Break From Reality. Daily.
My reflection in the window stares back at me as I look out at the falling rain. The tall woman I see is dressed in leggings and a stretch top. Her long black hair, streaked with gray, falls to her shoulders, framing a long-suffering face. I can see I’ve lost weight over the past six…
This story is by Mike Conradt and was part of our 2025 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. Emily Harper arrived in Sandy Creek during the height of summer heat and moved into the only available place, a small cottage near the Missouri River. Its four rooms were tiny but…
This story is by Mike Conradt and was part of our 2024 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. “Eric, take your seat and be quiet,” said first-year teacher Emily Parks. Eric sat down, leaned over, and glared at the kid across the aisle. “I’m going to kick your ass,” snickered…
This story is by Mike Conradt and was part of our 2024 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. The fifth commandment says, “Thou shalt not kill.” There should be an addition to it. “Except for millions of dollars.” If I won the lottery, I would be rich. If my husband,…
This story is by Mike Conradt and was part of our 2023 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. The Legend of Nadia “I don’t know how to put it, but in all my years of investigating the paranormal, I have never seen anything like it,” I said from my hospital…
This story is by Mike Conradt and was part of our 2022 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. Alex and the Haunted House Normal. What is normal? I have repeatedly asked myself this question, and I have yet to come up with an answer. Of course, being only twelve years…
This story is by Mike Conradt and was part of our 2022 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. Finding Happiness Within Martha Peebles paced the kitchen floor to quiet her demons. I should do something, thought Martha as she looked out the kitchen sink window. Mandatory retirement from…
This story is by Mike Conradt and was part of our 10th Anniversary Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. A Change of Heart. Each afternoon, while leaning on my hoe in the garden, I watch my neighbor, Natalie, sunbathe. Her bikini barely covers her breasts, let alone the rest…
This story is by Mike Conradt and was part of our 2021 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. I can find no solace in the deed I committed. My hand quivers, my spirit in anguish as I sluggishly walk home—in the end, he was a friend in need. I…
This story is by Mike Conradt and was part of our 2020 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. Josh hung up the phone as his wife, Stacy, come into his office. She brought lunch for them, and as she walks to his desk, the distress on his face is…
This story is by Mike Conradt and was part of our 2020 Summer Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. A Homecoming Bolting straight up in bed with sweat running down his back, Dan sits in bed, staring into the darkness. He continues to shake uncontrollably, and his breathing…
This piece is by Mike Conradt. To be Mine Forever. My breath was coming in short rapid rasping sounds as I ran down the street. The details of what happened in the woods I cannot remember. I tried to think with some degree of clarity, but my mind was overwhelmed with confusion and…
This story is by Mike Conradt and was part of our 2019 Summer Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. Silence Silence. It swept across the room like a fast-moving flood giving the air an unnerving heaviness. Marisa and Chris stood quietly with their mouths open, while Jason showed little emotion….
