Levi Michael

“A Straight Answer” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #246

Thanksgiving, ‘97. The whole family gathered in San Rafael at my grandmother’s house. Green shag and white brick in the living room, wood and flowers in the kitchen, through the hallway was the tv room, football on the holidays. My grandfather sat in his chair, hulking, silent, stubbornly unknowable. In the chair next to him, his brother Al. Sergeant Al. Great Uncle Al the war hero, wears an eyepatch over his missing right eye and always keeps everyone on his left so he can see them. The crowd cheered on the TV as the Cowboys took it into th...

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“Pesto” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #217

I remember the first day I saw him. It wasn’t his good looks. Sure, he was ruggedly handsome, messy hair and perfect stubble, but that wasn’t it. It was his smile.  When he smiled his eyes disappeared and he was all teeth and chin and cheekbones. Then he’d laugh and blink bashfully, and grin like he was just so happy to be in your presence, grateful that you were giving him the time, even though, really, you were...

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“The Ballerina's Bunion: A Jack Cliche Mystery” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #217

There was no doubt that she had been beautiful. Now her young corpse lay impossibly contorted among the refuse in the alley. I took a deep drag of my cigarette and pitched it as I blew a thick plume of smoke into the cold night air, whisps curling through the hard edges of the streetlight.  My partner, McGuffin, leaned over her body in a crouch, looking her over. He huffed a breath of regret and stood with a grun...

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“Up and to the Left” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #216

We both liked reading people. That’s how we met. We’d worked together for three years, said a few words in passing, but never really noticed each other, until the day in the breakroom when we were the only two who could tell that Herb was obviously lying.  We laughed and Herb shot us a glare and the rest of the group just went along as he dismissed us and continued his story. Unable to stifle our laughter we both...

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“The Birdhouse” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #215

The ancient demon Mara is older than man. The Buddhists were the first to recognize him. The sounds that make up his primordial name were first recorded in Sanskrit. Sanskrit and all other languages are flawed in their representations of his name. The true symbol of his name cannot be expressed in any language. But it can be described. Four crosses, joined at the base, jutting in opposing directions. Northwest, n...

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“L'Invasion” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #214

A night like this, even though I pretended it wasn’t, was my favorite part of family vacation. Mom and dad wanted an evening alone together, we were in a foreign country, so they didn’t know any baby-sitters, and even though mom told me not to watch scary movies, I did. Six hours alone to watch whatever I wanted, and to not have to watch them fawn over each other was golden. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy my parents love...

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“Run, Marjorie” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #212

“Ok, class. Today we are going to participate in a nationwide outreach program. We will be some of the privileged few to join President Nixon’s initiative to help reform those who’ve lost their way.” Mrs. Miller concluded as she stood, straight and proud in front of the class.  The class stared back, blinking slowly. Mrs. Miller beamed an undeterred smile. “Today we are all going to write a letter.” She b...

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“Wyoming Changed Everything” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #200

“Djya hear about the new girl?” he whispered over my shoulder.  “Huh?” I looked up from my notebook, only slightly to keep from being noticed by Mr. Hamilton. He didn’t play around when it came to class disruptions. “Uh-uh,” I answered under my breath with an almost imperceptible shake of my head as I kept a covert eye on our teacher. “Yeah, I heard she—” We both froze as Mr. Hamilton looked up from his work and leveled his gaze in our direction. My eyes shot down to my workbook. Pure reflex. I knew better than t...

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“Sedgwick” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #198

Charlie and his teacher, Cameron Miller, stood side-by-side leaning over at the waist and peering through the glass of the terrarium at Sedgwick. Sedgwick was staring back. “He doesn’t look any different.” Charlie put a finger on the glass.  Sedgwick eyed it cautiously before waddling across the sawdust, through the other hamsters, and nosing at it with a twitch of his muzzle.  “I don’t know.” Mr....

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“The Path” by Levi Michael

Man had been, even before the separations of land and water and the creation of plant and animal, formless and waiting in the depths of the earth.  Black Hactcin was the creator of all, and all could speak with one another. Black Hactcin finished his work on the surface of the earth and smiled upon it. Yet something was missing. Man was still formless and had no home on his earth. He had the plants and animals ...

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“Hopes of Madness Abandoned Them: The Story of Ygor Fritz” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #195

To Ms. Elga Fritz, Hull, England.Ingolstadt, Mar. 15th, 17—My dearest sister,I apologize for the late arrival of my first correspondence. How you must have worried. Fear not, I have arrived unharmed, yet weary from travel. Ingolstadt is truly a mecca of knowledge and learning. I was received warmly by Dr Umholtz and his staff of metallurgists. Our quarters are quite pristine, not exactly the spartan accommodations I had pictured while imagining my boardings during ...

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“The Pomeranian Diamond: A Jack Cliche Mystery” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #194

It was February 4th, the day after my fifth birthday. I’d been doing this detective thing since Halloween… and I was starting to get the hang of it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned It’s that tough guys aren’t so tough, and dames aren’t always giving it to you straight. I’m Jack Cliche, and I’ve worked a number of hard cases, but none as hard as this one.  The day started like any other Thursday. It had rained c...

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“Good One” by Levi Michael

A young volcano breathed a slowly billowing corridor of ashy smoke on the horizon of the caldera. A wide eared, long necked stoat weaved between the giant ferns and fat leafed palms lining the grade leading up to a rocky southern facing flat. It scuttled across the edge of the football sized plateau and disappeared into one of the smaller caves on the eastern ridge. At the center of the oval rocky table two cavemen leane...

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“An Idle Helping Hand” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #193

Aldous Albitter had spent the last thirty-five years climbing the corporate ladder to the top. Today was the first Monday of his retirement. The first day he hadn’t woken before dawn to take the train into the city, and ravenously poured over ad-specs. He wasn't the type of guy to think about his own death, but if he had to, he would have pictured himself slumped over his drafting desk, dead from a heart attack at ninet...

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“The Perfume of Spring” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #191

Pulling over on 19th, in the city, wasn't the hard part, it was getting back on, but it was worth it. Not only did The Papadopoulos Brothers have some of the freshest flowers you could find, they were also the only florist on the way. At least, directly on the way.  “Do you want card with that?” he asked in his thick Greek accent as he wrapped the bouquet of oleander in a plastic veil.  I shrugged. “How much?” “No.” He held out an assuring hand. “For you?” Although we’d never met, he gestured at me like an o...

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