Michael Ilkiw

Two Drink Maximum

Written by Callie Carmen

Have you ever gone to a company convention that brings out the friendlier side or sexier side of your co-workers or perhaps yourself? I have and they’re always in a hotel. Whose bright idea is that? Did the higher ups sit around one day and say let’s put all of our employees in a hotel …

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Masquerade

Written by Darren Lester

Her mask shifted, ever so slightly, as the final client of the day left the room. She could hear the crunching and clunking of the white rings as they rubixed their way around her face, but she could never quite tell if everyone heard the noise or whether it was because of how tightly the …

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God’s Creatures

Written by Jack Coey

The old man was alone in the cabin with a picture window over the water. He held a coffee cup and was humming. There was a radio playing songs and advertisements. After some moments, he moved to the sink and rinsed some forks and knives and dried them with a towel. His wife died over …

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A Waltz for Two

Written by Ryan Evans

A kettle sits close to boiling on the stovetop, steam gathering around the spout ready to stream out. A cat is curled up on the throw rug on top of the used-to-be-white linoleum that needed to be replaced a decade ago. A cupboard door is ajar. Two mugs on the countertop are ready to be filled. …

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An Immodest Proposal

Written by Donal Mahoney

with apologies to Jonathan Swift The other day I was talking to a neighbor who said he has found a way to help the poor and improve our environment simultaneously. It’s no secret, he said, that we have a dire food shortage among the chronically poor. It’s also no secret, he pointed out, that many of …

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