He gently eased his scarred arms into the box and lifted out a coiled snake. The snake twisted and curled its smooth body as the preacher began dancing while lifting the snake in the air. He passed the snake on and returned to the boxes on the floor, retrieving another snake from an identical wooden box. Sweat started to drip down Frank’s back and he . . . Continue Reading

That’s when the police scanner started scratching about a call coming in over at Jerry’s house. I thought, Uh oh. Cass and Jerry are up to something. The way Cass looked, maybe Jerry had roughed her up. Her hair looked wild, like a skein of wool yarn a cat had pawed with its claws. Maybe Jerry had . . . Continue Reading

It has been our great pleasure to have met and published so many impressive and talented people. And we are grateful for each and every one of you—our submitters, subscribers, readers, perusers, and scrollers. In these five years, we have . . . Continue Reading

. . . The entire process takes only minutes, but any sentient being can deduce that the agony is so extreme as to seem to last for eternity. I have a confession to make, Bruno. I’m going to enjoy watching you cook like a pig over a . . . Continue Reading

Growing tired of her chase, the child wobbles across the smooth creek stones down to other adventures, swishing the bottom of Mama’s much too big t-shirt through the water. The steady warmth of July fights off the chill of the mountain creek that has already numbed her legs and toes . . . Continue Reading

The man driver continued to pick up speed. While he concentrated on the road, Mrs. Sanders was able to free her hands from the twine, that thin type they use to bundle books. She pulled the bright red scarf out of her mouth, then considered her feet. They were duct-taped and out of reach . . . Continue Reading

Next morning Lottie joined the men kicking up dust on New Cut Road, stiff from a night on the ground and stretching their shoulder and back muscles. With her battered fedora pulled low over her face, Lottie looked at a distance like any other young hobo clomping along in work boots and overalls . . .Continue Reading

A small boat skims across the surface of a lake, an old man at the helm. His white hair flutters in the wind. He is smiling. The sun is shining. He guides the boat into a quiet alcove and kills the engine and tosses an anchor overboard. He leans over the side of the boat and peers into the emerald water as the ripples disappear and his reflection appears . . .Continue Reading

Appalachia Bare is proud and honored to feature the Write the World contest winners for fiction and poetry, hosted by East Tennessee’s Pellissippi State Community College. The contest centers on an international-focused theme or topic. The college’s participants were encouraged to reflect upon and write about experiences living or travelingContinue Reading