March 22, 2026
View of actors on stage, bathed in blue light, dressed in avant garde style costumes. Story reflects on being late to the party post-show. TEXT: Fiction - Liz Lydic - One Last Callback Part 2
Published by Liz Lydic at March 22, 2026
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One Last Callback, Part 2

I was late to the party, and by the time I got there, everyone was in various stages of intoxication. I saw that there were some fathers of some of the younger kids there, too. Many of the kids who helped on the show were even younger than the cast, and had to have their parents take them to and from the theatre.
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December 25, 2025
Red and green gradient background. A Boston terrier puppy center, looking up at the camera. TEXT: Peppermint Bark, Christmas Fiction, Gregory Smith - a puppy for Christmas!
Published by Gregory Smith at December 25, 2025
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Peppermint Bark

“Don’t you think it’s too soon to talk about getting another puppy for Christmas?” I asked, stealing another piece of bacon from the plate. “No,” Carol insisted. “You know how sad Crystal’s been since Mistletoe crossed the Rainbow Bridge.” “You mean since the dog died,” I translated, not being one for euphemisms. “Yes. It’s not good for her to cry all the time. She isn’t even excited about Christmas this year,” my wife replied. “But it’s only been a few weeks…”
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October 23, 2025
A square image with a gritty, atmospheric, and suspenseful vibe, characteristic of an urban thriller or horror. The scene is viewed through a dark, arched window or doorway, which frames the interior of an empty, dimly lit subway train car. The train's interior is dominated by yellow handrails and metallic surfaces, with one or two distant figures visible seated in the carriage. The contrast between the dark foreground and the hazy, yellowish interior light gives the image a sense of isolation and mystery. The MockingOwl Roost logo is in the lower right corner. Train Text: The Last Stop, Halloween Fiction, Justin Alcala
Published by Justin Alcala at October 23, 2025
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The Last Stop

The gangway connection door opened and a sable-haired woman seemed to float into the car. She wore a black Venetian gown with tangerine trim and a crown of naked branches festooned with marigolds. An onyx pendant dangled from her choker, reflecting the train’s fluorescent light.
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August 17, 2025
Orange cement mixer up close, sitting in pile of gray gravel - TEXT: A Will & May Story, Melissa Juchniewicz, Best We Can Do Part 2 - flowers and limps...all part of the story!
Published by Melissa Juchniewicz at August 17, 2025
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Best We Can Do – Part 2

“If you got gas to get to Milton, you could go see my friend Clara. I was talking to her on the phone yesterday. She was thinking about how to get more business — she has a flower shop. Business isn’t great, so she was thinking about selling in other places, but she can’t leave the shop.
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June 20, 2025
bowl of cherries on a table with greenery around image - TEXT: Ice Cherries, Fiction, Tandy Malinak
Published by Tandy Malinak at June 20, 2025
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Ice Cherries

The storm’s coming was awful enough. The cherries would be ripening in a few short days, and the last thing they needed in this moment was too much water. But I couldn’t do anything about it. It would pass and leave whatever wreckage it chose to leave and I’d clean up as best I could.
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March 6, 2025
Peacock standing with tail fanned out - TEXT: The Dance of the Peacock Part 2 - Mahvash Mohtadullah
Published by Mahvash Mohtadullah at March 6, 2025
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The Dance of the Peacock, Part 2

The peacock was now an intermittent visitor to the garden at Sakoonat-e-Siddiqui, just as Sumaira’s cheerfulness had become more and more an occasional companion. She couldn’t help drawing a comparison between the bird seeking out her garden and her wellbeing seeking the outdoors.
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