And the Evening -- There was nowhere left for Jovah to run. Ahead of him stretched an endless nowhere. And home was a long warp away. A story by Michael McNeilley

And I Swear Every Word Is... aaah... -- The author says this is a story he told, over several emails, to Kathryn, making it up as he went along. By Paul Wayper

Angel -- For most, death is an end, but not for Ari, the newest angel. Before she finds true peace, Ari faces life one last time. By K. Hall

Angel -- A tale of love, friendship, loss, and courage, by Siddharth Manay

Attack of the Mile-High Menace -- The day of doom has come for the ants who have invaded the wrong kitchen, and terror will fly from the hands of a high school senior. By Aaron R. Steinmetz

Autosuggestion -- How do you know they're telling you the truth and if they're not, how do you know who to trust? A story by Matthew Barker

Beau -- Beau gave the impression that he was a little slow on the uptake. His mien, pinnacled by a permanently unruly crop of red hair, insinuated that Beau s brain cells were not fully synchronous. By John Caruso

Beginnings -- Michael got a lot more than he bargained for when he accepted his friends invitation to use his cabin for the weekend... By Michael

The Best Place In Town -- Harry was feeling down and sad until Bartender Bill, owner of the best place in town, gave him exactly what he needed. A story by Tim Price

Beyond the Gates of Eden -- To keep oneself from looking into the void, sometimes one has to live, for a moment or two, in the past. A story by David S. Farrar

Bigfoot -- Luck saves a woman from tragedy, but perhaps only temporarily... A story by Joseph Levens

The Bo'sun's Button Box -- Eugene is stuck at the Jersey Shore with his step-grandmother. What happens might have something to do with a Ch'ing Dynasty bronze mousehole. By Kenneth Tindall

Breaking Point -- Some men lose thier lives, others lose their face, Father O'Malley feared losing one and lost the other. By Robert Durham

The Bridge -- A young migrant worker struggles with life while living with his family under a highway bridge during cotton harvest time. A story by Lorin Cranford

Café V -- A story about virtual isolation, by Adrian Hawkins

Candlesticks and Cloth -- A robbery, a murder, four suspects and two clues. Join veteran Detective Frederick Ontario as he tries to piece the mystery together. A story set in late 1934, in New Britain, CT. A Sherlokian style mystery, in which the reader actually stands a chance against the hero. By Aremihc Omega

Canine Jealousy -- Richard and Nadine are going through obstacles in their friendship, but they didn't think the dog would be one of them. By David Macdonald

Champagne and Trains -- An unexpected encounter with a handsome stranger leads to a New Year's Eve adventure that's hard to forget. Filled with passion, shared desires, champagne and trains. By Rhonda L. Nolan

Charlie's Problem -- Charlie has problems with things that go "bump" in the night, but Mags thinks he's crazy. Just What is Charlie's problem? A story by M.L. Steger

Cheeks, Butterflies, Chocolate and Cars... -- Songs, drinks and acquaintances... things you find at parties. Cheryl and Arthur are having fun, until Bob shows up. Remember, Arthur is the jealous type! By Samar Sawaya

A Christmas Gift -- Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature had been stirring, cause there’s no money in the house. By Richard Dale Sides

Comes the Dawn -- Robert Kilian, sentenced to death, must struggle with his true self in the dark, nighted prison cell before the rising sun brings the day of his execution. A story by Jeremy Thompson

Conversation Killer -- A story which sheds a little light on how antisocial practices can sometimes have a punitive effect on habitual perpetrators. By Bernard Haezewindt

A Cry Unheard -- High school is more oppressive than educational for six weird outcasts. By Eien Ni Hen

Darkness -- The author says: "My short story dabbles into certain forms of rejection suffered within society, and shattered innocence. Through metamorphosis human emotions are given to a piece of bubblegum. The world is seen through the eyes of this bubblegum. The bubblegum in some ways resembles a movie monster called the blob however, it is still original. The story is called Darkness. By Chris Jones

Decisions -- A pair of redundant decision-makers go into the decision-making business. By Ryan Sampson

Dicky Markle -- An exploration of the relationship between two brothers during the Second World War. Sometimes the greatest pain is one that can not be fully expressed. By Glynn Sharpe

A Different Kind of Love Story -- Some people love with their eyes, and some people love with their ears, but some people love all the way down to their souls and they're the ones who reap the benefits. A story by Tyler Hart

The Double Take -- In cities, the bottom can fall out of things from one day to the next. Written by Kenneth Tindall

Downtown -- A young lady walks alone in the night. A vehicle follows her. A story by Jeff Mugleston

Dreamweaver -- What happens when our bodies die? Join a young man as he finds out. By I.E. Cardenas

The Dump -- A problem solved is a problem avoided. A continuation of The Rapefield, written by Kenneth Tindall

Ecstasy... A Parallel Sensation -- Pheromones & Histamines - A Biological Affair. A romantic fantasy from South Australia where the wine is good! By John Ahern

Embryos -- A speculative, character oriented story of the future looking to the past for help, by Steven L. Schiff

Escape to Samsun -- A tale of three comrades, of different nationalities, and their quest to escape the wretched adversary, that is wartime Russia. By J A Melody

Estrangements -- There are many kinds of estrangement. Some of them are spiritual. Written by Kenneth Tindall

Eyes of a Child -- Only with the innocence of youth can we hope to conquer the products of our foolishness... A story by Jeremy Thompson

Facing Evil -- A gripping tale of two gunmen tackling crime their own way...but one of them is in two minds... By Ashley Reeve

Faded Memories -- Love can be a wonderful experience, but when does it cross the line and become unhealthy? By Alexxa Abi-Jaoudé

The Fall -- If Christmas is for giving, why was everything taken away? Where am I supposed to go from here? By Lisa LaRiccia

Flowers and Spice -- A flower loving Colonel in the prime of married life meets a rose growing lady. While love might bloom, where there are roses, there are also thorns. By Anjana Basu

Flying -- Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to fly? Reba Keanin didn't have to wonder, it just happened! By Anthea Andrade

Fragile: Please Touch -- A story of an encounter with a mental patient, by Martha Partridge

Freeman -- An examination of what our society drives for, by Parson

Friends -- A humorous account of a group of exuberant cronies who spend their headquarters time at the best watering hole in town. By John Caruso

From the Backseat -- Today is the day Zambia comes alive. Yesterday it was Northern Rhodesia but the Queen of England gave it away. She had to. Mother told Father she was leaving - she was taking the kids out. This is that journey. By Greg Latter

The Gardener -- Miss Crandall could feel the hot August sun on her back, but the coolness of the driveway and the old house that stood serenly in the woods, made her forget the heat of the summer. She always felt awed as she made her way to visit Mrs. Schultise, not always a pleasant visit. By Regina Phelps

The Gate -- Billy gets more than he bargained for when he alters reality by changing his past. By Duncan Stewart

The Gift -- In war, soldiers kill and the generals take that ability to take life for granted. But they forget that their soldiers are human. A story by Parson

Gilman -- Gilman Hane is about to cross the boundary of creation. Who knows what he'll find? By Gordon Gustafson

Gloved -- An African shopkeeper receives more than he bargained for when he purchases the ultimate "Dream That Comes Too True. By Mikel Leon Stevenson

Going Home -- Do I want something? I don't really know. Do I want to live? I am not so sure. Maybe I want to go home. This is the first conscious desire since the chest pain and this desire rises and rushes with the force of a tidal-wave: I want to go home! A story by Paul Satori

A Greek Tragedy -- Discover the generalities involved in relationships, and how bitter the end can be. By Justin Parisi

Grisby Gets a Haircut -- A tale about life in the suburbs and living vicariously through pets, by Mark Johnson

Harold, the post-Industrial Urban Phoenix -- ....and the search for the AMC Eagle transmission. A story by James B. Moran

Harry Had a Knack -- Edna was happily married to Harry until the night of their fortieth wedding anniversary when she learns her husband's terrible secret. By Robert Cleary

Hey! Don't I Know You? -- Ever get the feeling you know someone only to realize, after you've made a fool of yourself, that you don't??? A story by Joyce Moseley Pierce

The House Vehicle -- A powerful little historical vignette, when you think about it. Written by Kenneth Tindall

How Has the World Treated You? -- He just stopped in the Plaza Hotel to make a phone call, and have a quick drink. He didn't realize he would travel back in time, and fall in love all over again. By Tom Dwyer

Hunting Bats -- Five friends attempt to come to terms with life and love... and they hunt bats too. A story by Tim Price

In Memory of Chuck Silbaugh -- Things turn scarier (and funnier) than expected when some kids need money and build a haunted maze in their backyard. By Tom Maul

Inner Battles -- Where are all the true decisions made. In this earthly existence, or on the battle field of the SOUL. A story by Brian Alan Carlson

Inside Her Head -- Her friends and her family were all telling her the same thing, that she was going to die if she didn't stop. But Katherine knew better than that. It was just a trick. They all wanted her to be fat. She wasn't going to let them win..... A story by Karen Pielke

Invisible Ghosts -- A girl of the street learns to see herself, from an old adventurer on his last night. By Josh Stallings

Jason's Quest -- A short, short tale about a lad learning the meaning of responsibility in a harrowing and humorous adventure. By Paul Wagner

The Keys Are in Louisiana -- An unusual romance evolves between two people who meet via correspondence. After months of connecting through their "words," the time has come to meet face to face. By Rhonda L. Nolan

KOOL ROF EM -- A funky story about a schizophrenic teenager who goes nuts, by Herbie

Ladybird, Ladybird, Fly Away -- The life story of Jack Kelly whose dream of becoming a NYC Firefighter is fulfilled with sadness and humor. By Charles F. Farrell

The Last Charge -- A Confederate Sergeant relives his past events during the American Civil War. By Norman Kingsley

The Last Normality -- The tale of a man who is "normal," living in a world where mental afflictions, such as manic-depression, have become the norm. By Kevin Patrick Necessary

Leaving -- On Christmas Eve, the night that every other child wished for toys and puppies, a little boy wished for love and nothing more. By Eliot Lynn

Letter Pile -- Her mother is dead. Her father deserted them both. Now Ashley wants to find him and make him part of her life. By Stacey Baker

Letters of Resignation: Variations on a Theme -- Did she resign? A young man ponders whether his office comrade was resigned to her fate. By Steve Rodriguez

Life and Loss -- Losing everything is hard, but when are young and fresh in the world it becomes much more difficult. By Heath Bolin

The Life Line -- On an early spring morning, the passengers aboard the ship "C. Worthy" were enjoying the warm breeze... A story based on a picture, by Lisa Pynes

Light Or Lightning? -- Jeff Barnes, thirty-years-old and still a waiter, meets the man who can make his dreams of success come true. But he finds that there is a price to be paid. By Duke C. Cullinan

Loss -- Billy Mason's wife has just died, but is she really gone? He'll move Heaven and Earth to bring her back... By Andrew R. Crow

A Love for Music -- A drifter in a small town for two days and one night, by Christy

Love, Simon -- A tortured man's lepidopterous method of exorcising the ghost of an ex-lover. By Michael J. Neff

Max the Wonder Dog -- A story about man's best friend, by Zalman Velvel

Mindymond -- A.J. was having a nightmare; another in a series that had been plaguing him for the past few days. Ever since he ran away. A story by Mark Stewart

Morpheus -- Have you ever wondered what true tragedy is? Then come my friend and listen to this tale of godly sorrow... By C.S. Harris

Mother of Vinegar -- Sometimes it's almost possible to choose your reality. Written by Kenneth Tindall

Mrs. MacGregor's Halloween -- A neighborly widow just wants some peace and quiet. By Emma March

Music Non-Stop -- No matter where he went, there was noise. Inside his head was the music, a thousand songs played on an imaginary record player, all his own, waiting to be born into the world through his biro. By Candice Borg

My Guardian Angel -- An alcoholic must depend upon her only reason for living, her daughter, to save her life and her soul. By Marie

Natural Music -- A woman's direction in life is in doubt after a meeting with a friend. By David Macdonald

No Second Chances -- An emotional love story about a young couple. Are they meant to be? A story by Cyber Coke

Not in Da Nang -- Sometimes boomers have flashbacks. Sometimes they overlap. Sometimes the person experiencing the flashback cannot distinguish one's own memory, and that of a friend's. A story by David S. Farrar

Old Joe -- A Story of friendhip and love between an old man and a young boy, by Bruce Parkin

On the Desert: A Christmas Story -- A young boy's poignant remembrance of Christmas past. Americana spoken here. By David L. Eppele

Our Friend Steven -- In a 1950's Catholic elementary school, three boys form a lifelong bond in the face of prejudice. By John Douglass

Party at Jen's -- Boy meets Girl at a Party... Every Eleven year old's Fifth grade fantasy. By C.J. Pizarro

Patch of Light -- One person's journey through his mind of inaccesible porportions. Who he meets along the way and the death he experiences on the trip. By Eric Miller

The Path -- A story of point of view and feeling, of survival and how the mind works to survive life's problems, of exploration of the human soul. Written by Celena Campbell

The Perfect Revenge -- His plan was better than retaliation, better, than murder. It was the perfect revenge. By Zalman Velvel

Plastic Fantastic Super Store Blowout -- A young man aches for a past, a future, an answer. By S.P. Cooke

Platinum Premium Service & Support Policy -- A couple of Manhattans can do wonders. By Bill Monks

Police Story -- A police officer bites off more than he can chew... By Christian Lesemann

Primal -- A different kind of werewolf story... actually its more than that, by Parson

The Psychic -- A con-man, posing as a psychic, is put to the test after he encounters some fanatic true-believers. A story by Martin G. Hamilton

Punk on the Run -- A story about a man who is frozen for 867 years and is one of the few punks left on earth after Corporate America Limited took over the world. By Jon Lim

Putting the Right Foot Forward -- You'd be better off playing wiffle ball than going shopping with your mother. A story by Norm Weldon

The Rapefield -- All it takes is planning - and the joy of anger. A story by Kenneth Tindall

Reconciliation -- Home after 19 years, the harsh reality, severity, the cold cell now behind her, a time of reflection, reconciliation. By Thomas Ollerhead

Reflecting on a Roppongi Rendezvous -- Scenes in the looking glass; a tired American reflects on an early Tokyo morning. Written by Steve Rodriguez

Reunion on Cedar Lane -- A bitter old man comes to terms with his life in the past, present, and future with the help of a young girl. By Jes Blanchard

Revenge -- Revenge is only sweet when the avenger succeeds on inflicting the same pain that he felt to his enemy. By Brian Cortes

The Right Time -- It feels good, she thought, to have a man hold me in his arms, it's been so long! A story by Kelly O'Kelly

Sam's Daughter -- A tough film producer and an even tougher street girl talk about life, edge and Sam Peckinpah. By Josh Stallings

The Shake -- A woman's search for that perfect chocolate milkshake. By David Macdonald

Shard of Glass -- The tale of a man who, in vain, tries to save his girlfriend from a rapist, only to be the one charged for murder and rape. By Dennis R. Rushing

Shell Shock -- Was I truly surprised to learn that Be'eri Ben-Ya'akov, the long-haired kibbutznik, had found religion? A story by Elisha Porat

Shining Sun -- The sun shines Again after almost 300 years of darkness. Is it a miracle or is there some Other explanation behind it? By Brad Huffman

The Shoeshine Boy -- The small boy picked up his kit and walked to the bus stop with a life and three dollars in his pocket. Discovery and Struggle shine while the light of an old shoeshiner filters through the perceptions of a young black child living in the outskirts of The City. Where's your legacy now? By Michael J. Neff

The Sleeping Stones -- Turning the sleeping stones out is a symbolic concession to spring. Sometimes, however, it is also a metaphor for surrender to reality and hardship. In this traditional southern tale, a lonely woman faces a difficult decision that the sleeping stones magnify. A story by Jack Trammell

Smallville -- Tom's mother decided he would be better off living in a smaller town where she hoped he would find a better crowd of friends, and not get into as much trouble. She had picked Sawville, but to Tom it was what he considered a pathetically small town. He didn't fit in here in Smallville as he liked to call it. By Crane, S.A.

Souvenirs -- A story of contrast between the hopes of the young and the regrets of the old. By Paul Duncan

Spoon Boy -- A teenager fighting in a man's war, forced to witness and participate in the ravages of the American Civil War, Spoon Boy copes by painting the concave interiors of spoons and sending one home after each battle he survives. This charm seems to work until an Alabama stranger arrives. By John K. Trammell

Station -- A modern version of the medieval Christian "dream vision" stories, by Marisa Price

Stellar Tapeworms -- Extracts from a hearing of the Terran Intergalactic Commonwealth-Koror Xarron Cultural Exchange Commission for the study of scientific potentiality, interracial cooperation and mission harmonics (cultex csspicmh) on the Outteau 27 Epsilon Mission Disaster. Reported by Thomas Fortenberry

Storm -- What would you do if you were a soldier based in Germany and just received urgent news that your father was dying? Sawyer, the only son to a widower father and the main character of this short story, embarks on special leave to be at his father's side. His trip back to the States is laced with manageable obstacles except the STORM. By John Caruso

The Stroll -- A simple walk in the park conjures up numerous emotions for two people. A story by David Macdonald

Surviving Me -- My entire life I have been searching for something. I have looked for 19 years and I always thought the looking would continue until I met him. He came and left my life with a grace that can only be described in a story. Please enjoy my journey and come out a better person like I did. For everyone that has ever searched for a clarity and is still searching, look no further. By Lindsay Dunn

Sweet William -- A writer enters the world of technology only to find that computers are really rather stupid and seem to have a mind of their own. By Marian Hookham

Sympathy for the College Student -- A tale of two men, the devil, and a bottle of tequila. By Jason Galore

There's no such thing as an accident -- In a world of despair and war, hope is given to the hopeless and the glory of God is known. By Brian Carlson

The Thin Silver Thread of Life -- Mary is on the brink of ending her life and has to make her last difficult decision. By Nora Czaykowski

Time -- She doesn't have the time to call a friend, a decision she'll regret for the rest of her life. By SUPERJill

To the Last Drop -- Domestic violence brings disaster when a struggling writer reaches the last straw. By Mikel Leon Stevenson

Toad & Katlin -- An arrant father meets his daughter only to discover she has slid from a child into a teenager. By Josh Stallings

The Tree of Knowledge -- A young girl growing up in the late 1960's learns something surprising about a woman she's idolized. By Caroline Zarlengo Sposto

True Friends -- Words are like swords and gossip is like fire. The following is chat dialogue between two friends responding to the result of the untamable tongue. By Aaron Steinmetz

Until the Darkness Comes -- A day in the life of a small town man filled with his bizzare and violent visions. By Matt Sampson

Untitled -- In the endless battle of the heart and the mind, how far will you go or how much can you endure to save the one you love? By kaye quiban

Valentine's Day Massacre (Parisian Style) -- A bold terrorist ...(or is he a freedom fighter?)... encounters impressions of beauty, love and revenge in his favorite Paris art museum. By Steve Rodriguez

The View From The Top Of The World -- When a father and son reunites...will the past get in their way? By Tom Dwyer

Volunteer -- A teenage boy becomes learns more about a local AIDS centers' patients than he thought he ever would . . . By David Clements

Waitress -- A man is confused and falling in lust at the same time. By Brad Leezer

A Walk in the Woods -- The Sunday hike the two young men shared had become a weekly tradition. Until it happened. A story by Martin G. Hamilton

The Wanderer -- Why do we hold on so relentlessly to the things of our past, and what is the consequence upon our spirit? By C.S. Harris

The Water Tower -- The "true" story of a young man who had his life torn apart from him when he, and the woman he loves, is kidnapped and taken to a desert. By Aaron Steinmetz

The Way We Know Each Other -- A young woman goes to a surreal party on a summer's day and discovers a beautiful and disturbing side of her relationship with the man who brought her there, casting a clarifying lens on the ways in which we all know (and don't know) each other. By Rachel Barenblat

We Sat Giggling -- A story about two young girls struggling through hard times, by Samantha

The Weather Center -- A teenage boy drowns in a freak canoeing accident and is forced to accept his death and spending eternity in the afterlife at the weather center. By Joseph Straub

Well Met, Zora -- Rosemary was drunk, scared and depressed. She knew that she had to go inside soon, but the thought of it only made her want to go back to the little bar accross the street.... A story by Karen Pielke

Well-To-Do -- An upwardly mobile couple buy their first summer house in the Hamptons. What happens when an unexpected glimpse into one of their friend's past gives them the upper hand at a 4th of July party. By Sam Sheffler

The Wishing Well -- Unfortunately, wishes at this well, do come true! A story by Tom680a@optonline.net

The Young Lady in the Range Rover -- A short story about a woman driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and the physical environment and violence she encounters. By Andrew Hurvitz

Send your comments to Jeanne Hedge at jhedge@rcn.com. The Short Story Page - Fiction Section, created 2 March 1996; last revised 8 August 2009