What Urfnu, master of the old frogian forges, had to say.

inspired by the art of samwhite

By Mike

"Yes," grumbled Urfnu. "You are right, your family is not the sort to seek out aid." His whiskers twiched like whips striking the backs of slaves; it reminded me of home. "But, aid has come nonetheless. This blade was...

We all have it.

inspired by the art of Dean Mamnev

By Mike

"Its force is strong in my family, my father has it, I have it, my sister has it. You have it too..."

My lip quivered gently. 

"Lactose intolerance."

*Weeps bitterly*

Keep kicking him, keep kicking him, keep kicking him!

inspired by the art of Chema Mansilla

By Mike

I remember the taste. 

The strange, saltiness that reminded me too much of the crinkle cut fries that were once my favorite. I would never eat them again after this moment, as I saw the small hole in the back of...

The barn where I found His coat

inspired by the art of Victor Hugo Harmatiuk

By Mike

I thought of the Buick I now drove, and the fans of the accordion I fumblingly played on stage now and again. His cologne had left marks on all of these things. My grandfather furrowed his brows and paused, hands just...

The Shield-maiden that broke my nose.

inspired by the art of Ruan Jia

By Mike

"Surely that last bit was excessive. Yes, I did slap her ass. Yes, I did ask her if she wanted to see my mace, and no I didn't mean a real mace. But a shield to the face? Come, governor. You must see reason, we cannot...

Christopher seeing a caricature of himself.

inspired by the art of orange buddhas

By Mike

"You know, I'm not sure, that, my forehead is that big. Sure, the eyes are great, they are great. But the forehead," He crinkles his eyes, wondering. "Is my forehead that big? I, I just don't know." You look, thinking...

Father, the piano.

inspired by the art of Jeremy Deveraturda

By Mike

I smell tobacco in the grain, and each note comes out opaque and brown.
As though spat into some ethereal cup hovering beneath the pedals,
the pedals unreachable, my feet dangle helplessly. The notes of the song fall,...

In the morning

inspired by the art of Afanur Rashid

By Mike

She stood in the lamplight of the morning
and felt him sleeping in the tent behind her. 
The tough burlap of his jacket embraced her 
and she felt her skin begin to rub away. They
went to be in love in the...

The rabbits, like beggars, come

inspired by the art of Afanur Rashid

By Mike

The rabbits, like beggars, 
come looking to me. In my old
age and my kindness, I've allowed
them to grow attached to my crumbs
the bits of bread that I cannot chew now. 
I suppose it is alright, so long as no...

Ways in which this robbery and my wedding are the same:

inspired by the art of Benamar Mahmoud

By Mike

1. There's a crazy lady shouting about something who you don't know. 

2. That one guy in a bow-tie.

3. More family than I expected in the building.

4. Embarassing phone call to the authorities.

5. The feeling that I...

What comes after

inspired by the art of Catherine Steuer

By Mike

"Aye lad," the large brown cat who stood, yes stood on his two hind legs, at the desk said in an accent was Scottish. Mr. Dithers thought for a moment, why was it that I know what Scottish sounds like? He thought....

A Cruel Joke

inspired by the art of Eren ARIK

By Mike

He found the corpse of a woman in an alley. She, a middle-aged teacher in the nearby nunnery, was made to appear as a woman of the night. Her unmentionable parts here displayed undamaged, while the rest of her body...