A New Kind of Literary Pulse

When I got home, mom was already cooking dinner. The aroma of oxtail stew traveled faster than her voice, sickening me a little in a humid summer evening. “How was the tutoring?” It was terrible ... [+]

The balcony overlooked the colorful and vivacious town. Sounds of laughter and music, smells of delicious food drew her attention to the festivities. Happiness trailed into the sky, meeting the stars ... [+]

Gemmie adjusted herself on the stool and glanced at the clock—5:17 pm. Kevin’s evenings always went the same: an early dinner of vegetables and protein at 5:30, carb loading at 7:30, then nothing ... [+]

There are no cars, you’re only imagining, her husband scolds. Just go a little slower, Reina wants to say, but she knows it is not a woman’s place to say such bold things. He knows what he’s ... [+]

Unfortunately, time has stopped.
This may surprise you, because time is seemingly omnipresent and has governed our lives for so long, but the thing about time is that it’s completely ... [+]

Rick hadn’t figured out what he was going to do on this date. He had been building up the courage to ask her out for weeks and weeks, and he had always thought that the details of the night would ... [+]

The giant machine was almost empty, and had been that way for the last three centuries. When the man had found it, slowly sinking into the lazy sand of the trackless wastes of the Gobi, it had already ... [+]

It all started on the first day of school, Gunther was a new student at Windcastle High. He wasn’t your typical teenage boy; he perceived the world “differently.” He first saw her when he ... [+]

Roger was very good at planning and very bad at being alone, which is why he’d always selfishly hoped to marry someone at least five years younger than him.
He knew he’d have to wait a few ... [+]

His fingers tapped against the flat black keyboard, the clank of each key drilling in his ears chiming the same monotonous tone they had for the past 5 years. He faltered for a moment, not even a ... [+]

“Private Calcelmo.” Commander Martins bellows, his voice ringing sharply in my ears, cigar wobbling up and down like a fishing bobber.
I sigh tentatively in relief as Calsy moves to stand ... [+]

watch, cardinals are springing along the sidewalk; it’s 8:00 AM and the wet sidewalk is cluttered with red berries; cardinals like blood clots; there are particular cardinals, which spin thei ... [+]

“Yes!” Liam exclaimed. He had just gotten 200 happy points for his MyGram post. Molly padded over and plopped next to him on the sofa. “Which photo did you post this time?” asked Molly as she ... [+]

A dump like this shouldn't have an outdoor cafe, especially in this part of town. Not that it’s much- a few rusty black painted tables with matching chairs, all chained to the wall. This table has ... [+]

Rory was watching the sky, as at regular intervals it lit up for just a moment with electricity running from cloud to cloud. It was odd, she thought, how unremarkable something such as lightning could ... [+]

June 13th, 2012
I'm hungry. I want pancakes. I untangle myself from Max and get off the bed.
I open the door to Mom and Dad's room and climb up. They look asleep. I could wake them, but ... [+]

The Cursed-Pumpkin-Field Festival had always been her favorite part of the year.
This year, unfortunately, her father had remembered that she’d turned twenty a month prior.
As he announced ... [+]

The ape-prince was reclining on his throne one evening, surrounded by his treasures: silver drops of crystal moonlight, red robes woven from the silk of the sea-spider, periwinkle roses that bloom ... [+]