Pierced Margo Williams __________ Tish missed Caitlin. Mostly she missed who she was when she used to play with Caitlin. Laughing, running, swimming and sharing secrets. Two years had quickly passed, and Tish lost all that stringiness, looking more and more like her mother, soft curves, wavy auburn hair, sad…
Read More“Boo”din: Bite of the Uncanny, Oct. ’23 Editor: Vallie Lynn Watson Managing Editor: Abbie Skinner Assistant Editors: Karris Rae, Aiman Tariq, Taryn White, Meilyn Woods Letter from the Editor by Vallie Lynn Watson Fiction “Prey Drive” by Oliver Brooks “Patrona” by William Hawkins “The Teeth” by Stephanie Hayes “Tooth Appointment” by Ben Larned…
Read MorePrey Drive Oliver Brooks __________ I am all mouth. If my teeth were any bigger, they would crowd and fall from my face. They have held up well—I ate rocks when I was young. Gravel. Little greenish, purplish pebbles like kibble or fruity cereal. I was taken to the doctor…
Read MoreThe Teeth Stephanie Hayes __________ Brianna left the baby shower clenching her jaw. She couldn’t believe all those stupid bitches couldn’t figure out the goddamn yarn game. How hard was it? You look at the pregnant lady, try to figure out how disgustingly fat she had gotten because she let…
Read MoreTooth Appointment Ben Larned __________ You don’t remember your last visit to the dentist. It’s been two years, maybe three. All the way here your gums itch. The waiting room has a sickly hue, a chemical smell that reminds you of metal scraping and drills whirring. If it weren’t for…
Read MoreSnappers/The Man on the Mattress Robb T. White __________ “You’re probably wondering what’s going on, right?” Asking yourself, ‘What happened’? ‘Where the hell am I?’ Can’t say I blame you,” he said, watching his eyes focus as he tried to turn his head one way and then the other. They…
Read MoreThe Dentist, The Bootlegger Meghan Louise Wagner __________ The drops went the same each month. I kept my hair under my cap and let Julian do the talking. After the boss counted the crates, he’d crack into a random bottle to sample. He’d take a couple glugs, swish, then nod…
Read MoreThe Death of Harold Cassidy Colton Huelle __________ In the days following Harold Cassidy’s death, Joy’s Facebook feed was clogged with lengthy tributes to the late novelist and links to even lengthier blog posts about his contribution to American literature. Writers and critics of all stripes crawled out of the…
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