April 16, 2010

From “Confessions to High School Sophomores” by Brianna Starr

Posted by alexp01 under Excerpt | Tags: , , , , , |
Leave a Comment 

“You can’t treat people like that,” Jerry cried, leaning forward in his seat and filling the camera. “Doesn’t matter who they are. He crossed the line!”

“Uh, okay,” the interviewer said, sounding every bit of their 16 years. “Could we get back to the…”

“No,” Jerry said. “I’m going to finish what I had to say, and you’re going to sit there and tape it for your class.”

Whispers were heard as the interviewer conferred with his cameraman and note-taker. “Kay,” the interviewer whispered, miserably.

“You don’t treat people like that. You just don’t. So I got to talking to some of my friends about how to set things right. And soon they got to talking with even more people. Seems like he and his made a fair share of enemies acting the way they did…but I bet they never thought they’d see twenty of us coming to put them down for good.”

 

April 11, 2010

From “Breaking and Centering” by G. Harold Kincaid

Posted by alexp01 under Excerpt | Tags: , , , , |
Leave a Comment 

Cary’s behavior was just too odd to place–normally so open, subterfuge seemed completely contrary to her nature. And why had she wanted to keep Winslow occupied for so long?

“Seems like everyone got together and decided to make this the summer of crazy,” he said, climbing the stairs to the good old fourth floor.

The door to his apartment was ajar. Winslow had seen too many movies to just stroll in—for all he knew, there could be a chainsaw wielding, hockey mask wearing burglar inside waiting for him to do just that. So Winslow ran up to the security room and asked the guard if anyone had gone into his apartment.

“Yeah,” the guard said. “Had a key. Short guy with blond hair—I’ve seen him around before.”

 

April 3, 2010

From “Breakdown” by Phil “Stonewall” Pixa

Posted by alexp01 under Excerpt | Tags: , , , , , , |
Leave a Comment 

I’d never seen him so pale or gaunt. His eyes were sunken, riveted to the bank of monitors in front of him, and his clothes hung loosely from his emaciated frame. He clearly hadn’t seen the sun or any other light except his flat screens for weeks.

“My God, you look awful,” I said.

“The outside reflects the inside,” he replied without moving.

“You need to get up and do something,” I said. “You’re letting these people do whatever they like with your stuff. Kevin is out there now using your charge card, and Mary’s been tooling around in your car.”

“They’re doing what I’d like to do,” came the reply. “What the hell’s wrong with that?”

“You’re not doing it and they are. You’re letting them take over your life.”

A hoarse laugh. “Maybe so. Maybe I took over theirs. They’re kids, you know, really. Away from home for the first time, going out, establishing identities. It’s what I’ve wanted all along…”

“What you wanted?”

“You heard me.”

 

March 31, 2010

From “Storm Over Atherton” by Kim D. Hardt

Posted by alexp01 under Excerpt | Tags: , , , , |
Leave a Comment 

It had been clear and calm earlier in the day, but since Jacobs’ death an unsettled feeling had fallen over the valley, though Karen couldn’t be sure if the link was real or imagined. Still, when she left the house, she had to pause for a moment to take it all in.

A scene of incredible beauty and power greeted her when the door opened. Dark clouds rolled from horizon to horizon. There wasn’t a breath of wind, just an eerie twilight and the distant rumble of thunder.

“The calm before the storm,” Karen murmured. “I’d better get a move on.”

 

March 20, 2010

From “Guardian Skies” by Elijah Wilkinson

Posted by alexp01 under Excerpt | Tags: , , , , , , |
Leave a Comment 

The town had an eerie stillness about it, a kind of emptiness that cut into Carl more deeply than the chill February breeze. Walking down the street, not a soul stirred: the sidewalks were vacant, the cars were parked and locked, and the store windows were fogged and frosted. Carl knew that the subzero temperatures had forced everyone indoors, but he still felt a kind of grinding uneasiness as he walked along.

A shape appeared at the far end of the block. Carl felt a bit of relief in seeing another soul, and was about to cry out a friendly hello when he noticed something very strange about the other person’s gait.

“Hey, are you all right?” he said. A moment later he gasped—a sound that quickly became a shocked yelp.

 

« Previous Page