Campers

The scout leader told us, “There are three kinds of campers: those who watch the campfire go out and do nothing; those who watch the campfire fade and just comment about the dying embers; and those who see a need and they search for firewood.” He asked, "Which one are you?" Sammie exclaimed, "I'm the third" so he ran into the dark woods, pulled up a rotting log, and screamed, spooked by a coiled rattlesnake. The leader commented, “There are two kinds of campers who forage for firewood: those who get scared by a snake, and those who get bit.”

From Guest Contributor Michael C. Roberts

Life, A Very Short Story

You talk to family photos, suffer from migraines, play Chopin with unshowy facility on the parlor piano. Strangers often comment on your eyes – gull’s eyes, someone called them. The sea heaves just outside your door, and from the back window, you can see the cemetery where your father is buried. Weeds have sprouted up overnight among the headstones. You aren’t interested in stories of success, only failure. “Sunshine,” you say, “is an overrated virtue.” The words echo. There’s a feeling that something terrible is about to happen. You watch for a while and then shrug. Maybe because it’s all disappearing.From Guest Contributor Howie Good

Howie is the author most recently of What It Is and How to Use It from Grey Book Press and Spooky Action at a Distance from Analog Submission Press. He co-edits the journals Unbroken and UnLost.