James Ehle

“A Sign of the Times” by James Ehle

Francine remembered the way her mother’s face twisted in shame as their father hammered the wooden stake into the dry, cracked patch of grass in front of their apartment. She watched from the dust-caked window, nestled between the yellowed, moth-worn curtains. Her mother couldn’t bear to watch their father hang the sign which had big painted words Francine couldn’t yet read. Her mother, still in her nightgown with her pink curlers coiled tightly around her dusty brown hair, covered her face with her unmanicured hands. Francine quickly steppe...

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“Full 180” by James Ehle

Submitted to Contest #83

It came in waves. First her lunch, which she spewed all across the seatback of an innocent traveler, then the sobbing screams which filled the cabin of the airplane. The screams grew in intensity as the panic hit her in a series of shockwaves. The flight attendant rushed water over and tried to calm Rene down while simultaneously apologizing to the other passengers, especially the woman who was in the line of fire of Rene’s vomit comet. Loud whispers reverberated throughout the cabin as people openly stared in disgust, pity and irritation as...

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“Aaron's Smile” by James Ehle

Submitted to Contest #82

Seven years had passed since the accident that stole Aaron’s ability to smile. The condition baffled doctors who hypothesized that a localized region of synapses in Aaron’s brain which controlled the muscles that allowed people to smile had become blocked as a result of the blunt head injury. He was informed that he would likely never smile again. Aaron was a handsome young man with a bright personality who enjoyed goofing off with his classmates in high school and went on to become one of the bright faces displayed on a billboard which adve...

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“An Evergreen Dies” by James Ehle

Submitted to Contest #82

Evelyn inhaled a deep pull of air from her Evertube oxygenerator. Unlike fresh air, the oxygenerator provided a more nutrient-dense supply of oxygen which was essential for the Evergreening process. The machine had become a part of her nightly routine since she received her first Evertube apparatus when she turned eighteen years old - over one hundred and eighty years ago. She removed the tube from her left nostril and leapt out of bed with renewed vigor in her lungs, ready to take on the day. Evelyn felt not a day over eighteen, even though...

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“The Emerald Eye” by James Ehle

Submitted to Contest #13

Lawrence Knight was familiar with the whole “nine lives” spiel about cats, and he even believed it to some extent. When he was eleven years old his mom brought in a stray cat from the street that she decided to call Winky for their family to raise as their own. Lawrence was always slightly afraid of Winky, which only had one good eye and limped with each step, but his mother assured him the cat was perfectly healthy.“He’s got at least four more lives in him, hon,” she used to say. He often wondered what took the first five.In his nightmares,...

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“Cahoots” by James Ehle

Submitted to Contest #13

Kevin dimmed the lights in the basement and joined his friends, legs crossed Indian-style, in a circle on the old concrete floor. He picked up an old aluminum flashlight from behind him and illuminated the underside of his chin.“Legend has it, that before my mom and dad bought this house, and before the old man they bought it from moved to Florida, that the old couple who lived here were in cahoots with real live witches.”The kids in the circle, all pimply middle school boys, hung onto Kevin’s every word.“Where’s cahoots?” asked a chubby, be...

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