Carcass of Pleasure by Terveen Gill

Biddu knew he was crazy. Every thought that ever occurred to him was outlandish and incomprehensible. He was aware that his ‘out of the box’ thinking was too flamboyant for a box or any other shape that was logically explainable. He had studied philosophy and biology and neither had done him any good. They had…

Are the authors doing us a favour?

Letter from Director of Masticadores Juan re Crivello I will touch on a controversial topic. Sometimes in the daily management of Masticadores writers appear and address us as they are doing us a favour. Or, they write from the height of the ego that sometimes prevents us all from seeing who we are dealing with….

That Badass Challenge by Terveen Gill

How had he gotten his hands on the damn thing? If she remembered correctly, it had been hidden in the bottom drawer of her wardrobe beneath three rows of neatly folded socks and her crocheted bikini which she could only dream of squeezing into now. But she had kept the flimsy thing as a keepsake,…

THE GIANT CHOCOLATE COIN

by mikesteeden The sheer edge of the disintegrating cliff that the ocean’s hectic waves, long since, had tired of would be a classic venue, or as an alternative exit from this lonely globe perhaps, albeit self-effacing, lost to this world while in deepest terminal slumber. Maybe a sneaky poisoned leg of roast spiced duck with…

The foot long hot dog and the end of days

by Rae Cod Jim stood impatiently in the queue for the beat-up old hot dog van, hands stuffed into the pockets of his road dusty jeans, weight shifting constantly from one foot to the other.  He kept glancing towards the horizon for any sign of the blinding flash that would signal the end of all…

Disconnected

by Rae Cod ‘Aida, what’s for breakfast?’ ‘A sliced avocado, six cherry tomatoes and a glass of iced water.’ James powered up his screen and started to work while Aida prepared his food. The silence stretched comfortably, punctuated only by the gentle hum of the 3D printer. ‘What will the weather be like today?’  James…

The Road Trip by Terveen Gill

They had been planning for weeks. The road trip that would cement their bond. A man and his woman. A woman and her man. They were madly in love. She pledged her devotion. He admitted his adoration. And there was no third who could contradict either emotion. It was do or die, you or nothing,…

Shadows that Follow by Sebastian Iturralde

(blog Sebastian) Feeling the power to control everything at his fingertips, surely this day would unfold differently. Damien embarked on a new journey in the outside world. Calm down, he repeated to himself, while walking near a noisy road. Everything is going to be alright. His awareness kept him relatively calm, and he was sure…

Funeral Gathering by Terveen Gil

Rasiya was a short man with tall ambitions. Many would suppose that his life plans were his first and foremost concern. But that wasn’t the case. He was most concerned for the after. The after? Now what could that be? It was his death and the subsequent funeral. The man was obsessed with how many…

Emoji Killer by Terveen Gill

My daughter calls me the ‘emoji killer’. She rolls her eyes when she says it, and her duck lips ridicule my efforts. It’s easy for her to be judgmental, she grew up with an electronic device perpetually shoved in her face. My childhood knew the pleasures of the outdoors and actual interaction with other human…

Mysteries

by Rana Sometimes we are ought to save ourselves from many but undeniably proven mysteries, yet we still find ourselves lost and fallen heavy. Rana M A man’s life is full of surprises, do and don’t do lists. Surrounded by mysteries above and beyond. Hard chapters on the book of life and sometimes unexpected and unplanned routines. Likes and…

Rien Que Pour Toi

by Gabriela Marie Milton poetic prose included in my #1 Amazon bestselling collection Woman: Splendor and Sorrow: Love Poems and Poetic Prose Rien Que Pour Toi Between the bed and the window, in that space that smells roses and rien que pour toi, the morning lets her hair down.  She is so close that I can reach…

Disco Lights by Terveen Gill

I have always wanted to go to the disco. There’s something about flashing lights and deafening music that makes me feel like the world isn’t so bad, people aren’t the reckless beings that they show themselves to be. And my brother isn’t the demon that lurks in the shadows waiting for me to sleep at…

Check

by Rae Cod He sat on the step of the cabin, a sweater enough protection from the chill in the air, which promised to flee before the rising sun.  His eyes scanned the forest as he breathed in the wet, earthy scent of the petrichor.   The birds had begun their chatter, but the sky…

Mother-in-law by Terveen Gill

She watches me from the corner of her eye. It’s intrusive, uncomfortable, condemning. If I could be forgiven for a crime, she would make sure that I hang – till death. I’m not surprised. It’s been like this from the beginning. A start that should have been ‘the end’. But my ignorance was a curse,…

THE ‘HOTEL END OF TIME’ by Mike Steeden

I observe that this week there is a synchronicity in the themes between Mike and this editor (Link Hotel) —j re crivello I am taking my leave ahead of youto a place that is most sublimeand rent for us a suite of roomsat The Hotel End of Time By the time that you arrive theretake…

NANOWRIMO Week One: The Honeymoon by Sara Reichert

(Blog authors)https://thebeautifulstuff.blog/blog/ Ah, yes, the glorious stage of excitement and foreplay. The thrill of fleshing out your characters, and having them say clever things to one another, and building beautiful worlds with soft hues and brilliant sunsets. It’s champagne and butterflies, it’s rainbows and 3 hour love-making sessions with your laptop (please, God, not literally…the…

Hole by Matthew Robins

link blog Matthew He unfolded the musty map. “You can see this?” the father asked. “Of course I can see it,” she said. “And you know what it is?” “It’s a map.” “You understand how to read a map?” “Yes,” she said. “This is where we are,” her father said, pointing at their location on…

Dream Boat

by Rana Articles about love or articles about love and relationships consume all the energies of lovers. It starts with passion like a dreamboat. Math was not his primary concern as a subject. He was always annoyed at things he didn’t fancy. It appeared like lava kept bubbling inside him, ready to flip everything tirelessly if he…

Mystery Man, Revealed (short story)

(Michele Blog) Language warning. You’ve been warned. He put on his coat and hat and quietly made his way down the stairs toward the back exit. Relieved to have made it to the congested city sidewalk without being noticed, he joined others making their way home or to a pub on a Friday, late afternoon….