Category: issue 15

There exist places where the walls between worlds grow thin. Places like this one, where two villages press together like lips on opposite sides of a glass: Renna-tal and Renna-ba, both perched on the edge of the lake called Mirror. Built in the same precise spot, but a world apart, the villages are fraternal twins.… Continue reading Duet of Tears and Laughter by Jo Miles

Debut day isn’t easy for anyone, even a god. Newly minted, coin-bright, the god called Hark waits backstage. He’s about to go out to perform his first miracle, and he can hear his fans murmuring in front of the altar. They don’t know they’re the lucky ones that’ll get a visitation to enliven the community… Continue reading Fame Cycles of Pop-Gods by Cressida Roe

Aunt Jackie had warned me to be careful with Trey, the highest ranked male alpaca in her flock. His magical wool is so soft, we tolerate his posturing bullshit. I took the necessary precautions, sending a well worn shirt a week before I would arrive to familiarize the flock with my scent. Two of the… Continue reading That Summer at Aunt Jackie’s Alpaca Farm by Wen Wen Yang

“If you’re Amber Barrow, you’re too early,” she told me. She opened the wrought iron gate just enough so that the bars framed us. “My last flight had a tailwind,” I said, but my heart sank. I’d flown across the country, gambled hard-won grant money on this trip, and she looked like a bad joke.… Continue reading Waking the Dead Zoo by Lane Robins

“The rain isn’t working.” Kamal sighed. He traced the dive a hefty droplet as it swelled from a wispy microcloud high above and landed with a loud splash onto the yellow-tipped leaves of a tea bush. Moments later, a second oversized drop fell—missing the bushes entirely—snuffing out the cloud and leaving behind only the unblemished… Continue reading A Concerning Lack of Rain in Ambawatte Estate by Moh Afdhaal

Folding rose petals goes like this: one, two, inside, outside, twist. On this side is the world Beatrice knows--houses spaced at cozy intervals, eggs that fry into blobby shapes, water that is made from those two common elements (hydrogen and oxygen). On this side, there is walking to work on sidewalks with makers’ markings stamped… Continue reading One, Two, Inside, Outside, Twist by Beth Goder

On the day Dad is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ana arrives home from the hospital, does the dishes from the dinner—cluttered from the previous three days—puts some food out for Tufinho, sags back on the couch to spend half an hour crying, then finally opens the faucet in the sink, swirling her finger on the rising water.

Materials You will need: A standard 52-card playing card deck. Two jokers, separated. Fishing tackle, assorted. Don’t worry too much about the contents, just make sure you have a nice box. It’s mostly for show, anyway. One net, any size. Ten days’ rations. If you’re feeling particularly careful, fifteen. A boat. It belongs to your… Continue reading A Rényú-Hunter’s Guide to Playing Go Fish by Adeline Wong

At 4:48 on Monday, March 12, Theodosia touched the stove for the fifteenth time. Fifteenth time in Carly's tenure. How many times before that she couldn't guess. Hundreds . Or maybe the previous custodians were paragons whose attention never strayed even for a millisecond and who expertly dove in to intercept any wayward small hands.

I was walking my dog when I saw my wife for the first time, dancing on the grass in the park like it was an ancient meadow. There was no music—just the clink of her dangling moon earrings as she spun. I think I fell in love with her then, when all I knew of her was wild rhythm and the way she turned her face up to the sun.