On "The Uninvited" by Kristine Ong Muslim (411 words) ***

Muslim's four-hundred-word descent into madness and revenge might demand a second or third reading--it did so from me. But it's compelling enough that you might well be up for such. Let's just say that this is a horror story I wouldn't want to be part of--and it's something I'd generally avoid seeing on film. Read the piece here at Flywheel.

On "The Second Four" by Mel Bosworth (237 words) ***

Bosworth's tale combines elements of a popular joke beginning with the not-so-familiar experience of being witness to something shameful and not knowing what to do about, not even being able to talk about it. It's this odd juxtaposition that makes the piece captivating. Read it here at Flywheel.

On "Accident" by Iheoma Nwachukwu (1071 words) ****

This rather simple piece of fiction excels not in plot or even so much in characterization but in bold descriptiveness. It is, as the title notes, about an accident--two girls driving along when a tire goes out and the car goes spiraling out of control. Nwachukwu packs the short piece with metaphors that are utterly original and yet don't seem forced. This is not an easy thing to achieve. Read the story here at Flywheel Magazine.

On "Dinner Date" by Abigail Wheetley (3040 words) ****

Here's a straightforward tale about a blind date gone bad. The obvious connection here is to how we can make bad decisions or have things happen to us that we never would have expected and how it is we cope. I suppose I've been a few dates with others' kids around; it does make for an interesting, if sometimes uncomfortable, dynamic. A gal last week was telling me about some truly horrendous dates she's had, one of which I'd have to say might well be the worst I've ever heard of. I said I'd never had a bad date, and she said something about it being obvious because I was so charming. I think, however, that maybe it's a combination of both happenstance (I've yet to go out with a truly horrible woman) and a willingness to give the other person the benefit of my doubts, to simply accept what is and who I'm with. A date like the one described here would not have gotten high marks, but it is what it is, you know? We all struggle in our own ways. Read the tale here at Flywheel.