The dog's fur was the color of cream. What a cutie. He must've heard my car idling at the end of his driveway and came to say hello. I snapped a picture. My own dog, Apache, sensed his chance for freedom and bounded out the open car door. I thought he might greet his fellow …
Category: fiction
10 Year Swim Odyssey Wraps Up With a Trip to STATES
When Gabe was eight he broke his leg on a trampoline. In truth, a hulking kid broke Gabe’s leg on a trampoline by landing on it. That summer, from his couch prison, Gabe watched Michael Phelps stun the world by winning four Olympic gold medals. We're not much of a TV-watching family, even the Olympics, …
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Where I Have Been, Darling
I have a good excuse as to why I abandoned my social media presence. Doesn't everyone? Those of you who've been guilty of not posting as scheduled-- would you agree that the longer one stays away, the harder it is to return? You have this I'm Back post you feel compelled to write, and you …
Journey to Bethlehem
The woman winced. Again. Her breath took on a raggedness. Her words broke through clenched teeth.
“How much farther?”
“Not much, Woman.”
He’d been mentally referring to her as woman since he found out. It helped. The woman was pregnant. The woman had a special touch from God. He was not to abandon the woman.
Woman was not an insult. But they’d agreed: it was how he loved her, saying her name. Softly. Over and over. He hadn’t said her name since he found out. Not once. If the insult cut her she didn’t let on, else she was fixed on riding out the pain.
Even after the dream Joseph couldn’t bring himself to think her name. The angel commanded: he was not to leave. In cases… like this, a quiet separation was a gift, was merciful. Some men, pious men, would have stoned her. Fashioned of jealousy and…
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MTO Will Resume After the Holidays!
The next few Wednesdays we'll take a break from horror to focus on peace on Earth. This delightful, yet profound Christmas story was written by Katae when she was 15 years old. I’m still awed at the depth of thought and truth. Katae (left) & Tory, my beautiful girls. Both are talented writers. Sam the …
Little Red Writing Hood: Cynthia Hilston
I share my writing journey with many beautiful souls, including the Horror Writers Association, the Ohio Writers Association, and my longest-running group, the Little Red Writing Hoods. In 1997 when I had a daycare in my home, I'd put the six, SIX toddlers down for a nap and hold a poetry workshop at my dining …
MTO Karen Pattee
Credit: Jason Dent The steel elevator doors yawned open to reveal a dozen or so grim-faced people who dared me to wedge myself into the already-packed car. Don't, said their glares. I'm not claustrophobic or anything, but I hesitated. The elevators in the Rosetta Center were notoriously slow. It would be a loooong wait for …
MTO Norah Marr
I was born in the water. When I say I was born in the water, people think birthing pool. Or bathtub. Mom says someday I'll use my water birth as an icebreaker at parties and gatherings, but for now, she forbids any talk about it. Her face locks up and vibrates like there's an earthquake …
MTO Horror Interrupted for a Thanksgiving Earworm of Dunesque Proportions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqAjWUAlJ-0 This song should come with a warning label: Your brain will be taken hostage by the catchy, meaningless chorus of gobbling. Said chorus will kill off any and all profound thoughts you might have during the season of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving. MTO Horror will be back next week starring 10-year-old Norah Marr.
MTO Harry Griffiths
The sun can really zap a person. Beach days are the bomb, but the walk back to the rental...ugh. All Harry's energy had seeped into the soft white sand of Corolla Beach. The rest of his family had gone back earlier, but Harry's lounge chair was set at the high tide line, and he'd committed …
Kelly Griffiths 