I can feel the sweat beads running down my face before I even wake up good. The sheet on my bed is sticking to my skin like plastic. “Why can’t we have central are?” I say aloud. I look over to my sister’s side of the room, but she isn’t there. She always gets up … Read more
This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse. Robert Johnson’s First Memories A short story by James Snell Memphis, Tennessee, May 22, 1917 “Are you ready for school?” Sister Carrie asked. I didn’t understand why she asked me that question every morning. I was always ready. Ready and waiting. I … Read more
This story contains sensitive content NOTE: This story connects to a old Blues song and tells of a young girl’s older brother dying from drinking contaminated water. Bad Water by Almeta Whitis © 2025 “Can’t you hear me calling you? Can’t you hear me now? I need a little bit of water, every little once … Read more
“How about a Sorel Hibiscus Mule?” “I’d prefer a Ten-to-One, you don’t mind,” I told the “bartender.” “Never was a vodka girl.” Her nearly unlined face tightened slightly, drawing the ruby smile out and adding a new glint to the still-sharp espresso eyes. “Do I know you?” That was Thea. Fifty years and some change … Read more
Camille met Julian on an unseasonably warm evening in early March, at a fundraising gala in Buckhead. The event was hosted in a restored mansion—polished floors, tall windows, everything scented faintly of roses and old money. She’d come alone, representing her firm—she was a senior partner in a boutique public relations agency—and she was tired … Read more