And the Winner Is . . .

Seven judges read 283 entries and nominated their favorites for consideration, placing them into one of two tiers, depending on level of enthusiasm. To earn a medal a story had to receive broad support—had to appeal to the breadth of tastes on the panel. To win the contest a story had to score highest using a simple algorithm that awarded points for breadth of support as well as relative enthusiasm.

Despite such quantification, judging creative writing is unavoidably subjective. Every one of the judges has favorites he or she wistfully regrets didn't make the cut.

It takes courage to post your work in venues such as Lascaux Flash. Some of this year's contestants are old hands at it, some are doing it for the first time. My advice to the latter is to show your work as widely as possible, to friends, crit partners, critique groups, judges—anyone who will take the time to read and evaluate it. Creative writing requires exposure, at every stage of the writer's development, to achieve its fullest potential. It's why we post every entry.

First we'd like to thank the readers, whether contestants or not, who contributed to a sense of community. By commenting constructively on entries. By promoting the contest. In general, by being supportive of the event. Naming such readers is difficult, because any cut-off would be arbitrary. They know who they are, and so do we.

Next we'd like to thank the artist who provided the prompt. German-born Heidi König is a graduate of Brighton University and the Slade School of Fine Art. She exhibits regularly at various galleries in London and has sold her paintings and monoprints to patrons worldwide. The name of the prompt painting is "The Dive," oil on canvas, 70cm x 55cm, £1650 or $2500.

We are very grateful to all the professionals who took the time to share writing tips with us:

Sean Beaudoin: Never Describe the Weather
Steve Edwards: The Hard Work
Sean Ferrell: No Great Expectations
Kathy Fish: Read
Roxane Gay: Gentle Reminders About Writing
Debra Ginsberg: Writers Still Need Editors
Jude Hardin: Suspense Starts With Character
JoeAnn Hart: For Sale, Used Once
David Jauss: Shorten it by 10%
Stephen Parrish: Listen to Your Doubt-Guts
Midge Raymond: Be an Everyday Writer
Janet Reid: The Value of Short
John Elder Robison: Audience
Mark Terry: Who Is Your Hero?
Jennifer Zobair: Tell Your Story

And to the guest writers. They do the same work as the contestants, without any expectation of reward. They do it for the love of writing and for the sake of sharing:

#52 Sean Beaudoin, San Francisco, 1993
#107 Wendy Russ, Mid-Afternoon Snack
#121 Paul Liadis, Intangible
#235 Amara Royce, A Flight of Fancy
#263 Sarah Hina, Cracked

Finally, a big round of applause for our celebrity writers:

Charles Bukowski
The Author of Gilgamesh
Ernest Hemingway
Homer
James Joyce
Norman Mailer
George Orwell
Hunter S. Thompson
Thomas Wolfe


A finalist is someone who should have won, yet didn't, for the sole reason that there can only be one winner. Congratulations to:

Finalist: #5 Ian Hilgendorf, The Ramifications of Might and Maybe

Finalist: #19 Josh Vogt, Escape Mechanism

Finalist: #44 Thom Gabrukiewicz, Catch and Release

Finalist: #47 Jasmine M. Templet, You Were Never Lovelier

Finalist: #75 D.A. Spruzen, Consumed

Finalist: #102 Jodi McMaster, Absolution

Finalist: #110 Emma McMorran Clark, The Cure

Finalist: #126 Debbie Simorte, Salvation

Finalist: #141 Dino Parenti, Remains

Finalist: #147 Douglas Campbell, House Gone Blind

Finalist: #155 Meg Czaszwicz Burke, Ass Kicker

Finalist: #168 Michael Rourke, Room on a High Floor

Finalist: #242 Jamie Burke, 7-11


The winner of the 2013 Lascaux Flash Fiction Contest, the recipient of the virtual medallion depicted above, $250 in cash, and publication in The Lascaux Review, is

WINNER: #13 Camille Griep, Circumstances

Steve's thoughts: I love the tiny vignettes that suggest stories in and of themselves ("Your nemesis jokes you had to pick the right bow tie"), the specific details ("the Chinese place on 3rd," "thinking about brie and champagne"), the vivid metaphors ("mown through the good cheese," "deep layers of red wine sleep"), and other nice touches ("a unique sound you can't un-hear," naming a character Luella). Although the story is told in second person, Luella, described in third, is its star. Her hesitation outside the hospital room door, and rationalization about failing to receive a call, don't provide a denouement so much as crack open a door to a bigger story.

Medal winners, get your medals here.

The 2014 Lascaux Flash contest opens at noon on 6 March and closes at midnight on 20 March. Later this year we'll conduct a full-length short story contest, one that culminates in a published anthology. We'll also be asking you to nominate candidates for an industry recognition award.

Subscribe to this site to keep up with future flash contest announcements, or send us your email address using the "Stay Informed" link in the sidebar. If you submitted to this contest you're already on our mailing list. To stay informed of other contests and activities, check in periodically at The Lascaux Review.

Interested in joining our team? Write to us at lascauxreview at gmail dot com.

Thank you!

—Steve & Wendy, with Erica, Jennifer, June, Merry, and Paul

2013 Index by Author

Abilene, Joni, #117 Subjective
Adams, G.K., #171 That Which Was Not
Agnew, Sarah, #92 Brighter
Agosti, Lisa, #78 Bear's Hump
Ahern, Christine, #76 Waiting
Alden, Jessica, #187 Extinguished
Allen, Christopher, #204 An Evening
Alvarez, Mark, #271 A Mirror’s Just a Bad Approximation
Amodeo, L.J., #143 Eden
Andersson, Katarina, #170 The Enlisted
Andrews, Jana, #281 Song of Innisfree
Ault, Marsha, #59 The Gush
Baboi, Lucian, #109 A Flash of Vengeance
Backes, Tonya, #88 Hope
Bartley, James, #201 The Beauty of Adventure
Barton, Cath, #259 Lines
Bathma M, #199 A Splash of Reality
Beauchamp, Debra L., #17 Duplicity
Beaudoin, Sean, #52 San Francisco, 1993, Guest Writer
Belanger, Steve, #68 Warmth
Bender-Stone, Aerin, #277 Aurora
Berridge, Charlie, #256 The Way Through the Waves
Bethancourt, Mirian, #26 Rama's Revenge
Bierley, Josh, #173 Winning the World
Birgel, Alayna, #202 The Letter
Blackmon, Sharon, D., #234 The Light
Blaine, Folly, #125 Scattered
Bratton, Whitney, #140 Glazers
Bren, Elizabeth, #122 Lost Love of a Hero
Brennan, Matthew, #191 Pyrotechnicians
Bridge, Jude, #58 Just Dessert
Broom, Gavin, #260 Not Kansas
Brown, Katharine, #216 Icarus
Burke, Jamie, #242 7-11, Finalist
Burke, Meg Czaszwicz, #155 Ass Kicker, Finalist
Buxton, Geary D., #255 Picnic on Earth
Campbell, Douglas, #147 House Gone Blind, Finalist
Campbell-Kearsey, Andrew, #62 Fruits Of His Labour
Caplan, Janet, #9 Large Blue
Carey, Lee, #275 Escaping Purgatory
Carey, Matthew, #251 A New Star
Carranza, Ann, #29 Jilly's Angel
Cassaubon, Kenneth, #98 'Penny' the Magic Penguin
Cassidy-Curtis, Jamie, #214 Pool Art
Cassidy-Curtis, Tim, #177 The Art Critic
Chambers, Stacy, #84 Sweet Sixteenth
Chantler, Barry, #261 November Fog
Charette, Jocelyn, #284 Forever Eleven
Charman, Barry, #129 Clean
Charsley, Sarah, #264 Absence
Chrome Oxide, #162 Hunting Accident
Cilia, Tanja, #54 Paintings
Clark, Emma McMorran, #110 The Cure, Finalist
Cleveland, Therese, #149 Feet First
Coates, James, #266 My Celebrity Girlfriend
Cohadzic, Neira, #219 Then and Now
Collins, Patsy, #210 On a Summer Day
Conboy-Hill, Suzanne, #1 All the Birthdays
Corbett, Brian, #138 Wings
Corbin, Bryan, #34 Longing for Another Realm
Cormier, Sandra, #172 Snider’s Mountain
Cote, Anthony, #161 Expiration Date
Crane, Sylvia, #61 Winter Warmth
Culbertson, Tina, #35 She Said No
Cullinane, Ryan, #74 Maria And The Whale
Davenport, Kathleen, #100 The PastTime
Davidson, Peter, #72 Daddy's Little Bird
Davidson, Tracy, #208 Evergreen
Davis, Selu, #89 As Empty
Debeus, Alwin, #270 Wall
Demal, Van, #178 Departure
Despot, Daren, #18 Falling Saviour
Dhanke, Prashant, #280 The Globetrotter
Dickey, Paul E., #135 The Man Who Married a Health Insurance Policy...
DiSanto, Vickie Hartman, #37 Rhapsody in Blue
Doran, Michael, #103 Cold Into Darkness
Doyle, Megan, #112 Thaw
Duff, Andrew, #113 Storm Break
Dunlop, Rachael, #31 Night Terror
Dunn, Gaye Buzzo, #42 Silent Suspicion
Durston, James, #195 Not long now
Ehney, Charlotte, #182 Fledgling
England, Kristina, #228 Making Waves
Erastes, #160 The Field
Feldman, Melody, #50 Sail Away
Fells, Tracy, #169 Whiteout
Flores-Knight, Lorena, #93 Luna
Frey, Margaret A., #131 In a Flash
Gabrukiewicz, Thom, #44 Catch and Release, Finalist
Garner, Michael, #239 Just Enough Freedom
Gettinger, Amy, #104 Sequence
Gibson, Larry, #244 The Stopwatch
Glasspool, Tracey, #232 Rainbows
Golden, Shirley, #207 In Her Picture
Graves, Robert M., #205 The Panoramas
Green, Jude-Marie, #111 In Living Color
Green, Racine, #185 Davis’ Camera
Griep, Camille, #13 Circumstances, WINNER
Guilford-Blake, Evan, #273 Atwater’s Petunias
Guy, Jeremie, #158 Foundation
Haile, Brandi, #86 A Day at the Museum
Handman, Wren, #225 Sunday Morning at 10am
Haran, Saoirse, #145 Bear’s Blood
Harar, Beth, #48 Coma
Harrah, Matthew, #6 Into the Skid
Harris, Cindy, #53 Frozen Tears
Harvey, Jennifer, #206 Halcyon Day
Hawkins, Derek, #276 Tweet Tweet, Rockin’ Robin
Hegemier, Jon, #130 Let It All End
Heimler, Heidi, #189 The Mirror
Henderson, Christine, #156 Water
Hennessy, Martina, #267 The Optimistic Exerciser
Henney, Kevlin, #272 Authenticity
Henshaw, Jamie, #240 Dionaea Muscipula
Hilbourne, Alyson, #229 Quack
Hilgendorf, Ian, #5 The Ramifications of Might and Maybe, Finalist
Hina, Sarah, #263: Cracked, Guest Writer
Hochsprung, Mary Jo, #95 Loving the RED, WHITE, and BLUE of it!
Hoffman, Gary, R., #180 Artful Events
Holt, Timmothy J., #82 Wings of Fire
Howe, Laura, #227 Neptune Rising
Howze, Thaddeus, #286 Things in Mirrors
Hung, Jessica, #79 The Love Dress
Igwebuike, Sunday, #116 Bad Belly
Jackson, Beverly A., #46 A Room Not Her Own
Jackson, Lucas, #99 Potato Community
Jakeman, Kitty, #268 Shattered
James, Christopher, #152 Air
Jankowski, Alan, #36 The Painting
Jansen, Ali, #212 Kindergarden Painting
Jasperson, Connie J., #197 The Watcher
Jones, Gethin, #123 Ying and Yang
Jones, Karen, #269 Essence
Joyce, Thomas, #165 Approach of the Fallen
Karr, K.H.D., #64 Phalaenopsis Aphrodite
Keder, Joann, #144 She Swallows Everything
Keis, Bill, #45 Dad's Arm
King, D.M., #186 Starving
King, Kimberly, #60 The Race
King, Meg E., #257 Resplendent Demise
Knight, Sam, #8 Boutonnière
Knights, Katriena, #236 The Fairy Mound
Lamon, Linda, #167 The Bee Hung On
Larsson, Esthel, #287 More Things in Heaven and Earth
Laurenson, Sarah, #77 Alternate Universe
Lee, Steve, #194 Inspiration
Lees, Julie, #248 Members of the Same Club
Liadis, Paul, #121: Intangible, Guest Writer
Lindsay, Andrew, #114 A List of Things to Keep in Mind When You Mee...
Liss, Annie, #43 If
Long, Charles M., #24 Trickle Down
Luis, Christy, #150 Vanessa’s Hair
Lung, Megan, #278 The Extinguished Star
Luvaul, Irene Roth, #200 Not This Time
Lyonn, Brad, #11 Unintended Consequences
Mangru, Laurie Ann, #25 Sugar Beet Farms
Mannone, John C., #66 At the Outer Limits
Martin, Mary Ellen, #179 What You Get
Martin, Stefan David, #119 For Art’s Sake
Martinez, Anamaria, #250 On Greystones Beach
Martinez, Eduardo, #90 Father's Love
Martinez, Jessica, #63 Sheets
Martinez, Jose, #27 Ashes and Blood
Martínez, Lori A.B., #49 Wet Cricket
Martinez, Ricardo, #97 War Never Changes
Maxwell, Michael Gillan, #21 Group Therapy
McCroskey, Vista K., #153 Parting Gifts
McFarland, Peggy, #128 One More Day
McGlothlin, Amber, #105 Cohabitation
McMaster, Jodi, #102 Absolution, Finalist
McNeilly, Lori A., #15 Spring Thaw
Memi, Samantha, #106 Only Women Bleed
Messina, Joseph, #221 Awakenings
Messner, Jennifer, #118 Here is What Happened
Michaels, Cara, #233 Canvas Soul
Miller, Hannah L., #175 The Vanishing of the Middle Class
Miller, Hillary, Marie, #217 Morning Glory
Mimski, Eliza, #174 Jennifer Dreams with Johnny
Mitchell, Christopher H., #85 Katie
Montemayor, Meg, #247 On Acer Street
Mora-Summonte, Madeline, #188 Not Home
Mott, Allan, #193 A Modest Conversation
Mulligan, Gerard, #181 The Fish and the Fisherman’s Deal
Nagpal, Archana Kapoor, #30 P.S—I Love You
Nash, Marc, #134 Three Eclipses
Nesset, Kirk, #243 Seascape
Nierenberg, Amelia Jane, #159 The Proposal
O'Hara, Siân, #87 Happy Birthday, Baby
Oakes, AnnaLeigh A., #101 Polar
Onoguwe, Hannah, #81 Naked Grief
Orlowski, A. Margaret, #136 Gridlock
Owens, Joe, #142 Jerome’s Masterpiece
Paloni, Jodi, #218 Shape Shift
Parenti, Dino, #141 Remains, Finalist
Pasch, Amelia E., #157 The Note
Pasvinter, Irena, #4 The Answer
Peckinpaugh, Jennifer, #16 Grave Decisions
Peters, Randy, #65 The Bee
Piercy, Jennifer, #249 Release
Pillibeit, Christiana, #246 Worth
Potts, Brad, #241 Sycamore
Ralph, Joy, #258 Fade
Ray, Paula, #283 Ricochet
Ren, Oriana, #12 Interpretation
Renzi, Karen, #198 Anchored
Ricciarelli, Nina, #3 Moments
Ricks, Jennifer, #224 White Lie with a Pink Bow
Riley, Jonathan, #223 When Life Hands You Snow
Riley, Mark, #73 A Lasting Light in a Dark Soul
Robbins, Kenneth, #67 Overpass
Roberts, Shauna, #163 The Universal Language
Robinson, Kelly, #146 Soul Food
Rodgers, Anita, #38 Sadie
Rose, L.D., #215 Purgatory Chasm
Ross, Alex, #40 The Kiss
Rourke, Michael, #168 Room on a High Floor, Finalist
Roush, Bruce, #51 Squirrel Hunting
Royce, Amara, #235: A Flight of Fancy, Guest Writer
Rua-Larsen, Marybeth, #137 Landlocked
Russ, Wendy, #107 Mid-Afternoon Snack, Guest Writer
Russo, Nat, #133 The Cascade of Talandri
Ryan, May Anderton, #230 Gravy
Sagri, Margaret, #166 Don’t Mess with Me, Darling
Salner, David, #57 Of Nothing
Saloom, Darrelyn, #222 Cut
Samuels, Rowella, #184 What Happened to Us
Sankey, Tricia, #20 Untouched
Santa Maria, Nicole, #154 Dynamite
Schiller, Eric R., #190 Pictures of Infinity
Schroeder, Joanna, #211 Feathers
Schultz, Theresa, #69 What Rent Money?
Schutter, Mark, #245 Anointed
Scott, Gavin, #238 Fog on the Thames
Segura, Monica, #220 On a Scale of One to Ten
Shipley, Branden, #203 New Beginnings
Sholar, Alana Nicole, #96 The Offer
Siebert, Bobby, #279 Badges and Medals
Silberstein, James, #56 The Frog
Simonds, Michael, #274 The Golden Grove
Simorte, Debbie, #126 Salvation, Finalist
Skaftun, Emily C., #33 Inside the Hat
Smart, Marcia, #120 First Memory
Smart, Matthew, #176 The Hole Left Behind
Smith, A., #282 The Leaving
Smythe, Deborah, #115 A Monster Softly This Way Comes
Snowden, Shona, #132 Letters from the Archives
Soderling, Janice D., #2 The Soldier
Sonderborg, Frank, #237 Another Billy the Kid
Spencer, Kenna, #70 Sushi
Spencer, Trista, #7 Waiting
Sposto, C.Z., #183 Why I didn’t make it to Coney Island
Spruzen, D.A., #75 Consumed, Finalist
Staino, Patricia, #213 A Study in Color
Stalter, Harmony, #39 The Dive
Stenson, Teresa, #265 He Taught Her to Fly
Stewart, Franca, #94 Watching
Strickland, Katherine A., #148 The Orchestration of Elena
Strickler, Ellen, #164 So Sorry
Stuart, Robin, #28 Slice of Life
Swykert, David, #196 Romancing the Phone
Taylor, Christine, #32 Getting To The Wall
Tedder, Larsen, #80 Beloved
Templet, Jasmine M., #47 You Were Never Lovelier, Finalist
Thakkar, Aniket, #252 Curiouser
Trecost, Foster, #254 Worth Saving
Vanvick, Denny, #151 Steve’s Incredibly Diverse, Non-denominationa...
Vargas, Oswaldo, #226 Dulce Nada
Vogt, Josh, #19 Escape Mechanism, Finalist
Voketaitis, James A., #139 Dream Symbols
Waldron, Sacha, #23 Ice Lagoon
Walker, Hannah, #71 Blooming
Wallace, T.Z., #209 The Key
Walton, Robert, #22 Event Horizon
Wang, Jasmine, #288 Breath
Ward, Erin, #83 Beacon
Watson, Sonya, #14 The Golden Thread
Watt, Melissa, #262 Origin Lavender
Weidknecht, Paul, #91 Burned to Permanence
Westreich, Sam, #124 Salvation
Whitmore, Steve, #231 Loop
Wilde, Michaelle, #108 Memory Spot
Wilkinson, M., #41 Charlie
Williams, Allison, #192 Glory
Williams, Lisa S., #285 Intense Magnification
Willis, Heidi, #127 Trapped
Yaure, Sarah, #10 First Night

We interrupt this contest . . .

. . . to close it! If you’ve submitted a piece and don’t see it up, or have any other problem that needs addressing, write to us immediately (lascauxreview at gmail dot com). We’ll fix anything that’s broke. We’ll also make sure we’re sufficiently punished: Wendy will read Finnegans Wake, from cover to cover, in atonement for our shortcomings. (Yes I know, that’s harsh, but the staff voted 10-1 that Wendy can endure it.)

It will take us a few days to agree on finalists and a winner.

Meanwhile a young English teacher in France had her professional debut as a poet today, at The Lascaux Review. Please stop by and congratulate her (comments are open): Hearsay, by Carla Ferreira

#288 Breath

by Jasmine Wang

The world fell and snow came.

In the distance, the black skeletons of structures burned harsh against winds of ice. The screams had long died down and those who did not perish in the blue fires huddled in the remains of the People’s Square where gentler red fires gave out their last vestiges of warmth.

She focused on the breath in front of her to tear her mind away from her body’s reluctance to run. Ever since she was a child she had been fascinated by the mist of her own breath illuminated against the light. It reminded her that even on the coldest of days, she was warm and alive; this gentle cloud came from her and it softened the hue of the world.

With her cloth bound hands, she patted the rectangular shape within her pocket as though to make sure it had not disappeared. After the final mushroom cloud had given way, only the Square had some limited access to electricity and the closest cell site 3 kilometers away was maybe still in operation. Her skin had burned, her left arm was mostly charred bits, but somehow her cell phone had survived. So she ran towards this slim chance of communication because she refused to die with regrets.

As the tower itself came into view, she took her phone out and saw that there was one bar of connectivity. Holding her breath, she dialed and waited as each tone ran the length of eternity, waiting to exhale.

#287 More Things in Heaven and Earth

by Esthel Larsson

The Knight materialized in Neerville exactly as foretold: on a misty morning, on the back of a camel. He ignored the castle and, making no inquiries, headed straight for the waterfall. Fair Lady squinted myopically from the top of her tower and doddered inside to primp herself up. People in the town hall square exchanged meaningful glances and whispered opinions, putting the day’s chores on hold.

By noon the miller’s youngest, curious like other nine-year-olds no longer are, was dispatched to investigate the prospects. The crowd, paper cones of hazelnuts and garlic bread sticks in hand, observed from afar as the two of them chatted, gesturing enthusiastically, until the Knight disappeared, leaving the girl to wait with his camel.

The nearest tavern supplied half-time entertainment, and the remainder of the show was left without spectators. Somebody was already dancing around an improvised bonfire when at sunset the girl finally returned, carrying a silver dagger with the Dragon’s likeness on the sheath.

“Has he taken care of the Dragon?”—the baker’s rosy-cheeked wife asked cautiously.

The girl nodded, grinned, and the town exploded. Strangers hugged and burst into song, fireworks appeared out of nowhere, dogs barked incessantly, the castle’s rusty gate yielded to axes.

At dawn the miller’s eldest joined his sister on a nearby roof and looked at her inquisitively.
“He needed medication,” she said. “For the Dragon. He is older than our centenarian Fair Lady. But the Knight takes care of him. I believe he will be fine.”

#286 Things in Mirrors

by Thaddeus Howze

Cold. Extend tension wire. Run fast, wind blowing. Second tension wire. Third. Spokes complete. Move around, first loop, second, third. So tired. Sun coming up. Around again. Hurry. So tired. So heavy. Breathe. Touch the glass. It has been a good home. For years, it sat quietly. I have seen many come and go, but I remain.

Then last month, it moved. For so long, everything stayed the same. Didn’t have to work much. Could cover entire glass with Thread. We ate well, we did.

Sun coming up. Not done yet. Run. Loop, extend Thread. Finished. Near the edge. We always hide them near the edge. Must hurry. Done. My last sunrise. They will be safe here.

“Honey, have you seen my keys?”

“On the hook by the door where they belong.”

“Thank you, dear. See you after work.”

“How did the repairs go, are you sure you will be able to get to work in your car? It has sat for almost three years.”

“He said call him in three hundred miles, so I have a way to go yet. See ya.”

“I see you washed it.”

“No sense in having it look like hell on my first day.”

“What happened to the mirror?”

“Oh, that? They have been living there for years. Haven’t had the heart to throw them out.”

“What about the web?”

“I got it. Bye, babe.”

Extend tension wire. Second, third. Move around. Run, fast. Wind strong. Touch the glass…



Hayward's Reach is a series of short stories told by the last survivor after an unexpected cataclysm destroys the birthplace of Pan-Humanity and its attendant species.

Click on the cover to visit the book's Amazon page.

#285 Intense Magnification

by Lisa S. Williams

“This is what a sarcoma looks like under intense magnification.” The gaunt lecturer flashed his laser pointer at a mélange of cobalt, orange, aqua, fountaining white. “You’d hardly imagine that, would you?”

A twenty-something with a laptop raised her hand.

“Yes, miss?”

“What magnification? I’d like exact specifications.”

Dr. Jamison pinched the bridge of his blotchy nose. “If you do, then you’re missing the point. What do you feel when you see this?”

“Fear.”

“Is that what the image itself evokes? Or the word ‘sarcoma’?”

The woman was silent. She narrowed her eyes at Jamison, then dropped her gaze.

A man in the back raised his hand.

“Yes . . . you. Go ahead.”

The man looked around shyly, ran a hand through hair no longer there. “J. M. Turner. That’s my answer.”

“Better! But that’s an intellectual connection. How does it make you feel?”

A blush rose up from the man’s collar. “Peaceful. Like when I was a boy. We spent summers at Cape Cod.”

“Very good.”

A woman across the room blurted, “I get that! Those gauzy, backlit colors. And that blue thing could be a boat.”

“Well, let’s just see.” The lecturer called up the highest magnification, skimmed the screen with his fingertips.

The twenty-something woman stood straight up and faced the auditorium. “‘Know Your Cancer: Learn to Let Go’?” she spat. “What crap this is!”

She whirled about, but Dr. Jamison offered no rebuttal. He now occupied a blue boat and was already far from shore.

#284 Forever Eleven

by Jocelyn Charette

“How old are you?” He asks curiously.

“Thirteen.” She answers.

“Do you have any siblings?”

“Yes, two.” She replies.

“How old are they?”

“Eleven and sixteen. I’m the youngest.” She responds self-assuredly.

His eyebrows furrow at her statement. “If you have an eleven year old sibling then you can’t be the youngest at thirteen.”

She sighs. “Just because I have more life experiences than my eleven year old brother, doesn’t mean I can’t be the youngest.”

“Huh?” He scratches his head. “Oh, I think I get it. Is he a step or half sibling that doesn’t live with you?”

“Nope, he’s my biological brother.” She answers.

He frowns. “Tell me how that makes sense.”

“Ok.” She responds, “Do you have any friends that you haven’t seen since, say, the first grade?”

His lips purse as his head tilts to the right. “Yes, my best friend when I was five moved away.”

At this she remarks, “So your memory of your best friend is when you both were five?”

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything? How are you the youngest?”

She replies, “At the age of ten, my eleven year old brother drowned in a boating accident. So in my mind’s eye, he’s forever eleven—just as your friend is forever five.”

#283 Ricochet

by Paula Ray

John’s mother said they’d never enroll a deaf person in band. She was wrong.

He got a standing ovation when he played one of the most difficult solos written for a high school timpanist.

All was going well, until his beloved band director, Mr. Linden, died in a car accident over Christmas break. The new director, Mr. Coker, was impatient and mean spirited. He ridiculed John for not following the music, saying things like, “The music isn’t written on my face. Follow the chart!”

John was demoted to one repeated rhythm pattern played on maracas.

He decided to face Mr. Coker and request a transfer out of band. When he walked into the band-room, the principal was there. Mr. Coker’s face was red, veins bulging on his forehead. He read Mr. Coker’s lips, “How am I supposed to teach a deaf guy how to play music? How many blind kids take art in this school? Give me a break!”

John marched over to the timpani drums, tapped the head of each and let the speed of vibrations guide him as he adjusted the pedals until each drum was tuned perfectly. He gripped the mallets properly and played the solo Mr. Linden had taught him. When Mr. Coker stomped his way from the podium to the percussion section, John made eye contact and smashed the skull of one of the maracas, imagining it was Mr. Coker’s head. Beads scattered across the floor as the principal applauded.