A New Kind of Literary Pulse

Grandpa always hated the cockatoos. Called them oversized flying rats, never mind that they were a goddamn national treasure, but nothing came between that old man and his garden. In Iran, he used to ... [+]

The last time I heard the V word was when my dumb friend Will said it in front of my wife. He was coming in to borrow my toolbox and overheard the stupid argument we were having, and of course, being ... [+]

Some spend their lives in search of Aphrodite. Day after day they waste their hours seeking a goddess to soothe their weary hearts.
The quest for a perfect Aphrodite is a fruitless one ... [+]

They were 40 minutes into their 50-minute session and were still stuck in the same place as when the two started. Taran tugged at their collar while they talked, sweating from nerves and the gradually ... [+]

The rain started not soon after the fifth birthday of Zara's daughter. An endless pouring of blood that came from eternally gray skies forced everyone into their homes and afraid for what was to come ... [+]

A couple of miles down the decrepit villages and a few minutes walking along the white gravel path, you will see a weirdly inclined mountain crowned in thick vegetation. If you were to climb to its ... [+]

Who are you?
Well, I'm... well my name is Two, actually. It's kind of a long story. Well... I'm broken, you see. That's where my story begins. My brain isn't made like the others. That makes ... [+]

I had never felt loneliness like the loneliness I felt in that room. There was nobody else, just me and my thoughts. My terrible, nerve-racking thoughts. And I couldn't go anywhere. My hands were ... [+]

I toss my soiled clothes into the sink; I'll deal with them later.
I'm too impatient to wait for the water to get hot, so I hop into the freezing spray.
I shiver.
I'm strong though. I can ... [+]

Alone. All I've ever known is loneliness. Hours, days, weeks, they all merge together after a while.
At least it is bright, the sun shines through the blinds in this desolate house, but that ... [+]

Momma was late again today, so I spent the afternoon on the curb outside school, staring at this one ant carrying a piece of dirt the size of his body on top of his head. It started raining so I just ... [+]

When you die, you find yourself in a cross between a mailroom and a public library. Depending on your experiences with those two services while you were alive, you might be inclined to make some snap ... [+]

Heaven Saviors was a girl destined for revelation. Orphaned at only 3 days old, Heaven's fate was sealed by the clouds and alien motherships. Her grandparents were visiting to celebrate the birth of ... [+]

There was a new museum on the corner of Parksby Street. What was most peculiar was that the museum looked ancient already, but signs had not even been put up advertising what was on display inside ... [+]

The ultimate catch of the midsummer day was not a fish of any sort - it was a child. The youngin wriggled at the end of the line, dumbfounding the fisherman who had caught them. Still, of good ... [+]

Long before the moon controlled the tides, before Aphrodite rose from her bed of sea foam, before the oceans trembled in fear of the titans, there was Her.
She was a city of sin and glory, deceit ... [+]

At first, I thought I misheard. I turned around to see to whom these words may be intended, but the person spoke a second time.
« Hello, my life. »
My eyes crossed hers, and it was ... [+]

A mushroom stood short in a forest full of redwood trees that soared high above the forest floor. Two of the white spots on his red cap opened to reveal his dry eyes, ready to cry but no tears could ... [+]