The living room television plays in the background as Sol inspects his son, Mikhail, one final time. He kneels down to polish his boots with the cuff of his sleeve till they shine. As he stands, he ensures the belt is secure and then moves around to the back. He attaches the cape and unfurls it. A shimmering golden cascade flows down almost to the ground. Sol turns Mikhail to face him and smiles with admiration. The royal...

It was around 10 p.m. when a lone car careened down the empty rural road, engine growling, disrupting the peace of a lonely night. Its headlights ploughed through the darkness ahead as it angrily chewed up the centre lines along the road, then spewed them out in the rear, back into the nothingness trailing in its wake. Reggie Morton sat in the driver’s seat of the Corolla, leaning forward, his fingers closed so tightly ar...

“I don’t care who you are or where you’ve been. Don’t tell me stories of your spiritual journeys or epiphanies. Screw your aspirations and achievements,” I fume as I scroll endlessly down my cellphone screen. “Just give me the recipe!”

“Detective Boyle? The forensics team is here. They’re outside examining the scene now. Coroner is on their way.” The detective stood looking aside in the living room and nodded. “God, I hate days like this,” the officer sighed, then headed to the front door. Boyle remained unmoved, expressionless. She had long forgotten how that young officer felt. Today was just another day; the scene unextraordinary. Her partner was sti...

“Zombies are real. Zombies are real,” Felix mumbled to himself as he stumbled through the chaos surrounding him in the neighbourhood. There were dead bodies lying everywhere, scattered across the lawns and driveways of the homes along the street. There were also bodies walking around, though they were just as dead as the ones on the ground. They just happened to have their brains still stuck inside their craniums and were...

The President extended her hand. "On Earth, this is a symbol of friendship." Standing by the open panel door just inside their spacecraft, the contingency of aliens examined her hand curiously for a moment. Hesitantly, the one in front mimicked the gesture taking her hand. When the President shook its hand, there was great applause amongst all the world's leaders and people of influence gathered in the open field. The Pre...

One bright and beautiful summer's day, The Jingles family --Mom, Dad and their two kids-- decided to go on a picnic and play at the park. They packed a big basket filled with submarine sandwiches, fresh fruit and their favourite delicious cookies as a special treat. They packed everything up in their car. Dad said, “Ho! Ho!” Mom said, “Hee! Hee!” The kids said, “Ha! Ha!” Unfortunately, they were so excited to get going th...

‘What a view.’ Felix never imagined that thought would ever cross his mind while looking down from a Ferris Wheel, probably because he had always kept his eyes shut. Earlier, the yin and yang of excitement and trepidation had pulled at him when he and his dad arrived at the summer carnival. Like any boy, he loved the atmosphere, essentially a kid’s version of Nirvana: the lights, the sideshows, the games, the rides, the j...

Billy sat on the front step of his house with Flip, his cat, minding his own business when Elmira Kane ran up to him. She pointed her finger, still sticky from sucking taffy. “I know your secret, Billy Collins!” she declared. Billy gulped. Her chunky grin exposing the blackness between her missing teeth, she announced, “You're in love with the teacher!” His ears burned red beneath his baseball cap. “I knew it!” Elmira ski...

Weinland Research Institute; Level 4, Lab Center 6 “‘Specimen Delta-Alpha 8102.60.9’, ” Magnusson read aloud from the container label. He drew a sample from it and applied it to a glass disc. “Specimen Delta-Alpha...” Samuels repeated, pausing to yawn, “...  8102.60.9.” He took the glass and placed it under the microscope. A sigh wheezed from his lungs before he blinked through his drowsiness and peered into the eyepiece....

“God-damn-it!” Mike barked as he pumped his car brakes and spanked the horn with his palm. The cause of his consternation --a speeding black sedan that cut him off on the highway-- was already long gone. “Stupid son of a…” “Mike,” Cynthia sighed aloud, interrupting him, “why do you bother?” “ “He cut me off! What am I supposed to do?” “You can’t do anything about drivers like that. It’s beyond your power. Just stay calm a...

As his band stepped onto the stage, Tyrone stole a moment to sip his dirty martini. He ran his tongue along his upper lip as he admired the glass, savoring the lingering taste of the alcohol. With a contented sigh, he got up and walked onto the stage. During his break, the din of the bar had swelled to a jumbled murmur. The restless audience had taken to chattering over clinking glasses filled with liquor to lighten moods...

December 22, 2015 Ricky breathes deeply as he walks through the park. The air, sweetened by the scent of pine and cooled by the fallen snow, refreshes his lungs and spirit. It’s barely evening, yet it’s already dark out, the sun having slipped below the horizon. The snow on the ground is new and untrodden. It casts a luminous blanket all around, as if flying above the clouds at night. He and Crystal are all alone in the p...

With the blackout having hit the cottage a few minutes earlier, Ariel propped the flashlight on the kitchen counter, opened the oven and peeked in anxiously. She hoped the cookies she had made survived the power outage. They certainly smelled great. Nothing like freshly baked cookies to warm up a cold, rainy night. She took out the baking tray and set it aside on the counter before turning the flashlight upon it to inspec...

“It’s not what it looks like,” he said, frantically fumbling with the computer mouse. She smirked. “That isn’t the Victoria’s Secret website?” Failing to minimize the screen, he switched tactics. “I’m looking for your Christmas gift." “Oh? And only 364 shopping days left!” He stroked his beard and chuckled nervously, “Well, after all, I’m a busy man.” “You work one night a year!” she snapped. “Besides, you have an entire...