Katherine Saltwell

“The Girl and the Mouse, a Love Story” by Katherine Saltwell

Submitted to Contest #176

The mouse did not like the little box where it made its home. The box smelled of dust and tobacco and dirty, meaty hands, sweaty from their wanting. Wanting more money, more food, more cigarettes. The box did not smell like the honey and lemon box the girl put the mouse in before she was taken away.  The girl had golden hair, like a perfect sunset, and big brown eyes. Chocolate eyes, just like the chocolates the girl would steal from the headmistress's room when she was out doing whatever the headmistress did when she was not pestering...

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“Talking to Shadows” by Katherine Saltwell

Submitted to Contest #169

“Hello friend, where were you?” The shadow man didn’t say anything. Just waved, silent, cold as ice on the back of Lana’s neck. “I know, I haven’t been talking to you as much anymore. I- I can’t stand to look in the mirror, you know?” The shadow man nodded, tilting his head in a sympathetic way. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m ok. Or I will be. It was just hard for a hot minute. I’m sorry.” The shadow man reached out from behind me, reaching for my shoulder, but he was a shadow, he couldn’t touch anything. It seemed so lonely. Except for Si...

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“Peaceful Ends” by Katherine Saltwell

A train zipped past, click click click, wind whipping Zack's hair, nose burning from how close the train got to… yeah. Even now Zack didn't like to think about it. About stepping out into the abyss, letting a sudden stop lift him up into the clouds above, about staring into that tunnel of death, being swept up in the winds of despair, and pulling the trigger. Why had she done it? Was Zack the problem? But this time Zack had been too close, it had been too easy to take one step further and release everything. He'd wanted to. He had no life, w...

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“Monster, Killer, Crazy, Perfect” by Katherine Saltwell

Submitted to Contest #165

“Tuvo! Where the fuck are you?” Tuvo was sitting at his desk. He didn’t say anything, just kept reading his papers. He had work to do today. Meetings to plan, the stupid merchants wanted to raise the price for iron, but Tuvo needed that iron for guns, knives, utensils. Getting supplies for an entire army was so fucking hard on a budget. And the general expected him to have a contract ready in a few days. Like the general had ever done anything useful in his life. “Tuvo! I- oh.” Greyson stopped at the open door. She stalked into the office, s...

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“Enslaved” by Katherine Saltwell

“So, Sir Austin-”“Please, Austin will do.”Miss Kaully nodded, “Austin, how is your daughter?”Sir Austin master raised his eyebrow, anger radiating from his tensed fingertips, “My daughter?”“Yes, I heard she came down with something terrible.”Sir Austin master scooted forward in his chair, picking up his fork to show it was safe to eat, but not eating himself, “Yes, I’m afraid she must have caught a flu. She has been awfully sick lately, pale and vomiting. I’m sorry, is that too vulgar for the table?”“No,” MissKaully said. “Not at all. I’m te...

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“Such a Crazy Dream, Right?” by Katherine Saltwell

Submitted to Contest #161

I walked into my room in Meredith High Boarding School, exhausted. Jeannie, and Margret were there, chatting. “Hey guys,” I said, dropping my stuff on my bed. “How was your weekend?” “Good,” Jeannie said. Margret, without looking up from her book, said, “I got a gerbil. His name is General Marshmallow.” I grinned, “Was that your idea?” “Not even a little bit.” “How about you?” Jeannie asked. I shook my head, “God, I had the weirdest dream. It was about you, actually.” “Really?” I nodded. “What kind of dream?” Margret asked, smirking. “Gross,...

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