Hailstones pinged off the car like bullets. Thick rain blurred the outside night. In the windshield reflection, Jarrod could see his nephew trembling in the front passenger seat. “Hey, Travis!” he yelled from the back, trying to distract the boy.…
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Blog Archives
August, 2011 – Volume 1 – Issue 1
The August 2011 Issue of The Washington Pastime includes the following stories: Reservations, by Matthew Ward [LITERARY] Remember Mars, by Michael Anthony [SCI-FI] The Burning Man, by Matt Walker [HORROR] Damn Good Cop, by Jeanette Samuels [MYSTERY] 1 Hour, 13…
1 Hour, 13 & 3, by Keith Laufenberg
The Spirit Hand The deepest of all the patterns in the human spirit is one of departure and return and the journey implicit in between. —Laurens van der Post (1906-1996) “Point of Total Return,” Jung and the Story of Our…
Damn Good Cop, by Jeanette Samuels
They think I killed my husband. That’s why they’re here. I knew it long before I saw them. I don’t have to even look, I can sense it. But I look anyways. From behind the lace curtain, I watch as…
The Burning Man, by Matt Walker
I first met Kevin in a bar. It’s where I meet most of my clients. He struck me as an ideal customer – quiet, reserved, head-hunched like a turtle. A sap, in other words. A man society would continue to…
Remember Mars, by Michael Anthony
“I don’t remember what I ate for breakfast, but I remember every detail of our trip to Mars,” Abraham said, grinning, “That was a golden age in America.” Children sat in a semi-circle around the old man, their wide eyes…
Reservations, by Matthew Ward
“It’s very good. Won’t you try some?” Beverly glanced briefly at her plate, dismissing a small cutlet, diced into cubes, and mound of white rice. “It’s alright, really…” Thomas ingested a spoonful to substantiate his claim, “Although, I’m sure you’ve…
Making the Decision, by Paul Karaffa
So you want to join the ranks of great writers, to make your mark by inducing tears, fascination, romance, and even the occasional scream of your readers? Friends and neighbors are crawling out of the woodwork to yell “That’s great!”…
Ghost Stories, by Laura Bolt
I will never forget the first time I read Edgar Allen Poe. I had a borrowed a book of his short stories from my brother in sixth grade and spent an evening reading The Black Cat, The Cask of Amontillado,…
How To Write A Story Well, by Laura Bolt
One of the most vital tenets of fiction is that you can’t write it without a good story. This may seem incredibly simplistic, but the basic fundamental of “the story” cannot be ignored. Even a talented writer will squander his…
