Most read stories

The Lovers

22192219 views1414 comments77 favs

I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY TO YOU, she lisps, and, with this, the fissure in the man’s head reaches the bottom of his chin and the hollow head splits in two.

Birthday Boy

22192219 views00 comments1212 favs

"I called him a fucking loser and left."

The several stages of grief

22192219 views22 comments00 favs

Robert was not in any sort of metaphysical or spiritual sense seeing himself, as in the scales falling from his eyes and seeing himself as he was. He was a long way from that kind of insight. He was literally seeing another himself.

Lips that Touch Liquor: The French 75

22192219 views00 comments00 favs

The French 751 1/2 ounces of cognac1 ounce of lemon juice1 teaspoon of sugar6 ounces of champagne For the rest of that night, everything Mickey looked at appeared to have a halo of music, something nearly visible that he could almost …

Through the Looking Glass: Humpty Dumpty 2011

22182218 views2121 comments1111 favs

“When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”

I Confess to God in the Shower

22182218 views99 comments55 favs

During fifth grade, I was called / closeted queer and tall faggot.

Better than Chocolate

22172217 views77 comments44 favs

Teddy laughs like a machine gun. People back away when they hear him. Every time I see him at work, I try to make his skinny body rattle. I would never back away.

Buster Keaton

22172217 views1414 comments99 favs

I passed Buster Keaton on the way to work this morning. He was standing, hands in pockets, at the corner of Riverview and Keil. It was the young Buster, handsome and still strong enough to pin down the scars that marked his childhood. This was the Buster

Five Ways to Say “F*ck Off!” In Our Post-Modern Era

22162216 views11 comment00 favs

“Honey, honey.” He tried to take her hand but she pulled away. “This is about the cup. Don't make it about us.”

Dancers: Summer '69

22162216 views2828 comments2424 favs

The locals cut stone in quarries, built elevators at the Cummins plant in Columbus, or brewed shine back in the hills between Bean Blossom and Gnaw Bone.

Letters from the Asylum (1)

22162216 views66 comments11 fav

I'll be honest, and tell you that I am in a bad way. The weather is very hot up here, extremely so, almost hellish.

A Fate Worse than Death

22152215 views44 comments33 favs

The abandoned body got up and left the room. It was just in time to greet his wife and daughter, who were just coming in the front door.

Breath

22152215 views1313 comments1010 favs

And here you are. Before your time. Behind the glass.

Bomba

22152215 views00 comments00 favs

The man is middle-aged, although not rich, and the girl, aside from being very young, is not exceptionally pretty. But she has recently shed twenty pounds for the express purpose of looking fabulous on…

Hunger

22142214 views55 comments66 favs

for E. …

Arcana Magi Cross - c.1

22132213 views00 comments00 favs

Ai picked up the ball and noticed the feathers. Wings unfurled and the head looked up. Staring deep into the bird’s eyes, Ai could have sworn she saw flames.

Eight Maids a'Milking

22132213 views00 comments00 favs

“… and that concludes my presentation. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.” Meixu Liao smiled and turned her hands out, palms upwards. Americans typically saw this combination of facial expression and body language as conveyin

Somewhere

22132213 views1414 comments1212 favs

...but still, when she whispers that going out now might put her in the mood later he unties from his mooring and sets them both drifting toward the gin-splintered latitudes

10 Unofficial Jobs Jake Baker has Never Got Paid For

22122212 views99 comments66 favs

Not that their pa really needs the suitcase; he's been coming and going for so long it doesn't matter. The suitcase's just for show. A final goodbye.

Stand Up

22112211 views1919 comments33 favs

"And you’ll forgive my sayin’, your Maggie’s in heat, and if ya want to keep her you’re gonna ‘ave to fight. To be sure after this they’ll leave ya alone.”

Emoji Problems

22112211 views66 comments55 favs

Our problems started with a few back and forth texts of emojis late one night. The next evening, a Friday, typically my poker night with the guys, my girlfriend came to the door.“You brought over pizza, how nice,” I said. “And, oh, gosh, look at that, a…

A mostly true story about the TI-83

22112211 views11 comment00 favs

And the only time the TI-83 sees the light of day is when I'm rectifying my debit card purchases at such places as Kmart, Office Depot, Walmart, and Office Max, to make sure everything comes out even and good and perfect, a skill never learned in Trysics,

This Is Why I Loved You

22112211 views1111 comments66 favs

Your opal eyesYour sea-blue eyesYour sky-blue eyesYour ice-blue eyesYour gray-blue eyes, your periwinklesYour hazel eyesYour violet eyes(almond-shaped and almost cubist)Your indigo eyesYour topaz eyes, your sunkissed lashesYour turtle-sundae eyes.I loved your black shiny…

The Piss-Colored Man

22102210 views77 comments55 favs

His open door was interpreted by the neighbor as an invitation to all but place a mirror under his nose. She demanded opportunities to fluff his pillows and coerced him into accepting gifts of food, more than he could possibly eat, and sometimes ate with

The Philosophers' Problems

22102210 views66 comments44 favs

The day the thinking factory imploded everyone for miles knew there was a problem. The sound of the walls crumbling in upon themselves was heard for miles, or perhaps it wasn't.

I will be a child again

22102210 views88 comments77 favs

A child in a new world/ by way of the old I won’t remember.

Cinderella's Lament

22102210 views1111 comments44 favs

My name is Wanda McClure and I lived in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky. A small town miles off the interchange, and mostly in the middle of nowhere. I lived in a trailer. I was 52 years old.

Vague Obscenities

22092209 views2525 comments1212 favs

The next day on YouTube, 3,558,019 users watched the clip of Kate dangling next to Jay Leno's chin.

Raft of Worms

22082208 views1212 comments1111 favs

I learned to love what we had: the long, bright days, the water all around us, and even their slithery bodies, which somehow never dried under the pounding sun.

Serial Killer

22072207 views22 comments33 favs

Once Mom finally came to terms with the fact that my brother was gay, she became convinced he was a serial killer. “He has all the signs,” she told me as she trimmed my hair. “Signs?” I asked, watching her in the…