The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
When I Grow UpBy Jasmin Lai QuailBellMagazine.com The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Wormhole By Joseph Madden QuailBellMagazine.com As its umbilicals disconnected with a jolt, the prototype hyperspace starship Yeager dropped away from the support tender and floated free in space. At the controls, Major Christi Thom surveyed her readouts. “All systems showing green,” she reported. “Everything looks good from this end, Control.” “We copy that, Major,” The controller aboard McKinley Station replied. “You are go for pre-test maneuvers.” “Roger that.” She threw a wave out her cockpit window at McKinley: a wasted gesture, since McKinley was three kilometers distant, but it was part of her routine. Another voice cut in on her helmet speaker. “Godspeed, Christi. See you when you get home. First round is on me.” This was Jim Matthews, pilot of Yeager’s support tender. The tender ship continued to fill the view above her as it began to move away. “Thanks, Jim,” Christi smiled. “And thanks for the vote of confidence.” She was truly grateful for that. Her historic first flight was actually the third attempt at a manned faster-than-light spaceflight. The initial unmanned flights had gone off without incident, flying out from Earth to Saturn in a matter of minutes. Enthusiasm ran high for a future of interstellar spaceflight. The phrase “Man plans and God laughs” once again held true. Man’s great plans were dashed the moment a live pilot was placed inside the cockpit. XP-1 exploded as soon as its faster-than-light engines—dubbed the “Wormhole drive”— were brought online. Little more than dust remained of the ship and its pilot. Eighteen months and another successful unmanned test flight later, XP-2 was launched. This time the flight looked to be a success, until the time came for the ship to revert to normal space. XP-2 dropped out of hyperspace, and promptly tore itself apart. That had been two years ago. Christi had trained for XP-2 with pilot Bill Chiang and was to be his backup should he become incapacitated. What still gave her nightmares wasn’t the fact that she could have been the one killed, or that Bill’s body had never been recovered. It was the fact that pilots who ran shuttles to and from the mining colonies on Saturn’s moons reported that they could still hear his screams over their comm units months after the incident. On the eve of his flight, a reporter interviewing Bill had asked him why a husband and father of four would attempt such a risky endeavor. Bill had replied in his usual to-the-point style. “Risk is inconsequential. Each and every one of us is at risk every moment of our lives. You could step outside your home and get struck by lightning, or slip and break your neck in the shower. The only reason people take note of the risks on a mission like this is because it’s big news to everyone watching. Risk is all around us. The only time you’re truly safe is when you’re dead. “Without risk, we wouldn’t be where we are today. The first life on Earth took the risk of venturing from the oceans to try life on land. Columbus risked disaster by crossing the Atlantic to the Americas. Armstrong risked leaving the safety of his lunar lander to walk on the moon. The risk we take with this mission, whether successful or not, will propel us, even marginally, toward the next stage of our evolution as a race. “Without risk,” Bill summed up, “we wouldn’t even exist. So there’s no point in worrying about the risk. It’s always been there. We just have to face it.” The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Fat FriendsBy Omid Khanzadeh
QuailBellMagazine.com “Hi, can I help you?” “Hey there-big fellah, I’m JJ Flash and I’m with Queen Together System,” flashed the stumpy man, returning his business card back to shirt pocket. “You look like the breadwinner of the house. Are you the homeowner-sir?” “No, my mom-” “Well that’s all right. I’m just gonna take a little bit of your time here and tell you about our company. QTS is a full proof home security system that’ll alarm you if an intruder is attempting to break into your house, you see?” “Yeah-but this is a pretty safe-” “See what we do is, well we install all types of communication systems around your home. We do video surveillance and install alarms inside your house for things like fires, burglars, electrical issues-things of that nature that you can really chew at you know? We also install-garage door codes,” stuttered the salesman, trying to reel in the six feet gorilla teenager. “Alejandro!” screamed an old female voice. Jano jumped, looking back up the stairs and then back at the salesman. “We don’t even have a-“ “Now listen, what I’ve been doin was I’ve been goin door to door here in your neighborhood, asking all the homeowners what their number one fear would be if their private lives were ever invaded. You wanna know what most of em’ answered?” “Nah,” countered Jano, shaking his head. “Someone taking their valuables,” the little man laughed. “But I’ll tell you what man-I’m gonna tell you what the real answer is.” Jano began jogging slowly up the stairs-past the living room and into the kitchen where his petite mother was fixing up a hefty supper. “You heard me, did you? Quien fue?” Jano looked up and saw his mother chopping vegetables. She began hopping as she attempted to chop down on the potatoes and onions with her fragile forearm. The thick burgundy counter top began crumbling as the virile old woman continued mounting pressure with her small body. She looked back at him and allowed her glasses to slide down her nose as she raised her eyes. “Some guy.” The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Another GenesisBy Jenean McBrearty
QuailBellMagazine.com Adam was born in a Poplar tree. When his limbs grew long, he asked the Wind what it was like to move as freely as the birds . "Let me rustle the leaves of your branches, and breeze through your boughs – snap a twig and let it fall to the ground," the Wind replied. "But you will never see the sea or rush down a canyon or hear your own echo for you must stay where you are." Adam didn't know the Wind needed him to make its music. By December dead leaves and twisted twigs lay on the ground. The tree was smaller, weaker now. Adam shook his remaining branches until they also fell to the ground. With the two that remained, he pried off his bark and ripped his roots from the soil, then sped off alone, his feet trusting the earth. He was free. He ran a mile, then two. At the top of the hill, he rested on a rock and looked back at the Poplar grove. He was naked and cold and alone, and the Wind that had seemed so obliging now made his teeth. He tried hiding in foliage to insulate himself. He tried hiding in a hole. He searched about for water, and though the sun shone it no longer nourished him. Finally, he took cover in the park. He cut down his friends, shaved their skins, and hammered them into a shelter. He stole fur from the rabbits, nuts from the squirrels, and ate grass, drank from the spring, and called out to the trees every morning. "Do any of you remember me? Can none of you speak?" But no voice answered. Before long, he stopped asking questions. He simply toiled every day, his face looking at the ground as he scavenged and dug and chased and ate things that bled. When he was exhausted, hungry, and lonely, he would say to himself, "Today I will rest. Today I will go into that empty space where I once lived, and tell the trees what it is like to be a man — I will lift my eyes to clouds that once comforted me and be silent, and listen. Perhaps, one day they will speak to me." But no matter how many times he spoke, begged, cajoled, threatened, laughed or cried out "Forgive me!", the trees never said a word. Threescore and ten years later he went into the grove from whence he'd come, sat down in the middle, and wadded himself up so that his knees hid his face and his arms enveloped his shins. He yearned to run, but, as when he was a tree, he couldn't. His legs were thin, sapless, and could no longer carry him; his arms were reeds. I will return to being a tree, he told himself. But instead, he became a stone moved about by the Rain, the Wind, and the movement of Earthquakes. Having neither roots nor moss, he traveled widely and never prayed again. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
who's bleeding? By Claire LeDoyen QuailBellMagazine.com chirping birds keep me awake to sit in this heart to scratch at its cement walls to find comfort in the new textures. i have been here for so long i have forgotten what my skin looks like, what tongues feel like when pressed against brick. it rains blood here and i lap it up wildly, punchdrunk and mad. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Le GeneralBy Juliette GrandJonc QuailBellMagazine.com The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Night OutBy Amber Shoupe
QuailBellMagazine.com The golden rays from the sun caressed Teneil’s skin. She pulled her long blond hair over her eyes and stretched. Rolling over, she buried her face in the soft white feathers she laid on. That peaceful moment was ruined as quickly as the sun disappeared behind a tree. “Kahlo! I did it again. I have to get home!” She scrambled up a foot or two to the griffin’s neck and managed to wrap her arms around him. He had been up and moving around awhile waiting for her to wake. Acknowledging her concern, he let out a loud screech and started off towards Teneil’s house. She peered around his thick neck, the wind in her face felt amazing. Teneil watched the trees as they passed and seemed to shrink; Kahlo was taking off. She looked down, the ground was expanding and trees were but little bunches of hair growing on the earth now. The feeling of flying was amazing and even if she was in huge trouble when she arrived home, this was all worth it. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ocean of sky and passing cotton soft clouds. As Kahlo flew higher, almost into the fluffy, white billows the air smelled of rain. Teneil reached up but her arms were too short, she decided to stand up. The fluffy masses engulfed her torso, drenching her instantly. Kahlo dropped altitude quickly making her loose balance. Letting out a grunt, her butt hit the griffin’s back and she rolled to her side. She was laughing now, and laughing hard. Kahlo let out a low screech in response. “Kahlo, I love you.” Teneil reached up to his head and ruffled his blue crown feathers. She lay back to back with him watching behind them. One day she would never have to go home and report to her parents, she could just stay out with Kahlo in the woods and mountains. ‘Oh great. My last good pair of pants. Dad’s going to murder me.’ She mumbled to herself while sitting up. Teneil tried to remember how that could have happened and how she was going to explain it. “The bears, it happened with the bears!” she laughed. How could she forget that? She had been hunkered down behind a small bush watching baby black bears play, not even putting thought to the fact the momma would be around. The sun was setting and her sight was becoming limited. She guessed it around nine o’clock. Kahlo would be looking for her soon. Next thing she knew a burst of hot, heavy, smelly breath was on her back. Teneil took off, joining the babies in the open meadow. Her first instinct was to find a tree to climb and scream for help. The bear was right on her ass and there were no trees close. She could feel the fear growing inside of her. Was this it? Would they ever find her remains? She shoved these thoughts aside and kept running but veered to the left, the tree line were a tad bit closer over there. She was not going down without a fight. A guest of wind came from behind her knocking her down as Kahlo swooped in at the bear. He began attacking the creature with his talons. Teneil got up and kept moving. All she heard was the sound of the creatures shrieking and roaring. She stopped just in front of the towering trees and turned to see what was happening. Kahlo was hovering over the bear screeching and the bear growling trying to fight back. Fur and blood were going everywhere. “Kahlo! No! Stop it!” Teneil yelled while rushing towards them. It wasn’t as bad as it looked. The bear finally tucked it’s nub of a tail and went to its babies with minor wounds. The griffin got out of it with roughed up feathers and minor scratches to his legs. He tottered to Teneil and put his wing over her, pressed against her with his beak as if to say, “You’re my baby and you’re safe.” Kahlo’s slowing down snapped her back to reality. They landed in the field at the edge of the woods behind her house. She didn’t move for a moment or two. Kahlo shook himself to make her get down. Teneil ruffled the deep blue feathers on his head and slid down his pure white back. She walked around and was enveloped by his large wings. He tucked her in his chest with his head and she rubbed on him with her face. He was so soft this time of year. “Go enjoy your day, Kahlo. I’ll come find you later.” She grabbed his head and put her forehead on it. He made a low kind of growl noise and nudged her off. She walked begrudgingly to her back gate and turned to see him watching her as if he wanted her to just go back out with him and never come back. One day my friend, one day. She thought to herself. Opening the gate, she turned away. She crept up to her window and looked in, no one was in there. She pulled a butter knife from her pocket and stuck it between the screen and the window sill. Popping the screen made a louder noise than she anticipated. Her dog walked in to see what the noise was. The excited dog wagged her tail and barked. “No, ssh! Shh!” Teneil climbed in the window. The eager dog danced back and forth waiting for attention. Teneil decided to pet her to get her to go away. The dog trotted away as happy as could be. Now Teneil was faced with getting the screen back in in record time. She had done it a hundred or more times but it was always still dawn not early morning. She tried shoving the screen back in from the side but that didn’t work too well. Her dad walked by, “Hey. Glad to see you’re up early. What’s with the window?” “Oh, um. My window popped off the tracks and I had to put it back on,” she fibbed. “Ok?” her dad looked at her suspiciously. “Your brother is going to take you to finish school shopping in a few. Are you going to be ready?” He set his coffee cup down and walked over to her. He smelled of his pipe tobacco and coffee. He was behind her and took the screen and put the top in first. It snapped right in. “There. All done.” “Yeah I’ll be ready,” she tried to look like she was watching a bird so she didn’t have to turn around. “Should be fun,” rotated her torso to him and smiled. He returned the gesture and left. She jumped back on her bed and sighed in relief. She had gotten away with another night out. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
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