a taste of ‘March’

And the stories continue as things get serious …

scroll down for tastes …

 

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The other two novices, an American couple on their honeymoon – Who takes a diving course on a honeymoon? – save Luis from lying. “We’re excited,” the girl says, and tugs on her child-husband’s arm. “Aren’t we, Robbie?” “Stoked, man.” Robbie grins at Luis. “You?”

Guilie Castillo Oriard, Dive

 

“That’s what I keep telling you. Two afternoons a week is not enough. How serious are you about us?” ”Serious enough to drive fifty miles in the snow telling Sonia and the kids that I had to take some papers to my accountant.”

Townsend Walker, La Ronde / Joey and Annie

 

Max does not dwell, for him it’s another Monday and he’s getting out tomorrow. He’ll be able to continue the therapy at home.

Derek Osborne, The Moment

 

I am malfunctioning on so many different levels at once.

Gloria Garfunkel, The Crash

 

“I don’t do very well with discomfort,” Charles said, frowning at the yoga retreat website they looked at on his iPad. Esther read the screen in silence. ”I guess I mean more like with challenges or difficulty,” he said. “If your life is easy and then it is suddenly hard, it’s still hard, you know?”

John Wentworth Chapin, Azure

 

My dad is here. Its he’s cool about me drinking, he thinks i’m a riot. I am so so ANGRY and Im also really scared okay?

Lynn Beighley, Punch Drunk

 

Professor Langeweile is the most interesting of the hundreds of people who have quizzed me since the revelation. He is quite enlightened, I think, and he truly wants to know, not to get an advancement, a promotion or something, but for himself, in order to understand.

Andrew Stancek, After the Flood

 

She shrugs. “It’s fine. You know you’re a day late on your half of the rent check, right? It was due yesterday.”

Rachel Ambrose, That Awkward Moment

 

After an hour of sucking, licking, fucking, and flicking, we’re done. My lips have swollen nicely – why bother with collagen when a lengthy blowjob does the trick?

Gill Hoffs, Rory’s Glory

 

These visits are his penance. For one day a week, he takes the abuse so someone else doesn’t have to.

Jessica McHugh, Shady Grace

 

I peel the polythene wrap from a bunch of flowers I’d picked up on the way and arrange them into the empty pots at the side. “That looks nice” she comments.

Shane Simmons, Rotted Leaves, Wilted Flowers

 

“What are all those stickers for?” asks Sylvie, pointing to the frame of Stevie’s bike. He tells her about some of them – one from Vermont, one from Maine, one from Illinois. Many, many stickers. All from different family trips.

Michelle Elvy, Canary

 

I feel like punching him. I feel like strangling him with his turban and watching that pretty skin of his turn blue, then purple.

Len Kuntz, Trail’s End

 

But I have a family to feed too. I have new teammates whose doubts I have to soothe. There are rules, and I’m their prisoner.

Michael Webb, Third Inning

 

“You must think I’m an awful eejit,” he says, sitting back down and finally catching his breath. ”Oh, no. You are a nice man. This happens to me too sometimes.” Melodie smiles at him over her raised teacup.

James Claffey, Petals and Perfume

 

Diane’s smile is wry. “Well, if I could find someone to do it for me …” She sips at the coffee. Lowering the cup, she asks, “So what’s your story?” Phil lifts his useless left hand. “Cerebral palsy. So tired of living with it.”

Gwendolyn Joyce Mintz, The Lucky Ones

 

“What’s next?” Jimmy says. ”Nothing,” I say. ”I’m done with doctors.” ”I don’t get you, man, you’re going to stand by and let that shit eat you up? What about Anne? Don’t you care what happens to her?”

Stephen V. Ramey, The Comedian

 

“Dad?” Mars tramps down the path after Gus, grinning. The old man mutters to himself, “And now, my day is ruined,” as he continues to plod along the chain-link fence.

Gay Degani, Father and Son

 

BTW I was thinking, maybe you might want some assistance, just to speed the editing up a little, because it’s taking a little longer than it would normally, probably because summer has hit you early and that red pen can get a little slippy and slidey all over the page.

Sally-Anne Macomber, Schöne Grüße aus Tirol

 

I had expected to get at least one chance to stab Ellie with a dressmaking pin. Turned out she’s a sweet, uncomplicated girl who I can’t help but like.

Mandy Nicol, Candles

 

Maybe I should be like that too, Ned thinks, opening his tuxedo jacket and loosening his bow-tie. Maybe I should be more like a dog.

Margaret Bingel, Dreaming

 

Her enormous green eyes were hazel just like some kind of spin art. I hate green sometimes, well right now I do I think.

Darryl Price, Big Words

 

“The IRS?” he’d asked, incredulous when she’d finished her joint law degree and masters in taxation. “You have gifts. You could have been a concert pianist.”

Teresa Burns Gunther, Another Man

 

And then – I don’t know why I say this, but it just flies out of my mouth: “Define whore?” Like I’m the arbiter of all things whorish.

Matt Potter, Morgana Malone and the Mystery of the Opium Den

 

I smoked in class, which was illegal even for the Jesuits, and came to class half lit after three beers and whiskey shots at Humphrey’s bar.

Gary Percesepe, Shot

 

Samford wonders if the doctor just sticks his finger up butts all day. Surely he must do something else during the eight hours he spends at the office.

Nathaniel Tower, Samford gets a rectal exam

 

That particular type of snake isn’t venomous; can’t do a thing to you but give you a set of silly little puncture wounds. So it’s the perfect creature for a coward to show off.

Kimberlee Smith, Reunion

 

“Celery has negative calories,” remarks Barbara, as she does at least once each week. “It takes more energy to chew and digest celery than what’s even in it.”

Vanessa Weibler Paris, Winter Weight

 

Hiding behind greenery, she is as self-conscious as a thirteen-year old going on her first date. Drips of sweat roll down her back. Great … I’ll have a damp spot on my blouse.

Joanne Jagoda, The Blind Date

 

I don’t think, the way this is going, that I’ll put much in this diary like, ‘Today, dear diary, I tried a new soufflé and it was just divine. Brandon and the kids delicately ate it all and asked for more.’

h. l. nelson, Rinse and Repeat