edited by Ziv Wities On a sunless morning, in the city of Astor, the word ‘caulk’ vanished. The word didn’t announce its vanishing with trumpets or a booming clarion call. It faded away slowly in the middle of the night, like the last lyrics of a difficult song. The ones who didn’t use the word … Continue reading DP FICTION #95B: “Tell Me the Meaning of Bees” by Amal Singh
edited by Ziv Wities So you want to determine whether dogs still exist. First, our association of dogs with obedience. Is obedience dog-like? Or is it to do with horses now, or children, or hamsters. “Hamster-like obedience.” Dogs have retreated into the bodies of hamsters, maybe. They have a real knack for learning, we’re told, … Continue reading DP FICTION #95A: “Dog Song” by Avi Naftali
edited by Amanda Helms The structure of the house was Jane’s first indication that anything was wrong. She walked through the upper floor, with the bay window looking out onto the candy box houses of San Francisco, smooshed together like so many love letters. The office and kitchen hugged the bedroom, and the backyard divided … Continue reading DP FICTION #125A: “Please Properly Cage Your Words” by Beth Goder
edited by Amanda Helms Content note (click for details) This story contains references to child endangerment. Beads of sweat trailed down Olaedo’s body, drenching the goat fodder where she lay sprawled. She had bitten hard into the pad of leather clenched between her teeth; her incisors now grazed against each other. Her goats just stared … Continue reading DP FICTION #124B: “Paths, Littlings, and Holy Things” by Somto Ihezue
edited by Chelle Parker Captain Ruby Tauda of the whale-ship Balentora strapped down a crate of medicine and hurried across the star-whale’s mouth. She and her crew had always used the mouth as a cargo bay, but this wasn’t their usual cargo. They weren’t thieves. “Secure?” Ruby asked her copilot, Loto, pausing with her hand … Continue reading DP FICTION #117A: “Song for a Star-Whale’s Ghost” by Devin Miller
edited by Chelle Parker “My friends, I apologize for pulling you away from the festivities,” the Duke said, shutting the heavy oak door behind him, “but I believe our lives to be in danger.” He turned to his guests and drew a deep breath. “It seems the Gaunt has decided to attend our soiree.” The … Continue reading DP FICTION #116A: “The Gaunt Strikes Again” by Rich Larson
edited by Hal Y. Zhang Content note (click for details) Content note: emotional abuse and physical harm between teens, body horror. I’ve known her for four summers now, so I don’t believe Sephina when she says we’ll return the bicycle before anyone knows it’s missing. Eventually, I say okay, but it’s not like I have … Continue reading DP FICTION #114A: “In Tandem” by Emilee Prado
edited by David Steffen Content note (click for details) Content note: Depictions of police brutality, murder, and intimate partner violence, and a brief mention of the accidental death of a child. The widow wants to talk to her husband. She has been warned: It is not her husband. It is ADRU. (ADRU-93, if you must … Continue reading DP FICTION #113B: “Phantom Heart” by Charlie B. Lorch
edited by David Steffen Brigitte Cole presents with lower abdominal pain, nausea, and a long-sleeved black leotard. She has a well-developed appearance and does not seem to be in acute distress. Her accompaniment for the evening is pianist Roy Weiss, a fixture of the local music scene whose minimalist style pairs well with the bold … Continue reading DP FICTION #112A: “This Week in Clinical Dance: Urgent Care at the Hastings Center” by Lauren Ring
edited by Ziv Wities Content note (click for details) Content note: Grief, fraught family relationships, gaslighting. [user graciegirl2006!? is logged in] [Guide]Welcome to this interactive guide! I understand from your About Me profile that you have an issue with a brain that needs killing. I’m here to help! [graciegirl2006!?]I can’t believe I found this. [Guide]Actually, … Continue reading DP FICTION #111B: “How to Kill the Giant Living Brain You Found in Your Mother’s Basement After She Died: An Interactive Guide” by Alex Sobel
