jpeg of your brother lost in the woods

Same link, same picture every time, all grainblurr and smudge swipes. A long time ago in the 90s–oof, try to ignore that part but the figure all grunge hang and parted bangs bursting the woods in the pic won’t leave you at night. Always someone’s cousin, but no they don’t live around here anymore. Ask three people what’s chasing him, get five answers. 2 a. m. and your brother forgets the time difference and wants to know which cryptids you think are really spirits, which would explain why nobody’s caught any of them of course. Lack of data leads to bit rot. Copypasta boils in the airwaves between bro country hits on KLAW 101. Library microfiche a dry lakebed, mud-mouthed corpses drained from Deep Red Creek. Now the story goes full Bloody Mary: If you turn off all the lights and open the picture on your phone he’ll show up behind you. You ask your brother if he remembers woodsy.jpeg. Oh yeah, he says, that’s me. You both know he’s too young, but then you remember the time he followed the dog into a neighbor’s woods, how they found him in their yard with a big stick “for the beasts.” Whoever’s trying to run out of that picture, maybe the beasts found him instead. Maybe he made it home, a flat half-empty can of Surge on the floor next to his bed. I don’t know who burned what sigil into our backwoods alone, but don’t forget to subscribe and thanks for watching.

Seth Copeland

jpeg of your brother lost in the woods

The Body Is a Zoo

I bought some organic bananas and took them home on the bus. No one knew the fate of those bananas, not even the bananas. I have a rabbit in my heart who’s dying wish is to eat a banana. It’s the least I can do. I’m going to give him all the bananas he can eat and when he dies I’ll bury him with all the peels. The goldfish in my bladder feels neglected and has been demanding beer. I got kicked off the bus for trying to make his dreams come true.

Bob Lucky

The Body Is a Zoo

I Can’t Keep My Sirens Straight

When I woke up this morning with a strange woman in my bed, I told her she wasn’t there and had to leave. She quickly poked holes in my logic, but I was adamant. “Let me make some coffee,” she said, “and tell you a story.” She’s still here. She’s worse than an old Japanese film when it comes to ending a story. When she’s not looking, I throw a knife or a pair of scissors out the window, and I’m keeping an eye on how she files her nails.

Bob Lucky

I Can’t Keep My Sirens Straight

Old Mother Hubbard

Red shoes. Gold shoes. Spikes. Mile high clogs. A different pair on my feet every time we have sex. Without them he goes limp, this foot fetished boyfriend of mine. He scours shoe stores, the Salvation Army, unlocked museum cases. Why couldn’t he have become fixated on corsets or wigs?  He’s my big secret. I don’t discuss him with my best friend, hide my oddly shod feet from the Presbyterians around the corner.  We go at it for hours. I’m in a daze. But what to do about the growing bunions, the swollen toes? One day I’ll be forced to give him up, spend my savings on a top podiatrist.

Pris Campbell

Old Mother Hubbard