This week we have twelve new stories for you to savour, from eleven of our authors. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

“The Flip of a Coin” by Benjamin Solah

She stands, all of a sudden frozen, listening for it but can only hear the drip drip of where she’s been.

In one hand, she grips the loaded pistol tighter wondering if it will be of any use anyway. And when she opens her other hand, the coin says tails. She darts to the left down the cavernous tunnel. Read more

“Too Much Rope” by Carrie Clevenger

“Did you see the way he looked at you?” Don said, his extra-white dental bleach job nearly blinding his date. Don had a way with women even though any of them could hardly stand to look at him. His wallet proved to be an aphrodisiac, and if that wasn’t enough, his penile pump made sure the lucky lady would never slip away unsatisfied. Laurie was fairly unchoosy about who was paying her car note. The big stiff one was merely a bonus in the situation. Read more

“We’ll Get the Next One” by Jen Brubacher

I let the red wine roll over my tongue, delicate tartness washing at the inside of my cheeks. Not too shabby, I thought. The scent of it was full and sweet. Then my wife told me it was poisoned. Read more

“Chaos and Chance” by Icy Sedgwick

The silver coin flashed in the air, a disc of light that flipped and landed in her waiting left palm. Her right hand gripped the revolver swiped from Sarah’s antique shop.

Temper flared behind her eyes as she stared at the coin. Instead of looking down at the profile of the Queen, she saw only the ring of dolphins on the ‘tails’ side of the 50p. Read more

“Mary Kelly” by Jason Coggins

Mary Kelly placed the gun on the pillow of her bed. It didn’t look like a flint-lock. It looked more like iron plumbing than a bleeding pistol. The penny was passing queer as well. She turned it between her fingers. It were no farthing; Queen Vic’s jowls didn’t grace either side of it. Read more

“Kaleidoscope” by Paul Servini

Lucy couldn’t help wondering if a third of a bullet would kill. That would save her having to chose who would die. She stared at the newspaper lying in front of her. Now or never. The words began to swim around in her mind, the letters kaleidoscoping, creating in her mind new forms but always coming back to that law inscribed in stone which was to govern her day. She’d never been one to set much store in horoscopes, but today was different. Today, it spoke to her heart, urging her to action. The toss of the coin confirmed what she had to do. Read more

“The Aftermath of the Boxer Rebellion” by Tony Noland

“I say, Artie? If you’re not otherwise occupied, we’re almost out of cartridges. Think your dad could spring for some more? Him being Lord Yaxley and all?”

Arthur Wilberforce “Artie” Wooster drew a bead on the last of the rebellious Chinamen fleeing across the yard, squeezed the trigger and dispatched the bugger. His friend Harry’s sense of humor was more dryly British than most Englishman’s; it came from trying too hard. Read more

“Balls of Fire” by Tony Noland

The scar tissue makes a little map of Australia over my heart, an island of wrinkled pink skin in an ocean of black hair. I’ve seen some of the guys at the gym, looking at it sidelong in the shower. I know the rumor is that it’s a gunshot wound. I can’t say I’m sorry to have that rep, especially as it’s hard to figure a guy like me as a player. A guy like me? Nah, I never been shot. Not with a gun, I mean. Read more

“Survivor” by Laura Eno

The final taping of America’s latest reality show, Survivor: Continent, played to an unprecedented audience of 700 million worldwide. The numbers had remained steady throughout sixteen weeks of airtime. Ecstatic sponsors engaged in bidding wars for fifteen-second spots. Read more

“Shiny” by Tina Hunter

It glittered… no, twinkled really… just sitting there in the lamp light. It’s funny how you forget such simple pleasures when you’re running.

“Alright Dodger, time to pay up.”

“Right,” I said. I pulled a few more coins out of my pocket and put them on the table with the shiny silver one I’d been staring at. “It’s not closing time yet is it?” I asked Celeste.

“Not exactly but it might as well be for you.”

She pocketed the coins before I could ask, “What do you mean by that?” Read more

“Ophidian” by Annie Evett

Salinas tongue glid across her full red lips, its tip tantalisingly tasting the air. Her slanted eyes shot sidewards to the trembling man hanging in the centre of the room. Sunlight streamed in from the open door she had flung open moments ago.
With the fluid grace of an oil slick seeping across tranquil waters, she slithered over to him and pressed her body against his. Lifting her head she slowly breathed in his scent.

“Luck, it would seem, has taken a fancy to you Jerone.” Read more

“The Truth of the Matter” by Rob Diaz

“Heads – I let my twitchy trigger finger have a good time; tails – you get to explain.” She held the gun up next to my head and flipped the coin. We watched it spin, reflecting the light of the fires surrounding us. As it came to rest in her left hand, I let out a sigh of relief.

Tails.

Without removing the gun from my forehead, she said, “You’ve got one shot, punk. If I don’t like what you’re saying…” She let the implication of her unfinished sentence hang in the air. Read more