenched on my arm, this time with a frenzied urgency. “Piper, the fire’s here. Wake up! We need to get Mom and Dad, and go. Our house, the neighbors’, everything- it’s burning.” I bolted upright. Darin’s face glistened with a thick sheen of perspiration in the…

It’s Alchemy

by Clare Herriott An unpolished gold church bell rings Within its brick belfry, It is 6p.m. Grasping at the polyester fabric, Fingers gripping on the canary colored coat Throwing it on her shoulders,  Rushing toward the door Eager to leave work behind Timid thoughts swarm her mind Will you be at our spot…under the light pole? Biting her lip, Her heart skips a beat. Flinging the doors open Scanning the…

Grandma Camp

by Nora Maloney “Tallulah! Grandma is here!” my mom called up to my room.  Sighing to myself, I clicked off my phone and slid it into the back pocket of my jeans.  “Coming!” I shouted back, knowing she probably couldn’t hear me.  I stumbled off my bed, grabbed my duffle and backpack, took one last look at my beloved bedroom, and slammed the door behind me. Every step I took…

She Lives

by Leah Maitland I love my eczema cracked hands Covered in blushing lizard scales  My burning lungs From laughing too hard The seasick colors of my iris Fading greens to blues to greys Blotchy cheeks betraying my love I love  The acne running down my shoulder blades Gooseflesh prickling sturdy forearms The moles speckling my skin like Stars in the sky  Constellations of generation’s Genes passed down to my  Body…

Rough Waters

by Zola Kambandu Shilz This love is unrequited.  I know that.  Yet every single time I meet his green eyes I am forced to choke back the confession that desperately wants to come spilling from my lips.  He has that effect on you. Making you want to spill every little thing you’ve kept hidden. Forcing you to rein in the urge to put every detail of your being on the…

Phobia

by Clare Herriott Fatal scurries toward the scent of fear A voice like fall coming in raspy breaths Eyesight that seldom detects Anything besides the dancing, ultraviolet shadows Bristled urticating hairs sense each vibrating frequency  It knows your routine, Your weakness  And how to entangle you in the strings of commitment Coming for love on abandoned webs Escape is almost impossible  Adherent silky threads are not kind, Threatening affixation Beware…

Life Screams: The Gift of Understanding

By Chris Lopez-Henriquez Chapter 1 Scanning the room for differences, he spotted the bright light intrusively entering through the windows of his room. The sun was a long memory of red-orange laid out in the perfect symmetric waves all across the horizon, emphasizing Miles’ first day of school. He stood there at the window while noticing the manicured green field of grass laid out in front of him. To his…

Calypso

by Leah Maitland Calypso She lays among the broken shells Little cuts etched down the arch of her back Golden ichor and mortal blood staining her cotton dress Her glassy eyes following Artemis’s path in the sky Bugs crawl upon her faintly shimmering skin Immortal flesh slowly, painfully regrowing The gaping hole behind her breast A blessing sort of silence Accustomed to the sound of her curse The sporadic clanging…

An Exercise in Futility

Written and Narrated and Exercised and Made-up by Owen A. Johnson, (until I change my name.) Steltzel is unsure of what to do next. After all, what is one supposed to do when they’ve earned themself a place at the top of the ‘Most Wanted’ list? He supposes that leaving the city would be a good idea, but he’s short on funds. At this rate, he might as well steal…