Stories

A young man in reluctant thrall to his burgeoning sexuality. A best friend who doesn't understand why he's been pushed away. Two other young men, who may or may not be related, in the throes of a weird-but-friendly competition. A baseball card and a shell necklace and a reefer before the storm. A ruined shotgun shack. And, lastly, a psychedelic patchwork quilt. What do these things have in common? Free love.

Yuto Tanaka has been training harder than ever for the Ogawa High School swimming club's first meet of the year. While he is not as strong or fast as some of the older boys on the team, he has been making progress. Progress due in no small part to the mentorship of his senpai, Gen Uotate. With only a few days until the meet, Uotate-senpai pulls Yuto aside for one last bit of preparation, intended to strengthen both Yuto's standing on the team and their bond with each other.

Michael finds himself in a predicament: someone knows his darkest secret, and hates him for it. But who?

A brief tale on the subject of fear.

Kevin and Gary discovered each other while playing baseball for Long River High School. In their last two years of high school, they had a very intense relationship, planning a life together. Upon graduation, contact was lost as they went separate ways: one to university and the other to the US Army. What follows is what happens when their paths finally cross forty years later.

"What do you want," Tommy asked, looking at the shadow with his eyes, watching it as it paused to a stop in front of him, its large black beak turning slightly to the side.

Its beak opened only a crack, and human screaming of men and women, children and infants, leaked out. Screaming, and sobbing, and maniacal laughing that all filled Tommy's ears with a rotten, disgusting feeling, and replacing the ticking of Toni's clock- loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood, yet only wrecking havoc upon Tommy.

Tommy Fish, a guy with a talent for relentless bullying and hatred, gets help from the devil to bully his favorite kid, indefinitely.

Asher and Seth are on a mission to save two younger boys with a troubled past. Kyle is not quite 10 and a genius. He knows he's gay, but has very troubling thoughts about the future. Freck is a freckle-faced boy, not quite 12, a gay high school sophomore with a history of drug use and a suicide attempt. Can Asher and Seth help both boys and give Kyle the greatest gift of all for Chanukah, the gift of love?

Tucked away in the southeast corner of Tennessee is a small town called Minor Springs.

Tristan is a bullied teen who spends his days (and nights) plotting his escape.

Finn has it all - popularity, money and the perfect girlfriend - but feels the town is closing in around him.

As Minor Springs threatens to destroy them both, they will find refuge in an abandoned clubhouse in the woods separating their two worlds.

Gareth wakes up in hospital after being in coma for several days. As we go along he remembers having an accident. Other information about his life seem to be gone or inaccessible due to retrograde amnesia. When his socioenvironment helps him put the pieces together, he realizes something odd.

Four boys who attend one of New York City's elite specialty public high schools face a unique set of challenges as the year draws to a close. Faced with a lost bet, Asher and Seth have agreed to spend a New Year's Eve together that neither will ever forget, and they've talked their friend, Freck, into hosting a party for the special occasion. In the meantime, Kyle's father makes a surprise offer that will help solidify his burgeoning relationship with Freck. As they count down the final seconds and sing Auld Lang Syne, the four boys will find that their lives have been changed forever.